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The following report originally published 10 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
WWE NXT Results
September 9, 2015
Partially Taped at Full Sail University
Report by Justin James, PWTorch contributor
[Q1] Advertised for tonight is the Lucha Dragons against the team of Samoa Joe & Finn Balor in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Also advertised are Tyler Breeze & Bull Dempsey facing Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa. Of note, Gargano and Ciampa are currently on a show-by-show basis, and what they’ve said makes it sound like they plan to do that on a regular basis, perhaps treating as an extended tryout. Women’s wrestler Kana has officially signed with NXT, likely to be named Kanna based on the titling she got at “Takeover: Brooklyn.”
Carmella starts the show off by herself. It’s clear that the crowd only likes her when Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady are with her. She’s facing Peyton Royce. Her theme song sounds like some Lil’ Jon circa 2003 with a woman singing.
1 – CARMELLA vs. PEYTON ROYCE
Quick hand touch to start the match with respect. Royce and Carmella trade control on the ground. Another hand touch and more mat wrestling. Backslide with a deep split to get a cover on Carmella, then Carmella with a backslide, then a cradle. One counts already. Carmella with an atomic drop and a dropkick for two. Blocked suplexes, they Royce hits one of her own into a cover. A hold from Royce has the crowd rallying Carmella.
Carmella finally stands up and shows fire. Leg scissors sends Royce into the corner, then a reverse X-factor gets Carmella a two count. Royce sits in a chinlock for a long stretch. Royce on offense, then a cross-body from the ropes gets a nearfall. Carmella locks her legs around Royce’s neck and chokes her for a tap-out win.
WINNER: Carmella via submission in 5:01. Carmella needs Amore and Cassady for her pop, and no introduction of Royce means the match lacked purpose. Too long for a squash.
Backstage, Finn Balor is getting ready and Samoa Joe asks if he’s ready. Balor says the Lucha Dragons are no joke, and says he wants to win it for Dusty. Joe stops him from almost leaving his title in the locker room.
Clips from a house show tag team match which apparently counts as part of the Tag Team Classic – Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady beat Sawyer Fulton & Angelo Dawkins.
Also on a house show, Tucker Knight & Elias Sampson lost to Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder.
[ J.J.’s Reax: I like NXT making the house show matches count. Good way to cut through the large field and make a house show feel like it matters. ]
Nia Jax vignette.
Bull Dempsey actually gets a bit of a pop on his way out for the next match. Graves credits Bull-Fit with a three pound loss for Dempsey. Dempsey lounges in the ropes and smiles to complement Breeze. Gargano and Ciampa have their own music and entrance on the ‘Tron. Gargano and Ciampa get a really nice welcome at FSU, and the announcers really make them sound like a big deal.
2 – JOHNNY GARGANO & TOMMASO CIAMPA vs. TYLER BREEZE & BULL DEMPSEY – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Round 1 match
[Q2] Breeze and Ciampa to start. Breeze with a quick toss and lays on the ropes. Ciampa gives him a huge slap. Breeze tags in Dempsey, who gets the “oooh, I’m not scared” fingers from Ciampa. “Bull is gorgeous!” from the crowd. “This is Bull-Fit.” Ciampa runs into Dempsey and lands on the mat. Breeze takes over with a headlock. Ciampa runs Breeze over. Blind tag, and Gargano tags Breeze through the ropes. Rapid action. Jumping neckbreaker gets two and Breeze tags Dempsey.
Dempsey blocks an armdrag, then Gargano tries a running cross-body and bounces off Dempsey. Enziguiri lets Ciampa come in. Running knee for two. Really tight chinlock from Ciampa heading to a mid-match break.
[ Break ]
Back from break, Ciampa jumps on Dempsey’s back to try a sleeperhold, but Dempsey drops backwards to break free. Gargano gets the tag and clears Breeze from the apron, but runs into Dempsey’s elbow. Dempsey looks for Breeze, but he’s on the outside. Dempsey unloads on Gargano and hits the ropes, but accidentally hits Breeze. Gargano and Ciampa team up to pin Dempsey, with Ciampa hitting a running jackknife.
WINNERS: Johnny Gargany & Tommaso Ciampa in 6:30. Dempsey’s presence made this very much so a comedy match, which spoiled the debut of Gargano and Ciampa. They showed some good stuff, but definitely didn’t give it everything they had, saving it for later matches.
Post-match, Breeze ambushes Dempsey and destroys him. Tell me this is not the beginning of the much-anticipated (cough cough, no) Breeze-Dempsey feud.
