WWE NXT Review: Results, Analysis and Grades; No. 1 Contenders Battle Royal

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Eva Marie addresses the NXT universe from Paris, and says she needed time off after her gruelling matches in NXT. No one had the heart to tell her we don’t miss her I suppose.

NXT Championship No. 1 Contender Battle Royal

Result: Apollo Crews last eliminates Baron Corbin to become the #1 Contender

Rating: 3.2 stars out of 5 stars

The ring is filled with NXT Superstars as we look to find out who will be #1 contender. I’ll list all the eliminations in order:

– Samoa Joe gets targeted early by Corbin, Dash, Dawson, & Rhyno, but he holds on and stays alive.
– Apollo Crews eliminates Steve Cutler
– Apollo Crews eliminates Danny Burch
– Apollo Crews eliminates Elias Sampson
– Apollo Crews eliminates Johnny Gargano
– We head to commercial break as the match goes on.

– Big Cass eliminates Riddick Moss
– Dawson & Dash eliminate Big Cass
– Enzo Amore eliminates Dawson & Dash
– Tye Dillinger eliminates Enzo Amore
– Bull Dempsey eliminates Tye Dillinger
– Rhyno eliminates Bull Dempsey
– Baron Corbin eliminates Mojo Rawley
– Baron Corbin eliminates Zack Ryder
– Baron Corbin eliminates Rhyno, double crossing his Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic partner
– We take another commercial break.

– Samoa Joe eliminates Tommaso Ciampa during the commercial.
– Samoa Joe eliminates Blake & Murphy
– Final Four are Tyler Breeze, Apollo Crews, Samoa Joe, and Baron Corbin.
– Samoa Joe eliminates Tyler Breeze with a huge kick.
– Tyler Breeze pulls Samoa Joe off of the apron, eliminating Joe.

Corbin and Crews are the final two. The NXT crowd are firmly behind Apollo Crews, but Corbin gets the upper hand with a massive spine buster. Corbin continues to try to toss Crews over the top, but Crews manages to hold on each time. Crews catches Corbin with his trademark jumping clothesline, but Corbin gets the knees up to block the standing moonsault. Crews hits Corbin with a series of kicks and ends up clotheslining Corbin over the top rope for the victory. Crews is the new number one contender!

Evan’s Note: It is interesting to see Crews get the #1 contender spot. It shows how much faith the bookers of NXT have in the former Uhaa Nation to be a draw in WWE one day. This may lead to a Balor heel turn which would be extremely exciting, so long as it involves the formation of an actual Balor Club stable.

Samoa Joe and Tyler Breeze look to be on a collision course as well, in a feud that would be plenty exciting. Hopefully it won’t carry all the way until the NXT TakeOver in England, because I still hold out hope that William Regal will face Breeze in what would be the former’s retirement match.

Next: Final Thoughts