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My Thoughts on NXT (8/3/16): Revenge of the Nerds

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  • Hideo Itami vs Sean Maluta-Finally, Hideo Itami is back! Also, it's pretty cool that Maluta is getting a match on NXT TV after his very strong showing in the Cruiserweight Classic against Kota Ibushi. Itami takes control early on with strong kicks, including a funny dainty little kick after faking a knee drop. Maluta is able to take control off a second rope Codebreaker and goes to work on Itami with body scissors. Itami hulks up off some kicks by Maluta and runs wild, hitting a dragon screw and a corner big boot before striking Malutta down in the corner for a dropkick. Itami finishes Maluta off with a running knee strike and gets the three. Fine, quick match.
  • Andrea DeMarco interviews The Revival. They say they don't claim to be the best tag team in the world, they are the best tag team in the world. They are interrupted by TM61, who say they are the best tag team in the world and challenge the Revival, who refuse and tell them to get to the back of the line. Incomes Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa, who claim the Revival are scared to give them a title shot because they beat them before. The Revival backtracks and says they already granted TM61 a title shot and leave to let the other teams converse amongst themselves.
  • Mojo Rawley vs Chris Atkins-Rawley immediately hits a Pounce on Atkins, only for Samoa Joe to run in the ring and attack Rawley & Atkins. Joe grabs the mic and says since William Regal didn't converse with him about defending his title against Shinsuke Nakamura at Takeover: Brooklyn II, he's not going to converse with Regal about coming out and talking. He says he's going to destroy Nakamura before Rawley hops up and attack Joe. Referees make Rawley go to the back, but he gets attacked by Joe again, this time locking in the Coquina Clutch on the ramp
  • Bayley gets interviewed. She says she's not the same since losing to Asuka and it's time to adapt. She says she's been watching Asuka's every move and is ready to get her title back. Incomes Asuka, who invites her to watch her match tonight.
  • Aliyah vs Asuka-Before the match, Bayley takes a seat on commentary, only for Asuka to grabs a chair and sets it up at ringside for her. Bayley walks over the tosses the chair aside, instead standing at ringside and watching the murking progress. Aliyah gets a little offense in as Asuka beats her down while staring down Bayley. Aliyah is able to get a boot up to stop a charging Asuka but gets caught with a roundhouse kick off a flying nothing. Asuka makes the lazy cover, but yanks Aliyah up before the three to continue the beatdown. Asuka hits another roundhouse kick and locks in the Asuka Lock for the submission win. Afterwards, Asuka won't let go of the Asuka Lock, so Bayley runs into to stop her. The two have a staredown before Asuka leaves the ring. Man, amazing character work by Asuka, playing up her viciousness and becoming more of a heel.
  • We get a vignette for the debut of EMBER MOON! If you don't know her, she's the former Athena and has one of, if not the best finishers in women's wrestling today. She's dope, and she's debuting at Takeover: Brooklyn II, that's all you really need to know.
  • He's finally here...BOBBY. F*CKING. ROODE. We've been waiting five months and he's finally here. And Jesus Christ, his entrance is, for lack of a better term...GLORIOUS. He says he'll never forget being in the crowd at Takeover: Dallas and that Dallas made him realize NXT was perfect for him. He says he's here to take NXT to the next level and that NXT needs Bobby Roode. He says he's the superstar to make NXT a global powerhouse and a better place. Roode quickly heel turns by saying he's going to replace all the losers in the crowd with successful people. He says he looks like a superstar, dresses like a superstar, and flat out is a superstar. He says there is no one as glorious as Bobby Roode and NXT will be glorious as well. This guy is money, plain and simple. If there's anyone who fits into the WWE mold perfectly, it's Bobby Roode. If this guy isn't a success in both NXT and on the main roster, I'll be shocked.
  • TM61 vs The Revival-The match kicks off with a quick grappling exchange with Miller gets the best of. Miller keeps control of Dawson and brings him into TM61's corner. TM61 work over Dawson. Thorne successful blocks a tag but Wilder distracts the referee, allowing Dawson to pull Thorne down by the hair. The Revival go to work on Thorne, but he quickly leaps over Wilder off an Irish whip into the corner, allowing TM61 to hit tandem backdrops before the commercial break. We come back to Dawson working over Thorne's left shoulder with brutal elbows. The Revival continue to work over Thorne's left shoulder until Thorne blocks a flying nothing by Wilder and boots him in the corner. Miller gets the hot tag and runs wild on the Revival, hitting a beautiful spinebuster for a near fall. Wilder yanks Thorne off the apron, preventing him from making the tag, and Miller goes out after Wilder outside the ring. This allows Dawson to hit a Snap DDT when he gets back in the ring for the win. Good match. Post-match, the Revival reiterate that they are the top tag team in NXT and namedrop all the top teams they've beaten. They are interrupted by Gargano & Ciampa, who list off random teams like Pikachu & Charmander. That was kind of lame, only to be redeemed by Scott Dawson angerly yelling "YOU'RE NERDS!" at them repeatedly. Scott Dawson is a hidden gem in NXT. Gargano brings up the fact that the Revival has never beaten him & Ciampa. The Revival prepare to leave but try to blindside Gargano & Ciampa. The attack fails, and Gargano & Ciampa dish Dawson from the ring before hitting the superkick/running knee combo on Wilder. Gargano covers Wilder and Ciampa counts the pin for emphasis before posing with the tag team titles to close the show. 
And that's about it. Overall, a great episode this week. Itami looked strong in his return match, Samoa Joe saved me from having to watch a Mojo Rawley match, Asuka got over her heel side well, Bobby Roode was awesome, and the Revival/TM61 was solid.

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