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The following report originally published 10 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
WWE NXT Results
February 18, 2015
Taped at Full Sail University
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor
[Q1] Pre-credit video looking at Takeover: Rival. Top-notch package.
William Regal with a message from his office. He confirms that Kevin Owens is champion, but says that Owens doesn’t get to have his way. Regal books Owens against Adrian Neville in a non-title match, because Owens put Neville into a hospital. Regal says it’s a new era.
[ J.J.’s Reax: Regal and the booking around the GM role on NXT are so well done. Regal doesn’t mind slightly stacking the deck against Owens, who wormed his way into a championship match, but he still comes off a fair, no handicap or gauntlet matches. ]
The announcers are Corey Graves, Jason Albert and Rich Brennan. Jojo is in the ring.
Kevin Owens comes out to the ring to a fair amount of cheers. Dueling “Kevin Owens / Sami Zayn” chant. Owens clears his throat and addresses the criticism of winning the match via referee stoppage. He says no one has a right to be mad because he hasn’t lied or deceived anyone. He did this for his family. It doesn’t matter who he beat or the way it was done. Sami Zayn is old news, and he is looking ahead to Finn Balor. Owens acknowledges Balor as the #1 contender and he needs to go to Regal and book a date, but Balor will share Zayn’s fate. No one will take the title away from him or his family.
[ J.J.’s Reax: Strong promo, but it’s unfortunate that so many of the fans are cheering Owens. ]
Sasha Banks will be facing Blue Pants tonight.
Rhyno is out to an uncensored “Holy S–t!” chant. He’s facing Elias Samson.
1 – RHYNO vs. ELIAS SAMSON
Armdrag and Gore wrap it up.
WINNER: Rhyno in 0:30.
Jason Albert says that NXT is now the place for folks to get their carers back on track, too.
Backstage, Devin Taylor interviews Finn Balor. He says that Owens probably thinks a lot of himself because of his big victory, but he is proud of himself, too. Rhyno walks by and gives Balor a look and an evil smile.
[Q2] The Vaudevillains are out for a match as the announcers remind us that Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy used them as a springboard to a Tag Title match. They are facing Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady. Amore now has a beard (bleached blonde with a brown handlebars mustache) and a leopard-print bandana covering his face. Cassady vows that they will run through the Vaudevillains and head to a title shot.
2 – ENZO AMORE & COLIN CASSADY (w/Carmella) vs. THE VAUDEVILLAINS (AIDEN ENGLISH & SIMON GOTCH)
Gotch finds early success against Amore. Amore dives to tag in Cassady, who takes on English and Gotch. Big sidewwalk slam sends Gotch packing, then a double-team move wins the match for Amore and Cassady.
WINNERS: Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady in 2:15. I think this is their second win ever.
Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy on the ‘tron give mock congratulations to Amore and Cassady, then act sleazy to Carmella asking if she wants to be with a real champion. They mock the “how ya doin’?”
Backstage interview with Adrian Neville and the new interviewer Greg. He calls the match with Owens a “consolation prize.” Neville says it is a relief because he gets to be the hunter and focus on what is personal, and with Owens it is personal. He hasn’t forgotten about what Owens did to him last time they met.
Backstage interview with Bayley. She says it wasn’t her night, but she will win the NXT Women’s Championship. Becky Lynch says she was so close to winning, and it is Bayley’s fault she didn’t win. She is kind of happy Sasha Banks won, but she is super-happy that Charlotte lost.
C.J. Parker wearing street clothes is out. He demands his music be cut, as he’s sick and tired of “this.” He’s angry that there was a Take-over without him. He hates everyone. He is ending the show and taking it hostage. He starts putting yellow “Caution” tape over the ring. The static stuff interrupts. Solomon Crowe (Sami Callahan) is making is debut by whooping C.J. Parker. He looks and dresses like Gene Simmons without the make-up. He says that the regularly scheduled broadcast is back on and leaves.
[ J.J.’s Reax: C.J. Parker makes a great foil for a debuting babyface. Crowe’s delivery made me think of Dean Ambrose a bit, but it was only one sentence so it is hard to tell. And don’t do a podcast with Greg Parks the week before a big debut, as he’ll spoil it for you. ]
[Q3] Sasha Banks is out. Big swagger in her step and big boos from the audience. She is definitely the right one to carry the title if Charlotte is headed to the main roster. Blue Pants doesn’t have her own entrance music, she has clips of Amore and Cassady doing the “Price is Right” theme song and their mock introduction. Big reaction for Blue Pants.
