Tonight’s episode of NXT features Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe going one-on-one for the first time ever to determine who will face Finn Balor for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: Dallas. Will Sami Zayn continue his journey to becoming the first two-time NXT Champion, or will Samoa Joe be one step closer to his first championship in WWE?
Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady, & American Alpha vs. Blake, Murphy, Scott Dawson, & Dash Wilder (w/Alexa Bliss)
This match is a great way to showcase the four best teams in NXT in an hour-long episode. If American Alpha end up becoming the #1 Contenders to the Tag Team Championship, they could have amazing matches with Dash and Dawson that would blow the roof off the place. The biggest problem with Dash and Dawson is that they are so generic that it is hard to remember which one is which. For those who need help: Scott Dawson is the bald one with the (almost) full beard, and Dash Wilder is the one with hair on top of his head.
There are consistent rumors that Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady (along with Carmella) will debut on the main roster sometime soon to feud with the New Day, and the more I see of Amore and Cassady, the more excited I get for that possibility. If they have a Tag Team Championship match at WrestleMania 32, the hardcore crowd will be all over it. Imagine 70,000+ people chanting along with the New Day AND Enzo Amore and “Big Cass”.
After Chad Gable clears the ring, Enzo Amore tags himself in and delivers “Air Enzo” onto Scott Dawson with the help of Colin Cassady for the win. Winners: Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady, & American Alpha
Deonna Purrazzo vs. Asuka
A few weeks back at NXT, Asuka and Purrazzo faced each other, which resulted in Asuka knocking Purrazzo out. Tonight, Purrazzo looks to get redemption for what she called a “learning experience,” and hopes to pull an upset victory on Asuka, who is undefeated in singles competition.
Asuka hits three consecutive spinning backfists, as well as a roundhouse kick for the win. Winner: Asuka
Match Announcement
Next week on NXT, Bayley and Carmella will take on Eva Marie and Nia Jax. Last week on NXT, after Bayley defeated Carmella to retain her NXT Women’s Championship, Jax and Marie attacked Bayley and Carmella behind to make a statement. In their tag team match, Bayley and Carmella look to get revenge.
Tye Dillinger vs. Alex Riley
Alex Riley returned recently after being away due to injury, and made a pretty impressive showing in his return. Tye Dillinger is probably one of the best technical wrestlers in all of WWE, comparable to the likes of Chad Gable and Cesaro, and he should be used more than an enhancement talent.
Apparently, Alex Riley believes the fans don’t care about him, according to Tom Phillips. He would be right.
Alex Riley seemingly goes for a Full Nelson slam, but Dillinger slips out into a roll-up for the win. Maybe he isn’t just an enhancement talent after all. Winner: Tye Dillinger
Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe – #1 Contender’s Match
Baron Corbin tries to make his case one last time to NXT General Manager William Regal that he should be in the #1 contender’s match in the main event. Regal stands by his decision to leave him out of the match, since Corbin was the only one who actually lost the triple threat match a few weeks ago.
Samoa Joe and Sami Zayn have made big names for themselves in Ring of Honor, but this is the first time these two face each other (at least in NXT). Whoever wins this match will provide quite the challenge for NXT Champion Finn Balor. Rumor has it that after WrestleMania 32, there will be a good chunk of NXT “call-ups” to the main roster, and Samoa Joe is likely on the top of that list.
After the Helluva Kick, Sami Zayn covers Samoa Joe and the referee counts to three. However, both men were apparently covered when the referee counted, so this is another non-finish. Result: Draw
This episode ends in a state of confusion, with still no #1 Contender for the NXT Championship.
Next week on NXT, Bayley and Carmella will take on Eva Marie and Nia Jax. Also, American Alpha will face the former NXT Tag Team Champions, Blake and Murphy. Tomorrow night on Smackdown, Brock Lesnar will make an appearance for the first time in 12 years. Finally, this Sunday is WWE Fastlane (only on the WWE Network), which features Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar to determine who will face Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 32.
