By Graham "GSM" Matthews

​Gran Metalik def. Tajiri in a Second Round Match

It was assumed coming in that Tajiri would be utilized as a stepping stone for the younger talent, so I was glad he made it to the second round before putting over a fresh face. The best part is that he can still very much go in the ring, so this was a fun match in the opening slot and they made great use of the time they were allotted. Metalik impressed me in the first round, but following his performance here, I will definitely keep an eye out for him in the rest of the tournament.


​Kota Ibushi def. Cedric Alexander in a Second Round Match

I was completely unaware that these two would be meeting in the second round, and as established as Ibushi is, I truly think this was a defining match/moment in the career of Cedric Alexander. As I've said in the past, Alexander is an amazing athlete, and this match was pure proof of that as he pulled everything out his arsenal and then some in an attempt to put Ibushi away. Their in-ring chemistry was off the charts and there never seemed to be a dull moment. Had this match had more backstory (i.e. a month-long build), I would certainly say it was the best bout of 2016 to date in WWE because these two freakin' killed in and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Not to mention that the ending with Triple H coming out from behind the curtain to endorse Alexander was simply phenomenal. Beautiful stuff from start to finish.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

​Rich Swann def. Jason Lee in a First Round Match

Swann has been under a developmental deal for a few years now, so it shocks me we haven't seen more of him on NXT TV. And it's not that he's green, either, because he has plenty of experience from the independent scene and is one of the most charismatic competitors I've seen in this entire tournament. He really shined in this match and the crowd took to him fairly quickly (then again, Full Sail University has been exposed to him much more than we have). This was a very fun opening round match and Swann was the right choice to advance. That said, I feel bad for Lee because he should have been in the second round instead of Ho Ho Lun, who was absolutely awful.


Noam Dar def. Gurv Sihra in a First Round Match

The Bollywood brothers are entertaining, but they just aren't all that in the ring, and it didn't help that this Sihra brother wasn't as exciting to watch as the other one. I've heard quite a bit about Dar coming into this show, though nothing he did here blew me away. He had a fine showing, but the bout fell flat for this viewer and the live crowd as well in what was one of the weaker matchups of the first round.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

​Zack Sabre Jr. def. Tyson Dux in a First Round Match

I have heard plenty about Sabre through the grapevine and specifically through an article written by JJF earlier this year. That said, I had yet to see any match of his in its entirety. He may be a cruiserweight, but he doesn't wrestle the same style as everyone else, which makes him stand out from the get-go. Rather, he is one of the best mat-based wrestlers in the game today, and had a stellar showing versus an equally excellent Dux. This was properly placed in the opener and as much experience as Dux has, it was a no-brainer that Sabre would go over.


Drew Gulak def. Harv Sihra in a First Round Match

Gulax are one and the same in terms of their wrestling styles, and Sihra had an infectious personality, but this match just didn't do anything for me for whatever reason. The crowd wasn't all that engaged in the action and didn't seem to take as kindly to the contets as they did the previous match. Perhaps they knew that neither would advance far in the tournament considering they would have to go up against Sabre in the next round.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Tajiri def. Damian Slater in a First Round Match

Other than a short-lived run in TNA in 2014, I honestly haven't seen much of Tajiri's work (outside of archived footage, obviously) from recent years. That said, it was a treat to see him back in action in front of a WWE crowd, and it seemed like he hadn't lost a step whatsoever. It's a shame Slater got knocked out out the tourney so early because he had a good look and had a fine showing here, but of course, Tajiri is a bigger priority. And no green mist, either! Here's hoping he doesn't use it all for as long as he's a part of the bracket. I don't want any stupid sports entertainment-esque finishes to these matches.


TJ Perkins def. Da Mack in a First Round Match

For those unaware, Perkins is the former Suicide/Manik in TNA, where I always thought he was highly underutilized under the mask. Thankfully, he had his chance to truly showcase his skills in this match and he made the most of the opportunity. Mack was another individual I would have liked to see go further simply because he's so damn fun to watch in the ring, and I'm glad he was able to share the spotlight with Perkins here.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

​Gran Metalik def. Alejandro Saez in a First Round Match

I wasn't aware of either of these athletes coming in, but I surely won't forget them after their performances here. Wow. For a four minute match, this was a hell of a lot of fun. Metalik seemed to be the fan favorite out of the gate, but to his credit, Saez had an impressive outing and incorporated his own flavor into the match (that Shooting Star Press on the outside was incredible). This perfectly set the tone for the rest of the show as well as the tournament on the whole.


Ho Ho Lun def. Arya Daivari in a First Round Match

Daivari reminded me far too much of his brother based off his appearance alone, so it might have been best that he played the heel role here by not going through with the handshake before the bout. He actually seemed to be more of a complete package than Lun, so I was slightly surprised he didn't advance to the next round. Then again, maybe not because WWE did just broker a deal with China. Either way, Lun showed signs of potential, but he has a long ways to go before he is on the same level as others in this tournament.