NXT JUNE 21ST 2017
Peyton Royce w/Billie Kay vs. Ember Moon
New set of tapings meant a livelier crowd than last week’s show. For a bit. Billie would interfere to prevent Ember going for the Eclipse and Peyton sent Ember’s shoulder into the ring post a couple of times. She tried to focus on the arm, but Ember made a comeback. They had a back and forth finish before Billie pulled Peyton clear of another Eclipse attempt. Ember dove off the second rope onto Billie and Peyton tried to take advantage. Peyton only got a two count with a Widow’s Peak and Ember was able to come back to hit the Eclipse for the pin. Solid match.
Ohno was shown preparing for the main event when Hideo warmed up. He admitted he hadn’t had the success in NXT that he had in Japan and it was getting to him, but apologised for what he’d been doing to Ohno. Ohno said he understood because he’d been through the same thing, but said they weren’t done, they just needed to do things the right way and he’d start tonight with Aleister Black.
The Ealy Brothers vs. Sanity (Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe)
The Ealys are big dudes. You can tell they’re still rookies though, not just with the ring work but the way they run through so many poses and mannerisms during their entrance. That side of it will come with time though. Here, they were beaten pretty decisively, getting basically no offence in. Which considering they’re massive guys can look a little strange, but they’re there to learn. Sanity won with a back suplex/second rope neckbreaker combo and presumably they’re being set up to be part of the tag team division, especially with the references to them in AOP stuff recently.
Recap of Nikki and Asuka’s brawl and crash through two tables last week. They then announced Nikki versus Asuka in a Last Woman Standing Match for the title next week.
The profile video on Sonya Deville from last week aired again.
Sonya Deville vs. Rachel Evers
Mostly a showcase for Deville. She landed a number of hard strikes during the match, but a punch from Evers set her off and she hit repeated body shots in retaliation, before winning with a kimura. Having Deville run through some people and show off what she can do on offence is probably the way to go while she gets the other parts more refined, because that’s her big strength.
Footage was shown of Roode and Strong getting into a fight backstage earlier in the day. Roode was in the middle of a photoshoot when Strong and his family showed up. Roode antagonised them and told Marina to let him know when she felt like being with a real man to let him know, causing Strong to go after him, with Strong having to be pulled off of Roode. Roode yelled that he’d give Strong a shot at the title any time, anywhere as they were pulled apart and the match was announced for two weeks time, on the 400th episode of NXT.
Kassius Ohno vs. Aleister Black
Commentary actually referenced Ohno and Black having history and Nigel brought up Ohno having a hand in training Black. If you were taking bets on who’d be more invested in Ohno and Black’s back story, the commentary or the Full Sail crowd, well, you might have lost money because there certainly didn’t seem to be much buzz or excitement for this one coming in. Any aura Full Sail used to have is seriously waning, at best, as regards to notable wrestling crowds. The match started with wrestling, getting gradually more physical as they went along. Ohno mocked Black a little when he was on top. Near falls for both, Ohno avoiding the Black Mass first time around and taking a roundhouse kick instead for one of them. They exchanged hard strikes at the end, with Ohno hitting his falling suplex, but Black cutting off Ohno’s rolling elbow with the Black Mass for the three. Not the special atmosphere you’d have hoped for to make this memorable.
RECOMMENDED VIEWING: Ember versus Peyton was good. Ohno versus Black was as well. Just don’t expect a hot crowd going in. My favourite thing on the show was probably the short Roode/Strong segment and hopefully that feud can really go somewhere ready for the next Takeover.
NXT WEEK: Asuka versus Nikki Cross in a Last Woman Standing Match for the Womens Title.