Andrade Cien Almas defeated No Way Jose
Almas runs around a bit before he is caught with a rolling senton from No Way Jose. As Jose is dancing, he hits a leg drop for a two count. A few chops into the corner and Almas is able to reverse it. He kicks him in the stomach and begins to chop at his back. Some more back and forth action, as Jose comes so close to finishing off his opponent. He picks him up, but Almas battled out of a few elbow shots and hits a big boot. Almas hits an inverted DDT to advance.
A heel Andrade Cien Almas is really good. No Way Jose is a perfect opponent. The match itself was short in substance. We were able to get a preview of both men, but it never really got rolling like it should have. The potential was there, but it fell just a bit flat. Two matches under 5 minutes is not what we have been accustomed to in NXT, so it will be interesting to see how the final two matches pan out tonight.
Roderick Strong defeated Elias Sampson
Elias starts off strong, kicking and tossing Strong across the ring. Strong fights back with a big kick and a side suplex. He gets a two count and Elias tries to get out of a sleeper hold. More ground and pound work from Sampson, wrenching the neck of Strong. Roderick punches out and hits more elbows to the face. He kicks Elias in the chest and then reverses a body slam. A perfect dropkick was followed with a high knee, a running elbow and then knees to the mid section. He hits a running kick and picks up the win.
Another shorter match tonight, but I loved the end sequence from Strong. It reminded us, who may have not seen him in quite some time, how fast he can execute his offense. He might not be the biggest guy, but his style is so similar to Rollins and Daniel Bryan. Would I have wanted to see more of a back and forth? Absolutely, but both men worked within the time constraints and gave us an above average bout.
I do wish Elias Sampson, healthy, gets a shot at a major feud. He has the look, the size and the personality to be a true heel in NXT for a while. Seeing him live last year gave us a sampling of what he can produce and I really enjoy his capabilities in the ring and his unique gimmick.
