NXT Louisville Live Event Results
7/16/16
Louisville, Kentucky
Report Courtesy of PWInsider.com
While the show did not appear to be a sellout Broadbent Arena is probably a larger venue them NXT house shows usually run. I saw that they has some cameras filming both the action and some of the wrestler interactions during the show. The show started out with Tom Phillips and Charly Caruso and they ran a poll to see which classic NXT match the crowd wanted to see clips of on the NXTron, Jinder Mahal vs. Seth Rollins, Neville vs. Sami Zayn, or Sasha vs. Bayley at Takeover Brooklyn. To no one’s suprise Sasha and Bayley won and we got to relive that great match. They then moved onto the live card as follows.
No Way Jose beat Hugo Knox. The crowd liked Jose a fair amount and Knox also got some good heel heat and some fans appreciated his ringside antics by hitting on a fan at ringside by chanting, “Steal his girl.” Jose had a fun bit where with Knox down in the corner he mimed hitting a baseball and “ran the bases” by touch each corner before ending with a sliding dropkick into Knox at “home plate” Jose then pleaded with the ref until the ref gave him the classic baseball safe sign.
Andrade Cien Almas defeated Wesley Blake. Crowd chanted “Where is Murphy?” and “We want Alexa” at Blake. Pretty blah match from a crowd standpoint but I think once Almas connects with fans he will be fine as his ring work is fun.
Prior to the match, Charly interviewed an 11 year old ringside and closed it by asking her who her favorite NXT wrestler was and she replied Bayley which lead us to…
Bayley defeated Alexa Bliss. Bayley was as one would expect over huge, her ring entrance included her inflatable me, pre match she summoned a couple guys from the section right below me that had been chanting for Bayley hard the moment she hit the ramp and she rewarded them with a group hug as well as giving the aforementioned 11 year old Bayley fan some Bayley swag and the crowd was super into her the whole night. The crowd really seemed to appreciate Alexa’s work as well. Post match Alexa jumped Bayley and beat her down, very good match between the two of them and it would not be the last time we saw them tonight.
Hideo Itami defeated Angelo Dawkins. Crowd gave a good cheer for the recently returned Itami. Dawkins and Itami had a bit with Itami kicking Dawkins after Dawkins mocked him by do a crane style pose ala Daniel-san and then complaining to the ref when he tried low kicks on Itami and Hideo dodged them. Watching and comparing him as a Japanese import to Shinsuke, Asuka, or even Ibushi you see that by comparison he really doesn’t have the same sort of charisma or connection with the crowd and a guy his size needs something to help put him over with the fans.
We then had an intermission and Charly and Tom pimped the merch and it should be noted I think the three most common shirts you saw folks wearing in the arena were Shinsuke, Balor, and Bayley gear, me I was sporting my Rob Schamberger Asuka tee. Once intermission was done we had…
The Revival beat American Alpha (title match). This was another classic by these four guys. American Alpha was over big time with the crowd and the Revival had the smart fan support as well. Lots of near falls but in the end it was Fists and not Flips that prevailed.
Asuka beat Billie Kay (title match). Billie Kay came out to (to me at least) new music and in new gear going with an all black look. Fans were into Asuka with the usual “Asuka’s going to kill you” chant but there was also a section below me chanting hard for Billie. Billie looked really good and she is poised to be a leading heel for the NXT women’s division. Billie got in a good amount of offense before finally getting hit with an Asuka lock out of nowhere and quickly tapping.
This lead to our main event of Samoa Joe and Bobby Roode versus Shinsuke Nakamura and Finn Balor, really nice pops for Bobby and to a lesser degree Joe. Huge pop for the King of Strong Style and we got the classic Nakamura intro which is awesome, his charisma is off the charts with fans and we all hope VKM doesn’t screw this up. Finn, wearing a Balor Club jacket, got a big pop as well, it was not the full demon entrance but before he could even get to the ring Joe and Roode jumped Shinsuke. Balor ran to help and once the odds were even the Revival ran out to help the heels beatdown Team New Japan. That brought out American Alpha to even the odds which forced the heels from the ring. That in turn lead to Alexa Bliss getting into the ring with the faces and slapping Finn which then lead to Bayley hitting the ring and jumping Alexa. The heels all retreated and were going to just leave before they were shamed into returning leading to our main event 10 person tag match…..
Shinsuke Nakamura, Finn Balor, American Alpha, and Bayley defeated Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe, the Revival, and Alexa Bliss. This was an awesome match fantastic work by all involved and the end came with Bayley hitting a Bayley to Belly on Roode followed by a Bomaye from Nakamura to Roode with Shinsuke getting the pin. After the match with cameras filming Finn talked about how no one knows how the draft is going down Tuesday but the people with him in the ring will always be NXT and he expects everyone that worked the show tonight to one day work a Wrestlemania. The faces celebrated in the ring with a five person “too sweet” with the cameras rolling the whole time.
Fantastic main event and a great live wrestling show and I am already looking forward to the NXT time we get to see HHH’s baby rolls into Louisville.
Biggest pops:
Shinsuke or Bayley it was close
Finn
American Alpha
Asuka
Most heat:
The Revival
Alexa Bliss
Bobby Roode
Wesley Blake
That is lights out for @angelodawkins, courtesy of @hideoitami! #NXTLouisville https://t.co/pfijolDT9p
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) July 17, 2016
This is so Epic and Awesome #NXTLouisville. pic.twitter.com/QE5j6mCrhG
— Lazaro (@TrueLaz) July 17, 2016
What a great moment! @WWENXT #NXTLouisville one of those once In a lifetime things! https://t.co/w5i3PK6Pxp
— Mike Rome (@MikeRomeWWE) July 17, 2016
BAYLEY-TO-BELLY-TO-BOBBY!
(via https://t.co/KYRG0cJeoH )#nxtlouisville @itsbayleywwe pic.twitter.com/4zqyF7trbD
— What a Maneuver! (@WAManeuver) July 17, 2016
I just had one of the coolest nights of my life. #NXTLouisville
— Bayley (@itsBayleyWWE) July 17, 2016
Absolutely epic finish to the main event at #NXTLouisville @itsBayleyWWE hits the Bayley to belly on Bobby Roode! pic.twitter.com/ExPezhFxFT
— Justin Bailey (@JustinBaileyIND) July 17, 2016