Did you miss NXT this week? Well, I’m here to make it all better. It’s the weekly NXT Recap, right here at Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Did you miss last week’s recap? Check it out and catch up here.
So, what has become of Tye Dillinger and his feud with SAnitY? Additionally, what are the repercussions of last week’s NXT Championship match? Let’s find out, shall we?
NXT Recap: (3/22/17) – SAnitY Finally Falls
Match: Oney Lorcan vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas
Tonight, our show begins with a feud that started last week. Since attacking Ho Ho Lun, Andrade Almas has caught the attention of one Oney Lorcan. First, the commentators made a point to tell the fans that this rivalry has taken place all over the world. After that, this one got underway.
From the opening bell, it was evident that these two men know each other very well. Additionally, they match up with each other perfectly. Almas is very flamboyant, while Lorcan really just wants to get in, get out, and get going. It’s the perfect definition of opposites attracting. Each competitor got some offense in and this one made for a very good opening bout. The crowd seemed pretty involved with the match, which is always a nice opening gauge of the show. Although both men looked great in this one, it was Almas coming out on top after a hammerlock DDT.
Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas
Analysis: Alright, this rivalry needs to become something more. Just a few weeks ago, I couldn’t have cared less about Andrade Almas, but now he’s absolutely white hot. Lorcan is growing on me, although he still has a bit to go before I’m totally sold on him. Furthermore, opening matches like this are what make NXT so great. With no exaggeration, tonight’s opener went a solid action-packed fifteen minutes. The yellow brand’s creative team doesn’t cut corners, and it shows. NXT fans deserve more of this rivalry, and hopefully, we get to see a continuation soon.
Backstage Segment: DIY Talks from the Heart
This promo absolutely stung. Like most backstage segments, this one is too short for formal analysis. But anyways, DIY really spoke from their hearts here. You could tell that this business means a lot to them, and they told the crowd their entire story. Additionally, they underhandedly confronted both The Revival and The Authors of Pain. Finally, DIY promised that they would “have their moment” at NXT Takeover: Orlando. This promo was a great one, and you can see the passion in DIY’s eyes. That’s something you can’t put in kayfabe. This promo, although short, really worked. The premiere group of NXT tag teams make a compelling argument, but what do the others have to say for themselves?
Match: Asuka vs. Local Enhancement Talent
Next up, a female jobber had the unfortunate task of trying to take down Asuka. However, before the match could begin, Asuka reached for a mic, told Ember Moon that “this is her fate”, and then annihilated the local enhancement talent. The jobber got exactly one slap and one shin kick in, and this thing was over. Well, not exactly. Asuka chose to prolong the jobber’s pain by lifting her shoulders off the mat herself. Although this one could’ve been over in less than a minute, it lasted about four.
Analysis: I’m not gonna lie, this one was ugly. Not only did Asuka brutalize this poor girl, but she prolonged the match more than it had to be. It’s quite obvious that Asuka is ready for the main roster, it’s just a matter of dropping the title at some point. Or vacating it herself. At this point, who knows? If this truly is Ember Moon’s fate like Asuka says, she might never lose the title. This thing was ugly, there’s no getting around it.
Backstage Segment: The Revival Makes Their Case
After Asuka laid waste to a jobber, we see The Revival backstage. Wow, these guys are good and they know it. Dash and Dawson made a point to tell the fans that they are the greatest tag team in NXT. Not only that, but they called themselves the greatest tag team of all time. These guys are great with promos, but have they bitten off more than they can chew with these claims? Only time can tell. One thing, however, is for sure. The NXT tag teams are making very strong cases for themselves tonight.
Video Package: Bobby Roode vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Following Dash and Dawson’s promo, a video package came on for Nakamura vs Roode. As far as this match goes, this one is going to be epic. Truthfully, it could easily be the match of the year. But again, only time can tell. Let’s just hope that Nakamura is fully ready to go after his knee injury from Takeover: San Antonio. Of course, he should be, but better safe than sorry. I’m personally looking forward to this match a lot, and fans as a whole have every reason to be excited. After the video package, the commentators announced that Alister Black would debut at Takeover: Orlando. We learned that Black is the man behind the “#FadeToBlack” vignettes. This one should be interesting, and fans should be excited to see Black in the ring.
Match: SAnitY vs. Dillinger, Jose, and Strong
Alright, this one was the main event and it deserved to be here. First things first, the match broke out before it even started. Tensions boiled over, and the two teams went into a downright frenzy.
Then, we got down to some good old-fashioned six-man tag-team wrestling. All six competitors looked pretty good here, although the babyface team struggled to get fully over. But then again, domination is what most fans expect from SAnitY, and domination is what they got, for the most part. However, the faces did get some moves in, but chaos ensued. At the end of this chaotic main event, it was actually the babyfaces coming out on top by disqualification.
After the match, a mysterious woman came in and helped out the faces. Whoever she is, she managed to even up the numbers game, thankfully. Finally, SAnitY looked vulnerable. Last week, we posed the question: who is going to stop them? With this group of Strong, Dillinger, Jose, and the mystery woman, we might just have an answer.
Winners: Strong, Dillinger, and Jose
Analysis: First off, have I mentioned that No Way Jose is hilarious? The more exposure Jose gets, the less of an actual person he becomes. Okay, now to the actual analysis. Who is this mystery woman? Furthermore, have Tye Dillinger and company become SAnitY’s kryptonite? What is going on? Looks like, for a third time, only time can tell. Fans of the yellow brand have every reason to be intrigued beyond belief.
(Editor’s Note: As you can tell by the photo, the ‘mystery woman’ that the announcers didn’t know was recently renamed Ruby Riot, who is indie veteran Heidi Lovelace making her WWE Universe debut)
A Hundred Words or Less
For those who said, “Too long; didn’t read”, I offer you this. Tonight’s NXT in one hundred words or less.Tonight, we got a great show all around. The opening match absolutely lit up the crowd, and the fans stayed hot throughout. Next, DIY made their case for the NXT Tag Team Championship match. Additionally, The Revival made an equally compelling argument. After that, fans were treated to a great video package, even by WWE’s standards. Finally, Full Sail University saw that SAnitY might just have a weakness. Alister Black is debuting two weeks from now, and we now have a mystery girl traveling with Dillinger, Strong, and Jose. Tonight gets an amazing 9.5/10.
