WWE NXT 5-25-16

Regal welcomes us to the show and says that Bayley can't wrestle - so Carmella, Alexa, and Nia will go at it to determine Asuka's opponent for Takeover. Ciampa and Gargano are out to face the former TMK - TM61. They reference being the mighty and the mighty don't kneel. TMDK really needs different-looking gear - they're generic brunettes now. Miller at least has a tan, while Shane has tats.Torne lands a slick basement dropkick for 2. Atomic drop into an uppercut gets 2 for Thorne. Stereo moonsault/fistdrop sends Johnny to the floor. Thorne fakes out a dive, and has more physical charisma. Ciampa elbows Thorne and then Garagno gets an outside-in spear! Wacky necklock by Gargano looks great. Ciampa's back in and eats some forearms by Thorne. Kryptonite Krunch/Neckbreaker combo gets 2 for TM61. Thorne eats a big open hand slap that believably sends Thorne to the corner, and the superkick/knee ends it - great showing for TM61.

 

Joe-Balor music video makes Joe out to be an absolute killer. Bayley says she isn't 100% and she can't compete against Asuka just yet. Nia says she broke her and says she'll never come back the same. Carmella defends Bayley and then Nia talks trash about Carmella and Alexa. BABYMETAL's "Karate" is used as a theme for Takeover! We get an epic hype video for La Sombra. They show his mask in close-up, and then we get old tyme-looking clips of him doing training stuff in the mask to show his past and then him unmasking as Andrade "Cien" Almas for the future. Great stuff.

 

 

Aries comes down and says that he's great - but he debuted when other greats did. A Nakamura chant breaks out and he says that he wants the winner of Joe-Balor because he will be NXT Champion. The lights go out and NAKAMURA'S THEME HITS! The commentators tie everything into the Aries/Nakamura tag showing that Aries knows Nak is great - thus turning an otherwise nothing match into something important - I love it.

 

 

Nakamura grabs a mic and speaks Japanese before saying "you don't understand Japanese, right?" then speaking English, leading to Aries saying "I don't understand you!" and Nak saying "yeah, me too! ANYWAYS!" Nak says the title isn't coming to greatness - it's coming to KING - OF STRONG STYLE and then he just points. Regal's theme hits and Nakamura dances to it briefly. Regal says he wants them to face off - and they will have a match on June 8!  They shake on it and Nakamura is also the king of shaking hands. Every single thing he does is great, and now the fans sing his theme too!

 

 

 

 

American Alpha are backstage and put over the Revival as being the toughest team they've ever faced. No Way Jose is out and super-over in Full Sail. He's doomed to being Fandango 2K16, but hey, it's fun and he gets to make a living. Tom says Jose's just vibin - and Corey tells him that he doesn't sound comfortable saying that, so he'd appreciate if he never did it again. The ole song has now been changed to "no way...Jose". Glorious.

 

Jose bumps and grinds his way out of a go-behind and gets a sloppy hiptoss before landing a jumping snapmare. AIRPLANE SPIN and then he stops and DOES IT IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. What's old is new again. Jose lands some great wacky Road Dogg punches, hits the batter up axehandle before an inverted atomic drop, the batter up punch, and the wacky full nelson slam. Just make that punch his finisher. Jose dances with Tom and Corey, who are gloriously wacky.

 

Balor hype video says the NXT Title loss wasn't the end of Finn Balor - it was the beginning. Finn says it will be the end of Joe, and in the one thing I don't like here - they had Joe and Balor be in the same cage at the same time for a promo shot. Asuka says she doesn't care who wins, she will defeat them. Next week, Aries faces the Drifter. No thanks. Carmella's out, followed by Alexa THANKFULLY KEEPING HER GEAR. This is a sketchy match in theory based on experience - but it should be fun. I like Alexa just leaving to start - smart heel move.

 

Carmella and Nia go at it and Jax charges her into the corner. Sunset flip attempt is met by a stomp attempt that fails, so Carmella goes for a headlock. That fails, as does a top wristlock. Alexa goes for a dive, but Nia spots her - so she hops back down to the floor. Awesome. Carmella gets a pop-up rana into the buckle before Alexa jumps Carmella for 2. Surfboard curb stomps get 2 for Bliss. Schoolgirl gets 2 for Carmella. Knee to the gut sets up a Vaderbomb for 2 for Bliss. Alexa gets the goozle and crazy-eyed STO before the moonsault kneedrop gets 2.

Nia drops an elbow, but Alexa moves. Shotgun knees to Nia take her out. SPARKLE SPLASH ON NIA GETS 2 thanks to Carmella. Nia misses a charge, so they go for a double suplex - and she lands one on them! Nia charges and misses - STOP DOING THAT. Since she's on the floor, the others go at it in the ring. Carmella goes for a dive, but is caught by Nia - Nia drops her after an Alexa kick. Carmella hits her dive on Jax to send her down. Carmella does that goofy billion hour-long shuffle and hits the bronco buster, and then the inverted triangle is on, but Nia breaks it up.  Carmella locks on a sleeper, but Nia sends her into the corner. A flying bombs away gets 2. Bronco buster is countered into a spinebuster and a legdrop ends it for Nia. Very good match given the folks involved - everyone got several chances to shine here. Nia and Asuka stare each other down to close the show.

Screenshot gallery -
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