Source: PWInsider.com
Stage AE was sold out for NXT’s first show in Pittsburgh. Like the LC Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio, the entrance set was placed on the concert stage with fans on both sides.
NXT may be about the stars of tomorrow, but tonight truly belonged to Dusty Rhodes. WWE posted tweets from fans thanking Dusty on the two video screens that were part of the set, and the fans chanted “Thank you, Dusty!” Before the first match, William Regal came out and asked for a moment of silence as the bell tolled ten times for Rhodes.
1. Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady, and Carmella beat tag team champions Blake & Murphy and Alexa Bliss in a mixed-tag match. The crowd was solidly behind Enzo, Cass, and Carmella. Enzo talked about how this match would be hard times for their opponents and how Pittsburgh knows about hard times since it’s the Steel City.
2. Jason Jordan pinned Bull Dempsey. Fans saw a bit of Bull’s new gimmick, as he got winded from chasing Jordan around the ring. Bull got a nice pop when he delivered a Bionic Elbow as a tribute to Rhodes.
3. Baron Corbin pinned Rhyno after hitting him with the End of Days. After the match, Corbin continued to beat on Rhyno until Rhyno hit him with a Gore. Big “ECW!” chant for Rhyno.
4. Charlotte & Bayley beat Dana Brooke & Emma. Dana being from Cleveland made her an easy target, as the fans greeted her with a loud “Cleveland sucks!” chant.
*Intermission*
5. Zack Ryder & Mojo Rawley beat The Vaudevillians. Ryder was clearly the favorite in this match, and boy did the fans hate Rawley! They booed him every time he stepped into the ring.
6. Women’s champion Sasha Banks beat Becky Lynch by submission to retain the title. Becky gave us our second Bionic Elbow of the night, which of course brought on another “Thank you, Dusty!” chant. After the match, Sasha raised Becky’s hand as the crowd gave them a standing ovation.
7. NXT champion Kevin Owens beat Tyler Breeze, Finn Bálor, and Samoa Joe in a fatal four-way match to retain the title. In all my years of attending WWE shows, I have never heard an “Everybody!” chant. But that’s exactly what the fans chanted at the start of the match. Joe made himself an instant favorite with the hometown fans by wearing black-and-gold shorts. Owens mocked John Cena with a “You Can’t See Me” before hitting Bálor with the Five-Knuckle Shuffle. The closing minutes of the match saw everyone hit their finishers on each other before Owens pinned Breeze with the Pop-Up Powerbomb. Joe and Bálor had a staredown in the middle of the ring before giving each other the Bullet Club hand signal and leaving together.
WWE did not announce a return date, but the fans sure wanted one as they chanted “Please Come Back!” on their way out.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
