Written by Tommy Tracy
NXT February 24, 2016
-A week removed from another incredible main event and some excellent Tag Team and Women’s action, we find ourselves back at the University of Florida for the third straight week. I wonder if this crowd is happy they’re watching the same guys (and gals) in the same night (as NXT is filmed weeks in advance). I’ve noticed the crowd was electric three weeks ago but seems quite bored at this point. But I digress.
-I’ve said this before but kicking off the show with American Alpha is always a smart move. They face off against Blake & Murphy (with the gorgeous Alex Bliss) in what promises to be another great match. And it is but here’s the problem; there are so many times you can watch Chad Gable get beat down, make the hot tag to Jason Jordan, hit ten suplexes and then win the match. And it’s sad to see former tag champs constantly losing every week. Yes, Gable & Jordan are awesome but the same match night in and night out is the same reason the fans grew tired of Baron Corbin.
-Backstage with Commissioner William Regal, who promises we’ll finally get a winner between Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe in two weeks. And it’s a 2 out of 3 Falls Match. Sweet. He also promises a HUGE contact signing for next week. My heart tells me its Nakamura.
–Apollo Crews hits the ring and is taking on newcomer, Christopher Girard (aka indie wrestler, Biff Busick). Girard looks solid in his debut match, a true back and forth effort. Crews, however, wins, which was to be expected.
-Lame backstage beat down on Enzo by the Tag Champs. It looks like it was shot in 2004.
–Tommaso Ciampa v. the recently released Bull Dempsey is scheduled next. The fan in me hopes Bull wins his last NXT match but sadly, this is not what we get. Dempsey and his Bull Fit gimmick was super over with the fans and the loss of his talents are going to be missed. Anyhoo, Bull taps out to Ciampa’s sweet Armbar (Jericho represent!) finisher and…rides off into the sunset?
-Our main event pits Nia Jax & Eva Marie against Carmella and the Women’s Champion, Bayley. Let’s focus a little more on the crowd than the match itself, which was fine but nothing special. They came to life here, cheering Bayley and booing the ever-loving shit out of Eva Marie. Here’s the thing; she WAS bad but Eva has really improved and I give her all the credit in the world for saying she wants to go back to NXT to learn more. It takes true guts to admit you have faults in a business full of egomaniacs (hey there, CM Punk). The match concludes with an array of false finishes, Jax slamming Carmella and Eva picking up the win. Good to see the heels win and prove that Bayley is human and can lose.
-We close the show with Commissioner Regal backstage with Finn Balor and he announces Finn v. Adrian Neville for the NXT Championship next week. Oh. My. God. That will indeed be a match.
-Again, solid NXT this week. The matches were all-decent and did exactly what they needed to do. I look forward to Neville v. Balor and the mystery signing Regal has.
Bold Prediction: Nakamura interferes in the title picture and helps Finn win.
