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April 13th, 2016 On commentary tonight, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center in Dallas, are Tom Phillips and Corey Graves. Opening Segment Singles Match: Austin Aries vs. Angelo Dawkins Aries and Dawkins lock up, with Aries as the aggressor until Dawkins bear hugs him from behind and drops him on the mat. Left wristlock is reversed by Aries who forces Dawkins to the ground, spins around on his back and covers him for a 1 count. Another cover and another kick out. Aries with the side headlock. Dawkins sends Aries to the ropes and it’s a shoulder tackle. Dawkins tries it again but Aries counters with his own takedown. Looked liked a head scissors for the next move but he headstands between Dawkins’ legs and then dropkicks him. Still neither man can take the advantage because Dawkins recovers quickly after punches in the corner to a big right hand from Dawkins on Aries. Clothesline. Boots to the back. Dawkins stirs it up and then takes Aries down again, holding his face against the mat, as he jaws to the crowd. Aries gets up and forces Dawkins into the corner. Dawkins goes for a spinning splash and misses. Aries with strong forearms to the chest and head. From corner to corner, Dawkins tries to reverse but Aries clotheslines him. Aries drags Dawkins head between the middle ropes and lands a neckbreaker. Now it’s Aries from the top rope with a missile dropkick! He’s laying it on now. Running dropkick from corner to corner. Dawkins is wobbling. Discus forearm and he gets the 1-2-3! Winner: Austin Aries via pinfall in 5 minutes One cool point for Austin Aries, who in his second televised match in nXt, is showcasing what makes him a unique performer with his speed, agility, technical prowess and unique moveset. One cool point for Angelo Dawkins for showing the potential to be quite the bruiser and for trying to get over his character in a losing performance. Backstage, it’s a new nXt interviewer asking Samoa Joe what’s next for him after his loss at Takeover: Dallas. Joe says he’s in a war and he will continue the war until the mission is accomplished. Next week, he’s bringing that war against Apollo Crews. That’s what’s next. Coming Up: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. “The Perfect 10” Tye Dillinger Next Week: No Way Jose will make his debut. Second Segment Singles Match: Alexa Bliss vs. Tessa Blanchard Phillips & Graves are both excited for this matchup, especially to see what Blanchard, daughter of Tully Blanchard, can do. The ladies lock up. Bliss with the takedown, holding Blanchard’s head towards the mat. Blanchard rolls out and it’s a draw. They lock up again and it’s Blanchard with the takedown and a 1 count cover. Off the ropes, Blanchard catches Bliss for a power slam. Off the ropes again and Bliss returns with a big forearm and a number of punches to the body. 1 count. Now it’s Bliss choking Blanchard on the middle rope with her knee. Bliss stands on Blanchard’s back and stomps on her. She’s pulling out all of her tricks as she shrieks with rage to the crowd. Bliss with a modified headlock which Blanchard is clearly feeling poorly about. The submission brings her to a knee until she changes strategy and executes a leg takedown for a 1 count. Both girls are up immediately and it’s Bliss with a vicious knee to the abdomen. Hair pull and a slap attempt to which Blanchard replies, “I don’t think so!” Clotheslines x2 and a neckbreaker send Bliss to the corner. Blanchard charges and Bliss evades, takes an elbow to the face and Blanchard thinks she’s got Bliss. But Bliss grabs her by the neck and slams her to the mat, then lands her backspring double knees. 1-2-3. Winner: Alexa Bliss via pinfall in 4 minutes One cool point for Blanchard for making the most of her opportunity by showing some great confidence and vocal intensity during different moments in this match. One cool point for Bliss who continues to demonstrate how aggressive and relentless she is as a heel in the women’s division. She doesn’t take crap from anyone and it showed tonight. Backstage, it’s nXt champion Finn Balor’s turn to be asked about the Takeover: Dallas match against Samoa Joe. He’s asked who might be the new #1 contender. Balor says it doesn’t matter who or where but he has an obligation to the nXt universe to fight. Next, he’s asked about Nakamura’s nXt TV debut. Balor says he’ll stick around to watch but he knows Nakamura wants the championship. When he’s ready, Balor will be ready too. Third Segment Tag Team Match: Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. The Vaudevillains Gargano & Ciampa are reunited for the first time since last year’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Gotch and Gargano begin. Single arm takedown by Gargano and he holds Gotch down on the mat via knee to head. Gotch attempts a power slam but Gargano counters out of it, runs off the ropes and neatly transitions to an armhold via front roll. This prompts a little mat wrestling from the two pros, which ends when Gotch delivers a few European uppercuts. He tags in English who twists Gargano’s left arm. Gargano counters it. English counters it. They tumble out from the corner and it’s Gargano with a high kick to the face and a 2 count on English. Ciampa gets the tag and the two men deliver a running knee and kick simultaneously. Only gets a 2 count though after the pin. English punches Ciampa and then gets thrown to the apron. Off the ropes, Gargano slaps Ciampa’s back. Ciampa with the knee on English. Gotch goes to check on him and Gargano was already following up with a through the ropes splash on the Vaudevillains. Gargano can’t follow it up though because Gotch distracts him, while on the ring apron, allowing English to knock him to the ground. English tags in Gotch who brings the uppercuts again and the two return to the ring. Crouching arm submission, transitioned into a wristlock on the left arm. English is tagged in for a 1 count cover, followed by another wristlock, bending back Gargano’s fingers. Powerslam by English to halt Gargano’s comeback. Gargano, threatening kicks from his back to stifle English’s progress. He’s thrown into the corner only to receive double knees. English picks him up and Gargano tries to tag Ciampa over English’s shoulders but fails. He gets to him the second time after a clever roll through English’s legs. I can’t properly describe how cool it was; it was a slick maneuver. Ciampa’s on the rampage now with clotheslines and tackles for all. English picks him up. Ciampa with elbows to return to the mat and he delivers a hanging DDT after using the ropes for leverage. 2 count. English and Ciampa run the ropes together and English tackles Ciampa from behind, rolling him to his back for a pinfall attempt. Gotch tags in sneakily as English falls to the outside. Gargano executes a front flip splash on English while Gotch gets a 2 count on Ciampa inside the ring. This enrages Ciampa who delivers a fierce armbar on Gotch to get the win for his team. Winner: Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa via submission in 7 minutes One cool point for Gargano & Ciampa and their surprise victory. They are a talented duo in the ring, although perhaps they need to develop a little bit of their own style and character, if they want to move up the ladder in the tag team division. With matches like this one, they may just get that opportunity or they may come to be known strictly for their in-ring talent. Hopefully we’ll see more of them in the coming weeks. Backstage, the camera shows “The Perfect 10” Tye Dillinger checking his hair as he prepares for his match with Nakamura. Alex Reyes asks him about the match and he’s corrected by Dillinger who tells him Nakamura is taking on HIM. Nakamura won’t be able to dance his way into this one. Dillinger’s sending him back home to Japan so he can tell everyone what it was like to lose to the perfect 10. He leaves but swiftly returns with a “3” sign, which he slides into Reyes’ suit jacket. Fourth Segment Singles Match: Baron Corbin vs. Tucker Knight The two big men grapple into the corner where the referee tells them to break it up. Corbin opts for punches instead. He drives Knight’s face into the top turnbuckle. Knee to the torso. Elbow to the head. He gestures to the crowd and continues the onslaught. Knight replies with a dropkick, a running tackle in the corner and then, off the ropes, both men are running and it’s a Lou Thesz press by Knight! Corbin retorts with his own takedown and then “End of Days”. This match is over. Winner: Baron Corbin via pinfall in 2 minutes One cool point for Tucker Knight’s Lou Thesz press. It should have been more effective but it was a nice surprise. I know I usually give the cool points to the winner but Corbin didn’t do anything that interesting. It’s not that I’m down on the guy either but I expected him to win and he did. That’s not cool. That’s just real life. Earlier today, we see American Alpha, talking about the fame of the building in which they won the nXt Tag Team Champions. They’re wearing the titles and they’re pretty