This week’s episode of NXT was headlined by Tye Dillinger’s last NXT match as he faced off against Eric Young inside a steel cage. This feud had brewing for months and we finally got its last chapter. The show also had Bobby Roode’s return to Full Sail for the first time since NXT TakeOver: Orlando as well as Hideo Itami’s return from injury. Let’s head straight to the results.
Bobby Roode returns to Full Sail
This week’s episode of NXT kicked-off with Bobby Roode’s glorious return to Full Sail after his grueling battle with Shinsuke Nakamura at TakeOver: Orlando. Roode had the new NXT Championship belt around his waist as he came down to the ring to massive ovation from the fans at Full Sail.
Roode took to the mic and announced that for the second year in a row, he’d made the WrestleMania week “Glorious”. He boasted about selling out the Amway Center himself before announcing himself as the “biggest box-office Superstar in the business”.
He went on to declare that he snuffed out the last “flickering star in the old NXT” before claiming that he’d finally transformed NXT in his image. Roode went on to talk about Shinsuke Nakamura’s farewell last week on NXT and how both the NXT roster came out on the ramp to show their respect and how the fans sang his theme song as they bid their hero goodbye.
Roode then pointed out that unlike the rest of the roster, he wasn’t out there on the ramp because he had no interest in what Nakamura had to say. The champion then said that Nakamura didn’t leave NXT on his own volition, but he was forced to leave after Roode had humiliated him.
He then told the fans that none of them belonged in Roode’s NXT before claiming that none of the NXT Superstars who were on the ramp last week deserved to be on NXT.
Hideo Itami’s theme song hit at this point as the former-KENTA finally returns from his long injury lay-off. Chants of ‘Hideo’ broke out as Itami got in the ring and face off with Bobby Roode. Itami just straight-up slapped Roode in the face as chants of “one more time” broke out.
Roode looked a little taken aback as he backed off and took his jacket. He yelled at Itami as he rolled up the sleeves of his jacket saying that things had changed in NXT since Itami had left. Roode then walked up to Itami who got him up on his shoulders and hit Roode with GTS.
As Roode lay there on the mat, Itami picked up the NXT Championship and signalled his intent.
HIDEO ITAMI IS BACK!
We joined Kayla Braxton backstage with an update on the WWE UK Championship. She was joined by UK Champion Tyler Bate and 205 Live’s very own Jack Gallagher. Gallagher said that winning the WWE UK Championship was a dream of his while Bate said he looked forward to retaining his title.
The match is set for next week.
We came back from our first commercial break to see Bobby Roode still laid out in the middle of the ring, getting attended to by medics and referees. Roode got helped up to chants of “Are you okay. Bobby?” to the tune of Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal before grabbing his belt and walking out of the ring.
We cut to a backstage segment with Otis Drozovic and Tucker Knight of Heavy Machinery. They weight training rooms in the Performance Center. Otis was taking a video of Tucker Knight as he was about to Bench Press when we saw a confrontation between Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas and Drew Galloway on the other side of the room.
Andrade laid out a challenge to Drew McIntyre for next week before walking away.
Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas vs Danny Burch
Before Almas could face Drew Galloway next week, he first had to get through former NXT jobber Danny Burch, who came back to NXT for the first time since the WWE UK Championship.
Burch pushed Almas into the ropes as the match began and Almas took the opportunity to hang from the ropes and show off. Burch was unimpressed and replied with a Suplex before planting Almas face-first into the mat. He tried to followed it up with a vertical suplex but Almas took him down with a clothesline before slapping Burch across the chest in the corner.
Almas then double-stomped Burch, who tried to fight back with a combo of uppercuts. Almas hit back from behind and hit Burch with the double knees in the corner. He followed it up with the Hammerlock DDT for the win.
Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas def. Danny Burch
Liv Morgan and Aliyah vs Billie Kay and Peyton Royce
NXT’s iconic duo have been tormenting Aliyah and Liv Morgan for a while. Morgan and Aliyah got a shot at redemption tonight as these two teams faced off.
