My Thoughts on NXT (2/17/16): The One With a Double Finish...Again

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Well, another week, another NXT. Here are my thoughts on last night's episode

• Enzo & Cass and American Alpha vs. Dash & Dawson and Blake & Murphy: Man, it's so refreshing to see a wrestling show kick off with wrestling. Take notes, RAW. First off, quick commentary gaff. Corey Graves says that "even though we're on a college campus " Enzo & Cass "butcher the English language" since they were taping at the CFE arena on the University of Central Florida campus. But they're always on a college campus. Why is this one different? I guess Full Sail University doesn't count as a college in Corey Graves' mind. Chad Gable and Scott Dawson start off, with Gable showing off his amateur wrestling skills. God, this guy is the absolute best. All 8 men enter the ring for a brawl, ending with the heels getting tossed over the top rope. It goes to commercial, with Blake putting Gable in a headlock when we get back. The heels get the heat on Gable for a long time, but he's able to make the tag after Big Cass knocked Dash Wilder into Gable, they bumped heads, and that was enough to make the tag to Jason Jordan. Just to get this out of the way right now, Jason Jordan hot tags are the second best thing in wrestling right now (Behind Pentagon Jr. breaking people's arms for fun, of course). The intensity energy he shows is incredible, and those suplexes are incredible. The guy is releasing on his belly to bellies before he's even falling back. Jordan and Big Cass run wild on the on the heels, ending with a Grand Amplitude by American Alpha on Dawson, but Wilder breaks it up. Gable tosses Wilder and Enzo tags in, winning the match after the Rocket Launcher from Big Cass. Overall fun match, American Alpha is great as usual, and Dash & Dawson do great work as the old school style tag team. 
• Deonna Purrazzo is backstage being asked about her match with Asuka. She calls being knocked out by Asuka in their last match a learning experience, which prompts Dana Brooke & Emma to show up. Dana randomly brings up Deonna not respecting them. Like, just, out of nowhere. The conversation pretty much goes like this:

Deonna: Getting knocked by Asuka was a learning experience

Dana: RESPECT US!

Emma: (nods in approval)

 

They say that Asuka got lucky against them, they call Deonna pathetic, and leave. That was...something. Not exactly sure what to call it, but it was something.

• Deonna Purrazzo vs Asuka: Asuka immediately went for the heel kick that knocked out Deonna last time, that was pretty funny. Deonna slapped Asuka, who then hit Deonna with this look:

 

For those of you who don't know, if Asuka makes that face, it's basically her saying to her opponent "You should probably be re-evaluating your life and the choices that brought you to this exact moment". Asuka dominated the match with kicks and submission holds. Asuka wins after three back hands and a heel kick (and no, Tom Phillips, that's not a roundhouse kick). Short, squash match to make Asuka look strong, and it served it's purpose.

• Eva Marie & Nia Jax are backstage cutting a promo. Nia says she would have won the battle royal Carmella won had she been cleared to compete. Man, Nia just has a voice that does not fit her at all. She's supposed to be this dominant monster, but she sounds like...I don't know how to describe it, but it doesn't fit her. She's like a female Apollo Crews minus the wrestling ability. Eva says Asuka needs to stay out of their business, and Nia adds that if she doesn't they will break her (Nia is Ivan Drago). Man, these two must have skipped a couple of promo classes...or all of them. They're both terrible at talking. 
• Promo package announces Bayley & Carmella take on Eva & Nia in a tag match next week.
• Tye Dillinger vs Circa 2001 Triple H:

Oh, sorry, that's Alex Riley. 

• Tye Dillinger vs Circa 2001 Triple H Alex Riley: That's better. But seriously, Alex Riley, what are you doing? Look at him. Minus the boots and one arm sleeve, he's basically Triple H pre-haircut. The hair, the elbow pads, the all black attire, he even has the green entrance video for Christ sakes. For some reason, the heel commentator (Graves) talks down Riley while the babyface commentator (Phillips) keeps talking him up. I feel like they have this backwards. There are dualing "Let's Go Riley/Riley Sucks!" chants. Riley keeps yelling random numbers for no reason (1! 5!) and has the advantage for the majority of the match. Dillinger runs wild, hits the worst atomic drop I've ever seen, but gets caught with a stiff elbow from Riley. Riley puts Dillinger in a full nelson, but he escapes and rolls him up for the win. Overall, pretty lame match, nothing to interesting
• Finn Balor is backstage. He puts over Apollo Crews, and says he's ready for whoever become the #1 contender to his title
• In William Regal's office, Baron Corbin demands he be added to the #1 Contenders match. Regal says no.
• American Alpha vs Blake & Murphy is announced for next week.
• Samoa Joe vs Sami Zayn for the #1 Contendership for the NXT Championship: The two lock up, and Samoa Joe switches it to a wristlock. Joe continues to dominate until Zayn catches him with an arm drag. The two continue to go back and fourth. Joe starts to gain the advantage with kicks and chops before Zayn gets another arm drag, but regains momentum after a corner STO. Joe sweeps Zayn's legs with his whole body and delivers a snap suplex for a two. Zayn runs wild and plants Joe with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two. Joe hits an atomic drop, a big boot, and a senton, but only gets a two. Sami dodges a clothesline and goes for the Koji Clutch, but Joe escapes and hits a power slam for another two. The two exchange strikes before Joe hits Zayn with a enziguri in the corner. Joe charges Zayn in the corner, but he gets caught and Zayn hits an t-bone suplex into the corner. Zayn goes for the Helluva Kick, but Joe catches him with the Coquita Clutch. Zayn backs into the corner to break it up. Joe sets him up for the Muscle Buster, but Zayn flips out of it and hits the Helluva Kick for the...

 

Oh boy...Zayn's shoulders are down, and Samoa Joe's hand is covering Zayn. The ref called this a draw, but that's not all:

Joe's left shoulder isn't down. Joe actually won. Regal comes down, and the four argue for a bit before the show ends. In a WWE.com "Exclusive" (that was on YouTube), Regal says he will sort it out. A fantastic, back and fourth match, with a good ending. My only problem is this weird obsession NXT has with the "two people tied for the #1 Contendership" angle. This isn't the first time they've done it, and it's not even the first time they've done it THIS YEAR. They just did this angle.

And that's about it. Overall, good show, Zayn-Joe was great and American Alpha is always awesome. Downsides are the Dillinger-Riley match, and the Eva-Nia segment.

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