NXT Recap (8/24/17): The Brits Are Back

Welcome to this week’s edition of Ringside Intel’s NXT Recap! Every Thursday I’ll bring you a rundown of what happened on NXT the night before, with a bit of my own insights and commentary thrown in. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

As is usually the case with post-TakeOver episodes of NXT, last night’s episode was mostly a rehashing of the events that occurred at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7nKGw-eUpU]

And, much to my disappointment, that meant there would be no Adam Cole. As fans of NXT already know, episodes are taped weeks in advance – and last night’s episode was actually taped prior to last Saturday’s TakeOver event. In other words, when last night’s episode of NXT was taped, Cole had not yet debuted.

However, even though last night’s episode was not a normal episode of NXT, there were still some good matches.

Lars Sullivan destroys No Way Jose

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeif-x2HrJY]

Ok, this wasn’t a match. But it was supposed to be before Lars Sullivan completely destroyed No Way Jose.

No Way Jose came out dancing as per usual and invited two conga lines of “fans” – who I’m assuming were actually planted local indy wrestlers – to join him when Sullivan burst down the entrance ramp and attacked No Way Jose from behind. I’m not very familiar with Sullivan, but the way he manhandled someone the size of No Way Jose was nevertheless impressive.

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As you can see in the WWE.com exclusive clip below, apparently Sullivan attacked No Way Jose because he doesn’t like his music.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gf8Kqc71MU]

I mean, yeah – I can see that.

Johnny Gargano and Asuka

No, Johnny Gargano and Asuka didn’t wrestle each other – although that would be one hell of a match. What they did do was both give interviews concerning their matches at TakeOver. Which begs the question: if this episode of NXT was filmed before TakeOver, did Gargano and Asuka film their match interviews before they’d wrestled the matches in question?

While that might seem like a dumb thing to wonder, Asuka looks no worse for wear in her interview below. And as we now know, she unfortunately broke her collarbone in her successful title defense against Ember Moon.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ9Z9-6LqeI]

Whatever the case, it just goes to prove that wrestlers need not only be good athletes – they also have to be good actors.

Peyton Royce (w/ Billie Kay) defeats Sarah Logan

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KJ2zTlIVTo]

This week’s women’s match featured NXT vet Peyton Royce – accompanied by her “Iconic Duo” pal Billie Kay – square off against relative NXT newcomer Sarah Logan. Logan previously appeared sporadically in NXT under the ring name Crazy Mary Dobson, but she’s now signed to a developmental contract and is one of the participants in the 32-woman Mae Young Classic.

The match was decent, but definitely not the caliber of what fans have come to expect from NXT women’s wrestling. For as long as they’ve been in NXT, Royce and Kay remain little more than mid-card enhancement talent (not to mention their mean girls gimmick is completely played out). Furthermore, it wasn’t a good look for Logan, as a representative of the Mae Young Classic, that she lost.

Bobby Roode Wants A Rematch

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tObJqpYF-Aw]

Here we have more exclusive fallout footage from the aftermath of Takeover; but Bobby Roode’s unsurprising blow-up is not the most interesting tidbit here. I can’t find video of it, but after recapping Roode’s SmackDown debut they aired an interview he gave with Kayla Braxton in which he vowed to have his NXT Championship rematch against Drew McIntyre and settle unfinished business with Roderick Strong in NXT. That seems odd considering he just debuted on SmackDown, plus there’s the teeny tiny problem of Adam Cole, but what do I know.

That being said, it was also announced that McIntyre will address the events of TakeOver on next week’s episode of NXT, so I’m sure everything will be clarified.

Pete Dunne and Wolfgang def. Trent Seven and Tyler Bate

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMHylz1HPRg]

I will 100% admit that Pete Dunne was my motivation for watching this week’s mostly recap episode of NXT. What can I say – I have a thing for British cruiserweights.

But I’ll also say that I thought the match-up was pretty strange. Dunne, Seven, and Bate are stablemates outside WWE, and while WWE has a tendency to ignore alliances outside itself, the United Kingdom Championship has been treated far differently from other WWE titles in that WWE has allowed Dunne to defend it at non-WWE events. So why wouldn’t they recognize his British Strong Style teammates here? I don’t know – maybe I’m just splitting hairs.

Whatever the case, Dunne and Wolfgang defeated Seven and Bate. Notably, during a backstage interview earlier in the night, Wolfgang had asked Dunne for a UK Title shot. It provided a bit more context for the match, and it also sets up a feud for Dunne within the time until the next TakeOver in November.

As post-TakeOver NXT episodes go, I’d say last night’s was better than most. However, it definitely was nowhere near as entertaining as a run-of-the-mill NXT episode would be.

What did you think of last night’s episode of NXT? Share your thoughts below!