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WWE NXT - September 14, 2016

by Scrooge McSuck

- Last week on NXT... Shinsuke Nakamura easily won a Non-Title Match over Steve Cutler, while Samoa Joe was in a somber mood on commentary... TM61 defeated a mismatched team of Cruiserweight Classic competitors... Asuka cut a very arrogant promo about clearing out the division... Ember Moon won another squash match with her awesome twisting stunner from the top rope... Sanity is coming... Austin Aries defeated Andrade Almas in the quest to continue not getting the guy over.

- Taped from Full Sail University in Orlando, FL, with Corey Graves and Tom Phillips calling the action unless otherwise noted.

- Samoa Joe comes out to kick off the evening. He did everything he could for nearly a year to complete his pursuit of the NXT Championship, and as a Champion. He calls out Shinsuke Nakamura and won't leave until he says what he needs to say, face-to-face. Nakamura obliges. Joe says he isn't afraid to say things to your face, and he meant everything he said in the weeks leading in to Takeover: Brooklyn II, including that Nakamura was an undeserving contender. He was wrong, and says Nakamura is a deserving champion. Joe says as soon as he's ready to compete, and this is news he won't be hearing from William Regal, he wants his rematch. Nakamura ponders it in a style only he can, and accepts. Joe offers a handshake and surprisingly doesn't do a beat-down. I would've put money on that happening... oh wait, Joe actually comes back after all the pandering to the crowd and hits a uranage onto the ring steps. I'm surprised that's all it took to sell being stretchered out with a neck brace.

- William Regal is steaming mad backstage, but before he can confront Joe, Joe peels out of the parking lot.

Liv Morgan vs. Rachel Fazio:

Hopefully this will be better than the last time we got to see Morgan in action. I'm pretty sure "Rachel Fazio" is Rachel Ellering with a new name. I guess they don't want her associated with her father. Lockup goes nowhere. Morgan with a sunset flip and full rotation in a spot straight out of 1976. The Full Sail crowd is DEAD. Fazio with shoulders in the corner. Morgan with a snap mare and running dropkick. She fights out of a fireman's carry and takes Fazio down with a Dragon Sleeper for the tap out at 1:55. -* I don't normally rate short matches, but this sucked. It looked like two people training rather than having a believable wrestling match.

- I'm offended by Morgan's promo skills. She's just low-rent Carmella, and we all know how much I love Carmella (that's sarcasm, I actually greatly dislike her). Morgan throws down the challenge to Asuka, because that's how depleted the NXT Women's roster has become.

- "Sanity" is still coming to NXT. [Spoiler: It's not one person.]

Hideo Itami vs. Drew Gulak:

Phillips and Graves are still selling the possible injury of Shinsuke Nakamura at the hands of Samoa Joe. Itami still has unresolved issues with Austin Aries. Gulak goes for a takedown, but Itami escapes. Lockup into the ropes and Gulak with as big of a bitch slap as you'll ever see. Itami returns the favor and nails a running knee to the midsection. Whip to the ropes and Itami with another knee, followed by a pair of kicks. He pulls the knee pad down to tease a knee drop, but casually brush kicks him in the face instead. Whip to the corner, Gulak gets a boot up on the charge, followed by a dropkick. He plants Itami with a slam into the ropes for two. Gulak with a step-over toe hold. Back suplex for another two count. Itami starts getting fired up from Gulak's strikes. He connects with a clothesline and a pair of high kicks. He unleashes a fury of strikes and hits Gulak with a running basement dropkick. The GTS finishes at 4:54. *1/2 Oddly paced, at times rushed and others like they were going at least double the time the match actually went.

The Authors of Pain (w/ Paul Ellering) vs. Doug Sessa & Chris Pain:

I'm probably messing up the spelling, but the new names for the Authors of Pain are Akem and Rezar. I guess they only wear their spooky hoods for the Takeover special. Rezar knocks down Sessa at the bell and the Authors of Pain with double clubbering in the corner. Sessa nails both with rights, but it's no sold and Akem lays him out with a hard clothesline. Akem drags the goof's partner over the top rope and clubs him across the chest with a forearm. Double Powerbomb to Pain. Clothesline and Leg Sweep Combo to Sessa finishes at 1:53. Another impressive squash match for the Authors of Pain. Not a lot of depth right now so it's hard to pair them with anyone.

- Tye Dillinger is backstage talking about his recent string of victories after a bit of bad luck. Some actually questioned during that time if he was actually a 9.5 or even a 9, but he'll always be a Perfect 10.

No Way Jose vs. Bobby Roode:

This is our GLORIOUS Main Event for the week. I can't think of two entrances in NXT that get as hyped for a match than these two. I think it's a little too soon to job Jose to the upper-card heels, but I guess there's only so many squashes a gimmick like his can do compared to something like the destructive style of the Authors of Pain. Entrances alone eat up about 5-minutes, even with the short ramp of the Full Sail setting. Roode with a series of holds and a GLORIOUS snap mare. Roode with a side headlock and shoulder tackle. Crisscross, they fight over a hip toss until Jose connects with a clothesline. Jose with a hip toss and slam and the crowd is in favor of Roode right now. Whip to the corner and Jose with a back drop. Jose with a clothesline, sending Roode to the floor. He follows with an axe-handle from the apron and now the crowd appreciates him. We return from a break with Jose still in control. Roode catches Jose off the ropes with a GLORIOUS spine-buster. Roode with choking across the middle rope and a delayed vertical suplex. Jose with a cross body press for two, but Roode quickly regains control with a back suplex. Jose comes back with jabs and a roundhouse right. He turns an Airplane Spin into the TKO for two. Jose winds up for the Popeye Punch, but Roode counters with a swinging neck breaker. Roode with an Implant DDT for three at 7:49. That's a better finisher than a Pump-Handle Slam. **1/2 Perfectly Acceptable Wrestling. I wish I had more to say than that.

Final Thoughts: Not the most exciting episode of NXT. Yeah, Joe and Nakamura started the show off with a fine segment, but from there, it seemed like a lot of uninspired stuff and a dead crowd. Maybe this was the last week of a taping cycle? That still doesn't forgive the train wreck that was the five-minutes dedicated to pushing Liv Morgan as anything more than enhancement talent. Hideo Itami struggling to win competitive matches against guys who might not be around next week doesn't do much for me, and the Main Event was OK, but hardly anything I'll remember in half-an-hour. Just a weak show that lacked excitement.

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