Previously on NXT: We had one of the greatest shows in NXT history. Check out the full recap here.
This week is a typical Takeover:Aftermath show. This show is actually the preshow for NXT Takeover. It’s where competitors that weren’t booked on the main card still get to compete in front of an arena full of people. So this has little to no storylines at all and is mainly just a in-ring wrestling show.
The show is also used to recap what happened at the most recent Takeover. It’s kind of funny because both Takeover and NXT proper are on the Network. I don’t know of a person that skips Takeover and watches only NXT on Wednesday’s. So the recap video is nice, but I’m not sure what kind of fan it is meant to be for.
Deonna Purrazzo vs. Bianca Belair
HELL YAS!!! Bianca Belair is my favorite wrestler in NXT right now. She has been injured for a while but this girl oozes charisma. She has only been wrestling for maybe two years and is already a complete package. I could swoon over the EST of NXT but she will be a major focal point of NXT and WWE for years, so we have time.
Deonna redebuts in NXT and she is more seasoned, more sure of herself and more poised. This is gonna be a fun match.
Belair has a Ricochet problem. Ricochet does things that no normal human can do, but he makes it look so easy. He needs to work hard at making what comes easy to him look difficult. Bianca is the same way, she does backhand springs, leap frogs and feats of strength. They all look too easy when Belair does them, she needs to work at making it look like she is TRYING and not doing.
It’s weird how Belair is dominating the match and commentary tells the story that Purrazzo is a newcomer. Mauro states that Deonna has only been with NXT for two months so that puts Bianca at an advantage. Deonna has been wrestling for almost triple the amount of time Bianca has but here we are with Purrazzo as the rookie.
When Deonna gets offense in, she also gains control of the crowd. Deonna really looks like a star when she was given the time to shine. The time given was very little. Bianca was able to hit the reverse death valley driver for the win. Very entertaining match with two talented women. Bianca looks happy and gave us a look like “what did you think would happen?”
Velveteen Dream is shown cutting a promo from Saturday night.
Then EC3 cuts a reaction promo as well.
You can actually watch his eye swell while he cuts the promo.
NXT enhanced some of the footage of Aleister Black’s attack and Nikki Cross was straight chilling on the roof watching everything.
Zack Gibson gets a video package. He is a throw back to the original British wrestling style. He says he is Liverpool’s number one and soon he will be the U.K.’s number one.
WWE NXT United Kingdom Championship
Zack Gibson vs. Pete Dunne(c)
Zack Gibson doesn’t get much of a response if at all. Pete Dunne on the other hand gets quite the damn ovation. This Pete Dunne is a star and the crowd is in the palm of his hand.
“Bruiserweight” chant to start the match. The crowd is 100% behind Pete Dunne in this one.
We start off with some brilliant mat based wrestling. That is one of my favorite genre’s of the wrestling medium. Scientific/catch-as-catch-can/mat wrestling/chain wrestling/grapplefuck, it doesn’t matter what you call it. Dunne takes the match to it’s next level by doing slow joint manipulation and sadistic submission moves. There are paintbrush slaps and innovative attacks to rarely attacked body parts. We get some ear work and a double crab by both men that leads to a double headstand that leads to an inverted slap battle. This is that shit.
Dunne is bleeding a bit on his face. It’s shown after Gibson attacks Dunne’s arm and Pete was in so much pain the camera just lingered on his face. Nigel is talking about how Gibson can isolate and pick apart any body part he chooses. Nigel references Gordon Solie and says that this is truly “a human game of chess.”
Gibson is giving a great performance and earning boo’s from the crowd. He was a relative unknown to the crowd and is slowly establishing himself during this match. Gibson plays to the crowd a bit too much and gives Dunne an opportunity to take advantage.
Dunne does suplexes into submissions and moonsaults to the outside. Both of these men are telling a physical story, using a hybrid style of wrestling and keeping everything threaded and crisp. This is a text-book match and it’s beautiful.
Gibson gets a great nearfall that some in the crowd buy as the finish. Both men are fighting with their left arms limp. They are fighting like they have been through a war, that is until the final blast of adrenaline hits both men simultaneously. They start throwing haymakers and head kicks that land on the intended target. After both men are laid out from the strike war, we transition to the last act of the match.
Gibson is able to apply his arm submission known as “Helter Skelter”. Dunne fights for the ropes but Gibson is able to lock both of Pete’s arms. Dunne is forced to get the rope break by using his got damn mouth. Gibson hits Pete so hard that Dunne’s mouth guard comes out. Mauro points out that this is the most vulnerable we’ve ever seen Pete Dunne.
Gibson’s gross ass picks up Pete’s mouth guard and goes to throw that shit into the crowd but Dunne stops Zack and breaks Gibson’s fingers. One Bitter End later and Dunne is still our U.K. champion.
The match was great, the crowd reacted beautifully. Gibson had the match won but he got distracted by the used mouth guard. That distraction let Pete gain the victory and end a nice little show.
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