My Thoughts on NXT (2/22/17): A Hero's Return

• Ember Moon vs Liv Morgan vs Peyton Royce with Billie Kay-#1 Contendership for the NXT Women's Championship-Liv Morgan gets immediate bonus points from me for wearing Space Jam-inspired gear.
  
  Morgan & Royce quickly get Moon out of the ring before Liv gets two near falls off of roll ups. Royce throws Morgan out of the ring before being kicked out of the ring by Moon. Moon tries to dive onto Royce, but Billie Kay pulls Royce out of the way, sending Moon into Morgan. Royce throws Moon into the ring steps before the commercial break. We come back to see Royce beating down Morgan in the corner. Royce continues to control the match, keeping Moon out of the ring while she works over Morgan. Morgan is able to halt Royce's momentum, hitting tilt-a-whirl headscissors for a near fall, but Royce continues to control the match after that. Royce hits a spinning heel kick in the corner, but Morgan sends Royce into the turnbuckle after that with a drop-toe hold and a double stomp. Morgan makes the cover, but Moon breaks it up. Morgan sends Moon out of the ring again with tilt-a-whirl headscissors before being set up on the top rope by Royce. Royce goes for a superplex, only for Moon to hit a sunset flip powerbomb on Royce while she hits it. Moon goes for the Eclipse (the O-Face), but Billie Kay runs in to stop her. Moon ends up hitting the Eclipse on Billie, only to get thrown out of the ring by Morgan. Royce takes the opportunity to hit a high knee followed by a fisherman's suplex for the win. Alright match, wish Moon had gotten more to do than just hang out outside the ring for the majority of the time.
• We get another vignette hyping up the return of Kassius Ohno.
• Mark Andrews vs Pete Dunne-Pete Dunne is mad over with the crowd. As he should be, he's amazing. Dunne starts off the match with a wristlock while pulling Andrews' fingers apart and kneeling on his head. Andrews comes back with two arm drags, but Dunne blocks the third one and jams his fist into Andrews' nose. Andrews rolls through on a sunset flip and dropkicks Dunne, who rolls out of the ring. Andrews goes for a dive to the outside, which Dunne catches him on, only Andrews to turn it into an arm drag. Back in the ring, Dunne goes back to the wristlock while working pulling back the fingers before locking in a rear chin lock. Dunne goes for the X-Plex, a rolling release suplex, but Andrews lands on his feet and hits an enziguri, which sends Dunne out of the ring. Andrews goes for another dive to the outside, but Dunne avoids and it and clobbers Andrews with a huge elbow smash. Dunne then sets Andrews' hand on the ring steps and stomps on them before hitting the X-Plex onto the ring apron before the commercial break. We come back to see Dunne stomping on Andrews' legs while in a surfboard position. Without breaking the surfboard, Dunne continues to target the hand before pulling Andrews towards him by his nose. Pete Dunne is the absolute best. Dunne throws Andrews out of the ring, but Andrews gets back in the ring. Dunne tries to throw him out again, but Andrews catches him with a kick to the stomach before hitting Stomp 182, body scissors roll into a double stomp. It looked awesome. Andrews hits a springboard hurricanrana followed by a standing shooting star press for a near fall before going to the top rope for the shooting star press. Dunne avoids it and Andrews goes for a springboard, only to get caught with a big elbow strike followed by an X-Plex for a near fall. Pete Dunne goes for the Bitter End, a pumphandle lift into a Flatliner, but Andrews counters it with an arm drag followed by an enziguri. Dunne comes back with an enziguri of his own before going for a belly-to-back suplex. Andrews flips out of it and hits a reverse Frankensteiner, leaving both men down. Dunne hits a big snap German suplex before going for the X-Plex, but Andrews counters it with a hurricanrana for a near fall. Dunne hits another huge elbow strike and goes for the Bitter End, but Andrews counters it with a small package for a near fall. Dunne slaps Andrews and throws him into the ropes, where Andrews goes for a tornado DDT, but Dunne blocks it and goes for a suplex, only for Andrews to turn it into Stundog Millionaire, an 180-degree stunner. Andrews goes to the top rope for the shooting star press again, but Dunne blocks it with his knees and hits the Bitter End for the win. Fantastic match, both of these guys are phenomenal.
• Peyton Royce & Billie Kay get interviewed. Royce calls the interviewer a pleb before saying she would have won the NXT Women's Championship in San Antonio if it weren't for Nikki Cross. She says she'll win the title next week and take it back home to Australia. Royce & Billie then hop away, holding hands & laughing. That will never not be great.
• We get a vignette for Patrick Clark, where he says the "Patrick Clarke Experience" starts next week.
• Tye Dillinger gets interviewed walking into the performance center. He says SAnitY's numbers game has gotten the best of him and Roderick Strong & No Way Jose really saved his ass. He says they all have each other's backs now before saying he has his own agenda, and it doesn't concern SAnitY.
• No Way Jose vs Bobby Roode-Roode starts off with a waist lock takedown before slapping Jose's head and screaming "GLORIOUS!" Roode locks in a wrist lock, but Jose escapes by rolling through. Jose hits a drop-toe hold before slapping Roode in the head and dancing. Jose jabs away at Roode before Roode hits a spinebuster before the commercial break. We come back to see Roode hit a forearm smash from the second rope. Roode continues to work over Jose before Jose fights back and goes for a TKO. Roode avoids it, but Jose runs wild and punches Roode to the ground. Roode goes for the Glorious DDT, but Jose avoids it and hits a cobra clutch slam for a near fall. Jose calls for the Knockout Punch, but Roode dodges only to get caught with it off a flying nothing. Roode rolls to the outside, so Jose goes out and gets him. When Jose gets back in the ring, Roode pops up and hits the Glorious DDT for the win. Pretty good match. After the match, Roode goes back into the ring and chop blocks Jose's knee. Roode locks in a single knee Boston Crab until KASSIUS OHNO MAKES THE SAVE! HE'S BACK! Roode takes a mic and asks Ohno who he thinks he is to interrupt him. Ohno says Roode knows who he is and says that he's taken everything he's wanted, and Bobby Roode has what he wants. He says he has unfinished business in NXT, so Roode mocks him for his sad story. Roode says he can put the title on the line right now, only to chop block Ohno when he gets in the ring. Roode targets Ohno's knee, but Ohno blocks the half crab before multiple elbow strikes and a back body drop. In the process of that, Ohno's shoe falls off, so Ohno throws it at him and clotheslines him out of the ring. Ohno stands tall to close the show.