Tonight’s show finds us at Full Sail, for the third episode from a taping (spoilers from which are here) which takes us all the of the way to August’s TakeOver: Brooklyn III. Here's what to expect.
The Headliner(s)
After defeating SAnitY’s Killian Dain to claim a TakeOver title shot at Bobby Roode’s NXT championship, Drew McIntyre addressed the NXT Universe to explain the differences between himself - a man seeking to make the most of a second chance, and doing so for the fans as much as himself - and The Glorious One - an entitled Superstar in it only for himself.
The champ demanded an opportunity to respond to his rival face-to-face, and that will happen tonight.
This Wednesday, @DMcIntyreWWE and #WWENXT Champion @REALBobbyRoode meet face-to-face on @WWENXT at 8/7c only on @WWENetwork! pic.twitter.com/AD4u0aMVnf
— WWE (@WWE) August 8, 2017
Surely, this will go smoothly, and both men will address their issues in a peaceful manner and hold any physicality for a week from Saturday in New York, right?
Even if Drew and Bobby keep it civil, there’s still the issue of Roderick Strong. Roode defeated Roddy in one-on-one action, but the titleholder’s disrespectful dismissal of Strong and his family before, during and after their match has made things personal for the Messiah of the Backbreaker.
The Title Scene
Things have been personal, and they’ve already gotten hostile, between Women’s champ Asuka and her challenger for Brooklyn, Ember Moon. The undefeated Empress of Tomorrow has agreed Moon is worthy for a match, but still insists she’s not ready. Ember thinks Asuka is the one who’s unprepared, and the Eclipse she hit her with last week showed she might be right.
Eric Young’s SAnitY stable may have come up short in their efforts to claim the singles straps, but their mind games have earned Dain and Alexander Wolfe a showdown with tag titleholders Authors of Pain on Aug. 20.
Other stuff to keep an eye on:
- Will Street Profits be the gimmick that helps Angelo Dawkins turn the corner to NXT stardom? The amateur wrestler’s been around since the brand’s early days and tried several versions of characters. His partnership with Montez Ford has been a hit on the house show scene, and management has given the pair weeks of vignettes to hype their social media-inspired “Red Cup Rebellion”. They’ll see their first televised action on this episode, and we’ll all find out together.
- Andrade “Cien” Almas is a guy who’s familiar with a rocky NXT rollout, but he’s found his footing as a heel, and with the addition of Zelina Vega as a mysterious woman from his past to guide him, he may be on his way back up the card. No Way Jose interrupted their first act as a power couple - getting revenge against Cezar Bononi for his upset win over Cien - and Almas looks to make No Way Jose a stepping stone on their climb this week.
- He put Kassius Ohno on the shelf with a GTS on the steel steps, but Hideo Itami may have broken off more than he can chew when he started a beef with Aleister Black. With guys like Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly making their way to NXT for a chance to take down Black, will Itami beat them to the punch in Brooklyn?
- We want more Oney Lorcan vs. Danny Burch!
- Johnny Gargano is still looking for a dance partner for TakeOver, a card he insists he has to be on as part of his post-Tommaso Ciampa rebirth.
NOTE: Spoilers are out there for these pre-taped broadcasts (including here), but many Cagesiders don't partake. If you are going to post or discuss spoilers for this show before they happen, or results of future shows, please use the spoiler bar in your comment.
See you tonight for NXT, Cagesiders!