Top Guys Run Off
A match was scheduled between The Revival and The Ealy Brothers, but The Authors of Pain disposed of their competitors before the match started. Dash and Dawson escaped without any harm.
Not much to really note here, but I would have loved to see #DIY try and come out to make their statement. They are the big underdogs, so they need to showcase their ability to fight and feel like they are controlling the storyline. Gargano and Ciampa should try and weaken the much stronger opponents instead of feeling like big underdogs. A title match at NXT Takeover Orlando will have three teams that are in differing career paths. If I am WWE, I make sure I give #DIY the titles. They are the most deserving and can get ANY team over on this level of competition.
Shinsuke Nakamura Returns to NXT
Perkins takes Nakamura over with a hurricaneranna. Nakamura rolls to the outside. Perkins misses the wrecking ball dropkick to the outside. Nakamura kicks Perkins square in the face. After a short break, Nakamura flattens Perkins with a jumping knee to the skull. Nakamura misses a shining wizard. Perkins grabs Nakamura leg and hits a knee buster. Perkins picks up Nakamura, but Nakamura hits him with an enziguri. Good vibrations by Nakamura. Nakamura charges in for a running knee, but Perkins leapfrogs over him and hits a flying neck breaker. Perkins kicks Nakamura in the gut. Running missile dropkick by Perkins. Perkins finally hits the wrecking ball dropkick. Perkins mounts the top rope. Nakamura gets up as Perkins dives off the top. Perkins crushes Nakamura with a flying DDT. Perkins tries to pick up Nakamura, but Nakamura catches Perkins in a triangle. Perkins reverse it into a pin, but Nakamura kicks out. Nakamura lands a spinning head kick, followed by multiple forearms.
Nakamura lands a running in the corner. Nakamura sets Perkins on the top rope for another running knee, but Perkins moves out of the way. Perkins hops up to the top rope and hits a top rope dropkick to the knee (I have never seen that before). Perkins walks over to Nakamura, but Nakamura catches him in a triangle. Nakamura transitions into a cross armbar. Perkins reverse Nakamura armbar into a cross armbar of his own. Nakamura reverses that into a cross armbar! Perkins reverse that into a modified scorpion deathlock. Perkins then lock in a rolling knee bar. Nakamura gets to the ropes to break the hold. Perkins runs into a knee lift, followed by and axe kick. Sliding knee by Nakamura. Perkins goes up top, but Nakamura sweeps hit leg. Nakamura hits the elevated running knee in the corner. Nakamura call for the Kinshasa, but Perkins tries to wheelbarrow bulldog him, but Nakamura reverse it into a reverse exploder. Nakamura hits the Kinshasa for the win!
It is great to finally get Nakamura back regularly on NXT. As much as people dislike TJ Perkins’ character, he is a stellar worker in the ring. This main event lasted 13 minutes and we knew who was going to come out victorious. That did not take away from the great main event on NXT and giving Nakamura a competitor that can easily bring him back from a few weeks off. At the end of the night, you knew that the 2 time NXT Champion was going to be ready for his next championship opportunity.
Will it be Ohno? Absolutely not. I see Roode vs. Nakamura once again, this time with even more hype around it. Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode are at the top of the class in NXT, with a wide gap between the class below them. Like I mentioned before, you can get another 2-3 months of this being your main event of NXT and I am pretty sure nobody would be upset about that.
@JoshIsenberg4 on Twitter. WWE NXT Rating:
