Thursday’s taping of WWE’s NXT kicked off with a bang as the future of pro wrestling has arrived. Last week Finn Balor made his debut helping Hideo Itami fend off the Ascension. This time Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel decided to give their opinions on the so-called “future” of NXT and cornered Balor in the ring. As expected Hideo came to his aid and we have ourselves an opening tag team match. Kidd and Gabriel reminded us how well they work together as the initially took the upper hand in the bout.
After an impressive soccer kick by Balor the match swung in their favor and we witnessed another double corner jump kick that set up the inevitable. A very good match to start the evening showing the depth that NXT now has with wrestlers they have signed along with ones that have found success in the big show. We are not sure how long they will keep Balor and Itami as a pair but it could lead up to the next pay per view. Big show fans are hungry for Itami and this buzz by Balor will further induce them both to join the main roster.
The night continued with another victory for Sasha Banks as she once again calls out Charlotte for the NXT Women’s championship. There is a something brewing here as clearly the fans enjoy seeing both ladies compete. We have a feeling they will main event the two girls sometime soon while they figure out the stables that are forming between them. If you have not seen a Sasha Banks match you are missing out. Not only is she one of the more talented prospects in the business she is getting better and better on the mic. So maybe she ‘s ratchet, and maybe she’s not. Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy faced off with the tag team champions the Lucha Dragons.
After a dominating early performance by Murphy and Blake they high flying athleticism of Kalisto and the strength and agility of Sin Cara were just too much. After one of the most impressive out of the rings attacks we’ve seen in some time by Kalisto, Sin Cara was able to separate the two and score his finisher off the top rope. For the Lucha Dragons to remain relevant and not look like a gimmick they need to stay active. The big show is hurting for fresh faces in the Tag Team division and a return of the two of them would be welcomed with the newly formed Lucha Underground promotion starting to take off.
The main event of the evening was between NXT champion Adrian Neville and number one contender and friend Sami Zayn. The match started off on an even keel with a slight advantage in favor of Zayn. When it seemed as if Neville was starting to mount a comeback Sami was ready for every set up Adrian could provide. Neville attempted his signature corkscrew shooting press but Sami moved out the way. It seemed as is Neville hurt his knee and the ref even put up the cross arms to acknowledge that it could be a match ending injury.
Concerned about his friend Sami let down his guard and inched closer to Adrian only to be put in a small package for the three count. The night ended with the trainers looking at Neville while Sami sat in the middle of the ring flabbergasted. He let the opportunity pass him by yet again. Depending on how they want to handle it this could spark a feud that these two athletes could continue in the big show. The initial reaction would be thinking this could be the start of a turn for either but only time will tell how it plays out.
Rating: 3 /5