[NXT SPOILERS] For MAY 25, 2016

[RIPPA]

Per PWI

Quote

Dark Match: Andrade Cien Almas (aka, Manny Andrade, aka La Sombra) def. Tino Sabbatelli 
 
Dark Match: NXT Tag Team champions American Alpha def. The Authors of Pain (Gzim Selmani and Sunny Dhinsa)
 
Week 1:
 
William Regal announces that Bayley was originally going to challenge Asuka for the NXT Women's Championship at Takeover. Unfortunately, she is not medically cleared to compete. There will be a triple threat match between Carmella, Alexa Bliss, and Nia Jax to determine the number 1 contender. 
 
- Johnny Gargano and Thomasso Ciampa def. TM61 (Nick Miller and Shane Thorne)
 
- Austin Aries cuts a promo about greatness and declaring how great he is. Regardless of the outcome of Finn vs. Joe, he will be the NXT champion soon. Shinsuke Nakamura comes out and says that the title belongs to a king. William Regal comes out and makes a match between Austin Aries and Shinsuke Nakamura official for Takeover.
 
- No Way Jose won a squash match.
 
- Nia Jax def. Carmella and Alexa Bliss to become the number one contender to the NXT Women's Championship. Asuka comes out and stares her down.

Per WON

Quote

- Dark Match: Manny Andrade beat Tino Sabbatelli

Manny had a new name, but I couldn't hear over the reaction. (Editor's note: Andrade “Cien” Almas). This was a very good match as Tino is much improved, and a showcase for Manny as he's clearly the gem of the non-TV roster. Andrade teased dives to the outside, and in the end, Manny hit the running double knees in the corner for the win.

- Dark Match: NXT Tag Team Champions American Alpha beat The Authors Of Pain

This was the Full Sail debut of Gzim Selmani and Sunny Dhinsa, and they did well in working the Alpha style of match. They got the heat on Gable before the Jordan hot tag. End was the Assisted German Suplex for the win for AA.

- Mr Regal announces Nia vs. Alexa vs. Carmella for the right to face Asuka for the title at TakeOver .

- Ciampa and Gargano beat TM61 (Nick Miller and Shane Thorn)

TM61 are the former TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste). Excellent match, hard hitting and fast paced. Big reactions for both teams. Ciampa and Gargano got the heat on Shane for most of it before we got the hot tag to Nick. TM61 hit an amazing double team DDT for a near fall, broken up by Johnny. Finish was the double superkick by Gargano and Ciampa for the win. The teams had a stare down post match.

- In-ring promo by Austin Aries saying he wants to be champion. Nakamura interrupts him to the loudest pop in Full Sail history. The crowd was even singing along with his music. In English, he says he wants to be the champion. Regal makes his way to the stage and makes the match for TakeOver. 

- No Way Jose beat Johnny Vandal

Showcase match for Jose who was incredibly over. NWJ won with his punch and cobra clutch slam.

- Nia Jax beat Carmella and Alexa Bliss in a triple threat for the right to face Asuka at TakeOver

Very good match with Alexa outsmarting the other two. Carmella went for two dives and had her leglock on Alexa before Nia broke it up and hit her big legdrop for the win. Post match, Asuka confronted Nia in the ring and held the title above her head.

 

[mattdangerously]

I feel like they skipped a few steps in the Aries/Nakamura storyline.

[nofuture]

I think at this point it's a face/face match with Aries getting pissed off and attacking Nakamura when he loses, turning him heel.

I do like Manny's new name which translates to 100 souls.

[mattdangerously]

I figured that's what they were going for, but it still seems a little rushed. 

[caley]

6 hours ago, RIPPA said:

Per PWI

Per WON

Gzim Selmani

Please, please, please tell me that his name isn't pronounced 'Jism'?

[SirSmUgly]

Nakamura's nonplussed "Me neither" in response to Aries saying that he didn't understand Nakamura at all cracked me up. Hilarious. Bonus humor points for Alexa Bliss's loud OH HECK NO as she moved to cut off an opponent. She's a total cartoon, and like eighty percent of it doesn't work, but her vocalizing in the ring is pretty good at this point. 

That triple threat was laid out really nicely, I thought. Didn't think much of the opening tag. It was okay, but TM-61 seemed a bit off there early. I find No Way Jose to be a really likable person and I dig his entrance music even if he's just doing a stereotypical happy Latino dude gimmick.

There does seem to be a bit of a rush to the big show in June, definitely. 

[odessasteps]

La Sombra sighting

[Trocar Slush Weasel]

That's how you get people (well, me) hyped for a debut:

 

[JCM]

That hype vid for Andrade is great. I'm pretty pumped for Nak/Aries, and the two title rematches should be great. Nia vs Asuka could go either way. If they go for an all out slugfest it could be awesome. If they have Asuka selling 80% of the match it could be meh. The opening tag match was pretty good. Jose does nothing for me.

