NXT results 4/2

Enzo and Big Cass kick off the show. Enzo works the mic and the crowd goes along with it. They bring out Carmella to something of a mild reaction. She tells the crowd that Blue Pants "went back to the clearance rack." Out comes Emma for a match. The crowd is all for her.

Emma vs. Carmella

Emma gets in a few shots off the bell but Carmella powers up and takes control. Emma comes back with a big clothesline and works Carmella into a submission move. Emma smacks Carmella in the head but Carmella comes back with a drop toe hold and gets Emma into a submission hold, prompting Emma to tap out.

Result: Carmella defeats Emma via submission.

We get a glimpse of some coming attractions and a short break before getting back to the big show.

Adrian Neville vs. Baron Corbin (#1 Contenders Tournament Semi-Final)

The announce team plays up the size advantage as the competitors lock up. Corbin works Neville to the corner and they break. Neville fires back but gets caught off the rope briefly. He keeps at Corbin, making sure the big guy stays on the defensive. Corbin grounds Neville with a big right hand and Adrian rolls out of the ring. Corbin fetches him and once they're in the ring, he picks Neville apart on the mat. He stays in control for a protracted stretch and tries to put Neville away with a slam but Adrian kicks out. Neville continues to fight with forearm smashes and he propels Corbin face first into the turnbuckle to shift the momentum. Neville hits a dropkick that puts Corbin outside of the ring. Neville follows with a dive and Corbin catches him and chucks him into a barricade. As the ref looks away, Bull Dempsey runs in and whoops Corbin. Corbin gets away but Neville resumes his offense, hitting the red arrow and flowing with a pinfall.

Result: Adrian Neville defeats Baron Corbin via pinfall.

We see a short segment in which Sami Zayn talks about the rivalry with Kevin Owens. Zayn says he'll beat the hell out of Owens at NXT Takeover. After that, it's announced that Corbin and Dempsey will square off in a No DQ match at takeover.

Bayley vs. Becky Lynch

Sure, Bayley is a fan favorite but there's a strong Becky Lynch contingent on hand in this crowd. Becky works Bayley's knee early and often, following with a suplex and work off the ropes. Bayley tries to come back but Becky is just too tough at this point in the match. Bayley does dump Lynch outside and Banks comes down the ramp and Becky gets back in to fight. She stays on Bayley but almost gets rolled into a pinfall. Bayley tries for a submission maneuver and Becky gets to the ropes. Lynch tries to escape but Banks puts her back into the fray. Bayley capitalizes, getting the pinfall.

Result: Bayley defeats Becky Lynch via pinfall

Post match, Sasha and Becky start fighting and Charlotte comes out, seemingly to reign it all in.

WWE racks up an interview with Kevin Owens in which he explains that it was his ultimate goal to get a title shot and Zayne gave it to him… just two months into his time in NXT.

Hideo Itami vs. Finn Balor

Balor and Itami lock eyes and then they get right to it. First they lock hands, break and then come together again. When they really get grappling, it almost looks like an even match. After some twisting and grappling, they break, stand back and assess one another as the fans voice their approval. Itami tries to get on top of Finn on the mat but Balor won't make it easy. Itami hits the ropes and Finn gets him with a solid dropkick as we go to break.

Back after the commercial, Itami is back up and he has control of Balor for the moment. Finn breaks loose and heads to the ropes but Hideo takes him down and tries for a cover. Finn gets back into it and works Hideo into an unusual stretch hold followed by a cover. Itami kicks out and Finn covers again, but no dice. Balor stays on top of things, locking in a choke on Hideo. He continues with the mat work but Itami wriggles out and ascends the ropes. Balor connects with a kick, putting Hideo on the canvas. Another break ensues.

