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, was Asuka able to retain her NXT Women’s Championship against Peyton Royce? Additionally, who came out on top in the NXT Tag Team Championship match between DIY and the Authors of Pain? Let’s find out, shall we?
NXT Recap: (3/1/17) – Asuka Retains the NXT Women’s Championship
Match: Patrick Clark vs. Sean Maluta
Our show opens up to Patrick Clark‘s entrance. Said entrance is absolutely ridiculous, but it works. Anyways, he took on Sean Maluta in a standard NXT opening bout. Clark’s charisma was intoxicating throughout, and Maluta is a sound competitor. As is the custom of the yellow brand, this match was well-structured, if a bit slowly paced. However, it was over rather quickly after Clark put away Maluta in a rather brutal fashion.
Winner: Patrick Clark
Analysis: Personally, I haven’t been able to see much of either of the two, but they seem fun enough. Some development will serve both of them well, and hey, that’s why they’re in NXT. Either way, I think Patrick Clark could be pretty darn good with a little bit of character development. While he’s definitely no Steve Austin, Clark’s got some charisma to him. Congrats to him on the win, as he hopefully finds his footing in NXT.
Vignette: Paul Ellering Talks for a While
This was just really foreboding. It was too short to do a complicated analysis on, but man, Paul Ellering does his job really well. The Authors of Pain will go as far as he can take them. And judging by what we’ve seen on NXT, that could be very, very far. Their in-ring characters are great, and combined with Ellering’s mic skills, they could be incredible entertainers on the main roster.
Match: NXT Women’s Championship: Asuka vs. Peyton Royce
Alright, let’s start here. Throughout the entrances of Asuka and Royce, the announcers kept making a big deal about how Asuka was undefeated for so long. Fans thought they knew something was up, but NXT threw a serious curveball.
Throughout the match, it looked like each woman had control. As it drew on, the outcome seemed to become even more uncertain, and Full Sail University was rocking. Asuka’s kicks looked devastating, but Royce always seemed to rebound. In addition, Royce’s heel antics and attitude shined through during this entire bout. But after all was said and done, Asuka’s deadly submission reigned victorious once more. And then Royce and Billie Kay destroyed her injured shoulder even more. And then, Ember Moon happened. After laying out both Kay and Royce, Moon stared down Asuka. Oh, this feud is going to be fun.
Winner, and STILL NXT Women’s Champion: Asuka
Analysis: This bout might go down as the one that really validated Peyton Royce and her contention for the NXT Women’s Championship. But honestly, this match was actually not as good as I was expecting. Sure, it was fine, it was even pretty good, but it wasn’t fantastic by any means. But the ending was. Oh, the ending was just terrific. The upcoming feud between Asuka and Ember Moon is sure to be a classic, and I’m looking forward to Moon’s possible upset of Asuka. Their match for the NXT Women’s Championship is going to be amazing, I just feel it. For now, congrats to Asuka.
Backstage Segment: William Regal’s Announcement
After a commercial break, NXT general manager William Regal made a massive announcement. Regal told fans that NXT Champion Bobby Roode would defend his title against Kassius Ohno in two weeks at the CFE Arena in Orlando. Additionally, after Regal’s announcement, the commentators told us at home that Shinsuke Nakamura would be back next week.
Again, this little bit was a too short to give an in-depth analysis on, but both these pieces of news are really exciting. As a Nakamura fan myself, I’m incredibly glad to hear that he’s okay. And I’m undoubtedly excited about Roode finally defending his title, of course.
Match: NXT Tag Team Championships: DIY vs. The Authors of Pain
Then, the match we were all looking forward to finally arrived. The two teams made their entrances, and then they were off. Well, first the show took a short commercial break. And then, they were off.
As the match began, it was clear that the Authors weren’t fooling around. They took immediate control, but Tommaso Ciampa refused to back down, as always. The chemistry of Ciampa and Johnny Gargano is still incredible to watch, and they quickly turned the tide in their favor. And boy, was that tide turning short-lived.
The Authors took over and began to look like monsters once again. Truthfully, when the Authors look unstoppable, it works wonders for NXT‘s tag team division. And they looked like true monsters tonight. The Authors of Pain are the clear rulers of the NXT tag team division. Except when they aren’t. During the match, it looked like DIY could pull the upset at one point. And then, The Revival happened. And this one ended in disqualification.
Dash and Dawson laid waste to DIY, but they weren’t done just yet. After they were through with DIY, the Authors became the next victim. And this, although interesting, kinda killed the mystique of the Authors. They’re supposed to be monsters, right? The Revival took them down like nothing.
Winners (by disqualification): DIY
But STILL NXT Tag Team Champions: The Authors of Pain
Analysis: Like I said, this match made the Authors look like monsters (for the most part). DIY still looks strong, but The Revival somewhat ruined this bout for me. It’s not that I don’t like them, but Dash and Dawson just annihilating everyone just doesn’t do it for me. It’s clear that neither they nor DIY are done with NXT yet. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
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.
Our show opened with the incredibly flamboyant Patrick Clark besting Sean Maluta. That match that seemed closer than it actually was. Then Paul Ellering cut another great promo. Next, Asuka’s undefeated streak and her NXT Women’s Championship reign stayed intact. William Regal announced Roode’s first title defense and we heard that Nakamura would be back next week. Finally, DIY and the Authors of Pain battled it out for a while. Then The Revival happened, I guess. Tonight was pretty good, but I wasn’t thoroughly impressed like usual. This show gets a 6.75/10.
