NXT came to us from Full Sail University this week with the main event being footage of the match between Joe and Nakamura from Osaka, Japan for the NXT Championship. The episode was one of the best NXT episodes of the year and contained a couple of huge announcements and a huge debut.
#DIY's title celebration
NXT started off with the new NXT Tag-Team Champions Johnny Gargano and Tomasso coming out with their newly won titles to a raucous reception from the Full Sail crowd. Gargano and Ciampa went over the barricade to celebrate with the fans as chants of DIY filled the building. Gargano and Ciampa then proceeded to celebrate inside the ring and were about to address the crowd when the music of the Authors of Pain hit.
Paul Ellering addressed DIY, telling them that their celebrations were premature and that the Authors of Pain were unbeaten as he angled for a title shot for his boys. At this point, The Revival's music hit and Dash Wilder didn't sound too happy. He says that NXT's tag-team revolution had been built by them and they were the true #1 contenders.
The Authors of Pain made their way towards The Revival at this point who scurried away. Ellering announced that his boys would soon be NXT Tag-Team Champions before leaving.
No Way Jose and Rich Swann vs Alexander Wolfe and Eric Young
Former NXT contestant Percy Watson joined Tom Phillips and Corey Graves on commentary for this one.
Alexander Wolfe and No Way Jose started us off with this one. Jose started off strong as he immediately put Wolfe on the backfoot before tagging in the new WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann. Swann hit a few nasty chops before getting caught mid-Hurracanrana as Wolfe tagged in Young who deposited Swann outside the ring as we cut to commercial.
We came back from commercial to find Eric Young still in control as he screamed in Swann's face. Swann hit back with a running dropkick but failed to keep Young down for long enough to make a tag. Young then got on the middle rope and locked in a hanging guillotine hold before tagging Wolfe back in. Wolfe hit Swann with a running boot to the face before taking Swann down by the hair and going for a failed pin attempt. Wolfe then locked in a modified shoulder claw as Swann desperately tried to fight out.
Wolfe then Irish Whipped Swann who hit back with a bodyblock as both men went down and clawed their way to make a tag. Jose came in with momentum and completely destroyed Eric Young, ending a devastating sequence with a TKO with the following cover being broken up by Wolfe. Swann then came in and drove Wolfe outside the ring before hitting an unbelievable corner-to-apron Senton Drop.
Jose got driven out of the ring by Young at this point who looked to hit a double axehandle from the apron. Jose responded with a nasty forearm to the face. Jose got attacked from behind at this point by Big Damo, who was apparently the newest member of Sanity! A huge debut on NXT tonight as the British behemoth Big Damo joined Sanity, apparently.
Young took the opportunity take out No Way Jose with his finisher to pick up the win.
Alexander Wolfe and Eric Young def. No Way Jose and Rich Swann
William Regal made two huge announcements
William Regal is backstage and he makes a couple of huge announcements. Firstly, he says that The Revival will take on DIY on the January 11th episode of NXT for the NXT Tag-Team Championships and the winner of that match would face the Authors of Pain at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio.
Right after this, William Regal announces a tournament on NXT where there would be four matches with the winners of the matches facing off in a fatal-4-way match with the winner becoming the #1 contender for the NXT Championship. He then announced that Tye Dillinger would be in the tournament.
Ember Moon vs Kimber Lee
Indie sensation Kimber Lee made her NXT debut as she faced off against Ember Moon as she looked to impress to possibly earn a future contract. The two women go for an early test of strengt with Lee coming out on top but Moon countered with a monkey flip before hitting a side kick to the gut. Moon then looked to bounce off the ropes but Lee caught her in a sideslam before Moon hit back iwth a hurracanrana and a snapmare takedown. Lee got up and hit some brutal strikes to before kicking Moon in the back of the head.
Moon didn't take to it kindly and she drove Kimber Lee into the corner before hitting her trademark handspring elbow before going to the top rope and hitting the twisting Stunner for the 3-count.
Ember Moon def. Kimber Lee
Samoa Joe (C) vs Shinsuke Nakamura (for the NXT Championship from the Edion Arena in Osaka, Japan)
The show finishes off with the epic rematch between Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura from Osaka, Japan. Joe got a pretty big reception but it was nothing compared to the reception that Shinsuke Nakamura got from the Japanese fans who treated their hero like a homecoming king.
Joe and Nakamura went nose-to-nose even before the bell rang as they eyed each other, getting ready for the battle to come. The crowd threw the traditional streamers into the ring as the announcements were made and both men got ready for the fight of their lives.
The two men started off by circling each other before Joe went for the early takedown only to be blocked by Nakamura. Nakamura followed it up by a series of stiff knees which he followed up with the Good Vibrations in the corner as Joe rolled out of the ring to collect his thoughts after the early onslaught. Joe then climbed onto the apron and hit a cheap shot to take control. He followed it with an STF lock which he transitioned into a devastating crossface.
Nakamura finally managed to reach the ropes but an undeterred Joe went for a vertical suplex. Nakamura blocked it and tried to transition it into a cross-armbar which he then changed into a triangle hold just as Joe reached the ropes. Nakamura then went for the reverse Exploder Suplex which he faled to hit and instead went for a devastating German Suplex. Nakamura then went for the Kinshasa but Joe countered with a massive Powerslam for a 2-count.
Joe thenwent for a Muscle Buster but Nakamura managed to counter out of it at the last moment and immiediately went for a Kinshasa which Joe dodged and managed to lock in a Coquina Clutch, almost. Joe changed his mind at the last moment and hit a German Suplex instead which he folloed with a second German which he followed up with a modified Exploder Suplex for the nearfall.
Joe then took Nakamura to the top rope and went for a Muscle Buster but Nakamura kicked Joe away who hit back with an Enzeguiri that sent Nakamura crashing to the outside. Joe followed him out and went for a modified Roc kBottom on the steel steps but Nakamura hit back with a near-endless series of elbow strikes. Nakamura followed it up with a knee to the back of Joe's head which also resulted in Joe's face smashing off the steel steps.
Nakamura rolled Joe back into the ring and looked to take advantage only to be met by a series of kicks by Samoa Joe. Nakamura hit back with knee strikes of his own which he followed with a calf strike to the back of the head and a running knee to the side of Joe's head. Nakamura then tried to pick Joe up in a fireman's carry but Joe's weight proved to be too much.
Changing his approach, Nakamura went to the top rope instead and hit a flying knee from the top rope to the back of Joe's head. Nakamura followed it up with a Kinshasa and he covered Joe for the 3-count as he beat Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship in his homeland, making Nakamura a 2-time NXT Champion.
Shinsuke Nakamura def. Samoa Joe
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