WWE NXT #377 (2.8.17) Play-by-Play and Review

Tonight, NXT is back at Full Sail University and Tom Phillips, Percy Watson, and Nigel McGuinness join us for commentary.

Match #1: Sanity (Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain) v. Bollywood Boyz

All 4 members of Sanity make their entrance as Lord Alfred Hayes, I mean Nigel McGuinness, talks about their menacing aura. Gurv and Harv Sihra make their entrance – or march to their death if you prefer some straight talk. Killian is a nasty and hairy man and his wrestling gear is not flattering. Maybe Dain is a future Wyatt Family member? There’s a big focus early on Dain being a monster and no-selling the Bollywood Boyz offense.

Dain ends a futile double-team attempt, levels both Sihras, and loudly calls his next spot. Jeez, Dain. Dain hits a waist slam of some sort and a running senton. He then power bombs Harv onto Gurv or Gurv onto Harv. I don’t know. Dain delivers a big elbow drop to the now-stacked Boyz. Dain follows up with the One-Winged Angel (Ulster Plantation) for the pinfall. Alexander Wolfe was also in this match, by the way.

Winner: Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe via pinfall

Post-Match: Nikki Cross screams toward Eric Young’s microphone saying she wants Asuka. Eric Young says everyone finds their place and for those that don’t will be put you in their place. Young says he humbled Tye Dillinger and he still needs to join Sanity.

Thoughts: Killian Dain has the big man routine down and he fills that enforcer role better than Sawyer Fulton did for sure. That said, the man needs some new gear. Put a shirt and some pants on him. I find myself being repulsed rather than focusing on his match. Anyway, overall, Sanity is again presented in a strong light and that can hopefully be used to get a new baby face (or two) more over down the road.

Match#2: Liv Morgan v. Billie Kay (w/ Peyton Royce)

There’s an aggressive tie-up to start and Morgan is forced backward into the corner. She catches Billie in a headlock and then counters a drop down by standing on Billie’s back and rolling her around the ring before finally settling for a near fall. Billie catches Liv with a hot-shot into the top rope and a move I have no name for (sit-out wrist lock with a boot to the face?), but it’s only good for a 2-count. Billie hits a suplex and gets another 2-count.

Morgan catches Billie with a head scissors takedown. Liv tries to pull Billie into another move, but Peyton Royce gets on the ring apron and holds Billie’s other arm. A human tug of war ensues until Billie ends up getting thrown into Peyton, knocking her off the ring apron. Morgan rolls up Billie on the rebound and bridges over to score the upset (?) win.

Winner: Liv Morgan via pinfall

Thoughts: Liv Morgan looked good. She looked different – maybe cleaner? Less Jersey/Carmella-like? It’s hard to put into words, but she’s evolving slowly for the better. The Billie/Peyton collision didn’t seem to result in any tension, but maybe a split is in the works. I think all three of them will end up on the main roster at some point.

Backstage: Tye Dillinger issues a reply to Eric Young ‘s claim that he belongs with Sanity. Dillinger says ‘hell no’. Before he can talk about the Royal Rumble, he’s jumped by Sanity. They all brawl to ringside and Tye briefly fends them off. Killian Dain crushes Tye with his cross body block. Roderick Strong and No Way Jose hit the ring (no music) and help Dillinger clear Sanity from the ring. It looks like there may be a 6-man tag in the works.

Thoughts: I loved Roderick Strong and Jose hitting the ring without theme music blaring. Seriously, do you think they’re yelling to the music guy to hit their music if they are focused on rushing to the ring and rescuing their friend from a beat down? I always think of those old Titan Tron toys from the late 90’s. When you put the action figure’s foot on the sensor on the entrance ramp, their music would play.

Backstage: General Manager William Regal announces that next week, UK Champion Tyler Bate will defend the title against Trent Seven. The words had barely left his mouth before Peyton Royce and Billie Kay enter the room screaming. They declare that they want a match against Liv Morgan next week. William Regal agrees and says that it will be them against Liv Morgan and a partner of her choosing. After briefly selling being worried that it won’t be a 2-on-1 handicapped match, Peyton and Billie laugh and say Liv has no friends.

Update: Shinsuke Nakamura’s ‘injury’ will not require surgery and he continues to rehab for his return to NXT.

Match #3: Heavy Machinery (Tucker Knight and Otis Dozovic) v. The Revival

Wilder meets Knight with 3 consecutive shoulder blocks and Knight doesn’t budge. Knight catches him in a bear hug and tags in Otis. Knight throws Wilder from the bear hug into the arms of Otis for another bear hug. I can’t say I’ve ever seen that in my life. Dawson distracts the referee a little so Wilder can dig into Dozovic’s eyes to break the hold.

Dawson tags in and hammers away with fists. Wilder comes in and connects with a double team leg drop for a 2-count. Revival beat down Dozovic in the corner followed up with a basement drop kick to the head by Dawson for a near fall. Dawson settles into a rear chin lock, but Otis counters into a back suplex. Tucker gets the hot tag and cleans house with an avalanche clothesline to Wilder in the corner and a big drop kick to Dawson. Dawson gets a blind tag, but Knight meets him with a Thesz Press into a pin for a near fall. Wilder sneaks around and knocks the legs out from under Otis on the ring apron which leads to Dawson catching Knight with a DDT. That’s good for the win.

