Written by Tommy Tracy
NXT January 27, 2016
Here we are. The Triple Threat Match to find out who our new #1 Contender for Finn Balor’s NXT Championship is. I’ve been looking forward to seeing this match since it was announced and I’m pretty sure the NXT fans have as well. We also get to see Jordan & Gable back in action and, according to the NXT webpage, the return of Bull Dempsey and Bull Fit. So let’s do this!
We open the show with Jordan & Gable, now named American Alpha, taking on Team BAMF (Blake and Murphy, with the ever gorgeous, Alexa Bliss). The crowd is into this match as soon as Alpha’s music hits. Is there a more over tag team in all of wrestling right now? Maybe Enzo and Cass, but that maybe pushing it. That’s not to take anything away from Blake & Murphy either. These guys are solid talent and great heels. Murphy fakes an injury early and it was so well done I actually believed he hurt his knee. Jordan gets the beautiful hot tag, suplexes everything in sight and then he and Gable hit their awesome finisher for the win. Seriously, how do these guys do it? They’re so talented, making everything looking easy. Commentator Corey Graves mentions they look better and better each week and it’s impossible to disagree. Overall A+++ effort by these guys. And Alexa, of course.
We enter a backstage segment with Emma and Dana Brooke talking trash on Carmella and, yeah, it was fine. A Blue Pants reference is always appreciated though.
Up next we have Nia Jax, accompanied by Eva Marie, facing newcomer Liv Morgan. This was incredibly boring as it was just a squash and didn’t make either woman look good.
We see a rebuttal from Carmella and this is how promos should go. She guarantees victory against Emma next week. Enzo and Cass chime in and again, glorious. I look forward to their rematch against Dash & Dawson.
We get a Vaudevillains vignette that I think signifies a heel turn? Were these guys ever faces? I don’t understand. Love them though.
BULL! BULL! So happy to see Bull Dempsey, a very underrated character and wrestler in NXT. He faces…wait, IS THAT ALEX RILEY!? I knew the music and didn’t recognize the man. He looks like a less buff Triple H now. Time to play the game, A-Ry? Both guys looked good in their short match and Riley hits a hell of a spinebuster on Dempsey. He then picks up the win. Sad to see Bull lose but happy to see Riley back in the ring. He then has a phenomenal (sorry A.J.) promo backstage, venting some frustration with management that may have been a bit off script. This guy is so good and we, as fans, deserve more Riley in our lives because he could be a major player if given a true chance.
“The Drifter” Elias Sampson enters the ring and I’m immediately bored. I said I would give him three chances and he’s gotten two. Let’s see how he does this we…oh the match is over? Who did he beat? Nameless jobber? Okay, good build up guys. To quote Dolph Ziggler, #OverIt.
Main Event time. All three of these guys are over with the crowd in their own right, though I feel Corbin needs more fans. Dude is solid. Some great back and forth 3-way action takes place. Joe looks vicious, Corbin looks powerful and Zayn is the best underdog in the business. And how sick is Corbin’s Deep Six move? Looks awesome. Speaking of awesome, Zayn hits a Blue Thunder Bomb on Corbin, who outweighs him by at least 70 pounds. Corbin hits End of Days on Joe and is broken up at 2.9 by Zayn. Zayn locks in a Sharpshooter on Corbin and Joe then locks in a Crossface on Corbin. He taps to both moves (very Benoit/Angle) and General Manager Regal comes out to hear both men’s cases. The show ends with Regal saying he’ll review the tapes and announce a winner next week. Well, that’s a new one.
Another solid NXT and I am very happy about that. Many people have been saying the tapings have been lacking thus far but I disagree with that. These are good shows so far and not every one can be an NXT: Takeover quality. As usual, I look forward to next week.
