WWE NXT
April 12, 2017
Orlando, Florida (Amway Center)
Commentary: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson
Results courtesy of WWE.com this week.
NXT results: One franchise player arrives, while another says goodbye
Newly signed world-beater Drew McIntyre battled Oney Lorcan, while two-time NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura said sayonara to the passionate NXT fans at Full Sail University.
Aleister Black def. Corey Hollis
Aleister Black is a dangerous, dangerous man. Against an overmatched Corey Hollis, the acclaimed striker from Amsterdam needed only one move to achieve victory in his Full Sail University debut.
Standing with his hands behind his back, Black projected a quiet strength — if not the unsettling calmness of the eye of a storm — as he waited for his opponent to make the first move. Hollis approached unguarded and as soon as he was within range, Black made him pay, greeting the competitor with his devastating spin kick, Black Mass, to pick up the three-count.
Tye Dillinger and Eric Young to face off in a Steel Cage Match next week
Though Tye Dillinger is now a Superstar with SmackDown LIVE, The Perfect 10 still has unfinished business to take care of in NXT … namely, evening the score with Eric Young. Dillinger will have his chance next week, as NXT General Manager William Regal granted the popular Superstar a bout against SAnitY’s unhinged ringleader inside a steel cage. Will the cage be enough to keep other SAnitY members from interfering in the grudge match?
#DIY def. Dylan Miley & Michael Blais
After coming up short in their hunt for the NXT Tag Team Championship at TakeOver: Orlando, #DYI sought to regain momentum against the duo of Michael Blais and 300-pound brute Dylan Miley.
Miley didn’t make it easy to achieve that goal, using his incredible power to get the best of #DIY. He ran through a Tommaso Ciampa clothesline attempt at the start, then later caught Johnny Gargano in a stalling vertical suplex, hosting Johnny Wrestling high in the air for 20 seconds.
Blais had considerably less success, however, and surrendered the offense upon tagging in. #DIY’s quick-hitting tag mechanics took over, resulting in a Meeting in the Middle for the pin on Blais.
Enraged over the outcome, Miley snapped and unleashed a merciless beating on Blais, repeatedly thrashing his partner onto the canvas before putting him down with a powerslam.
Ruby Riot def. Kimberly Frankele
As the WWE Universe eagerly awaits this summer’s global Women’s Tournament on WWE Network, Ruby Riot took on newcomer Kimberly Frankele in a battle for position in NXT’s stacked division.
Riot scored early with a leaping hurricanrana, but lost focus when her arch-nemesis, Nikki Cross, arrived at ringside. Frankele pounced on the distracted Riot, drilling her with a kick to the spine and rocking her with knife-edge chops. However, the tough-as-nails Riot absorbed the blows and returned fire before dropping Frankele with a wind-up Pele Kick for the win.
As she celebrated her victory, Riot also stared down Cross while the SAnitY member retreated to the locker room, leaving little doubt that the NXT Women’s division’s two wildest Superstars are bound to cross paths again.
Drew McIntyre def. Oney Lorcan
Returning to a WWE ring for the first time in nearly three years, Drew McIntyre received a hero’s welcome as he fought renowned tough guy Oney Lorcan. Showered with chants of “Welcome back,” the 6-foot-5 McIntyre asserted his strength, tossing Lorcan with a pair of belly-to-belly suplexes and catching him mid-flight with a gut-wrench suplex onto the ring apron.
The brawler from Boston clawed back, ripping into McIntyre with searing strikes to the head and chest, as well as a running Blockbuster neckbreaker. Not to be outdone, the Scottish Superstar flattened Lorcan with a reverse Alabama Jam before taking him off his feet with a huge boot, sealing the win.
As the referee tended to a laceration suffered by Lorcan, the victorious McIntyre informed the NXT Universe that while he could have joined any brand in sports-entertainment, he chose NXT because it’s home to the best roster and the biggest prize: The NXT Championship.
Shinsuke Nakamura bid farewell to NXT
Now an official member of the SmackDown LIVE roster, Shinsuke Nakamura appeared once more at Full Sail University to give a heartfelt goodbye to those who supported him throughout the past year.
“I will always be NXT,” Nakamura reaffirmed, “because we are NXT.” As Superstars and NXT officials poured onto the stage to show their respect, the enigmatic Superstar let out one final “YeaOh” inside the yellow ropes, signifying the end of the Strong Style Era in NXT. He then joined his peers on the stage, only to receive an added surprise when a familiar face that helped Nakamura acclimate to NXT, Finn Bálor, arrived to wish Nakamura well in his future on Team Blue.