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My Thoughts on NXT (6/21/17): Moonrise

  • Peyton Royce with Billie Kay vs Ember Moon-The two lock up and trade holds before Moon lands on her feet off a hip toss and hits an arm drag & a dropkick. Moon follows up with a handspring forearm in the corner and goes to the top rope for the Eclipse, but Royce meets her there. Royce tries for a fisherman's superplex, but Moon shoves her down into the ref, allowing Billie Kay to yank Moon's arm down across the top rope. Royce follows up by throwing Moon through the turnbuckle into the ring post for a near fall. Royce does it again before the commercial break. We come back to Royce working on Moon's previously injured shoulder. Royce controls the match until Moon catches her with a forearm strike. Moon kicks away at Royce before hitting a springboard crossbody for a near fall. Moon hits a backbreaker and goes for the handspring forearm again, but Royce catches her with a spinning heel kick for a near fall. Royce goes for a running knee, but Moon avoids it and rolls up Royce for a near fall. The two avoid each other's kicks until Royce catches one of Moon's kicks, only for Moon to turn it into a headscissor takedown. Moon goes to the top rope for the Eclipse again, but this time Billie Kay pulls Royce out of the ring. Moon takes out Billie with a crossbody. Back in the ring, the two trade crucifix roll ups for near falls before Royce hits the Widow's Peak, but Moon kicks out. Moon ends up sending Royce into the turnbuckle with body scissors before hitting the Eclipse for the three and the win. Pretty decent match.
  • Backstage, Hideo Itami apologizes to Kassius Ohno for shoving him and says not having much success in NXT is getting to him. Ohno accepts his apology and says he feels the same way, but he says that tonight, he'll beat Aleister Black.
  • The Ealy Brothers vs SAnitY-Uriel Ealy & Alexander Wolfe start off trading blows before Wolfe tags in Eric Young for an elbow drop. Young beats down Uriel before Wolfe tags back in. Uriel is able to tag out to Gabriel...who quickly eats a big boot from Wolfe. SAnitY controls the match until Gabriel dodges a corner splash by Wolfe and tags in Uriel. The Ealys go for a double team move, but Young catches Gabriel with a neckbreaker before they can hit it. Wolfe rakes Uriel's eyes and hits a jumping roundhouse kick before tagging in Young for a back suplex/diving neckbreaker combo for the three and the win.
  • Next week, Asuka defends the NXT Women's Championship against Nikki Cross in a Last Woman Standing match.
  • Rachel Evers vs Sonya DeVille-DeVille starts by striking Evers down before giving her a running knee to the back for a near fall. Evers comes back with an overhead suplex for a one count, only for DeVille to come back with a kick and a running knee. DeVille kicks away at Ever in the corner before locking in bodyscissors and crossfacing Evers. Evers tries to fight back, only for DeVille to take off one of her gloves and striking Evers in the gut. DeVille ends the match with a kimura for the submission win.
  • In a video from earlier that day, Bobby Roode is doing a photoshoot as Roderick Strong and his wife & child show up. Roode insults Strong before telling his wife if she wants to be with a real man, she should let him know. This leads to a brawl between Strong & Roode, which is broken up by other wrestlers as Roode tells Strong that he'll fight him anytime, anywhere. This leads to the announcement that in two weeks, Roode will defend the NXT Championship against Strong.
  • Kassius Ohno vs Aleister Black-Ohno quickly throws Black to the mat to start the match. Black gets Ohno down to the mat as well with a front facelock, but Ohno powers out and puts Black on the top rope before breaking clean. Black goes to the wristlock before switching to the hammerlock, but Ohno is able to reverse it into a hammerlock of his own. Ohno turns it into a crucifix cover, which Black kicks out of and locks in a front facelock. Ohno fights out and locks in a wristlock, forcing Black down to the mat. Black kips up and forces Ohno down again with a hammerlock, which Ohno breaks by getting to the ropes. Ohno gets to his feet and chops Black in the corner, so Black kicks him in the chest. Black quickly goes back to the headlock, which Ohno escapes, only to get caught with a knee strike. Black goes for a Black Mass, but Ohno rolls out of the ring. Black moonsaults off the middle rope and centers himself in the middle of the ring. Black kicks away at Ohno when he gets back in the ring, only for Ohno to connect with a huge elbow strike. Black rolls out of the ring before the commercial break. We come back to Ohno beating down Black in the corner before hitting a big boot. Ohno controls the match, at one point mocking Black by sitting Indian-style like Black. That earns him a kick from Black, only for Ohno to throw him back down and hit a basement dropkick for a near fall. Ohno follows up by stomping & striking away at Black, only for Black to catch his fist on a punch. The two go back and forth before Ohno tries to slide under Black, only for Black to hit a double stomp on him. Black kicks away at Ohno before hitting a springboard moonsault. Black tries for Black Mass, but Ohno dodges it, only for Black to connect with a roundhouse kick for a near fall. Black kicks away at Ohno, but Ohno catches him on one kick and hits a step-up knee. Ohno follows up with a corner splash, but Black comes back with a big boot, only for Ohno to respond with a bicycle kick for a near fall. Ohno hits a big forearm strike before setting up for the Death Blow, but Black is able to victory roll Ohno and roll him up for a near fall. Black strikes away at Ohno before hitting a Shining Wizard for a near fall. The two trade shots before Ohno hits a step-up enziguri followed by the Cyclone Kill, but Black kicks out. Ohno goes for an elbow strike. Black counters with a roundhouse kick. Ohno responds with an elbow smash. Black responds with a step-up knee. Black goes for a suplex. Ohno counters with a release suplex. All of that in the span of about 12 seconds. It's awesome. Ohno goes for the rolling elbow to end the match, but Black catches him with Black Mass for the three and the win. Great match, easily the best match from both men since coming to NXT. 

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