SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE NXT Results
April 20, 2016
Taped 4/2 in Dallas, Tex.
Aired on WWE Network
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor
[Q1] Another episode taped during WrestleMania week. Samoa Joe is advertised to face Apollo Crews.
Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady are out first for a match against American Alpha. Amore does his routine. Cassady is respectful, saying that they will find out tonight if American Alpha are S-A-W-F-T.
1 – NXT Tag Team champions AMERICAN ALPHA (JASON JORDAN & CHAD GABLE) vs. ENZO AMORE & COLIN CASSADY – non-title tag team match
Gable grapples Amore and rolls him into a quick cover, which doesn’t even get one, then Amore finally gets to the ropes. Hot crowd as you would expect. Gable handily proves that Amore can’t beat him on the ground. Jordan tags in. Amore can’t beat Jordan on the ground either. Gable and Jordan are just picking Amore apart on the mat. Amore finally gets to the ropes to let Cassady tag in. Cassady and Jordan slowly step towards each other as they go to break. What a bad moment to take the break.
[ Break ]
Amore and Cassady have control of Jordan. Amore suddenly gets double-teamed. Sick slam from Gable. Amore and Gable bump heads. Cassady tags in against Gable. On commentary, Corey Graves puts over Cassady as Tom Philips mentions their interaction with the Dudley Brothers.
Gable takes a long stretch of offense. Gable dodges a corner charge, double tag. Jordan easily dispatches Amore off the hot tag. Cassady intercepts the corner spear, but Jordan catches Amore’s cross-body, then sends him flying. Jordan puts the straps up, drops them again, and Grand Amplitude ends it.
WINNERS: American Alpha in 11:08. There were some fun sequences in there, but I feel like the crowd and the roster were started to get burned out by this point in the taping.
[Q2] Backstage, Apollo Crews says he doesn’t like bullies. He’s been following Samoa Joe’s career closely and knows what Joe is about.
No Way Jose vignette, he is coming next.
Alexander Wolfe makes his entrance. There are some questionable costume choices here, notably a black armband on a long, grey jacket. No Way Jose is able to get the crowd into his routine very quickly. He just has a charisma to him.
2 – NO WAY JOSE vs. ALEXANDER WOLFE
Of course, Jose is dancing out of the bell. Extended struggle for control. Shoulder block takes Wolfe down. Airplane spin, shades of Daniel Bryan. Then he does it the other way, rolling senton. The crowd immediately takes to a “Jose!” chant to the Zayn “Ole!” rhythm. Wolfe comes to life while Graves and Philips get into a strange argument. Jose drops Wolfe with body slams. Jose seems to call for the end, and a baseball pitch punch wraps it up.
WINNER: No Way Jose in 3:02. Jose is going to get himself over like this.
Backstage, Alex Rayez interviews Austin Aries. Aries says that his win over Baron Corbin at NXT: Takeover wasn’t lucky. Aries says he proved to Corbin that it wasn’t luck. Aries says that he is willing to prove to anyone that he is the greatest and he isn’t hard to find. He is at the “A-double level.”
In the backstage area, Alias Samson is playing guitar. William Regal pulls up a chair. Regal says that he has been listening to Samson’s songs and it sounds like Samson wants an opportunity. So he will get a chance to face Shinsuke Nakamura. Samson doesn’t look thrilled, and his song turns rather sad.
Nia Jax is in action for the first time in a while. Philips calls her the “most dominant woman in NXT recent history.” Has he forgotten about Asuka? Deonna Purrazzo is the opponent.
3 – DEONNA PURRAZZO vs. NIA JAX
Jax immediately owns the ring. Shoulder breaker and elbow drops from Jax. Purrazzo tries a schoolgirl, but Jax blocks, then catches a cross-body. Clotheslines bounce off Jax, who catches Purrazzo. Samoa Drop, then leg drop for the win.
WINNER: Nia Jax in 1:35. Jax continues to look strong. Presumably a match against Women’s champ Asuka is in the near future.
Backstage, Dasha Fuentes interviews former Women’s champ Bayley about next week’s match between Eva Marie and Asuka. Bayley puts over Asuka of course, then says to not overlook Eva Marie either.
[Q3] 4 – APOLLO CREWS vs. SAMOA JOE
Lock-up, and Joe gets a wristlock on Crews, but Crews reverses it. Crews slips out of the corner. Crews manages to get Joe into a headlock. More jockeying. Joe suddenly breaks out his striking game. Headbutt sends Crews into a corner, but a dropkick stops Joe.
[ Break ]
Joe in control out of the match. Philips calls this the main event, which means we are in for a long match or some post-match talking. Crews tries to rally but runs into a back elbow. Atomic drop, big boot, and senton get a two count for Joe. Crews tries to rally again, but gets cut off. Crews blocks a suplex. Joe wants to try again, but Crews lays him out with a suplex.
rews finally gets his fire. Gotcha clothesline, then a kip-up. Enziguri puts Joe down, then a standing moonsault for a nearfall. A scoop slam surprises Crews. They trade blows. Bicycle kick from Crews, who wants the powerbomb, but it’s blocked, then he runs into a one-arm slam.
[Q4] Joe is looking angry. Knees to the head, then the Coquina Clutch mid-ring. Crews fights, but eventually taps.
WINNER: Samoa Joe in 11:04. Crews looked good for lasting over 10 minutes in the ring with Joe, but Joe never looked like he was in real trouble.
Final Reax: Another somewhat middling episode taped on WrestleMania weekend.
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