SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV REVIEW
MARCH 22, 2017
TAPED AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
AIRED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY JUSTIN JAMES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
[Q1] Pre-credits package advertises the six man tag team match (Tye Dillinger, No Way Jose, and Roderick Strong vs. Sanity) booked for tonight.
Oney Lorcan comes out looking serious. He is facing the “bully” Andrade “Cien” Almas.
(1) ONEY LORCAN vs. ANDRADE “CIEN” ALMAS
Lorcan starts in the “heel corner” for some reason. Almas ducks a strike and slides to the mat and lies down to show off. Then he rolls under a strike and lounges. Almas ducks under the ropes and Lorcan pursues, and is able to deliver chops back in the ring. Almas turns up the pace but Lorcan slips under a low dropkick. Big forearm to the back knocks Almas under the ropes and the ref starts a count. Lorcan gets impatient, chases, but takes an elbow on his way back into the ring. Almas with his charge, stop, and slap routine. Lorcan backdrops Almas over and out of the ring. Lorcan dives off the top of the steps onto Almas, who transitions into a body slam.
[ Break ]
Almas is controlling Lorcan in the ring after the break. Almas drops Lorcan face-first into the turnbuckle. Dropkick into a two count for Almas, then a tight chinlock. Really nice looking hold here, making the basic chinlock look like a very nasty move. Lorcan comes to his feet but takes knees. Almas wants a suplex but Lorcan slips out and delivers offence. Running blockbuster but Almas is able to kickout. Almas gets to the ropes to avoid a half Nelson suplex. European uppercuts batter Almas, then a running uppercut sends Almas through the ropes. Lorcan goes to the top, dives onto Almas. Lorcan with running elbows in the corner, then the half-and-half suplex, but Almas kicks out at the last possible moment.
[Q2] Almas sets Lorcan on the top, then lands a big chop. Lorcan headbutts Almas off the top, whiffs a blockbuster from the top, and Almas backflips into a kick. Big brawl here, two count from Almas. Double knees in the corner, hammerlock DDT ends it.
WINNER: Andrade “Cien” Almas in 11:20. Really good match here, especially at the end. They both looked good here.
Outside, #DIY reminds themselves of their history to get the NXT and then suceed in NXT. Gargano points out that The Authors of Pain wrestle for money, not for passion.
[ J.J.’s Reax: I don’t think anyone in NXT has spent that much time outside next to a production truck without getting ambushed before. ]
Vignette for our mystery wrestler in the dark church. Still no name or date.
Replay of Ember Moon injuring Billing Kay with the Eclipse in their match a few weeks ago.
Asuka is out to remind us of how quickly she ends matches, against the “already in the ring” Priscilla Zuniga.
(2) NXT Women’s Champion ASUKA vs. PRISCILLA ZUNIGA – Non-Title Match
Asuka looking cocky. After the bell rings she asks for a mic and says “Ember Moon, this is your fate!” and hits ? with a roundhouse kick, then kicks her senseless. Zuniga manages to land enough offense to draw Asuka’s attention, and gets a hip attack in return. Zuniga is just crawling around in pain. Asuka takes her time landing a German suplex, then a stiff, stiff kick. Asuka covers, then pulls Zuniga’s head off the mat at two. Knees to the middle, then a knee to the face. Asuka lock, on the mat, and Zuniga taps. Asuka refuses to release the hold until the bell rings again.
WINNER: Asuka in 2:59. Great match to make Asuka look just absolutely brutal, as well as position her as the de facto heel against Ember Moon at Takeover: Orlando.
Post-match: Asuka gets the mix again, and cuts a promo in Japanese. I can’t undertstand the words, but the meaning is clear. “No Eclipse” and she drops the mic.
[Q3] The Revival in a backstage area. Dash Wilder explains that they are called “The Revival” is because they are a throwback to the greats. Scott Dawson says they fight for money and they are better than The Rockers, Arn and Tully, and all the rest. They won’t do flips like #DIY, they will just beat The Authors of Pain.
[ J.J.’s Reax: If you forgot that Scott Dawson is one of the best people on the mic in wrestling, this promo will remind you how great he is. ]
A Triple Threat match is advertised for next week, Akam, Dash Wilder, and Johny Gargano.
Tour of Bobby Roode’s house in Toronto, Canada. Looks like a palace. Strange, that this was “filmed in Canada” in February or March, but Roode doesn’t appear the slightest bit chilly and we can’t see his breath when he talks. Reminder that Shinsuka Nakamura hurt his left at Takeover: San Antonio, and Bobby Roode capitalised on the injury to capture the title. Long look at Roode’s history joining NXT. Very good package here.
Backstage with Tye Dillinger, No Way Jose, and Roderick Strong. Tough talk from the trio.
Heavy Machinery vignette. They are advertised for next week.
“Last week” outside interview with Kassius Ohno after losing to Bobby Roode. He didn’t expect to start his NXT second career with a loss. Guitar introduces Elias Samson, mocking Ohno with a song just for the occassion. Ohno looks annoyed. “You know what you need? You need an ass kicking pal.” Samson says Ohno doesn’t belong in NXT. Ohno gets angry and proposes a “loser leaves NXT” match. Samson agrees.
[ J.J.’s Reax: That’s kind of a weak stipulation, give that when folks lose big matches on NXT they end up on the main roster. ]
[Q4] Backstage with Almas. Aleister Black (formerly Tommy End) is revealved to be the mystery man in the vignettes, and he will face Almas at Takeover: Orlando. Almas talks in Spanish, something about a dog.
(3) TYE DILLINGER & NO WAY JOSE & RODERICK STRONG vs. SANITY (ERIC YOUNG & KILLIAN DAIN & ALEXANDER WOLFE w/Nikki Cross)
Pre-bell brawl breaks out. The ref calls for the bell once it is down to Dain and Strong. Strong is forced to fight out of the corner and brings Wolfe to his corner. Rapid tags isolate Wolfe. Wolfe tries to rally but Strong cuts it off, clears Sanity off the apron, then dives onto the whole mess outside, but seems to hurt his leg.
[ Break ]
Jose hits Wolfe with a sidewalk slam for two, but then gets brought into the corner. Young tags in. Jose makes the tag to Dillinger. Dillinger delivers offense to Wolfe, but takes time to stare down Young. Dain tags in against Jose. The action ends up breaking down into an all out brawl, with the ref calling for the bell.
No contest at 8:02.
Post-match, the brawl continues. Dillinger ends up landing a ton of stomps in the corner on Young, but Cross jumps on his back. Ruby Riot (formerly Heidi Lovelace) makes her debut by peeling Cross off Dillinger’s back. She’s wearing Zack Ryder-style half trunk, half pants. Jose comes in for the assist. Strong recovers and helps them take out Dain.
FINAL REAX: NXT feels like it is scrambling to throw together some last-minute matches for Takeover: Orlando, with Almas facing Black, Samson facing Ohno, and adding Riot to the Dillinger – Sanity feud. Hopefully Takeover: Orlando will be a chance for some folks to move up to the main roster (Nakamura, Asuka, Samson, Dillinger), give some new faces wins (Ohno), and wrap up some feuds.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S ARTICLE: 3/15 NXT TV REVIEW: Robert Roode defends against Kassius Ohno, plus Authors of Pain, Nikki Cross, William Regal
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