As the match resumes, Balor is chopping the holy bejeezus out of Hideo. Itami comes back with a dropkick and then hits a clothesline. Itami goes into full offensive mode now, putting Balor's neck into the rope and then cracking him with a kick. Itami teases the GTS and they trade counters until both guys are down on the mat. When both men reach a vertical base again, they trade huge shots. Itami finally gets the advantage with strikes and kicks, following with a corner dropkick but Balor takes him out with a sling blade and then a big dropkick. He hits a double-stomp off the top and after a three-count, it's over.

Result: Finn Balor defeats Hideo Itami via pinfall.

After the bell, Finn Balor extends a hand to Hideo Itami and Itami accepts the gesture in a nice display of sportsmanship. Adrian Neville applauds from the announce table. The men shake hands on the ramp to close out the live-action part of show.

------------------------------------------------------

Another excellent show from NXT.

Seems they're trying to build Carmella up to join the womens title picture, im fine with that but they need to seperate her and Enzo & Cassidy. Those two guys are so over with the crowd and she just isnt. It wont two either party any favours long term. Good to see Emma back.

Im unhappy in the way Corbin's streak was sacrificed. It should have been lost at a special event, especially in the final of the tournament. I dont understand what more he has to do to Bull Dempsey to get him out of his life. Apart from the less than impressive ending, Corbin looked excellent, and more than held his own against Neville in a +5 minute match. I think he definatly has main event caliber, but needs another big match to legitimise himself.

Bayley vs Becky Lynch did was it had to, sets up Bayley as the favourite and puts over the womans title match. Huh, 2 womens matches in the same night and I didnt FF through either of them. Thats a novelty. Should be a good match, still expect Banks to win.

Balor vs Itami. Wow. If Itami's best NXT match was with Breeze a couple of weeks ago it was topped, and then some tonight. Both guys left it all out there, and I'll be surprised if Itami doesnt have a concussion after that sick dropkick against the turnbuckle. Balor vs Neville has awesome potential.

Other thoughts: I think the Vaudevillians are going to get involved in the tag title match somehow. And another nice little Solomon Crowe teaser spliced in.

Currently the NXT Takeover: Rival card is as follows.

NXT Championship: Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens

#1 Contender tournament final: Finn Balor vs Adrian Neville

NXT Womens Championship: Becky Lynch vs Sasha Banks vs Charlotte vs Bayley

NXT Tag Team Championship: Lucha Dragons vs Murphy and Blake

No DQ Match: Bull Dempsey vs Baron Corbin - didnt notice this getting announced, but there you go.

I've only watched Finn Balor / Hideo Itami so far.

I had a massive whinge to myself because they cut to a WM ad about 2 minutes into the match. So, I was giving out that here I am paying my 9.99 for NXT and they stop the wrestling on the network to make me watch an ad. Then I realised I'm actually in a free month

It was everything I was hoping for. Given HHH's comments on Balor I wonder how long till they bring him up to WWE. He's been around the block wrestling all over the world, I think if they have any interest in pushing wrestlers on WWE he's ready.

And for that reason I'm not that upset that Corbin has lost, though I've not seen the match. NXT is still a developmental show IMO. He's got a lot to learn. He's moved from 15 second fights to the next step. But there's further to go because he still feels a clunky worker who has an excellent finish. I'm not saying he never makes it, but he needs more work. NXT has a limited number of workers, so its not a perfect story that he goes back to Bull, but I do think it works for both of them and I'm happy to give this one to NXT.

Can't wait for Rival.

A few thoughts:

Emma - she was so over at one point, and isn't a bad worker. Shame it went south for her.

Corbin - I got the feeling he wasn't supposed to beat the ten count after getting clobbered by Bull to keep his unbeaten record, but slid in too soon.

They announced the no-DQ between Bull and Corbin after one of the "breaks".

I'm assuming Solomon Crowe "surprise" debuts next week.

Balor & Itami surely need to be on the fast track to the main roster, right!?

From what I hear Triple H has a massive hard on for Balor and is certain to get him to the main roster, the only problem is he is tiny, so Vince probably doesnt know he exists.

