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NOTE: This article was originally published five years ago this week on PWTorch.com.
WWE NXT Report
August 19, 2015
Taped at Full Sail University
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor
[Q1] Pre-credit video package summarizing the Finn Balor-Kevin Owens developments last week on NXT. Next is Bayley becoming the #1 contender in a match against Becky Lynch. No mention of the third title match scheduled for “Takeover: Brooklyn,” the Tag Team championship match.
William Regal starts the show to perform a contract signing for the NXT Women’s Championship. He introduces Bayley first after reminding us of who she beat to become the #1 contender. Her hand cast/brace is off. Next out is Sasha Banks to a mixed reaction. She has her contract signing stamp with her, and takes time to give a stare down to Bayley’s #1 fan along the ramp.
Bayley is nervous. She thanks “Mr. Regal” and the fans for putting her in this spot. She acknowledges her past failures to capture the title. She says she can feel that it is different this time, the crowd feels it, and Banks knows it, too. Banks mock blushes and Bayley signs.
Banks takes the mic to vent. Banks says that this is a big moment in front of her fans, but there is a reason Takeover is in Brooklyn and not FSU. Banks demands that Regal do something about “these people” yelling that she is rachet. Banks says that Bayley is scared, and for good reason. “Bayley wayley” is good, but she isn’t Sasha Banks, and everyone knows it. Banks works well with a vocal crowd, staying quiet and holding up the title to remind us who is the champ. She wraps it up and stamps the contract. Regal counter signs.
Banks wants to leave, but Bayley stops her. She wants to know why Banks gets to walk out without any physical confrontation, because Bayley wants to go now. Regal nonverbally warns her. Banks says she is on the main roster for a reason and Bayley isn’t because she is a loser. She rips on Baley’s fans and says that Bayley isn’t a role model for little girls. Banks will show reality to little girls. Bayley isn’t worth her time tonight.
As Banks leaves, Bayley jumps her from behind, it takes four refs to pull Bayley off the ramp. Bayley is near tears as she gets dragged away.
[ J.J.’s Reax: Great work all around here. Banks was so strong after she was about to leave, transitioning from “cool heel” to a real nasty persona. Seeing four refs used to restrain Bayley put her over as a physical force. That was a full 15-minute segment devoted to this. ]
[Q2] Video package on Apollo Crews (Uhaa Nation). By the by, not a fan of the name.
Tyler Breeze comes out for a pre-Takeover squash. He has a Jushin Liger mask with him on his selfie-stick. His opponent’s pants say “Ryzin” on them, which is the only clue to his name.
1 – TYLER BREEZE vs. RYZEN
The jobber doesn’t even get a name. Breeze jaws at someone and the jobber schoolboys him for two. Breeze gets the win off a supermodel kick.
WINNER: Tyler Breeze in 0:37.
Post-match, Breeze puts the Liger mask on Ryzin, then kneels behind him mid-ring to cut a promo on Liger. He pretends Ryzin is Liger, and says he isn’t impressed, and looks forwards to seeing Liger on Saturday. He gives a preview of Saturday by standing Ryzin up, hitting the Beauty Shot, and then counting a three count out.
[ J.J.’s Reax: Breeze didn’t need to do much here, as this match sells itself. ]
An eight-man tag match is next. The Hype Bros. are out first. I like that they pronounce the “Bros.” as “Bros” and not “Brothers.” Next are Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady, and Carmella. Amore puts over their team including the Hype Bros.
2 – THE HYPE BROS. (MOJO RAWLEY & ZACK RYDER) & ENZO AMORE & COLIN CASSADY (w/Carmella) vs. FOUR JOBBERS – Tag Team match
Amore manages to get cornered by the jobbers, but gets to Cassady after a minute or so. A cover gets broken up, the faces clear the ring, and finishers for everyone.
WINNERS: The Hype Bros. & Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady in 2:58.
[Q3] Backstage, Devin Taylor interviews Scott Dawson, Dash Wilder, Chad Gable, and Jason Jordan. Dawson says “jamoakes” a word he lifted from Gable a few weeks ago. It seems like they are facing the Hype Bros., Amore and Cassady, next week on NXT. Jordan gets everyone to participate in “ready, willing, and Gable” and they actually seem to like it.
Samoa Joe gets a squash match, too.
