WWE is holding another round of NXT TV tapings at Full Sail University, which will carry the company into next month’s NXT Takeover Brooklyn event, and below are live spoilers from the tapings.
July 26th NXT episode:
-Ember Moon defeated Lei’D Tapa via pin fall after hitting The Eclipse.
Post-match, Ember cut a promo saying that she wants a shot against Asuka for NXT Women’s Title. She said that Asuka has been asking for competition lately, but she wonders if she’s ready for Ember Moon.
-Next up is The Authors of Pain vs two local talents. The match never gets underway, however, as Nikki Cross interrupts the AOP, and Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe hit the ring and take out the local talents. This leads to AOP and SAnitY brawling, which leads to AOP eventually clearing them from the ring.
-The Velveteen Dream vs Cezar Bononi. Dream gets the win following a fireman’s carry drop and the Purple Rain elbow. After the match, Kayla Braxton attempts to interview Dream, and although he compliments Braxton on being nicely dressed, he says the ugly WWE Universe will have to wait to hear him speak.
Drew McIntyre then hits the ring for a promo segment. He announces the main event of NXT Takeover Brooklyn will be him vs Bobby Roode for the WWE NXT Title. McIntyre added that when he was first in WWE, he had the wrong mindset, which lead to his failure. But he said he then became the hardest person in the room, and everyone walks side by side as equals, except for Bobby Roode. McIntyre ended the promo by leading in the crowd in a “we are NXT” chant, and added that NXT doesn’t belong to Bobby Roode, it belongs to everyone.
-Kassius Ohno vs Hideo Itami. Ohono gets the win via DQ. The match finish came when Ohno attempted the Roaring Elbow, but Itami reversed it into a GTS attempt. Ohno was able to escape the GTS, but then Itami hit him with a low blog to cause the DQ. Itami then beatdown Ohno after the match, and following two GTS’s to Ohno, he then hit a third one on steel steps outside the ring.
August 2nd NXT episode:
Johnny Gargano kicks off the episode and entered to the DIY music. But before he could hit the ring, he stopped and looked up at the tron, the music stopped, then the DIY logo disappeared, was replaced by his name, and he now has new entrance music.
-Johnny Gargano defeated Raul Mendoza via submission. The finish of the match saw Mendoza attempt a move off the top rope, but Gargano caught him and locked in the GargaNO Escape for the submission win.
Asuka makes her way to the ring next, and addresses Ember Moon’s NXT Takeover Brooklyn challenge. She says she will face Moon at Takeover, but that Moon is not ready for her yet. Ember Moon then interrupts Asuka, and comes out and says she knows she is ready for Asuka, and that the NXT Universe knows she is ready for Asuka. Moon added that deep down Asuka knows she isn’t ready to face Moon. Asuka then extends her hand to shake with Moon, but slaps her instead. The two then brawl, and Asuka sends Moon out of the ring. While Asuka gloats in the ring, Ember Moon climbs to the top and hits The Eclipse to end the segment.
-Heavy Machinery defeated Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli when Machinery hit their double team finishing move.
-Sonya Deville defeated Jenna Van Muscles via submission.
-We then cut to the back, where Hideo Itami is speaking to Kayla Braxton. He demands respect from the NXT fans, and says he does not need to give it in return. Kayla then says they have to cut back to the ring, because there is a match about to take place, but Itami cuts her off and grabs the mic. He then makes his way to the ring and says he doesn’t care which match is next, because he demands respect from Full Sail. This prompts Aleister Black to come out, and after Itami tries to escape, Black hits Black Mass to leave him laying. Black then waits in the ring for his opponent to come out, while Itami is helped to the back.
-Aleister Black then faced former Ring of Honor Champion Kyle O’Reilly, who is making his WWE NXT debut. The two had what was described as an excellent, technical match, which has been the longest of the night so far. The finish came when O’Reilly attempted a big elbow but was hit with Black Mass and Aleister Black got the pin fall win.
August 9th episode:
Nikki Cross kicks off the episode, calling out The Authors of Pain. As Rezar makes his way to the ring, Eric Young jumps him and eventually strings him up to the guardrail so the rest of SAnitY can give Akam a 3 on 1 beatdown. Rezar eventually breaks the guardrail, and tries to fight back, still attached to the guardrail, but the numbers game gets the best of him and he is beaten down by SAnitY.
-The Street Profits, Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins, defeated The Metro Brothers, Chris & JC. The win came when Ford hit a Frog Splash for the win.
William Regal is out next, and he says Bobby Roode and Drew McIntyre will meet face-to-face before their match at NXT Takeover Brooklyn. Bobby Roode then comes out with security and says Roderick Strong is running around backstage like a madman, and he needs security in order to protect himself and the “big money match” at Takeover. Drew McIntyre then come out, and him and Roode trade insults.
Eventually, Roderick Strong comes out, and William Regal warns him not to get involved. Strong says this is no longer about a match anymore because Roode made it personal, and it’s about his fiance, and he wants a fight against Roode. Roode then says he will fight Strong anytime, even for the belt, if he can beat McIntyre first. After Roode then rips the “we are NXT” chants, and says it’s all about him, William Regal makes Drew McIntyre vs Roderick Strong. Regal then said no matter the outcome, NXT Takeover Brooklyn will be headlined by Bobby Roode vs Drew McIntyre for the NXT Title.
August 16th episode:
-Danny Burch vs Oney Lorcan in a rematch from the last set of TV tapings. The finish came when Lorcan locked the Boston Crab on Burch, but Burch reversed it and scored the pin fall. The two showed a sign of respect after the match despite the fight they had at the last tapings.
-Andrade “Cien” Almas with Thea Trinidad defeated No Way Jose. After the match, Trinidad got on the mic, and said that Almas deserves the spotlight in NXT. She added that if the brand’s “golden boy”, Johnny Gargano, wants an opponent for NXT Takeover Brooklyn, he’s got one.
Out next is William Regal for a contract signing between Asuka and Ember Moon for their NXT Takeover Brooklyn match. Moon puts over Asuka’s title reign, and it lasting longer than Goldberg’s historic streak, but that she is now better than she has ever been thanks to facing Asuka in the past. Asuka then signs the contract and starts running down Ember Moon in Japanese, to end the segment.
-The Street Profits, Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins, defeated Lars Sullivan & Chris Silvio. Another quick squash match, with Ford hitting the frog splash for the win.
-Ruby Riot defeated Billie Kay via pin fall. After the match, Peyton Royce got on the mic and ran down Riot and her look, saying that a “gross, tatted out” person like her would never be iconic in NXT.
-Drew McIntyre vs Roderick Strong. Good back and forth match until Bobby Roode hits the ring and attacks both men. Roode slammed Strong into the steel steps, then hit the Glorious DDT on Drew McIntyre. The taping ended with Roode standing over McIntyre screaming this is “his NXT.”
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.