I think both have another problem for WWE, mic skills. Its held back every Japanese wrestler in WWE. And its hard to say that you are rushing a 33 year old man who's wrestled all over the world, but I would not be surprised if Finn was given the belt and a chance to spend more time delivering promos before he is brought up.

My random thoughts:

Whoever came up with Carmella's "Putting blue Pants on the clearance rack" line deserves a raise. I thought Carmella came across really well showing heel mannerisms in the match, but her ring work still isn't up to much. Seeing how Charlotte and Sasha Banks have improved under Sara Del Ray's tutelage, I wouldn't be surprised to see Carmella progress as well.

The Corbin/Neville match was ok, although it was partly ruined by some middle aged women screaming "Come on Baron!" throughout the match. Neville sold well for Corbin, but I'm not sure what there going for with his character. He's not imposing enough to be booked as a monster, but he does lumber around the ring. I think the no DQ match could be pretty entertaining. The use of weapons will hide both his and Bull's limitations better than this match did.

I thought the right man went over in the Itami/Balor match, and expect Finn to beat Neville next week. Balor does handled himself like a star. He has the look of someone who could be really dangerous. I've read reports that Tyler Breeze attacked Hideo after the match, so those two will start a program soon. I guess they're putting the Marcus Louis/Stalker angle on the back burner.

Nakatomi Plaza wrote:My random thoughts:

The Corbin/Neville match was ok, although it was partly ruined by some middle aged women screaming "Come on Baron!" throughout the match. Neville sold well for Corbin, but I'm not sure what there going for with his character. He's not imposing enough to be booked as a monster, but he does lumber around the ring. I think the no DQ match could be pretty entertaining. The use of weapons will hide both his and Bull's limitations better than this match did.

I sometimes think if this were the 80s then Corbin's gimmick would be as a terminator-type cyborg. He has no emotion and lumber is the perfect adjective for him. I see him in a Battle Royal putting a load of wrestlers over the top rope, but I don't see anything else in him. Other than a very, very sweet finisher.

When I watched this match back again last night (and I think its the longest Corbin's worked). I started to wonder if I were WWE management whether I'd actually be hotter on Bull Dempsey than Corbin. I'm not saying Dempsey would or should throw himself off the top of a cage, but there's almost something Foley like about him. It just looks like he'd come in the ring, take a beating, but not give up. I could see him as a wrestler who could be used to put others over. Corbin, I hope he makes it, but I feel he has a long way to travel before he can put on a 10 minute match that I'd want to see.

Hopefully their match at Rival will give both guys a chance to show what they can do in a long match, although the No DQ format will help hide a bit of weakness. Bull is probably the best opponent for him, someone who can match him size and power wise so it doesnt look like he lumbers about as much. I agree he needs another few long matches with a variety of opponents before we can see how good he really is. Balor and Itami would suit him well, they're legitimate enough that you could believe they could hold their own against him.

I give NXT a lot of leeway because they are a developmental program, with limited resources.

But, I kind of feel it makes more sense for Baron to be a heel and Dempsey to be a face. Baron is so cold and physically imposing that he's kind of hard to get behind as a face.

Looking at that card, I'm not so sure how long the match gets. We got 5 on the card, right?
- Corbin vs Bull
- Tag titles
- #1 contenders
- Women's title match
- NXT title match

I don't see the NXT title and #1 contenders getting less than 15 minutes each (+ Balor entrance time ). So, something will have to go short and I wonder if its the two big men.

In my booking Balor comes out of this as the champ and that gives him opportunity to work with a load of guys. I hear a lot of calls for him to go to WWE already. But I feel he needs some more work on the mic. And also, I'm not an expert on his Japan work, but I can't believe he's worked with big guys so much that he'll have on the main roster. So, again a run against Corbin might give him that experience. Just a thought.

I saw a few reviews stating they were glad Sami Zayn v Kevin Owens was non title as it means Owens wont lose momentum and Zayn keeps going as champion. Now it's a title match, what happens/should happen to keep both men strong, other than the obvious DQ finish?

