WWE NXT Review – May 27th, 2015

WWE NXT Review – May 27th, 2015

Last week saw an epic NXT Takeover: Unstoppable. Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks had an absolutely wrestling clinic. Kevin Owens decimated Sami Zayn in a no contest? He Thinks – and Samoa Joe made his NXT debut going face to face with Kevin Owens. Shall we?

HYPE!

Recap of Unstoppable. Good video package to remind us of last week’s awesome-city. (It is TOO a word!

We open with Rich welcoming us to Full Sail and then Sami Zayn’s music hits… “LETS GO!” and out comes Kevin Owens in a Cena’s “Champ is Here” shirt. He does the Sami arm flail on the ring steps (please don’t tear anything… please don’t tear anything… please don’t tear anything…) – They hype Cena/Owens before Kev gets his mic time. Owens says he was going to have an NXT Open Challenge, but he’s not an insecure person. He likes people to earn shots at his title. Crowd sings “John Cena SUCKS”, which Kevin is amused by. He says, “Its funny you sing that, but don’t sing Sami Zayn sucks, cuz Sami sucks too.” Owens in all his glorious jerkdom with this promo. Working hard to try to keep the crowd against him. Owens goes off on how he’s a good person. Saying he didn’t run from Joe, but that he let Joe and the fans have their moment. Caps it off hyping Elimination Chamber, but then Regal’s music hits. Owens cuts Regal off at the pass saying the only reason he head butted Regal was because Regal put his hands on him. Regal says that’s the only reason he’s still employed. They talk about all the guys stretchered out at the hands of Owens. Regal even mentions Itami, but Owens says “You can’t pin that on me”. Out comes Solomon Crowe cuz he’s tired of hearing Kevin Owens talk. Says Owens is scared. So Owens says Crowe earned an opportunity. Tonight it’ll be Owens vs. Crowe. Owens says Regal can add him to the list of injured NXT stars at the hands of Kevin Owens.

DEEP THOUGHTS!

Good stuff. Makes perfect sense having the NXT world revolving around Owens. As we kick off another “NXT Quarter”. Best piece of bidness Crowe has been involved in. Owens promos are excellent. Different style, and so amazingly jerk baggy. Also interested to see the intrigue of who attacked Itami. Hope we find out some day.

IN RING!

Bayley is out first. Slap bracelets, headbands all around. Emma’s old opening starts, but then the music takes a decidedly darker turn. Emma walks out with a different look, and Dana Brooke comes out to accompany her. Emma dominates early. Emma is able to turn the tide, hits a flying clothesline in the corner, and is showing more aggression with some side headlock punches, but Emma is able to get back on the offensive. Lots of heelish goodness. A pony tail snap mare, and mocking Bayley’s ring taunts. Emma continues to control. Bayley starts getting some offense, but while attempting to deliver the middle rope flying back elbow, Emma ends up grabbing a leg and pulling her off the ropes. One Leg Screw later and an Emma Lock, Bayley taps out.

Post Match Dana Brooke jumps in and they go two on one beatdown style on Bayley, but Charlotte’s music hits. She dispatches Dana on the ramp, and starts to get the upper hand, Brooke is back and Brooke and Emma beatdown Charlotte. Faces left lying. Heels standing tall, gloating.

DEEP THOUGHTS!

Solid match, surprised by the finish. Makes sense. The reestablishing of Emma and the establishing of Dana Brooke can certainly use two of the finest the NXT Women’s Division has to offer.

HYPE!

We get a flash back to Unstoppable. Post match words and confrontation between Rhyno and Corbin. Rhyno wants to do it again. That goes right into the Becky Lynch hype piece. Talking about her history in wrestling, coming to NXT, dancing the jig, and then working that into a highlight package of Lynch vs. Banks.

IN RING!

Two dudes are in the ring (One is named Elias Samson). Blake and Murphy’s music hits, it seems slowed down. Still annoying, and the lights… my god man… the LIGHTS. A wonderfully Heel-ified Alexa Bliss is with them. She holds the tag titles at ring side while her boys get to work. Lots of tags. Lots of domination from BAMF. Full Sail wants Enzo. Blake and Murphy hit their suplex into frog splash finisher and my ears get punished for their victory. They do a little post match beatdown, and Alexa Bliss hits the “Sparkle Splash”.

