Tonight (Aug. 20, 2016) at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II at the Barclays Center champion Samoa Joe defended his NXT championship against undefeated challenger Shinsuke Nakamura. Joe didn’t want to face Nakamura to begin with, saying the Japanese star didn’t do enough to earn the match. The champ was angered further with Shinsuke’s cavalier attitude about the title match in general.
Their contrasts were evident in their entrances. Shinsuke was played to the ring by violinist Lee England Jr in an entrance that took up to five minutes. Joe had no frills nor flash. He just walked to his ring ready to fight, met by that Nakamura smile that pisses the champ off so.
There was a a feeling out process early on, with Joe taking the slight advantage. The challenger was able to play his little games to anger Joe and then take advantage of that for a time. Both men would find a little offense but the other would never let it last. That is until Shinsuke missed a knee drop on the apron and Joe capitalized with a suicide dive
This was when Joe dished out punishment that Nakamura has not endured since he’s been at NXT using his submission prowess. After a good while of just surviving against Joe, the challenger was able to use his patented knees and kicks to get himself back in the match.
Joe would eventually try to set up a Muscle Buster, but the King of Strong Style kicked him away and hit a jumping kick from the rope. Both men were left laid out and the match reset itself. When the men were back to their feet, they’d exchange strikes and soon exchange submissions.
As the match wore on, the men exchanged moves and reversals. Joe seemed to hit harder and get angrier, but he could not end Nakamura. Even his trusty Muscle Buster couldn’t put the challenger away to the shock of the champ. He tried a second Buster, but Nakamura slide out and hit the Kinshasa but Joe kicked out of the challengers finisher.
Shinsuke decided to go for his finish immediately again, this time setting it up and this time, and he hit Joe square in the face with that vicious knee. That was enough to score the challenger the 1-2-3 and win him the NXT title.
All hail the King of Strong Style and the new NXT champion!
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