WWE NXT results: Hideo Itami returns, Bobby Roode debuts
The Big News: Hideo Itami returned after being away for 14 months due to injury.
The Medium News: Bobby Roode debuted to the delight and joy of everyone in the audience — and then he turned heel after five minutes, causing some of the fans to laugh.
The Little Beaver Sized News: The Revival beat TM61, but then got laid out by Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa.
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Hideo Itami defeated Sean Maluta
The most pushed thing on the show was the opener. 14 months ago Hideo Itami was injured. He was scheduled to face Finn Balor and Tyler Breeze in a triple threat match at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable, but was pulled from the match.
The storyline coming off of the injury was that someone attacked and injured him, with fingers pointed towards Kevin Owens. To the absolute shock of me, Tom Phillips actually brought that up and Corey Graves shot it down.
Zack Sabre Jr., Drew Gulak, and Tony Nese were sitting ringside to watch Maluta wrestle, all of whom are competitors in the Cruiserweight Classic.
This was all about Itami. At one point he pulled down his kneepad for a strike, but instead jumped over Maluta and kicked him in the face. Itami had an ugly scar on his shoulder that he had two different surgeries on. Anyway, this was a successful return and Itami won with the running knee.
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The Revival cut a promo backstage. They said there is no pressure on them, and it is scientifically proven that they are the greatest tag team in not only NXT history, but on the entire planet.
In walked TM61, who said they have traveled the world and faced the best. They challenged The Revival, who told them to get to the back of the line.
TM61 left, leading to Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa walking in. They claimed that they were the number one contenders, but The Revival doesn’t want to face them. They wondered if The Revival was scared. Dawson said they already promised a match to TM61, so they left the four of them to argue over who gets a title shot.
That somehow set up a title match.
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Mojo Rawley and Chris Atkins fought to a No Contest
“Fought” being a relative term.
This is Mojo Rawley’s first singles match on TV in what seems like a very long time. Rawley had the match won with the Pounce in 20 seconds, but the referee had to hold up his count because that was not the finish. Samoa Joe was two seconds late, but he did come down and destroy both men.
After the beating, Joe screamed to the camera that if William Regal isn’t going to consult him about title matches, he is going to destroy Mr. Regal’s television program. Rawley was shockingly allowed a brief comeback, but when he tried leaving, Joe attacked him on the ramp and choked him out.
Growling and spitting into the camera, Joe said this would happen to Nakamura.
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Bayley said it’s time to adapt and mentally prepare for this match against Asuka. She is ready to take her title back. Asuka walked up and mocked the idea that she is ready.
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NXT Women’s Champion Asuka defeated Aliyah
Bayley came out to do commentary for the next match. I miss the days of William Regal doing commentary about how Bayley is his niece’s favorite wrestler.
Before the match, Asuka took a chair, set it on the ramp, and ordered Bayley to go sit in it and watch the match. Bayley threw the chair away and the match was on from there. Aliyah was a very good punching bag with Asuka showing her no respect. Asuka used an abdominal stretch in the ropes, looking completely bored as she was hurting her foe.
Aliyah got a punch, but got kicked right in the face as she jumped off the middle rope. Asuka won with the Asuka Lock.
Bayley got in the ring to make Asuka let go of the hold after the bell, and we were told that these two ladies will have a contract signing next week.
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Last month Oney Lorcan (the former Biff Busick) debuted a new name and defeated the Perfect 10 before never being seen again. He apparently cut a promo after the match saying he needed to go back to his roots in order to compete with the best in NXT.
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Ember Moon is debuting on August 20th at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II.
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We finally got the debut of former TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode. He has a cool theme song, shouting that he is glorious. Tom Phillips actually said he is called the It Factor, which was his TNA nickname.
Roode came out and said he had the privilege of sitting in the front row at TakeOver in Dallas, and he cannot explain the emotion he felt sitting with 10,000 screaming fans. He knew from that moment that NXT was the perfect place for him.
He said there was no other company, no other brand, that revolutionized the business like NXT. Not only are “we” NXT, but so are all the fans. But in order to reach that next level, that’s where he comes in. NXT needs Bobby Roode, all of the fans need Bobby Roode.
NXT has found their international superstar to reach the next level, and that superstar is Bobby Roode.
He vowed to be on billboards in Times Square and said he will make NXT a better place. He said he will soon look into the crowd and see leaders of Fortune 500 companies, not these stupid, stupid fans.
He wants to see nicely dressed people, not people wearing oversized t-shirts and ugly cargo shorts. He is a superstar because he wears custom made suits, nice socks, and a Rolex.
The fans actually laughed when he turned heel, while some others started wooing, since Roode was doing his best Ric Flair impersonation. He finished by saying NXT will be glorious.
The decision to bring in a beloved free agent and immediately turn him heel is a questionable one, but NXT has earned the benefit of the doubt in a way that some other promotions haven’t.
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NXT Tag Team Champions The Revival defeated TM61
Yes, that wacky backstage segment where The Revival turned down both teams led to this match.
Slowly but surely The Revival is getting over, as fans don’t sit in complete silence when they come out anymore. The Revival twice got the heat on Shane Thorne, including cutting him off during a commercial break.
The announcers debated over whether or not The Revival is the “winningest” team in NXT history. I should remind everyone that once upon a time, The Ascension were the only real team in NXT, so for almost a full year, they would destroy a jobber team every week.
Nick Miller got the hot tag and no one seemed to care. Unlike when Dash and Dawson faced Gargano and Ciampa, no one believed TM61 would win. Out of nowhere, Dawson won with a DDT.
After the match, Dash and Dawson took the mic to say that it doesn’t matter what part of the world you come from, they are the top guys in NXT.
Out came Gargano and Ciampa, who referred to the Revival as “Arn and Ole.” They then made bad jokes about all the teams The Revival beat, including Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. The biggest reaction to anything in the last 15 minutes was when they mentioned Pikachu, causing a Pokemon chant.
Long story short, Gargano and Ciampa brought up again that The Revival never beat them. We got a four-way brawl with the challengers dumping Dawson out of the ring and then getting a visual pinfall on Dash.
Phillips closed the show by mentioning that Gargano and Ciampa would face off in the first round of the CWC.
We are almost at TakeOver, and until next week, remember to say your vitamins and take your prayers!