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3 – NXT Women’s champion SASHA BANKS vs. BLUE PANTS – non-title match
Banks can’t believe she is facing Blue Pants. Banks holds the ropes open so Blue Pants can leave without getting embarrassed. Blue Pants kicks her through the ropes to a big reaction, though. Back in the ring, Banks walks into a drop toehold and a crucifix for one. Banks immediately turns it around and steps on Blue Pants’s throat. “Banks is rachet / no, she’s not” from the audience. Back slide gets two for Blue Pants. Banks is enraged and sets up the double knee drop through the ropes. Banks pulls off the cover at two, then a Backstabber into the Bank Statement and Blue Pants taps.
WINNER: Sasha Banks in 2:45 via submission. Blue Pants makes such a good jobber. I can’t help but want to cheer for her with her in-ring persona, so it puts big heat on Banks for winning.
Post-match, Greg interviews Banks in the ring. She snatches the mic and takes over, saying that being champion means that everyone including Lynch, Bayley, and Charlotte need to acknowledge her as the baddest Diva in NXT.
Footage from post-Takeover – Zayn is in the ring being attended to as William Regal comes down and supervises Zayn’s exit. Interview with Dr. Chris Amann, senior ringside physician. He says that they tested Zayn and everything came back okay so Zayn was allowed to go to Abu Dabai.
[ J.J.’s Reax: Little touches like this make NXT feel more like a sporting event and less like WWE. ]
Adrian Neville is all business coming out for his match against Kevin Owens. Fewer cheers for Owens than earlier.
4 – NXT champion KEVIN OWENS vs. ADRIAN NEVILLE – non-title match
Owns starts by leaving the ring, but Neville is there to meet him and they brawl. Neville avoids the ambush coming into the ring and blitzes Owens. Owens with a surprise fireman’s carry into a gutbuster, senton, then a mount. Neville is crawling to a corner, but gets no mercy from Owens. Brennan acknowledges Owen’s fanbase as he picks Neville apart. Owens tosses Neville over the top for a mid-match break.
[ Break ]
[Q4] Owens continues to wear Neville down. Neville with a springboard, gets caught with a fireman’s carry, and Owens wants another gutbuster, but Neville counters with a DDT. Neville finally gets some traction with chops. Owens is finally down and rolls out of the ring. Top-rope moonsault to the outside clobbers Owens. Owens is staggered in the ring and Neville tries Yes! kicks, but Owens catches one. Springboard dropkick gets two for Neville. Owens outside again to regroup. Neville with a sliding dropkick from the ring to Owens at ringside, then a 450 splash to the outside for another “Holy s–t!” from the crowd. Back in the ring, he gets a two count. Owens is coughing and foaming at the mouth.
Owens elbows out of a German suplex attempt, then hits the ropes and runs right into a German suplex, followed by a huge kick to the head. Neville wants a German suplex and manages to deadlift Owens into one, bridge for nearfall. The crowd explodes. Running uppercut in the corner, but Owens springs out and hits an elbow to stun Neville. Owens wants the cannonball senton, but Neville surprises him with a superkick and then hits the reverse huracanrana for a nearfall. Red Arrow attempt, but Owens rolls under, and Neville runs into the pop-up powerbomb for the win.
WINNER: Kevin Owens in 12:15. Great match other than a slow period in the middle. Good story being told here with Owens coming close to losing many times. Neville delivered real excitement tonight.
Final Reax: Post-Takeover episodes are usually quite good and this was no exception. Super-hot crowd really made this an even better night.
RECOMMENDED NEXT: 10 YRS AGO – WWE Raw Report (2/2/2015): Reigns vs. Big Show, Bryan vs. Seth, The Authority open the show, plus Miz, Cena, Ryback, Ziggler, Goldust & Cody
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s NXT Hit List: Oba Femi and Trick Williams vs. Grayson Waller and Austin Theory, Charlotte Flair crashes the NXT Women’s Championship summit, JDC appears
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