Another week, another exciting episode of NXT. This week, we had two title matches with Peyton Royce challenging Asuka for the NXT Women’s Championship as well as Jonny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa getting their contractual rematch for the NXT Tag-Team Championships. We also got an update on the Kassius Ohno/Bobby Roode situation that exploded last week.
Patrick Clark vs Sean Maluta
The night started of with former Tough Enough contestant Patrick Clark taking on a member of the Samoan dynasty, Sean Maluta.
Maluta offered Clark a handshake as we began but Clark pushed Maluta away. The Samoan replied with a spinning heel kick followed by a series of strikes in the corner. He then hit Clark with a knee to the gut followed by a reverse Falcon Arrow and a Shining Wizard. Maluta then covered Clark for a 2 count.
Clark hit back with uppercuts and kicks. He then clubbed Maluta across the back before tossing Maluta across the ring. Clark then showed his power with a flawless suplex. Maluta tried to fight back with a spin kick but Clark hit him with a Famouser before pinning him.
Patrick Clark def. Sean Maluta
We got a promo from Eric Young after the opening match. Young warned Tye Dillinger against dragging his friends into their squabble. Young then added that he wanted Dillinger one-on-one.
Asuka (C) vs Peyton Royce (for the NXT Women’s Championship)
Peyton Royce won the triple threat match last week to win the right to challenge Asuka for the NXT Women’s Championship and she got her title match tonight against the dominant Asuka who’s been NXT Women’s Champion for 333 days.
“Asuka’s gonna kill you” chants filled Full Sail as the match began. Both women started off at a frantic pace before backing off and reevaluating the situation. They then traded headlocks before Asuka unloaded on Royce with right hands. The two women then dodged each others signature spin kicks before facing off once again.
Asuka then tauted Royce before hitting her with multiple hip attacks, the latter of which sent her crashing off the apron. When Asuka joined Royce outside, Royce oppurtunistically drove Asuka shoulder-first into the turnbuckle before rolling her back into the ring and took control.
Royce continued her offence with repeated kicks to Asuka before moving on to work on Asuka’s shoulder with a standing armbar. She continued to apply pressure in the hammerlock position.
As Asuka went down, Royce made the mistake of slapping Asuka across the head. A ferocious Asuka, hit back with a spin kick to the gut and followed it up with a snap suplex. Asuka tentatively felt out her injured shoulder before the two women started trading forearms, a battle Asuka won easily. Asuka then hit a dropkick from the middle rope before landing a vicous knee strike to Royce’s face. Asuka then hit a series strikes to Royce’s head before hitting a Shining Wizard for the 2-count.
A desperate Royce hit a Jawbreaker. The duo then traded rolling pin attempts before Royce hit an elbow drop for a 2-count. Royce hit her trademark spinning head kick but the end was near for her as Asuka locked in the Asuka Lock right after this and Royce tapped out in no time.
Asuka def. Peyton Royce
Billie Kay jumped Asuka after the match as she and Royce sent Asuka shoulder-first into the turnbuckle. At this point, Ember Moon’s music hit and she came in and cleared the ring. Asuka then got up and waved her title in Ember’s face as the two stared each other down. It looks like we’ll finally get Asuka vs Ember Moon at NXT TakeOver: Orlando.
After a vignette of last week’s showdown between Bobby Roode and Kassius Ohno, William Regal annoucned that he’d booked a NXT Championship match between Roode and Ohno in two weeks time.
Authors Of Pain (C) vs #DIY (for the NXT Tag-Team Championships)
Tomasso Ciampa started the match up against Rezar. The size difference between the two was stark as they locked up, with Rezar overpowering Ciampa easily and driving him into the corner. Ciampa failed to hit a German Suplex and tagged Gargano in as #DIY hit a double mid-rope spear to Rezar. Akam then came in but he got hit by a double enzeguiri before he got clotheslined overt he top rope and out of the ring.
CIampa then got tagged in. He immediately hit Akam with a running knee as the latter tried to clim back onto the apron. Ciampa himself then headed out onto the apron as he looked to hit Akam with a running knee strike. The big man caught Ciampa in midair and sent him crashing into the ringpost.
Akam and Razer isolated Ciampa in their corner and continued to punish him. They hit elbow drops in unison before big Akam continued the punishment alone. Ciampa briefly bought back but Akam hit him with a spinning sidewalk slam for a 2-count.
Akam tagged Rezar back in at this point. Ciampa tried to fight back once again, hitting Rezard across the face repeatedly but it had no effect. Rezard lifted Ciampa before the Authors double-teamed him. Rezard went for another elbow drop but missed as both men made tags. Gargano came in and hit Akam with an enaeguri which sent him crashing off the apron. He followed it up with a suicide dive, wiping out Akam and then hit a somersault senton off the apron onto Rezar.
With Akam back in the ring, Gargano hit him with a slighshot DDT for a 2-count as the fans broke out into chants of “Jonny Wrestling”. #DIY then hit Akam with a running knee/enzeguiri combo in the corner which Ciampa followed up with a running lariat. Ciampa then locked in his bridging Fujiwara Armbar only for Rezard to break it up. The Authors then went fot their double Powerbomb spot but both Gargano and Ciampa broke out of it and they locked in stereo submissions on the Authors of Pain.
When it looked like the Authors would tap out, The Revival came out and attacked Gargano and Ciampa.
#DIY win by DQ
The Revival first took out Gargano and Ciampa before turning their attentions to the Authors of Pain. The Authors looked to hit the Last Chapter on Dawson but Wilder sent Rezar crashing out of the ring. The Revival then hit Akam with the Shatter Machine before leaving the ring as the show ended.