I think a title match is lose/lose at this point. The only way I can get around it (other than a DQ finish) is have Owens look dominant through-out before taking his eye off the ball and Zayn gets a win. This keep Owens looking strong and out of the picture for a while, while Zayn looks like a resourceful-never give up champion going into his feud with Balor/Neville.

I would have kept it non-title, but I liked the way they booked it, and have since built Owens up as a master manipulater.

Here's the way I look at it. We've been following the Sammy Zayn story for the last months. His chase of a title, him coming so close, but never lifting the belt, and then the final win. Before that was marred by his friend, in what felt at the time a jealous attack, but what is now being depicted as just business.

I think we should finish the Zayn story. And I think that story finishes by him winning. Like you all, I hate the DQ idea, but I agree we need a way to end this by each looking strong.

I'd go back to Bret vs Austin match that put SCSA over. I think that Zayn should treat it personally as his biggest night was spoilt and Owens tried to injure him when he'd just got to where he wanted to be. I think Zayn should be all business. But I think Owens takes so much punishment that in the end Zayn is begging the ref to end it as he can't go on hurting his friend. So, its more a TKO finish.

After the match, I'd love to have HHH come down to the ring and tell Zayn that he's so impressed by what he'd do to his own friend for the belt that he's giving him a contract on the spot for WWE.

I doubt the last bit will happen, but I really think that its time for Zayn to move up. He's progressed hugely in delivery of a story and on the mic. I can't see anything left for him in NXT. Time for Finn to run with the title.

Apologies if I'm not meant to post this kind of thing. But, I thought some of you might enjoy a sneak preview of the #1 contenders match

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xrkluv_09-prince-devitt-vs-pac-njpw-06-06-12_sport

DailyMotion is legal so you're all good

Caught up on NXT now. Entertaining, a little overrated, I can see why its easier to book NXT too.

Personally think Owens should win the belt, Balor should beat Neville and both losers should go up. Maintain that they should go up as a tag team but it wont happen. Also think Owens' delivery on the mic is probably the best in there.

Majorly disappointed that Kalisto and Sin Cara look to be over. Sin Cara isn't good enough to be a solo guy and a You Don't Mess with the Zohan gimmick for Kalisto makes me sad.

Women's division is interesting and a few ways they could go. Never liked Bayley but like the character shift.

Bull and Baron is dull. I was intrigued and then they blew it with that first match. I'm a fan of quiet imposing characters so Corbin is getting some leeway with me, but he needs to add more silent charisma (how, I dont know, its a gift some have).

Vaudevillains a favourite too, and the Crowe stuff is interesting. I'd pit him against Itami and make him do the heavy lifting in terms of selling it with his vocals.

Just a shame that the PPVs always feel a bit like just a normal show rather than a PPV.

What do people think of Itami?

I was a little disappointed in him during the Balor match. He just didn't look fluid. Maybe this was more noticeable as the commentators were selling the match like Itami and Balor have been in the ring together for years, whereas they both happened to be in Japan but didn't work together.

Anyhow, I YouTubed some of his work as KENTA and I enjoyed that more. Its obviously a different style. A much stiffer style and a very Japanese one. Personally, I'd have preferred him to keep this and NXT modify its plans to work for him (i.e. I think he'd work much better as a heel) than for him to try to work WWE style, which I just don't think is working right now.

He's definatly improving in this new environment, but he's still a shade of what he can be. Im not as sold on him as I am Owens and Balor, but im a far cry giving up on him, because I know what he's capable of.

Clearly NXT is there to give that platform for developing and transitioning before moving up. But I think of the names mentioned, (Balor, Neville, Zayn, Owens & Itami), right now Itami is the least ready to be moved up.

I think Itami is still waiting for that break out match. In fairness, he was probably never going to get that via a feud with the Ascension. Maybe if a couple of names move on he will get more opportunity to shine.