Another week, another great episode of NXT. This week’s episode sees a host of first round matches in the Dusty Rhodes Tag-Team Classic, including Austin Aries who revealed his mystery partner. We also have Shinsuke Nakamura addressing the NXT Universe for the first time since he got viciously attacked by Samoa Joe.
No Way Jose and Rich Swann vs Tony Nese and Drew Gulak
NXT kicked off with a first round match-up from the Dusty Rhodes Tag-Team Classic featuring 3 members of Raw’s cruiserweight division and the massively over No Way Jose. Jose and Swann brought their dance moves and inalienable energy to start the show while Nese and Gulak promised to win, saying that they didn’t need second rate dance moves to get over.
Swann and Gulak locked up to begin the match with Gulak to chants of “Can you handle this?”. The match picked up in seconds with Swann using his agility to get the advantage of his bigger and more technically sound opponent as he somersaulted off the ropes and delivered a dropkick before tagging in No Way Jose who danced in the middle of the ring as Gulak tagged in Tony Nese.
Nese looked in no mood to dance as Jose delivered a stalled snapmare followed by a flapjack before Nese delivered a boot to the face followed by a series of stiff kicks, getting Jose off his feet. Nese then went for a vertical suplex which Jose countered and followed with a vertical suplex of his own. He followed it up with a tag to Swann and the duo his Nese with a sweet double-team assisted splash.
Nese, using his experience, guillotined Swann to try and take the advantage as Swann stumbled outside the ring. The ‘premier athlete’ then went for a baseball slide but received a forearm to the face for his trouble and Swann followed it up with a fist to Gulak for good measure. Nese used this momentary distraction to deliver a jaw shattering Superkick to take the advantage. He rolled Swann back inside and tagged in Gulak who assumed control with a headlock.
Swann hit back with punches to the gut as he bounced off the ropes and the duo flattened each other with stereo clotheslines. Swann crawled and managed the tag first and Jose burst in and cleaned house, taking Gulak out first before bouncing off the corner and turning Nese inside out with a devastating clothesline. Nese kicked out at 2 and hit Jose with a jawbreaker before Gulak entered and looked to take advantage before being taken out by a pop-up punch which was broken up by Nese at 2.
This led to Swann re-entering the fray and sending Nese back out and hitting him with a twisting somersault plancha as No Way Jose hit Drew Gulak with a Full Nelson Bomb for the win. No Way Jose and Rich Swann advance to the next round where they’ll face the Authors of Pain
No Way Jose and Rich Swann def. Tony Nese and Drew Gulak
No Way Jose and Rich Swann cut dueling promos after the match warning the Authors of Pain that there was no way they could handle them next week.
We were shown a highlights package of Sanity’s debut last week when Bobby Roode abandoned his partner Tye Dillinger. This was followed by an interview with Dillinger who admits he took one hell of a beating. He promised to take care of Sanity later stating that his immediate focus was on Bobby Roode. He announces that he’s had a word with William Regal who’s given him a match against Roode at NXT TakeOver: Toronto at Survivor Series weekend.
We get an interview with Austin Aries next who’s eating a banana. He says that the Dusty Rhodes isn’t for everyone, like Hideo Itami who had to back out following a neck injury. Aries said that doctors found out that Itami had no spine during the MRI which is why he wasn’t going to show up. Aries promised a mystery partner who’d help him win the whole thing.
Bobby Roode vs Sean Maluta
Another glorious entrance from Bobby Roode who once again had the crowd singing along to his theme. His opponent Sean Maluta, a member of the same Samoan wrestling family as Roman Reigns and The Usos, waited in the ring.
The two faced off in the ring to begin the match as Bobby Roode started off with a snapmare before taunting Maluta who hot back with a dropkick followed by a hurracanrana and a pinning combination. Roode wasn’t impressed and hit back with stiff kicks before choking Maluta against the ropes as he went full heel. With Maluta in the corner, Roode hit him with stiff chops ala Ric flair as he talked trash in his younger opponent’s face.
Maluta tried to hit back but Roode punched him into submission and followed it up with a textbook spinebuster. Roode followed it up with a glorious DDT for the pinfall, making short work of his opponent.
Bobby Roode def. Sean Maluta
Roode cut a promo after the match, claiming that he was going international and would take over Canada during Survivor Series weekend. He laments that Tye Dillinger was complaining all over social media. Roode says that he tried to pick Dillinger up from mediocrity and into his level but he failed and had to eliminate the loser.
Dillinger couldn’t take this anymore and came out to confront Roode who went for another DDT but Dillinger countered and hit Roode repeatedly, sending him packing. Great stuff.
