 Andrade Almas attacks Cedric Alexander. By Graham "GSM" Matthews The Authors of Pain def. The Bollywood Boyz in a Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Round 1 Match I like The Bollywood Boyz as a tag team and they would be a nice addition to NXT's growing tag team division. This wasn't much different than your standard Authors of Pain squash match, but at least this was meaningful with them advancing in the tournament. The funny thing is that they're actually the reigning GFW Tag Team Champions at the moment, or at least they're supposed to be. You know, Jeff Jarrett's promotion that was supposed to be the "wrestling boom" the industry needed. Yeah, that one. Rich Swann def. Patrick Clark I was a big fan of Clark during the 2015 season of Tough Season and it was apparent even then that he would do whatever it took to succeed, so I have no doubt he will make the most of this Prince-esque gimmick given to him. But I simply do not see it getting over, not even at Full Sail University. I realize Stephanie McMahon said not too long ago that they planned on incorporating more gay characters into their programming, but if this was supposed to be an example of that, what is it supposed to say when Swann looked confused and disgusted by his over-the-top antics before the bout? Anyway, this was a sweet showcase for Swann, and although he is already established as a regular on Raw, it was designed to reintroduce him to the NXT Universe before he teams up with No Way Jose in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.  Samoa Joe spoils Dan Matha's debut. Peyton Royce def. Danielle Kamela
It's weird to me how Roye and Billie Kay have been in developmental for so long yet they are really the only ones who have tread water for so long. They're finally getting their characters down, which is good, but nothing stands out as special about them just yet. The match was fine for what it was, but I'm hoping their apparent partnership will help take them to the next level in NXT, similar to how the Emma and Dana Brooke alliance helped them immensely. Samoa Joe Attacked Dan Matha The vignettes we saw on this guy for weeks on end were beyond generic and I really wasn't looking forward to his arrival. Well, it turns out there was a reason why because it was meant to serve as an angle for Joe to reek havoc again. I'm curious as to whether they actually plan on pushing him, though I doubt it because he was destroyed by Joe here, who continues to come off like an absolute monster. Who will he target next? NXT Tag Team Champions The Revival def. Cedric Alexander and Andrade "Cien" Almas in a Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Round 1 Match (Non-title) The Revival never cease to entertain me with their old school tactics. They are such a tremendous team and it blows my mind that it was around this time a year ago that we found that out when they went rather far in the first Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Alexander and Almas were a fun duo and worked a highly enjoyable match with Revival that was given the time it deserved. Everything played out the way I expected it to, but it was all well done and it made sense, so this was a case where predictability isn't always a bad thing. Almas turning heel was long overdue and he looked so free and rejuvenated when embracing the boos from the crowd. If Alexander is a regular on NXT while wrestling on Raw, he and Almas can have a great feud heading into TakeOver: Toronto. Overall Show For those who haven't been overly satisfied with the NXT product since TakeOver: Brooklyn, the second annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic should help change that. Not every match in the tourney (at least early on) will be a blockbuster, but the main event on this show was a treat. The other three matches on this show were short-lived, but there was some storyline progression, hype for next week and teases for TakeOver, so on the whole, NXT is in a good place right now. |
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