WWE NXT - September 4, 2014
by Samoa Rowe
-From Orlando, FL. Our hosts are Renee Young, Tom Phillips, and Byron Saxton.
Alexa Bliss vs. NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte
Charlotte goes right for a headlock and tries to force a pinfall. Bliss counters with a head scissors and slips on the turnbuckles in an arm drag attempt. Charlotte catches Alexa with a gut buster and goes back after the head. Bliss rallies with a drop-kick and nearly steals it with a sunset flip. Charlotte ends it with the Cutter at 2:21. Alexa was totally off her game tonight, but it was kept mercifully short.Winner: Charlotte
-Before Charlotte can leave, Bayley joins her in the ring. Bayley INSISTS that Charlotte start taking her seriously and offers another handshake. Charlotte attacks instead, but Bayley fights back with the Belly to Bayley suplex. Charlotte escapes, leaving Bayley to pose with the Women’s title. More good, simple build here.
-Tyler Breeze feels that his good looks will help him become NXT Champion. Well, this IS a popularity contest, so perhaps.
-Commercial for Takeover 2 includes an advertised appearance by KENTA! And get this, he is still known as KENTA, and isn’t being given a ridiculous randomly generated superstar name.
-Devin Taylor interviews Sin Cara and Kalisto backstage. They’re all confidence and piss and vinegar. They have to beat the Vaudevillains later on so they can have the, um, privilege, of facing The Ascension at Takeover 2.
Tye Dillinger vs. Tyler Breeze
They exchange holds and Dillinger scores a shoulder block. Dillinger hits an atomic drop and throws a chop. Breeze gets pissed and stomps a mud hole into the former hockey player. Breeze applies a front headlock but Dillinger escapes with a slam into the turnbuckles. Dillinger quickens the pace but foolishly runs into the Beauty Shop. Breeze picks up the win at 2:44. This Tye Dillinger actually has a load of potential, he could be worth keeping an eye on in the coming year. Good little squash match here.Winner: Tyler Breeze
-Tyson Kidd admits that his opponents at Takeover 2 are all great in their own unique ways. It turns out Kidd was talking about himself the entire time. And people say this guy has no charisma.
-Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady made a home video in the parking lot outside a hair salon. They barge in and Enzo finds his favorite hair dresser, Carmella, complete with HD-ready cleavage. They’re admiring themselves in the mirror when a gay stereotype with a dog runs in and gets told to scram. I’m not sure what I’m watching anymore as somehow a bucket of suds gets poured on the dog. If anyone wants to explain this segment to me, hit me up on Twitter.
Tyson Kidd vs. Adam Rose (with the Rosebuds)
The NXT fans missed the conventional wisdom memo that Adam Rose isn’t supposed to be over and cheer for him at the opening bell. Kidd is more focused than usual with his attacks, but Rose holds his own with repeated mule kicks to the chest. Kidd recovers with a series of kicks. Snap suplex by Kidd leads to a chinlock. Rose breaks out and parties his way into a comeback. Kidd ends the party with a drop-kick to the knee. Kidd applies the Sharpshooter for the submission win at 4:09. Nice win for Kidd, who actually looks pretty dangerous heading into Takeover 2.Winner: Tyson Kidd
-Sami Zayn says he’ll pin whoever he has to in the fatal 4-way at Takeover 2, but he would really like to pin the champion. Adrian Neville is his friend, but he’s coming for him.
-Devin Taylor interviews the Vaudevillains in black and white. Aiden English says he and Simon Gotch are a cut above the competition in the tag team division. They plan on proving their superiority with a victory over Sin Cara and Kalisto. Gotch only adds “Excelsior!” More of this, please.
Sami Zayn vs. Marcus Louis (with Sylvester Lefort)
They exchange wristlocks until Louis nails a power slam. Louis hits a backbreaker and applies a chinlock. Looks like Louis has been studying his Randy Orton matches. Zayn escapes and builds some momentum with a drop-kick to the chest. Zayn applies the Koji Clutch for the win at 3:02. That was sudden. This was basically an exhibition for Louis’ basic skill set until the Zayn victory.Winner: Sami Zayn
-Colin Cassady and Enzo Amore attack Sylvester Lefort and Marcus Louis from behind. Amore has his bucket of mystery foam that apparently melts hair off.
-NXT Champion Adrian Neville knows he doesn’t have to be pinned at Takeover 2 to lose his title, but that’s a risk he feels he needed to take. He’s beaten all of his opponents individually, therefore he can beat them all at the same time.
CJ Parker vs. NXT Champion Adrian Neville
Neville flips around the ring in such a way to embarrass Parker. Neville applies an aggressive chinlock, but Parker finds an opening with an ax kick. That reminds me, wasn’t Parker feuding with Xavier Woods? That guy can’t seem to keep any storylines from getting dropped. Anyways, Parker misses a flying head butt (oh, now don’t YOU start using that move too) and Neville rallies with a series of quick kicks. The Red Arrow ends it at 3:06. To borrow an old cliché, Neville looks like a million bucks. Another good squash in a night full of them.Winner: Adrian Neville
#1 Contenders Tournament - Final Round:
Sin Cara and Kalisto vs. The Vaudevillains (Aiden English and Simon Gotch)
English goes right after the head of Kalisto, who uses his speed to outmaneuver him. Kalisto seems to excel at finding ways to use his opponent’s size against them. Kalisto tags Sin Cara in for stereo kicks and springboards off his partner for a splash. Gotch tags and suffers a bad landing on a Sin Cara monkey flip. Gotch kicks Sin Cara off the turnbuckles to take control. Sin Cara absorbs some punishment but bounces back with a flying cross body on English. Kalisto gets the hot tag and springboards into a twisting missile attack on Gotch. Kalisto seems to be hitting Gotch from all sides. Sin Cara takes care of English at ringside, leaving Kalisto to hit Gotch with Salida del Sol. Kalisto cannonballs English, while Sin Cara finishes Gotch with a swanton bomb at 5:19. This was a lot of fun for a short match.Winners: Sin Cara and Kalisto
-The Luchadors’ celebration is cut short when NXT Tag Team Champions The Ascension show up on the stage. Konnor and Viktor stare their challengers down and pose with the titles.
Final Thoughts: This was a hell of a “go home” show for Takeover 2. Everyone who needed to get put over got put over. I have no idea what to say about the weirdness that is Enzo Amore vs. Sylvester Lefort, but it’s such a small part of the show, it doesn’t sour the overall product. This was a solid hour of television that gave me a chance to enjoy all the characters and look forward to next week’s special. Thumbs up.
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