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Another week, another exhilarating episode of NXT. Just a couple of weeks away from NXT TakeOver: Chicago, we finally learned who Bobby Roode would face for the NXT Championship. We also got updates on the Tag-Team and Women's Championship matches.
Aleister Black vs Cezar Bonani
This week’s episode of NXT kicked off with one of NXT’s latest signings – Aleister Black. The “anti-hero” has been unstoppable since his NXT debut and faced Cezar Bonani tonight.
Bonani trash-talked Black as the match began and Black replied with a kick to the head that sent Bonani rolling out to ringside. Black then looked like he’d hit a suicide dive but ended up doing a somersault from to middle rope into his trademark pose in the middle of the ring.
Bonani came charging back in but Black dodged his offence and hit a switch kick. Bonani replied with an atomic drop and a dropkick. He followed it up with clubbing blows to the back of the head but they had no effect on Black who hit back with a jumping knee and followed it up with another knee strike to the back of the head. When Bonani got back to his feet, Black hit him with the Black Mask before covering him to pick up the win.
Aleister Black def. Cezar Bonani
After the opening match, we got footage from last week’s battle royal for the #1 contendership for the NXT Women’s Championship.
Following this, we got backstage footage of William Regal telling Asuka that her match would be a Fatal-4-Way match.
We then learned that Ember Moon was injured following Asuka’s attack last week, which meant that the match would now be a triple threat match.
Interview with Nikki Cross
The interview segment was as bizarre as Nikki Cross is portrayed to be. She refused to put on a lapel mic and kept on smacking the overhead mic instead of answering the interviewer’s questions.
She finally looked into the camera and promised to vanquish Ruby Riot and take everything from Asuka at TakeOver: Chicago.
#DIY address the NXT Universe
Gargano and Ciampa came out to a massive pop from the fans in Full Sail as they took to the ring to address the NXT Universe.
DIY said that they had never gotten a fair rematch against the Authors of Pain and they told the rest of the NXT Tag-Team division to get in line behind them.
Riddick Moss and Tino Sabatelli’s music hit at this point and they came down to the ring, claiming that the line actually started behind them. Ciampa replied that if there was a line, Moss and Sabatelli just crossed it.
Gargano and Ciampa then cleared Moss and Sabatelli from the ring.
#DIY vs Riddick Moss and Tino Sabatelli
Ciampa and Moss started us off. Moss hit a nasty knee to start us off and Ciampa replied with an elbow strike to the face. Moss replied with a Fallaway Slam after which Tino Sabatelli tagged himself in. Sabatelli and Moss worked on Ciampa in the corner.
Sabatelli hit a dropkick before Irish Whipping Ciampa into the corner. He then tagged in Moss who hit Ciampa with a running back elbow as the heels continued to isolate Ciampa and keep themselves fresh. Sabatelli tagged himself back in and locked in a headlock. He then looked to hit a vertical suplex but Ciampa countered with one of his own before finally tagging in Gargano.
Gargano hit Moss, who had tagged himself in, with the rolling kick and followed it up with a boot to Sabatelli from the apron. Johnny Gargano then hit Moss with a mid-rope spear before going for the cover which was broken up by Sabatelli.
Ciampa came in and hit Sabatelli with a running knee which knocked him off the apron and onto the floor. Gargano followed it up with a suicide dive to Moss. DIY then rolled Moss back into the ring and isolated him.
DIY then hit the running knee/Superkick combo for the win, as they march on towards NXT TakeOver: Chicago.
#DIY def. Riddick Moss and Tino Sabatelli
After the match, William Regal came out and announced a ladder match for the NXT Tag-Team Championships at TakeOver: Chicago between the Authors of Pain and #DIY.
Hideo Itami vs Roderick Strong (#1 Contender’s match for the NXT Championship)
Itami and Strong started off tentatively, trading holds and headlocks as they began. The two dodged each other’s offence as Itami went for an early GTS which Strong barely managed to wriggle out of. Strong rolled out to ringside as went into a commercial break; Itami went for an early GTS which Strong barely managed to wriggle out of.
We came back to see Itami delivering stiff kicks to Roderick Strong’s midsection which he followed up with a back elbow. Itami followed it up with a headlock to take Strong down. He then drove his knees into Strong and followed it up with his trademark boot flick.
Itami then targeted Strong’s midsection in the corner before Strong finally fought back. He lifted Itami up and tossed him onto the ropes before hitting repeated and loud knife-edge chops. Strong followed it up with a backbreaker followed by an unsuccessful attempt to pin Itami. Undeterred by Itami kicking out, Strong locked in an armbar in the middle of the ring as Hideo tried his best to get back to his feet. Strong used the opportunity to hit Itami with a Pumphandle Backbreaker.
Itami tried to buy some time with a snapmare but Strong immediately hit back with a boot to Itami’s mid-section. As Itami tried to bounce off the ropes to mount more offence, Strong met him with a dropkick. Roddy then locked in a modified Rings Of Saturn but Itami forced Strong to break the hold. Itami immediately capitalised with a series of his trademark kicks as Strong rolled out to ringside to figure out his next move, Strong met him with a dropkick.
As Itami went out to the apron, Strong swept his feet up from under him and caught him midair, before flinging him back-first in midair against the apron as we headed to our last commercial.
We came back from the break to see Roddy all over Hideo Itami. He had Itami in a unique submission hold but Hideo hit back with a jawbreaker as chants of “Roddy-Hideo” broke out. The two men then collided in the middle of the ring as both men went down.
Roderick Strong was the first man to get back on his feet but Itami joined him and took him down with a clothesline. Itami followed it up with a combo of kicks followed by a suplex to take Roddy down. Hideo then hit a unique Tornado guillotine to Strong from the top rope.
Strong replied with an enzeguiri before hitting Itami with an Angle Slam for the 2-count. Strong followed it up with a forearm-strike combo before looking to bounce off the ropes for a clothesline but Itami saw it coming and hit Strong with a running boot to the face. He followed it up with a strike combo of his own as Strong backed off into the corner.
Itami then went for a running strike in the corner but Strong caught him and seamlessly hit a backbreaker for a nearfall. Strong then took Itami up to the top rope but Itami clubbed his way out of it. Itami then hit a Falcon Arrow from the top rope but Strong still managed to kick out.
The two men then exchanged forearms and strikes in the middle of the ring before Strong floored Itami with a jumping knee strike. Itami looked to be done for but he still kicked out. Strong then bounced off the ropes as he looked for the Sick Kick, but Itami met him with a knee strike as both men staggered to get back to their feet.
Itami went for the GTS but Roddy manoeuvred out of it. Unfazed, Itami hit Strong with a running boot in the corner and followed it up with a running dropkick. As the crowd chanted “GTS”, Itami pulled down his knee pad, signalling that the end was near. Strong could bare stand up but he wouldn’t kick out as Hideo Itami hit Roderick Strong with the GTS for the win and the #1 contendership.
An amazing main-event to end this week’s episode of NXT. It was a special match that deserved a bigger platform like a TakeOver. Absolutely amazing.
Hideo Itami def. Roderick Strong
