WWE NXT Review: Adrian Neville vs. Brodus Clay for the NXT Championship
By Mike Smith
WWE.com
WWE NXT on the WWE Network is losing some momentum as some of their best Superstars and Divas are leaving for the main roster. NXT is looking to regain that momentum.
Triple H announces NXT Takeover
Triple H was in the ring at the start of NXT. He listed all the names that originated in NXT and have made an impact on the WWE Universe. He said that NXT is taking over the WWE Universe, and then he announced that on May 29th, NXT will have it’s second live, two-hour speical on the WWE Network, NXT Takeover.
Tyson Kidd vs. Bo Dallas
Kidd got the win with the No Kidding. Pretty good match. After the match, Bo threw a temper tantrum over the loss and the crowd sang the goodbye song at him. It certainly looks like Bo’s going to go out of NXT in style.
Camacho and Adam Rose w/ Devin Taylor
Devin asked Camacho about all his recent problems with Rose. Camacho said he’s not a party pooper, and he throws the best parties in the NXT Universe. Rose then came in and said that’s not true, then he said that with him, “It’s party time, all the time,” and his music started to play and a party with the Exotic Express started, a party that included Devin. Fun segment, the strange developments they have come up with for Rose are going to be interesting to see when he gets to the main roster this Monday.
Bayley pre-taped promo/Sasha Banks pre-taped promo
Bayley said that winning the NXT Women’s Championship Tournament is more important than getting 10 hugs from John Cena, 5 high-fives from Big E, and a combination of both from Paige.
Banks said that the title is her’s for the taking now that “The Princess of Pale” has dropped it. She said she’s going to hit Bayley so hard, that her side ponytail will be straight.
Bayley vs. Sasha Banks in a first-round match of the NXT Women’s Championship Tournament
Bayley hit the Belly-to-Bayley, but Banks was able to roll out of the ring. Banks was able to hit Bankrupt on Bayley, but Bayley kicked out. Banks quickly followed up with a crossface submission and made Bayley tap out.
Adam Rose vs. Danny Burch
Rose got the win with the Party Foul, which is the best finisher name today. After the match, Camacho ran down and attacked a member of the Exotic Express. Squash match for Rose. I can’t imagine why their starting a feud for Rose with him going to the main roster. That’s not a favorable position for Camacho.
Brodus Clay backstage
Clay said that everything’s been taken from him, and now he’s ready to do some taking. He called himself “The Baddest in The World.”
Natalya pre-taped promo/Natalya vs. Layla in a first-round match of the NXT Women’s Championship Tournament
Natalya said that being at NXT is like being at home, and she called winning the NXT Women’s Championship a dream come true.
Layla said that she’s happy to be in the tournament, and she plans on dancing all the way to the title.
Natalya gets Layla to tap out to the Sharpshooter. The first second-round match is set, Sasha Banks vs. Natalya. Emma vs. Charlotte and Alexa Bliss vs. Alicia Fox are the remaining first-round matchups to take place next week.
Adrian Neville backstage
Neville said he plans to beat Clay right in the middle of the ring, because he’s worked too hard to lose his title to somebody who resorts to cheap tactics like Clay.
Oliver Grey vs. Mojo Rawley/Aiden English promo
Rawley won with the Hyper Drive. Squash match, I blinked and it was over. Grey joined Danny Burch in being two people on this episode who were released by WWE earlier this week.
English came out and said he has decided to stop suffering fools, and Mojo is the fool he no longer wants to suffer. English demanded that Rawley leave, but Rawley did not, so English attacked him from behind. The two had a short brawl that resulted in Rawley clearing English out of the ring.
Adrian Neville vs. Brodus Clay in a No DQ Match for the NXT Championship
After a lackluster match, the NXT Championship was laying on Clay’s chest, and Neville hit the Red Arrow for the win and to retain the title. I like the new character Clay is playing, it suits him a lot better than the Funkasaurus.
Overall Impression
Decent show. The Divas were the best part of this show, and they stand to be the best part of NXT in the coming weeks with the NXT Women’s Championship Tournament. It feels like the past few weeks, NXT has been plagued with squash matches. If you have been following my Retro Raw Reviews, you know I liked that TV model in 1993, but it just doesn’t work now.
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