We get an interview with Live Morgan next and we review footage of her match last week where Peyton Royce helped Billie Kay defeat her. Liv Morgan says that she doesn’t make moves and makes excuses as Kay and Royce assault her from behind. They beat the holy hell out of her and drag her out by the hair and into the ring area.
Royce leveled Morgan with a kick before Kay and Royce cut promos warning the entire NXT women’s division, including Asuka, that the division belonged to them. Once again, great stuff.
Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight vs Austin Aries and Roderick Strong
Roderick Strong made his NXT debut as Austin Aries’ mystery partner. The crowd went nuts for Strong as Aries and Dozovic started us off. Aries started the match with a cheap shot to the gut before going for a crossbody but Dozovic caught him in mid-air. He then tagged in Knight as the duo literally squashed Austin Aries who crawled to his corner and tagged in Roderick Strong as the crowd broke into chants of “Roddy”.
Tucker Knight didn’t look impressed with his much smaller opponent and invited him to hit him. The duo chopped each other before the 300-pound-plus Tucker Knight hit him with a dropkick.
Dozovic and Knight looked impressive and hit both Aries and Strong with double-team moves before Aries distracted Dozovic so that Strong could regain the advantage, He tagged in Aries who slapped the big man in the face followed by punches and knees. Strong got tagged back in once again and tried to go for a sunset flip pin but Dozovic blocked and Strong tagged Aries back in. They tried to hot Dozovic with a vertical suplex but he countered and hit a double vertical suplex and he tagged in Knight who hit both Strong and Aries with a double corner splash. Knight went for one too many and got hit as Aries and Strong took advantage.
Strong hit him with a running knee before Aries hit him with a forearm. Strong followed this up with a modified gut-check followed by a boot to the face. Strong went for the pin and Knight couldn’t kick out. Great debut from Roderick Strong.
Austin Aries and Roderick Strong def. Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight
We see footage of Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas turning on his tag-team partner Cedric Alexander next. This is followed by an interview with Almas with Andrea d’Marco translating.
Almas says that he had to take off his mask to be a part of NXT but the respect he showed to NXT and his sacrifice never got reciprocated. He says that he’s worked his entire life to earn respect but he’s received nothing during his time in NXT. Almas ends by saying that he only cares about himself now.
Good segment and it’s clear that a heel turn was good for Almas. His babyface debut run has been a complete flop but he’s way too talented to not get a second chance.
Nikki Cross vs Danielle Camella
SANITY come out next, accompanying Nikki to the ring. Nikki doesn’t waste a second before viciously assaulting her opponent. Throwing forearms, punches and whatever else she could. Camella hit the crazed Cross back with a snap suplex but it barely had an effect. Cross came back with a vicious neckbreaker and she proceeded to bite herself with Camella in a headlock and followed it up with a twisting Fisherman Suplex for the win.
Nikki Cross def. Danielle Camella
The rest of SANITY entered the ring following the match as Eric Young goaded Nikki into doing further damage. Cross hit Camella with repeated forearms which eventually prompted Eric Young to try and stop her. Cross responded by hitting Young with a forearm, who smiled, as she went back to taking out Camella as Sawyer Fulton and Alexander Wolfe both had tp drag her off her opponent.
The result eventually got overturned as a result of Cross refusing to lay off her beaten opponent.
Danielle Camella def. Nikki Cross
Nikki Cross and Sanity look set to be super successful in the WWE. Will they? Only time will tell.
Shinsuke Nakamura addressed the NXT Universe
Shinsuke Nakamura is out to finish the show, addressing the NXT Universe for the first time since Samoa Joe viciously assaulted him.
Nakamura calls out Joe, saying that he isn’t done with Joe. Nakamura says that if he wants a shot at the NXT Championship in Toronto, he should come and get it. Nakamura gets interrupted by Patrick Clark of all people.
Clark addressed the importance of TakeOver: Toronto and challenged Nakamura to a match, inviting him to take in the ‘Patrick Clark experience’. A nonchalant Nakamura just kicked him in the gut, followed by a kick to the head. Nakamura then turned around to see Samoa Joe who looked like he was about to ambush Nakamura.
Nakamura then turned back around and delivered a Kinshasa to Patrick Clark as he and Joe faced off as the camera faded out.
EPISODE RATING: A-
Another great episode of NXT on the road to TakeOver: Toronto. We got some great action from the Dusty Rhodes Tag-Team Classic this week and also got some great women's division action. Nakamura and Joe’s feud is at boiling point right now and their match at Toronto looks like it’ll be one hell of an encounter.
However, the main things to take away from this are Nikki Cross and SANITY. I was a little skeptical about SANITY before their debut but they already look like one of the most interesting factions in recent years. The main question will be of Fulton and Wolfe can deliver in the ring.
Austin Aries and Roderick Strong react to their win
No Way Jose and Rich Swann react after their win