Sin Cara and Kalisto cut a half-English, half-Spanish promo talking up their readiness to compete in Dusty’s memory. They talk up Finn Balor and Samoa Joe. It’s funny that they have Sin Cara speaking in Spanish and having Kalisto translate, since this version of Sin Cara speaks English perfectly well.
Devin Taylor asks Dana Brooke why she looks like something is wrong. Brooke is angry that Bayley won the NXT Women’s Championship even though Brooke has beaten her before. Brooke wants to be recognized as the best, and says the must become the NXT Women’s Champion to make it happen. She says that people say she will use her looks to get to the top, and that disgusts her. She turned down invitations to physique championships to be here, so she is serious about winning. Taylor looks happy with no head pat, until Brooke comes back to do it.
Quick package on Tye Dillenger.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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[Q3] Billie Kay (the third NXT women’s wrestler from Sydney, Australia, with Emma and Peyton Royce being the other two) comes out. She gets a full entrance and is all smiles. She’s facing Dana Brooke. Brooke seems to have a few vocal fans.
3 – BILLIE KAY vs. DANA BROOKE
Brooke muscles Kay into the corner, then pats her head on the ref count. She trash-talks as Kay backs her into the ropes. Brooke tries to hide in the ropes. They compete for control. Brooke mounts Kay then slams her head on the mat, then punches her. She poses after a ref break. Shoulders in the corner. Clothesline, then a handstand into an elbow drop to Kay. Brooke says she will break her toys as she tries to pop Kay’s head off with her legs.
Charlotte-like use of the legs from Brooke. Kay reverses and Brooke has to break the hold. Kay charges, but Brooke reverses into a powerbomb, Kay reverses into a head scissors take down in a nice sequence. Big boot from Kay. Kay catches a kick, then Brooke hits an enziguiri. Fireman’s carry into the sit-out slam for Brooke.
WINNER: Dana Brooke in 5:25. Brooke is slowly building a following based on the strength of her character and her improving ring work. I’m high on Brooke, as she clearly has the work ethic, a good look, and a stand-out character.
Devin Taylor interviews Apollo Crews. He can’t tell her what his success feels like. He says that this is the “Apollo Nation” not the NXT Universe.
In a complete, utter disappointment, the match of Finn Balor & Samoa Joe against the Lucha Dragons is done at what looks like a Smackdown dark match. Tom Philips and Jimmy Uso are on the call. Finn Balor has added some jacket to his attire for unknown reasons. A good portion of the audience knows Balor and Joe.
4 – NXT champion FINN BALOR & SAMOA JOE vs. THE LUCHA DRAGONS (SIN CARA & KALISTO) – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Round 1 match
[Q4] Balor and Sin Cara start with a handshake. They tussle their way into the corner. Lots of mat work here going back-and-forth. Sin Cara hits the ropes, then runs into a dropkick. Kalisto tries to get involved, but gets dumped from the ring. Slingblade to Sin Cara, then an enziguiri sends Sin Cara outside. Flip dive over the top rope drops the luchadores heading to break.
[ Break ]
Joe is controlling Sin Cara out of the break. Joe with his trademark flurry of fists in the corner. Balor comes in with a slingshot double foot stomp. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker lets Sin Cara tag Kalisto. Kalisto with a only a few moments before Sin Cara is back in. Slingshot senton gets two for Sin Cara. Sin Cara monkey flips Kalisto into a 450 splash to Finn Balor for a nearfall. Just gorgeous. Balor finally gets the room to tag in Joe.
Joe wrecks Sin Cara, then sends him to the corner. Enziguiri, big boot, and senton to Kalisto when he tries to interfere. Elbows and knees back Sin Cara into a corner. Whip, then Joe runs into an elbow and takes a tornado DDT, but Balor breaks up the cover.
Sweet springboard moonsault takes Balor out. Joe with a Musclebuster attempt, but Sin Cara transitions to slide down and roll Joe up, but Joe breaks free. Blind tag, then a reverse rana almost pins Joe – just incredible to see that mass of man move like that. Uranage, then another enziguiri clears Sin Cara. Musclebuster into the Coup De Grace for the win.
WINNERS: Finn Balor & Samoa Joe in 8:30. The last few minutes of that were hot, hot, hot, as expected. I’d love to see a re-match get 15 minutes at FSU with a hot crowd.
FINAL THOUGHTS: NXT is taking a massive reset after the Divas Revolution on the main roster and the transition of Kevin Owens to the main roster drained a significant amount of the main event top talent. The situation is similar to what it looked like when the Wyatt Family and Paige went to main roster and it took some time for NXT to reacquaint itself… Not looking forward to a Breeze-Dempsey feud at all.
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