Last Week
Though she remains super-huggable, Bayley is not on a winning streak in any facet of her pro wrestling game. A distraction by Sasha Banks allowed her nemesis Becky Lynch to roll her-up for a pinfall victory. And despite a stern warning from Charlotte to stay away from The Boss while the Women's champ is away, the Hugster look like someone who had learned her lesson.
Desperate for some heel heat from Full Sail Live, and apparently with a bunch of free time on their hands, Aiden English & Simon Gotch conned a couple of little people into dressing up like tag champs Lucha Dragons so they could beat them up in the ring. Kalisto & Sin Cara were hopefully on whatever titleholder exchange program that the Nature Girl is out for this week, because it seems like really bad babyface form to let a couple of minis take a beating while you're sitting backstage.
You've heard of dueling banjos? NXT has "dueling squashes by wrestlers whose entire character is that they squash dudes". Baron Corbin seems to be the fan favorite, although the NXT Zone wasn't thrilled that it took him more than 20 seconds to pin his guy with End of Days. They're already done with Bull Dempsey and his flying headbutt, but if they stares the two shot each other on the ramp are any indication, they're going to get a match between him and Corbin whether they want it or not.
It hasn't taken long for Finn Bálor to get his name on everybody's tongue down in Florida. Tyson Kidd made CJ Parker tap before grabbing a microphone to call out the Irishman. Then The Ascension didn't even let Enzo & Big Cass celebrate their tag win over Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder before they laid out everyone to issue a challenge to Finn. He must be doing something right to have pissed off all those people in just a few weeks.
His latest title loss has really taken a toll on Sami Zayn, and made him question his career path. In fact, he's decided that if he can't beat Adrian Neville in their next match, he's done. The NXT champ, selling his could-be-real still-might-be-fake bum knee, tried to dissuade his friend from putting that on his shoulders, and even General Manager William Regal tried to talk the Angsty One off the ledge. But it's Sami's life and he's living it, and at Takeover: R Evolution (don't look at me. That's what they're calling it - and how they're writing it), if he can't take the strap from Neville, he'll take up a new trade.
This Week
Regal wasn't done after making the first match for the next live special, he also went ahead and gave his seal of approval to the smark dream match of Bálor vs. Kidd. That will go down tonight, if you were having trouble filling out your gratitude lists. Is the FACT man being rebuilt for another title run (whenever someone finally takes the belt from Neville, who Kidd can't challenge again as long as he's champ)? Should Finn be taken down a peg or two after his wildly successful debut? Put down that gravy boat, turn off those football games and find out!
Look for some sort of interaction between Bayley and Banks, probably designed to make The Boss look like an even bigger, badder b...adass. Unfortunately, that means the rocker of side-ponies will probably continue to be booked like a less than bright chump.
The tag champs need to respond, if for no other reason than we have to book that match for R Evolution.
Alright. I can't really go any further without talking about this name. The logo makes it look like Edge is coming back to lead the Nexus, but it includes the name of Triple H's old faction. But Hunter has been banned from doing anything related to wrestling by Vince since his team lost at Survivor Series!?!?
With all those allusions to stables, and with Hideo Itami, Bálor and now this guy talking about being the future, maybe Mr. Owens will show up on 12/11/14 and package piledrive the R and Evolution together to kick off a big new angle?
(Note: I know some folks have come looking for a more definitive match listing - we strictly avoid NXT spoilers here at Cageside central. If WWE.com releases or the performers tweet more information on anything that's officially going to take place on tonight's show, that'll be updated here. If anyone wants to put a match listing in the comments, please use spoiler tags.)
Your belt will already be unbuckled after a big meal (if you're 'Murican), so go ahead and slip those pants of for tonight's main event.
Follow along as usual in the 9PM Eastern results thread with your fellow Cagesiders, and keep your eyes out for our reactions a few hours after that.