happy. Suddenly, Enzo and Big Cass arrive to share their congratulations. They say they’ve done their time in the division, they’ve seen a lot of good teams come and go but there’s one thing they’ve never done…and that’s fight American Alpha. Enzo says the titles don’t have to be on the line but they want to do it. Jordan & Gable agree but no timetable is set for when it might happen. Fun segment. Singles Match: Bayley vs. Liv Morgan Bayley’s ring gear is very cool; half her style and half yellow polka dots in honour of Dusty Rhodes. The two ladies grapple, with attention given to wristlocks. Morgan has an airbender moment, evading a clothesline by bending back towards the floor. She still ends up getting dragged down to the mat and then receives an elbow to the back from Bayley. A clothesline sends Morgan down again. She goes for a jumping knee but Morgan rolls away. Morgan breaks free of Bayley’s hold, does a hand stand, back spring elbow but misses and Bayley catches her for a swing a la Cesaro but not as long! Bayley with the side headlock on Morgan now. The crowd is firmly in her favour and Morgan can’t seem to get out of this one. She even attempts a cover, for 1 count, but can’t break free until Bayley decides to spear her in the corner. Big back splash! She misses the elbow though and Morgan gets a tackle off the ropes. Then a running bulldog. Morgan slaps the mat, runs to the opposite corner and executes a nifty throw takedown over her head, using her knees. She follows it up with a side slam attempt but Bayley elbows her in the neck and finishes off Morgan with her patented Bayley to back suplex. Winner: Bayley via pinfall in 5 minutes Post-match, Bayley has a microphone, which she uses to thank the crowd who have been chanting for her all match. Bayley says a true champion is measured by how many times they get back up. She lost to an amazing competitor, in Asuka, who was the better woman that night. It makes her just as angry as her fans but don’t feel sorry for her. She’ll be champion again and she will always stand for each and every one of us. She spends a tender moment with her super fan after the match, too. Coming Up: Our Main Event! Final Segment Next Week: American Alpha vs. Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady and Samoa Joe vs. Apollo Crews Singles Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. “The Perfect 10” Tye Dillinger Dillinger holds up his “10” card upon arriving to the ring. The crowd likes chanting for him. They also go crazy for Nakamura. Dude has a flair for the dramatics as he enters the ring in all leather and then shows off how flexible he is by stretching his legs on the top turnbuckle. Huge “Nakamura” chants to cap this one. Both competitors in no rush to start and the referee asks them multiple times to begin. Crowd chants “10” and then “He’s 11” about Nakamura. Funny stuff. Dillinger with a fun cartwheel and prompting “10” chants from the crowd. Nakamura asks the referee what the 10 gesture is about. Dillinger motions for Nakamura to “bring it”. The two briefly lock up. Nakamura rests his head on Dillinger’s torso, backs off and then motions back for Dillinger to “bring it”. Nakamura with the advantage, delivering some strong strikes to Dillinger which push him into the corner and underneath the bottom rope. Dillinger with a huge superkick for only a 1 count. Another 1 count. Dillinger punches Nakamura in the face. Stomp to the head. He mocks Nakamura’s gesture before continuing to kick at his opponent. Knee to the back and a headlock. More knee strikes and another headlock by Dillinger. Nakamura’s mouth protection is visible as he cries out in pain. Nakamura finally breaks free after stretching Dillinger’s arms upwards. Dillinger tries for a superkick but Nakamura delivers one of his own. Big kick by Nakamura, followed by choking Dillinger with the foot in the corner. Nakamura charges up in the corner and hits the running knee to Dillinger’s head, otherwise known as KINSHASA! 1-2-3 and Nakamura gets his second win. Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura via pinfall in 5 minutes One cool point for Nakamura who, in 2 matches, has already won over the fans with his impressive wrestling abilities and charisma. Dude is the real deal. One cool point for Dillinger who kept up with Nakamura with his taunts, mockery and some well timed strikes of his own. A fun main event, even if it was a short one. Looking forward to your thoughts and cool point suggestions on tonight’s episode. Peace!
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