NXT Tampa and Jacksonville weekend notes: Nicholls and Haste debut

Here’s some news, notes, and results from the NXT weekend shows in Florida that got a bit overlooked with everything big that was happening up North.

Tampa — 

– Patrick Clark beat Murphy

– Selmani & Dhinsa – The Authors Of Pain – beat Gabriel & Uriel Ealy who are the large twin security guards who usually man the doors at events. Selmani & Dhinsa have scary masks now, similar to what SANADA wore to the ring recently in Japan. These four are huge. The Authors of Pain have even been getting a lot of angry foreigner heat for their promos when I’ve seen them.

– Adrien Reese beat Daria. They’re still allowing Reese to use the top rope in to a stunner finish that she used on the indies which always gets a huge reaction. Daria works as an MMA fighter: leg kicks, holds, quiet intensity.

– No Way Jose beat Josh Woods. This was said to be a lot of fun with Woods playing the straight man to Jose’s fiesta antics.

– Sawyer Fulton & Alexander beat Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls. TMDK were said to be smooth and great in the ring. People may not have known who they were, yet it was the match of the night by the finish.

– Alex Reyes interviewed Cezar in the ring. He’s from Brazil and was the positive face, happy to be in NXT.

– Tino Sabbatelli beat Angelo Dawkins. Good match, Tino has been improving greatly, and carries himself like a star. The match got derailed because Tino was busted open. They even had to change the apron or the mat after the match!

– Aliyah & Liv Morgan beat Mandy Rose & Nikki Storm. Good reaction for the debuting Nikki. Morgan hit her standing moonsault on Storm for the win.

– Alex Riley beat Tye Dillinger in the main event. Riley also got busted open, causing them to halt the match.

Jacksonville —

– Adrien Reese & Sara Lee beat Aliyah & Mandy Rose

– Patrick Clark beat Kishan Raftaar from India, making his Florida NXT debut. He worked the Arnold Classic and those WWE events in his home country. 

– Dylan Miley beat Noah

– Angelo Dawkins beat Tino Sabbatelli

– Alex Riley beat Murphy

– Liv Morgan beat Daria

– Alex Reyes interviewed Mada from Tough Enough.

– Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste beat Alexander Wolfe & Sawyer Fulton. Like in Tampa, this was also said to be the match of the night.

– No Way Jose beat Tye Dillinger in the main event. There was a dance off that even included referee Drake Wuertz. Jose won with the big wind-up pitch punch.