Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe
In what seems to be the final encounter between the two men and the championship hanging in the balance, a steel cage surrounds them in a championship match. Samoa Joe takes the early advantage, striking with knees on the mat and applying multiple submission holds. Nakamura hits a spinning kick and then drives his lower body into Joe. He grounds the largr opponent and tries to hit a DDT. He is thrown into the cage, but ends up throwing Joe into it and then a German Suplex. As both men head up top, Joe tries to hit a Muscle Buster. Nakamura reverses it and knocks him down. He hits a Kinshasa from the ropes, but gets back up and hits another before pinning his arch rival. Nakamura retains the NXT Championship.
Yes, there was a bit of the cage used. Yes, it was a really good match. Could they have done more with it? The match itself was about 10 minutes, which did not allow enough depth and progression. If this was their “final” encounter, it was their least impressive of the previous bouts. I am never going to completely complain when you see Joe vs. Nakamura, but they could have done so much more when putting a steel cage around them.
I really enjoyed their feud, their physicality and the personal conflicts. Tonight’s match was 10 minutes of really good action, but it will be the most forgettable bout between the two men.
Tye Dillinger defeated Eric Young
The first of four number one contender’s matches featured Dillinger vs. Eric Young. Young would chase him around the ring, hitting a few punches. Dillinger fires back with some left hands and then a clothesline to knock him out. Tye heads to the top rope and punches the leader of Sanity. Young’s counter parts get frustrated on the outside. Tye kicks him in the corner with chants of ten behind him. He sets up for the Tye Breaker, but Sanity interferes. Nikki Cross causes the disqualification. Young attacks Dillinger more until Damo takes out the Perfect Ten.
Damo attacking after the match showcases his pure strength and athleticism. A few big hits was just enough for him to be spotlighted. Even though the match was extremely short, it gave Dillinger the advancement in the tournament while making sure we knew how dominant Sanity can be, especially with a horse like Damo involved. They are on track to become a grungier, more modern version of what The Wyatt Family was in NXT. Luckily, they can be more dominant earlier in NXT because of how far the brand has been. Overall, a solid segment that was not long enough but established two important factors.
