Would have to dig into the Monday Night War archive to answer, but has there ever been a night where two promotions offered more compelling first time match-ups than NXT and Lucha Underground's main events on Feb. 17?
Recap:
Everyone gets their full entrance for the opening eight-man pitting Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady and American Alpha against tag titleholders Dash & Dawson and Blake & Murphy (with Alexa Bliss), which takes quite a bit of time. After the typical brawling and babyfaces clear the ring spots, Blake gets control of Chad Gable and the heels work him over. A clash of heads between the Olympian and Wilder allows for a tag to Jason Jordan and a really fun sequence where the big men of both teams work over the champs. Scott Dawson takes both teams' finishers and the good guys win in just under ten minutes.
Reactions:
- So much to love about the opener, but mostly I love how it teased but doesn't give away too much of the coming Gable & Jordan chase of the champs. That is gonna be sick.
- Often times, these multi-team affairs just don't translate to the screen. They're undoubtedly fun for the house, but that magic is lost on a regular episode (I'm looking at both of you, Brooklyn and London). Partly because there are actual storyline implications for everyone involved - BAMF's meeting with American Alpha next week and both técnico team chasing the champs - this one felt vital instead of like filler.
- It also delivered some moments that could have come from stoned fans putting together their wish list for the match: "And then, like, Jordan can drop kick a dude into a big boot from Cass!" "Yeah, brah, and then big man pushes another dude into a belly-to-belly from JJ!" "This is gonna rule!"
- Ring gear observations - do believe that whoever suggested Enzo wears baggy tights sewed to look like his drawers are sticking out of his pants is right, and I find it weird that Blake toned down the feminine touches in his look this week... but that may have just been to make it look like he's appearing on different shows instead of multiple matches at one event.
- Scott Dawson even makes going for a cover look painful. I could watch the champs control a match for an hour.
- Has it always been called a Rocket Launcher? I liked Air Enzo.
- Are we not calling it Grand Amplitude anymore? Was just getting used to that, and thought it actually had nice synergy with American Alpha as "goofy names Gable will get over anyway".
Recap:
An interview with Deonna Purrazo is cut off before she can do much more than compliment her opponent tonight, Asuka. The interruption comes from Emma & Dana Brooke, who claim that the Empress of Tomorrow just got lucky all the times she beat them.
Purrazo acquits herself better against Asuka than the time when she got knocked out immediately, but mostly spends her time grasping at the ropes to break the variety of submission holds in which she finds herself. That ends in about three minutes when she gets hit with three consecutive backfists and a roundhouse kick to the head.
Video package rolls recapping Bayley's successful title defense over Carmella and the post-match drama from last week. Nia Jax & Eva Marie get a promo to claim Nia would have been #1 contender had she been cleared for the battle royal, and warning Asuka to mind her business. They have a match against Baymella last week.
Corey Graves and Tom Phillips spend the next bout driving home the point that ALEX RILEY HAS CHANGED. A-Ry does control the action for three minutes against Tye Dillinger, but the Perfect Ten has all the fun and rolls up Riley for a somewhat surprising win.
Reactions:
- Not that I don't love Emma & Dana trolling Asuka, but can we find something else for them to do? Just a suggestion, but... the Australian seems ready for a title shot.
- It really is just Brock Lesnar and Asuka as far as the race for "most entertaining squash". And I'd probably give the lady the edge for the variety of moves she uses and the novelty of seeing an average-sized performer pull it off.
- You can tell Eva & Nia are heels, because they're the only women still refering to themselves as "Divas" on NXT.
- Favorite line from Graves on the night: "Alex Riley is a guy who re-Tweets compliments."
- While we're talking announcers, I like Tom's passion tonight. His arguments rarely made sense (second favorite Graves' line: "You're not smart enough to know how stupid you sound"), but he was nailing the delivery in that he sounded like he meant them, which gives Corey something to work against.
- Had hoped that Riley could be a male Eva Marie, but using this Orlando show as a gauge, that ain't happening. Even their love of the Perfect Ten didn't motivate them to rail against Riley. If only All Red could entice such apathy from audiences...
- Their match was okay, I guess. As with the Drifter last episode, I really didn't care and, as such, really didn't retain much.
Recap:
Leading into our main event, NXT champ Finn Bálor gives props to the man he defeated a couple of weeks back, Apollo Crews, and both his next possible challengers, but promises to beat any and all of them when they next meet.
Barging into General Manager William Regal's office, Baron Corbin makes one last appeal to get into Samoa Joe and Sami Zayn's match. When he's denied, the Lone Wolf makes a vague threat about believing in an eye for an eye, especially for stealing.
The guys who are still in the #1 contender's match start by feeling each other out, as they've never wrestled a singles match against each other. Joe's vicious strikes have Zayn looking out on his feet, but Sami musters a comeback that starts with a series of clotheslines. Both guys hit their signature moves but can't get more than a two count.
Using the ropes and his own weight for leverage, Joe uses a Coquina Clutch in the corner until just before referee Drake Wuertz reaches his five count. Sami somehow retains conciousness and slips out of a Muscle Buster to hit a Helluva Kick. He falls over Joe as the referee counts three.
Zayn celebrates, but Wuertz pulls his hand down, and then does the same for Joe. Replays reveal that both men's shoulders were down (kind of) and so it's ruled a draw. Regal comes out to request a decision, but the official sticks to his guns, and we still don't know who Finn's next challenger will be.
Reactions:
- Back to thinking they're not gonna do anything interesting (meaning a heel turn and/or leader of Gun & Gallows) with the champ. He's very popular with a lot of folks as is. Maybe they experiment at the next level.
- Really liked the quick Corbin/Regal scene, even if it made me sad the old villain's wrestling days are over. It planted a seed that Baron might interfere in the main, and when that wasn't his revenge, creates some intrigue.
- Y'all are probably tired of reading it, but Samoa Joe is someone I really, really enjoy watching wrestle. Somewhere over the course of the year, I think he passed Sami Zayn in my personal rankings. At least at this moment in time, his intensity never takes me out of the moment, while there are instances where the Likeable One's selling does.
- For example, I marked out for Joe just rolling his neck during Sami's entrance and intro. Everything but destruction bores him.
- Don't take that as a serious knock on Zayn, though. He's still my boy. This was a fantastic bout - another for the short list of best NXT match of 2016 so far - and these two have fantastic chemistry. Hard to believe how little history they have with one another.
- And that's the main reason why I have zero problems with a second non-conclusive finish in this #1 contender story. It means either another one-on-one match or more of them working together with Bálor, either of which sounds great to me.
- Plus, either path means more promo time from both guys, which means more opportunities for Joe to reach, "oh shit I can't believe he said that he's really gonna kill that dude" and Sami to get to "pretty sure you're gonna die but I'll follow you into hell you likeable bastard" levels.
- Those things and the obligatory NXT-doesn't-overuse-these-tropes and in-NXT-booking-I-trust.
- Shout out to Drake Younger for a big main event moment on WWE Network! Did a great job selling the story with his verbal and non-verbal performance.
Imagine the ending is gonna draw some heat, but I don't think it's gonna lead to anyone not watching the show anymore. Especially considering this was a second straight really strong show.
In fact, while it was for different reasons, I liked it just as much as last week.
Grade: A-
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