NXT Recap: August 19 2015

The final stop before NXT Takeover: Brooklyn this Saturday, this episode provides a fitting go home show for the biggest event in the developmental roster’s history. The three title matches were built up significantly, as they will carry the success of the night in New York.

Kevin Owens gave a final promo from atop a ladder before he attempts to regain the NXT Championship from Finn Balor, whilst Sasha Banks and Bayley conducted a contract signing before the Women’s Championship match. The only champions to compete on the night, Tag Team titleholders Blake & Murphy would prepare for their upcoming defense in a match with Angelo Dawkins and Sawyer Fulton.

On the remainder of this card, Samoa Joe and Tyler Breeze look to send messages to their respective opponents at Takeover in clashes with Steve Cutler and Rob Ryzin. Also, there is an eight-man tag team match, seeing the odd uniting of Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady, Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder against four independent opponents.

Quick Results

• Tyler Breeze defeats Rob Ryzin
• Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady, Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder defeat four opponents
• Samoa Joe defeats Steve Cutler
• Blake & Murphy defeat Angelo Dawkins & Sawyer Fulton

Sasha Banks/Bayley Contract Signing

The opening segment of this go home show focused in on the NXT Women’s Championship match at Takeover Brooklyn. Bayley, experiencing the roll of her life after victories over Emma, Charlotte and Becky Lynch, has catapulted herself into the eyesight of “the Boss” Sasha Banks. Banks has been an excellent fighting champion, with her match against Lynch on the last Takeover stealing the show. But, Bayley is the most beloved woman in NXT, and looked confident and determined to capture her first title reign at this contract signing.

Bayley thanked NXT general manager William Regal and the fans for pushing her to be challenging for the Women’s Championship, and said this time she felt different about this attempt compared to previous failed challenges. She even goes so far to say Banks feels that change as well. The Boss than grips one of her most powerful weapons, the microphone, to rile up the Full Sail audience by reminding them Takeover is taking place in Brooklyn, rather than there. This earns Banks tremendous heat before she says to Bayley that, whilst she might be good, she just isn’t Banks, eliciting mixed responses of “Bayley’s better” and “No she’s not”.

Banks leaves her customary ready-made signature stamp on the contract, and gets ready to walk to the back. Bayley however has other ideas, saying she knows how contract signings work in WWE, and reminding Banks of the assault she made on Lynch during their contract signing a few months earlier. She readies herself for a fight, but Banks saves her attack for the mic, laying into Bayley that she doesn’t consider her a threat like she did Charlotte and Lynch, because she is a pathetic loser. This final damning statement leads to her exit, but Banks doesn’t get far before Bayley tackles her on the stage, unleashing a furious blend of emotions onto the champion, until she is restrained by referees.

This segment was a great way to promote Bayley as the underdog that was not respected by Banks. The Boss was once again imperious on the microphone to generate this heat and put her challenger down, making their match at Takeover as much about Bayley proving herself as it is about the belt.

Tyler Breeze vs Rob Ryzin

In preparation for the biggest match of his career at Takeover, Tyler Breeze looked to build some momentum in this battle with Rob Ryzin. Breeze takes on Japanese legend Jushin “Thunder” Liger in Brooklyn, and has been carrying a mask of his rival as a chance to mock his fabled opponent at every opportunity. And this proves the case tonight in this eventual squash. After a brief roll-up by Ryzin, Breeze connects with a hard kick to the gut, followed by the Supermodel Kick to earn a simple win.

After the match, Breeze adorns his fallen victim with the mask of Liger. He talks about not being impressed with the superstar following this easy victory, but was looking forward to facing him on Saturday. Breeze then gives the NXT crowd a preview of what they can expect in Brooklyn, hitting the masked Ryzin with a Beauty Shot before counting out a second pinfall. Will this preview come to fruition at Takeover?

Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady, Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder vs four opponents

Conspicuous by their absence from the NXT Tag Team Championship match at Takeover, being held in their home of Brooklyn, Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady will have to settle for appearing on the event’s “pre-show”. There, they will unite with the Hype Bros of Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder to face The Mechanics, Jason Jordan & Chad Gable. To prepare for that meeting and generate some chemistry between the two unique tandems, they were placed in a warm-up contest with four unnamed opponents.