[Jiji]

Asuka had to bump around and sell for Nia the majority of their house show match. They weren't on the same page at all in Seattle and the match was kind of poopy. Hopefully they've worked out the kinds since.

But never mind that shyit! Here comes Manny!

[CSC]

 Tom Phillups not only busting out the Carlton but stealing Uekerisms from Major League.  Quality work, there.

[Stevie Ray Von Erich]

With how deliberate the tag was paced to start, I felt like they needed another ten minutes to build to a really hot finish, but the match just ended as I was staring to get into in. I haven't seen much of TMDK, but I like how weird/goofy Thorn(e?) is.

Nakamura has been nearly perfect so far. Aries needs to be a heel. He gives off this scowling intensity when he's fired up that makes for a great heel mannerism because it makes him seem like a dick.

Jose is fun, but that is a nothing gimmick. It needs some soul or purpose. Think Bayley before she became the ultimate underdog or really early Emma. It's fun, but there is no direction. And I can't stress this enough, that pitch punch should be his finish.

Can we spring for a Network subscription for Nia so she can watch some Vader?

Carmella is all energy, no connection. She's a great face, but the connection with the crowd isn't there so her fire comes off awkward to me.

Decent week, but the build has really only been going on for a week or so for this coming Takeover. It feels much more like a main roster PPV in that sense, and there's not been a lot of grand storytelling this time around, even if the matches will be good.

[RandomAct]

Fun shows the last couple of weeks, after seemingly months of nothing.

I think Nia will be something special once she gets her timing and placement down.  Her presence is there, but she obviously has moments of indecision.  Like Stevie said, make her watch some Vader, or even Yokozuna.  Otherwise, I thought that 3 was was really fun.  The girls busted their ass.

I clearly love Jose with all my heart.

[StretchMediatedHypertrophy]

That leg-drop is the worst, just staying on them like that removes any sensation of impact. Just awful. I really hope she's not being brought up, because she isn't much better than Eva really.

[JonnyLaw]

I think I really, honestly want a prolonged Jose-Drifter feud.

[turk128]

Was Nakamura grooving to Regal's theme?

Vandal was a great counter to Jose.

Bliss was on a great lil tear out there. Jax really shined.

 

[Trocar Slush Weasel]

[ChrisM]

Carmella is my least favorite performer in NXT. Her shrill promos as she's coming to the ring, are like nails on a chalkboard. 

[JCM]

I was really glad she didn't get mic time coming to the ring this week. Nia selling for Alexa made me lol. All 3 of those women need to improve their offense. Was it just me or did Carmella set her finish up wrong? She did an STO instead of the usual flatliner, and it was pretty awkward. The Aries/Nak stuff may be a little rushed, but that was really well done. Aries' ego not being to handle having his early run being upstaged by Nak is such a natural reason for him to turn.  I can't see Nak being anything other than a star on the MR. His charisma leaves everyone in the dust.

[SirSmUgly]

Yeah, Alexa's heelery is actually getting pretty funny at this point. Carmella does suck as a face. She seems really nice, and I want to get behind her, but there's nothing about her that doesn't seem manufactured. None of it seems real. 

This show needed more Drifter. I actually really love that dude. He's easy to hate and is a decent wrestler. 

[Go2Sleep]

7 minutes ago, JCM said:

Was it just me or did Carmella set her finish up wrong? She did an STO instead of the usual flatliner, and it was pretty awkward.

I think Alexa bumped wrong. Those two had a few noticeable miscommunication spots in the match. The match layout sucked too with Nia looking less dominant than she should against those two, and all of them really abusing the "2 in 1 out" formula. Seemed like Alexa disappeared for the last 5 minutes. Triple threats are hard matches to pull off, and it's never a good idea to put green wrestlers in them. Each woman showed some flashes of good character work, but the match really highlighted how far behind the horsewomen + Asuka they are.

[Jamal]

I liked the triple threat match too. All three women are still works in progress but I felt they mostly clicked here. And Carmella/Alexa looked better against one another here than they did back when they were feuding. So, the improvement is evident. I also dug the post match staredown between Asuka and Nia. That should be a fun match. 

[Josh Mann]

18 hours ago, Stevie Ray Von Erich said:

Jose is fun, but that is a nothing gimmick. It needs some soul or purpose. Think Bayley before she became the ultimate underdog or really early Emma. It's fun, but there is no direction. And I can't stress this enough, that pitch punch should be his finish.

 

He needs to still slow down his pantomime at the start of it and let it pick up speed at the end. Think Luis Tuant/Hideo Nomo. But he's getting better at slowing it down. The first week he was like Greg Maddux with a runner on first. 

[Pete]

That tag match was hot as hell. Shane is pro wrestling as fuck with his body language... a total blast to watch. I like that they got to work "the mighty don't kneel" into their promo and I'm highly amused that no one else here noticed "MN" on Nick Miller's boots.

[Rev Ray]

I think wwe could do a network special on Nakamura mowing his lawn and I would watch and be highly entertained.