DEEP THOUGHTS!

Effective way to establish the, now, trio of Blake, Murphy, and Bliss. Post match commentary Saxton is coming off more facish in his commentary, with Graves working more heel. A little confusing since Saxton always strikes me as a heel on Smackdown.

BACKSTAGE!

Devon asks Alexa Bliss how this relationship happened? Bliss says Blake and Murphy are winners, and SHE is a winner. Winners flock together. Unlike Carmella who grew up in Staten Island, known for a garbage dump. Next week Bliss promises to send Carmella back to that dump.

DEEP THOUGHTS!

Really good promo work from Alexa Bliss. Took me by surprise how easily she slipped into being that dastardly. Her promo was more effective than every word ever uttered by Blake and Murphy. This trio could be onto something.

IN RING!

Tye Dillenger is in the ring, and his music is fading. Balor’s music hits. Tye gets going early. Isn’t doing the full “Perfect 10” bit… that’s a shame. Eventually Tye’s momentum runs out. Sling Blade. High Velocity dropkick into the corner. Coup De Grace. Typing this was only a few seconds shorter than the match.

DEEP THOUGHTS!

Balor is one of the top guys in the company and is the #1 Contender. The result was super predictable. I’d like to see them start building up Dillenger. Getting him on TV is a start… him losing in three minutes is much less of one.

AT THE GYM!

Jason Jordan is approach mid work out. He’s all “YOU DON’T MESS WITH A BRO WHEN HE’S CLANGING AND BANGING!” (He said NOTHING of the sort… but he was annoyed) – Jordan says he’s going to get himself a new tag team partner. Chad Gable also at the gym is thinking, “hey, do you mean ME?!” Gable runs down his laundry list of amateur accomplishments. Jordan is like, “nope… not you”. Gable gives Jordan his towel.

DEEP THOUGHTS!

Like the teasing of a new tag team. That’s the lone division that needs a little work. We’ll see where this goes.

IN RING!

Main Event time! Owens is out first. Crowe second. Immediately Owens rolls out of the ring. Crowe rolls out to meet Owens but gets dropped. Kevin then dominates for a bit. Full Sail begins chanting “GET THE STRETCHER”. Crowe starts getting a little offense in. Climbs the top rope, but Owens runs and knocks him off the top rope… That was a “YIKES!” moment AND a commercial break in the waiting. We come back and Owens has Crowe in the “REVERSE… CHINLOCK…. O’….. DOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!” Owens continues to maim and maul Crowe. He yells “AND THAT’S WHY I’M… THE CHAMP!” He then dumps Crowe to the outside. Crowe continues to fight, despite Owens continuing to destroy. Crowe get some nice shots in, staggers Owens, but never really looks a proper threat. He did hit a nice running knee lift into the corner (CM PUNK! CM PUNK! CM PUNK! style) Just as Crowe is rolling, huge clothesline, senton, and the Pop Up Powerbomb. Owens dumps him out of the ring, looking for the apron power bomb, and then Joe’s music hits. Staredown 2.0. Owens hoists the belt, Joe steps in the ring, and Owens bails. Owens talks smack as he runs away. Saying “That’s a warning”, and “Next time that’ll be you” as he pointed to Crowe. One more pose at the top of the ramp. Yelling “THE CHAMP IS HERE!”, and follows that up with the you can’t see me hand in front of the face.

DEEP THOUGHTS!

Solid match. Predictable like everything after the Emma/Bayley opener. Owens continues to look a monster, AND looks to be worried about the new monster on the block. I guess I didn’t take note of the music last week, but Samoa Joe’s music is a little weak to me. Good opening, but after the first 10-15 seconds? Not so good.

TOO LONG? DIDN’T READ?!?

A nice first week of this the start of another “NXT Quarter”. We have three months… give or take… until we’re graced with another NXT Takeover. I’m very interested to see where we go. A lot of good stuff continued. Outside of Balor/Dillenger that was really just about keeping Balor established and dominant as a #1 contender? Every match had heavy story continuation. The Bliss addition with Blake and Murphy was surprisingly excellent for their first time out. Kevin Owens has had an AMAZING 3-4 weeks. The NXT Dominance and the high profile feud with Cena.

Alright Cheap-Heaters, thanks for joining me. You can follow me on twitter @sirmhayesxiv Lets do it again in 7!