Billie Kay and Aliyah started us off as Billie Kay locked in a standing headlock. She then grabbed Liv by the hair and took her down with a shoulder touch. Kay then hit Morgan with a hip-toss before celebrating in the corner with Peyton Royce.
Morgan took advantage and took Kay down with her trademark roll with Kay kicking out of both pinning attempts. Morgan then tagged in Aliyah who hit a leg drop from the middle rope for another 2-count.
Billie Kay dodged further offence from Aliyah and hit her with a spinning lariat before tagging Peyton Royce in for the first time. They double teamed Aliyah before Royce went for a bodyslam. Aliyah manoeuvred out of it and rolled Royce up for another 2-count.
Royce hit back with her trademark spinning head kick. That looked to be it by Aliyah somehow got her shoulder up at the last moment. Aliyah tried to roll Royce up but Kay held onto her from the outside. Morgan came in at this point and hit Kay with a running dropkick.
Aliyah took advantage and rolled Peyton Royce for the win.
Liv Morgan and Aliyah def. Billie Kay and Peyton Royce
Tye Dillinger vs Eric Young
Our main-event was next, as Tye Dillinger prepared to say goodbye to NXT by facing Eric Young inside a steel cage – the second steel cage match in NXT history.
Dillinger took down Young with a right hand as soon as Young entered the ring before closing the cage door. The duo exchanged right hands before EY tried to send Dillinger ace-first into the cage. Tye held on to the cage before attempting an early Tye Breaker.
EY raked Dillinger’s eyes before sending him face-first into the side of the cage.
We came back from commercial to see EY send Dillinger crashing into the cage once again. He followed it up by pressing Dillinger’s face against the side of the cage with his boot. EY then tried to walk out of the cage but Dillinger pulled him back in.
Young followed it up with a Guillotine-style lock from the top rope before following it up with a double axe-handle.
EY continued his momentum by trying to launch Tye Dillinger into the steel cage but Dillinger held onto the cage and tried to climb out. EY quickly recovered and joined him on the top rope before hitting a Sitout Powerbomb.
EY tried to get out of the cage once again but Dillinger held onto his boot. As EY tried to climb the cage instead, Dillinger got up and sent him crashing into the mat. He followed it by repeatedly tossing Young into the steel cage.
He followed it up with a rapid flurry of kicks followed by a Superkick as we got a shot of Young lying on the mat and busted open. As Dillinger climbed the cage, Young finally got up and stopped Dillinger at the last moment. The two men brawled on the top rope as Young knocked Dillinger off before climbing onto the top of the cage before hitting Dillinger with an elbow drop.
EY then covered Dillinger who somehow kicked out at the last second. Young went to climb out of the cage once again but Dillinger still had fight left in him as he made an attempt to grab Young’s boot. As Young grabbed Tye by the hair to get him up, Tye Dillinger hit him with the Tye Breaker out of nowhere.
The cage door was opened as Dillinger looked to escape the cage. The rest of SAnitY came out at this point and locked Dillinger in. Roderick Strong, Kassius Ohno and Ruby Riot came out as they brawled outside the ring.
Big Damo took out Strong and Wolfe before looking to climb into the ring. Dillinger knocked him off before tossing Eric Young into the other side of the cage as Alexander Wolfe looked to climb it. Tye Dillinger headed to the top of the cage at this point just as Big Damo climbed into the ring. He hit Damo and Young with a massive crossbody from the top of the steel cage as Alexander Wolfe also climbed into the cage.
Before Wolfe could get at Tye, he managed to crawl out of the ring against all odds and finally defeat Eric Young.
Tye Dillinger def. Eric Young
Roderick Strong and Kassius Ohno lifted Tye onto their shoulders after the match as he said goodbye to the NXT fans and Full Sail.
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