Rawley starts for his team, combining with teammate Ryder to send their opponent face first into some double knees. The Long Island Iced Z follows this up with a missile dropkick, before tagging in the plucky and popular Enzo. As usual, the feisty combatant is the one to get worn down by the collection of talent in the opposing corner, before escaping courtesy of an Enzo-Guri. The hot tag is made to Big Cass, who runs down all the opposition, including a big boot that sends a guy on the ring apron almost backstage.

Rawley gets in on the action with a discus punch, which sets the victim up nicely for Ryder’s Broski boot. Big Cass then drops the legal opponent down with a spinning side slam, allowing Enzo to ascend to the top rope and crash down with the assisted splash to gain the victory for his unit.

Samoa Joe vs Steve Cutler

In a clash of destructive behemoths in Brooklyn, Samoa Joe will look to dent the indomitable aura that surrounds Baron Corbin at Takeover. Both men have a reputation for decimating opponents in short order, and Joe would look to maintain that reputation in this contest with Steve Cutler. Cutler got out of the blocks quickly, likely looking to make an impression of his own after falling at the hands of Corbin in weeks past, but his time on top would be short-lived. Joe slammed him hard down from the corner, before trapping Cutler in the Coquina Clutch to secure a simple win.

But that would not be the end of the action, as whilst Joe was departing to backstage, Corbin flattened him with a big boot to the face. The lone wolf would beat his experienced rival down the ramp and back to the ring, establishing himself as a threat to the Samoan Submission Machine. Joe would respond with kicks in the squared circle, but would then be caught in the End of Days. Should Corbin connect with that on Saturday, he could easily secure the most pivotal victory of his burgeoning career.

Blake & Murphy vs Angelo Dawkins & Sawyer Fulton

Blake & Murphy defend their NXT Tag Team Championships in Brooklyn against tough opposition in the Vaudevillains. However, the main story has been the presence of Alexa Bliss at ringside, and her inclinations to slap the taste out of the challengers’ mouths, with them unable to respond due to oaths of chivalry. Barbie girl chants are directed towards the champions, as their opponents Angelo Dawkins & Sawyer Fulton start well against Blake in this match. Dawkins in particular looks strong, using a very good sunset flip and then a big dropkick.

He is eventually floored by a hard clothesline, handing the champs the advantage and chances to wear down Dawkins. Keeping him penned in their corner with kicks to the gut, Dawkins eventually escapes to his partner Fulton, who cleans house with some unique offense, including a modified backbreaker and a spinning gutwrench suplex on Murphy. However, he doesn’t connect with a running splash in the corner, allowing him to be caught by the running suplex from Murphy and Frog Splash combo from Blake to hand the champs victory.

After the bell, the Vaudevillains stand on the stage, looking to announce their plans for their title shot in Brooklyn, and dealing with the problem of Bliss. Yet, before they get the chance, Bliss is in their face once again with a vindictive pair of slaps. They attempt to speak again, but are once more shut down by slaps to the face, demonstrating that Bliss has the potential to derail their championship aspirations if left unchecked.

Kevin Owens Talks Takeover: Brooklyn

With only a few days away before the NXT Championship is swinging from the rafters in the main event of Takeover: Brooklyn, challenger Kevin Owens had a few things he wished to discuss. The former champ first took a few shots at the hypocrisy of the NXT crowd, saying they cheer for him when he arrives, but boo if he does something bad to Sami Zayn or John Cena. Owens says nothing genuine ever comes from the reactions of the audience, and finds it pathetic that the Full Sail crowd boo the fact the Takeover event is happening in Brooklyn, despite this allowing the brand to grow and improve.

Owens then goes on to state that he looks forward to beating “flavor of the month” Finn Balor, the current NXT Champion, in front of an audience deserving of witnessing the biggest main event in NXT history. He says his loss in Japan was nothing more than a fluke, and it will not happen again in Brooklyn, as Owens promises to deliver the worst beating he has ever unleashed on an opponent on Saturday. He craves the NXT title so he can shove it in the face of the “disrespectful” audience. It is then climb Owens climb up the ladder, as he assures everyone that when he’s at the top of the ladder, Balor will be a broken heap on the canvas.

The lights change as the champion’s entrance music hits, but instead of walking down the ramp, Balor is perched on the top turnbuckle, staring up at Owens on the ladder. The challenger descends, setting up a huge brawl between the heated rivals, fists flying, before Balor sends Owens into retreat with a Pele kick to the temple. Balor then climbs the ladder himself with the title belt in his hand, promising to beat Owens up and shut him up for good.