3 – SAMOA JOE vs. STEVE CUTLER
Cutler gets in a couple punches, then runs into Joe, who locks in the rear-naked choke. The announcers call it the Kokita Clutch again, probably because WWE doesn’t like “choking” (see: Daniel Bryan).
WINNER: Samoa Joe in 0:32.
Post-match, Baron Carbin ambushes Joe on the ramp, kicks him down, and chases him around the outside of the ring. Corbin rolls Joe into the ring, letting Joe recover, but Joe runs into the End of Days. Corbin rips off his shirt and goes nuts.
Bull-Fit video. Next week he will be back, “new and improved.”
Wesley Blake, Buddy Murphy, and Alexa Bliss hit the ramp to face Sawyer Fulton and Angelo Dawkins.
4 – NXT Tag Team champions WESLEY BLAKE & BUDDY MURPHY (w/Alexa Bliss) vs. ANGELO DAWKINS & SAWYER FULTON – non-title tag match
Dawkins and Blake start. Blake gets a chant referring to the old “Barbie Girl” song. Dawkins controls Blake and tags in Fulton. Impressive sunset flip by Dawkins, then Dawkins keeps Murphy out of the ring, but that lets Blake turn it around. Dawkins gets worked over in the corner.
Dawkins with a surprise one count, then a big right to the head draws a double tag. Fulton unloads on Blake and Murphy. Impressive feats of strength from Fulton who drops the straps. The delay lets Murphy and Blake hit their team finisher. No Bliss needed for this win.
WINNERS: Buddy Murphy & Wesley Blake in 3:33. Blake gets a fair amount of heat for his hair.
[Q4] Post-match, The Vaudevillains come out with mics. They have an announcement, but Alexa Bliss heads towards them. They warn her away, so she slaps them both and they take it. English starts talking so Bliss slaps them again. They crowd demands Blue Pants (who now has an official shirt). The tag champs’s music plays and it cuts to Kevin Owens walking around backstage.
Next week, Carmella will be facing Eva Marie. Becky Lynch, Charlotte, Emma, and Dana Brooke are having a Fatal Four-way as well. It seems like the “Takeover: Brooklyn” dark matches are being taped for next week’s NXT.
Main Event Segment Time. Kevin Owens comes out with a ladder over his shoulder. He sets the ladder up in the middle of the ring. The crowd starts a “Brooklyn Sucks” chant. Owens addresses it. He says it is disgusting and hypocritical of the audience because the crowd loves him, unless he’s beating up Sami Zayn. The crowd boos John Cena, but they cheer when he brags about beating Cena. He says the FSU crowd is the John Cena of fans – they aren’t sincere. They say they love NXT, but the crowd boos when Brooklyn sells out. The crowd cries because they don’t get to see it live, as NXT is now bigger than them. This is why Owens gets sick when he has to come to FSU to perform in front on undeserving, ungrateful pieces of trash.
Owens says he’ll feel better after he beats Finn Balor in front of a crowd that deserves the biggest main event in NXT history. Japan was a fluke and it won’t happen again. He vows to do far worse to Balor than he has done to anyone else. Now he needs the NXT Title so he can shove it in the faces of the crowd and prove that he is better than Balor. What happened to his starving family? He promises it will be “Fight Owens Fight, Destroy Owens Destroy, Climb Owens Climb.” There won’t be an epic battle on top of the ladder, because Balor will be knocked out and under medical attention while Owens goes to the top of the ladder.
Balor’s music hits. His smoke comes out, but there is no Finn Balor. All of a sudden he appears on the turnbuckles. No mic. He just stands up and poses. Owens slowly comes off the ladder and drops the mic. Big, intense brawl. Pele Kick, then Balor chucks the ladder at Owens, but Owens ducks and hits the ramp. Balor is on the ladder with the title and mic. He says he’ll win in Brooklyn, kick Owens’s ass, and shut his mouth.
[ J.J.’s Reax: Such a strong promo from Owens. Some of it was dog-whistling to the crowd, but that’s not a problem on NXT. The normally mild Balor showed an intensity with his final words that he usually reserves for his in-ring work. One sentence from Balor was enough for the final sell. ]
Final Thoughts: Great lead-in to Takeover all around. Balor-Owens will be hot, hot, hot on Saturday. Bayley-Banks should be a top-flight, very, very physical match after the build they have had. Finally, I like that we don’t know how The Vaudevillains will handle Alexa Bliss, it will be depressing to see how much offense Corbin gets against Samoa Joe, and I’m eager to see the Apollo Crews debut.
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