Since NXT hosted TakeOver: Chicago this past Saturday, this week’s episode of NXT is going to be nowhere close to “must see” TV. Most of the show is going to focus on recapping the event of TakeOver, but there are some matches advertised for this week. Taped from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Drew McIntyre takes on Wesley Blake, Aleister Black returns to action to face Curt Hawkins, and the Velveteen Dream (Patrick Clark) makes his debut/return.
Aleister Black vs. Curt Hawkins
At NXT TakeOver: Orlando, Aleister Black made his impressive debut when he defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas (although it seems like everyone is doing that these days). Black has competed on weekly television since WrestleMania weekend, and every match he has competed in has ended with him winning very quickly. Apparently, Black encountered Curt Hawkins on Main Event a couple weeks ago, but nobody watches Main Event so that could have been completely made up.
Hawkins gets a little bit of offense in, but he is just delaying the inevitable. Black hits Hawkins with a springboard moonsault and follows it up with the devastating Black Mass spinning back kick to get the win. Winner: Aleister Black
Interviews
Roderick Strong is apparently the first person to pin Eric Young (since he started leading SAnitY, anyway), and Strong does not seem too surprised by this. He said that once Young started bringing his family into their feud, he was not going to stop until he could take Young out.
Ember Moon is also being interviewed, but this is about how she was not able to compete at TakeOver: Chicago. Moon was suffering from a shoulder surgery, and she did not like that she wasn’t getting an opportunity. Moon said that wounds heal, but “battle scars are forever.”
Velveteen Dream vs. Unnamed Wrestler
The debut of Velveteen Dream has been advertised for the past few weeks. He calls himself captivating and dominating, and with an opponent who does not even have a name, Velveteen Dream should be able to do that pretty easily. Velveteen Dream was first introduced to the WWE Universe as Patrick Clark in the Tough Enough reality competition show, but he seems a long way from just being himself.
Clark showed tons of athleticism, although his character definitely has a long way to go. Clark climbs to the top turnbuckle and jumps halfway across the ring to hit Robert Anthony (I think that’s what Tom Phillips said his name was) with a very impressive elbow drop for the debut win. Winner: Velveteen Dream
Drew McIntyre vs. Wesley Blake
Last week, Drew McIntyre was being interviewed about his intentions in NXT. During the interview, Wesley Blake interrupted and challenged McIntyre to a fight. Blake is a former NXT Tag Team Champion alongside Buddy Murphy (they were managed by current Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss), and according to Tom Phillips, he is dropping his “showy” style he is known for to go back to his Texan roots. This makes no sense to me, considering that Shawn Michaels, a very “showy” wrestler, is from San Antonio, Texas.
Unfortunately for Blake, McIntyre has been on an incredible roll since returning to WWE a few weeks ago. The former Intercontinental Champion had competed in very hard fought battles against the likes of Oney Lorcan and Andrade “Cien” Almas, and in every match he has had over the past month, he has won in dominant fashion.
Blake dodges McIntyre’s first attempt at the running kick, but hitting Blake with a headbutt set him up to hit the “single leg Yakuza kick” on Blake for another dominant victory. Winner: Drew McIntyre
Post-TakeOver episodes of NXT tend to be a waste of time for the WWE Universe unless you are interested in seeing matches that don’t involve anyone from the TakeOver card. It is a decent watch if you haven’t seen TakeOver: Chicago but nothing here seems vital to watch.
