411’s WWE NXT Report 3.8.17

A short video package hypes the return of Shinsuke Nakamura. He faces TJ Perkins in the main event! Also, this episode was filmed in Orlando and not at Full Sail.

Eric Young vs. Tye Dillinger

Surprisingly, Young sent SAnitY to the back. BUT WAIT! They return with a beaten and battered Roderick Strong. Tye left the ring to check on him while SAnitY joined EY in the ring. No Way Jose joined Tye as referees helped Strong to the back. Jose and Tye hit the ring, despite being outnumbered, and took it to SAnitY. The numbers game overtook the babyfaces, who got their asses kicked.

Next week, Bobby Roode defends the NXT Title against Kassius Ohno.

We hear from Billie Kay and Peyton Royce in a self shot video. They’re trying to find a place in the Performance Center for their Breakout Star of the Year award. They pass by photos of Sasha Banks and Neville, giving them shoutouts. They find the Dusty Tag Team Classic trophy and want something similar to that. Ember Moon is working out behind them and they make fun of her. She stares them down and comes around the corner for a fight. A trainer holds her back, but the iconic duo still badmouth her.

An Aleister Black vignette aired.

Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Ho Ho Lun

A “let’s go Ho Ho” chant starts. Almas chops the shit out of him. He continues to deliver kicks and knees before applying a choke on the ropes. He follows with mounted punches to boos. Lun fights back but Almas no sells. He runs into boots and Lun hits a missile dropkick. A spin kick follows but then Almas just wallops him. Almas taunts and wins with the hammerlock DDT.

Winner: Andrade Almas in 2:33

Billie Kay w/ Peyton Royce vs. Ember Moon

They hype Ember being undefeated. Billie talks to Peyton after the bell and walks into a dropkick. Ember hits a springboard cross body for two. Billie holds Peyton’s hands and gets pulled by Ember. Iy brings Peyton in, which distracts Ember and allows Billie to take over. She slingshots Ember into the middle rope for two. Ember gets a near fall on a rollup but Billie gets one of her own with eat defeat. Billie gets more close calls, including an especially close one on a rolling forearm. She wastes time talking trash, so Ember lights her up with kicks. Billie hilariously sells a one legged dropkick. Ember hits double knees and goes up top. Peyton tries to hit her but Ember sees, so she backs off. Ember wins with the Eclipse.

Winner: Ember Moon in 3:30 (*3/4)

Officials check on Billie who looks legitimately hurt. Peyton Royce also checks on her. I heard about this on the tapings but it could be a work with the way Nigel spoke about how devastating the Eclipse can be.

TJ Perkins is interviewed because it’s his first NXT appearance since the Dusty Tag Team Classic. He says he goes where the competition is and brings up his past with Shinsuke Nakamura.

The Ealy Brothers vs. The Revival

The Ealy Brothers are twins. They come out for the match but get jumped by the Authors of Pain. They go after the Revival, but Dash and Dawson run out through the crowd. AOP hit the Last Chapter on one of the twins.

In the back, William Regal is with Ember Moon. Regal spoke to Asuka and at TakeOver: Orlando, Ember Moon gets a Women’s Title shot. Ember says the division will begin a new phase on that night.

Kassius Ohno gets a sit down interview about his return. It’s conducted by Tom “Dirty Bird” Phillips. Ohno speaks about being in the Performance Center when it was just an empty warehouse. When asked about his NXT Title shot, he said he had success and title wins everywhere but NXT. He had doubts in NXT and that doubt won’t be put to rest until he wins. He wants to defend the title at WrestleMania weekend.

Bobby Roode is interviewed from his home in Toronto. Roode said NXT was starting to take the shape he wanted it to, but Ohno showed up and put his stink on it. He wants to mold NXT into his vision. A champion should look like him, not a 70s dirty hippie like Ohno.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. TJ Perkins

Both men go for early kicks and block one another. TJ goes after the knee as they jockey for position on the mat. Nakamura does the clean break spot on the ropes and calls for TJ to come on. TJ creatively escapes an arm wringer and goes to a head scissors. Nakamura escapes, taunts and they trade leap frogs. TJ sends him outside with a snap rana. He tries a springboard move but misses, so Nakamura strikes with the knee twice. After a break, Nakamura drops a knee inside and goes to a quick chinlock. TJ fights out and tries a sunset flip. Nakamura rolls through and misses a kick, so TJ attacks the knee. Nakmaura fights back and does good vibrations. He charges in but TJ leaps over and hits a neckbreaker. He hits a springboard dropkick and then a springboard DDT for two. Nakamura avoids the detonation kick and applies a triangle choke. TJ rolls over into a pinning combination for two. He ducks a kick but eats one on the second go around. Nakamura fires off strikes, kicks and knees before setting TJ up for the corner knee. TJ avoids and comes off the top with a dropkick to the knee. A dragon screw follows but Nakamura turns his next move into the triangle choke again. He transitions to an armbar but TJ gets out into one of his own. Nakamura turns it back into his own but TJ counters into an awesome Sharpshooter variation. TJ lets go to pull Nakamura to the middle of the ring but Shinsuke counters into a pin for two. TJ slaps on the kneebar but Shinsuke reaches the ropes. TJ kicks the knee but has a second one caught. Nakamura comes back with knee strikes and an axe kick. TJ with a kick and he goes up top. Nakamura cuts him down and nails the corner knee. He keeps usin gthe injured knee. TJ tries a wheelbarrow move but Nakamura counters with a single leg backstabber. Reverse exploder hits and he calls for Kinshasa. It connects and that’s all.

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura in 11:13 (***1/4)

William Regal announces that Shinsuke Nakamura gets his NXT Title rematch against the winner of Roode/Ohno at TakeOver: Orlando.