Last week on NXT, Apollo Crews took on Samoa Joe, and Samoa Joe ended up putting Crews away. Since then, Samoa Joe made history. At a house show in Lowell, Massachusetts, Samoa Joe challenged Finn Balor for the NXT Championship. At a typical house show, the champion would retain their title. However, this house show was different. Joe would end up defeating Balor, and would become the new NXT Champion. Tonight, highlights from the historic title change, titled “Mayhem in Massachusetts,” will air on this episode of NXT, as well as several other top matches, including the second NXT television match of Shinsuke Nakamura.
Asuka vs. Eva Marie
Since arriving in NXT about six months ago, Asuka has not lost a single match. During her undefeated streak, she defeated Bayley at NXT TakeOver: Dallas to become the new NXT Women’s Champion. Eva Marie and Asuka have had some run-ins in the past, and have not necessarily seen eye to eye. In fact, there might not be two female wrestlers that are polar opposites of each other as much as these two. Eva Marie started off as a model, hired by WWE with no prior wrestling training. Asuka made a name for herself wrestling in Japan, and is perhaps one of the best, if not the best, female ring technician in WWE.
Eva Marie does a surprisingly good at matching Asuka’s pace, but the Women’s Champion would get the best of her, hitting Eva Marie with a spinning heel kick to continue her undefeated streak. Winner: Asuka
After the match, Nia Jax comes into the ring to escort Eva Marie to the back. Before Jax leaves the ring, she has a stare-down with Asuka, possibly hinting at the next feud that will feature the NXT Women’s Championship.
Matt Lee & Jeff Parker vs. The Revival
We know nothing about Parker and Lee, and the commentators do not do us any favors. The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) on the other hand, is perhaps one of the best tag teams in NXT history. They focus on effective moves that hit hard and get the job done. This mind set ended up earning Dawson and Wilder the NXT Tag Team Championship, when they defeated the Vaudevillains (who are in a #1 Contender’s match for the WWE Tag Team Championship at Payback) to earn the gold. At NXT TakeOver: Dallas, The Revival lost the NXT Tag Team Championship titles to American Alpha, and they want nothing more than to get the gold back.
After decimating Matt Lee and Jeff Parker, The Revival hits a flapjack/Codebreaker combination for an impactful victory. Winners: The Revival
After the match, Scott Dawson picks up a microphone to tell the NXT audience that they are the best tag team, and that The Revival started the “tag team revolution.” They will take down any team in their path until they regain the NXT Tag Team Championship.
Blake & Murphy vs. The Hype Bros
Blake and Murphy lost the NXT Tag Team Championship to the Vaudevillains, and have not been able to regain traction since. The Hype Bros have not seen NXT gold, but a win over the former champions could get them one step closer to a title opportunity. It’s important to note that Zack Ryder (one of the Hype Bros, along with Mojo Rawley) won the Intercontinental Championship in a seven-man ladder match at WrestleMania 32. He would lose the title the next night on Raw, then the rematch on Smackdown that same week, and is now back to being a Hype Bro.
Mojo Rawley uses Blake to knock Murphy out of the ring, then tags in Ryder for the “Hype Ryder,” putting Blake and Murphy away. Winners: The Hype Bros
After the match, The Revival attacks the Hype Bros from behind and lays them out, just as they warned everybody in the previous segment.
Carmella vs. Aliyah
We have not seen much of Aliyah, other than in a women’s battle royal several months ago. She is also featured on the WWE Network special, Breaking Ground. Carmella has had an opportunity to win the NXT Women’s Championship, but she came up short in a great match against Bayley several weeks ago. Now that Enzo Amore and Big Cass have been called up to the main roster, the “Princess of Staten Island” will be on her own until she debuts on Raw or Smackdown.
Carmella hits a Flatliner, followed up by an inverted triangle submission, forcing Aliyah to tap out. Winner (via submission): Carmella
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Elias Samson
William Regal got the feeling last week that Elias Samson wants to face top-tier opponents, so Regal put him against the King of Strong Style. Nakamura has wrestled two matches on NXT television, debuting against Sami Zayn at NXT TakeOver: Dallas, and against Tye Dillinger a few weeks ago, and Nakamura has not lost a match yet.
Nakamura makes quick work of Samson, and hits him with Kinshasa to pick up yet another victory in NXT. Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
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