Winners: The Revival via pinfall

Post-Match: Wilder says it seems people have forgotten about the best tag team in the world and NXT Tag Team of the Year. You deserve it chant. #DIY should have never been champions and the proof was them getting demolished by the Authors of Pain. Dawson calls out the Authors of Pain for TakeOver Orlando. Cue the Authors of Pain music. The Revival backs out of the ring saying they don’t want a fight tonight.

The Authors of Pain head up the ramp and are then attacked from behind by The Revival when they turn to face the crowd. Rezar is knocked off the stage first. Dawson and Wilder briefly beat down Akam before Rezar recovers and chases them off. They are pissed.

Thoughts: Dawson and Wilder were great as usual. I can’t imagine there will be a heel versus heel title match at TakeOver, so I assume #DIY may be added to make it a Triple Threat. Has that ever been done for a tag team match? What is also great is that the Authors and Revival are two distinct kinds of heels. You have the powerful and merciless heel team and the cowardly and strategizing heel team. I enjoy watching it. Now NXT just needs more than one established baby face tag team.

Before commercial, it is announced that Regal has made tonight’s main event official: Tye Dillinger, Roderick Strong, and No Way Jose will face Sanity.

Video Package: For anyone not familiar with Tyler Bate, a nice recap of his young career and UK Championship victory is shown.

Back in the arena: Glorious! The new NXT Champion poses on his rotating platform and makes his way to the ring for the Glorious Celebration. Roode says he’s not the kind of guy to walk around saying I told you so… (Quote: …no I’m totally that guy. I told you so!) He says Nakamura ran roughshod for a decade (Quote: …and that’s 10 years for you idiots that don’t know what a decade is). Roode says Nakamura has beaten Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, and even Samoa Joe – everyone except Bobby Roode. Roode says Nakamura was going to kick his head off, but his head is still attached. Roode says the single greatest moment in NXT history was when he held the belt over his head because now NXT has a real champion. Roode pulls out a little Ric Flair strut. Roode says it is no longer ‘We are NXT’, it is now ‘My NXT’ and this NXT will be simply Glorious. Man, sort of a weak crowd tonight.

Video Package: Introducing Trent Seven.

Match #4: Tye Dillinger, No Way Jose, and Roderick Strong v. Sanity (w/ Nikki Cross)

The baby face trio wastes no time and attacks Sanity in the aisle during their entrance. The referee tries to get some order going into commercial.

Back from break, Dillinger levels Wolfe with a clothesline and flips Young into a ring. The heels regroup outside the ring as the referee counts (Crowd chants of Ten). Dillinger flips Wolfe back in the ring and tags Jose. Jose catches Wolfe with an arm drag, hip toss, and flapjack for a near fall. Wolfe surprises Jose with a straight right and tags in Eric Young. Jose turns the tables and scores with some chops and a back body drop off an Irish whip rebound from the corner. Young kicks out at 2. Strong tags in and hits a chop, but Young drives Strong back to the heel corner and tags in Wolfe.

Leaping leg lariat by Strong out of the corner. Dillinger tags in and mounts Wolfe for punches in the corner. Dillinger turns around and hits Young with a double axe handle, then turns back around into a boot to the face from Wolfe. Wolfe tags in Dain, who stomps a mudhole in Dillinger. Dain hits Tye with some big cross-face forearms. Dain tags in Wolfe and spears Dillinger in the corner. While holding Dillinger in the corner, Wolfe charges in with a back elbow and it’s good for a 2-count. Dillinger finally gets a back suplex and a hot tag to Strong.

Strong races across the ring and connects with a running knee to Dain on the apron and a forearm to Young. Strong takes Wolfe down with a running clothesline. Strong throws strikes to Wolfe and scores another kick to Dain through the ropes. Wolfe then eats a back breaker, but Young got the blind tag. Strong meets Young with a drop kick to the face. Strong nails a running knee in the corner and hits a botched face buster. Wolfe makes it into the ring to make the save. Jose tosses Wolfe out and hits a cross body over the top rope. Strong comes off the ropes for the Sick Kick, but Dain trips him and he eats the mat. Dillinger comes back in and drills Young with the Tye Breaker. While the referee’s back is turned to deal with Dain, Nikki Cross comes off the second rope to attempt a hurricanrana. Tye catches her, so she punches him repeatedly and hits the hurricanrana over the top rope to the floor.

Cross now distracts the referee, which allows Dain to intercept a running Strong with his cross body block. Young crawls over and gets the pin.

Winners: Sanity via pinfall

Thoughts: Decent match. Once again, Sanity is kept strong (no pun intended) by pinning Strong. That’s my only complaint. I feel like Strong is a rising star and maybe shouldn’t have been the one being pinned. Well, that and Dain’s wrestling gear.

Announced for Next Week:
· UK Championship: Tyler Bate © v. Trent Seven

· Billie Kay & Peyton Royce v. Liv Morgan & Mystery Partner

image credit – WWE