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From The Network- WWE NXT Takeover: R Evolution
Loading... WWE NXT Takeover: R-Evolution
12-11-14
Winter Park, FL
Your hosts are Alex Riley, Rich Brennen, and Corey Graves who sadly had to retire due to head injuries.
Kevin Owens vs. CJ Parker
The crowd reaction when they figured out the new entrance music belonged to Owens was great. Owens attacks at the bell and hits a corner clothesline. Cannonball in the corner by Owens and Parker bails. Summersault plancha to the floor by Owens!!!! Back in, Parker catches Owens with a spin kick and he stomps away on Owens. Back senton misses and Parker catches Owens with a palm strike for 2. Double knee strike in the corner by Parker but Owens comes back with a lariat. Fisherman back breaker by Owens and he is busted open from the palm thrust. Owens presses Parker into the powerbomb for 3.
Winner- Kevin Owens ** (Great debut for Owens. The crowd loved him the moment he made his entrance and he brought his A-game, going all out to impress in his first WWE match. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for Owens going forward.)
Video package for the Lucha Dragons air.
NXT Tag Team Championships- Lucha Dragons (Kalisto and Sin Cara) © vs. The Vaudevillians (Aiden English and Simon Gotch)
This is the first time I’ve seen the Vaudvillians and I love their black and white old school film entrance. Gotch and Cara start. Springboard head butt by Cara and he hits a springboard moonsault press for 2. Tag to Kalisto and they hit a wheelbarrow senton on Gotch for 2. Tag to Cara and he hits a dropkick. Michinoku Driver by Cara gets 1. Tag to English and he pulls Cara hard to the floor. Back in, English covers for 2. He stomps away on Cara for 2 and Gotch tags in. Gotch works over Cara and tags in English. He rolls Cara to the floor and catches him with a baseball slide. He sweeps Kalisto on the apron and back in, he works over Cara in his corner. Tag to Gotch and he hits a back suplex for 1. Tag to English and he grabs a chinlock. Cara fights out of the Vaudevillains corner and tags Kalisto. Springboard corkscrew crossbody by Kalisto and he hits a handspring enzuigiri. Crossbody off the top by Cara to Gotch and he dropkicks English. Kalisto rolls Gotch into a basement enzuigiri and the Dragons backdrop English to the floor onto Gotch. Stereo planchas to English on the floor!!! Back in, Kalisto hits Salida del Sol on Gotch for 3.
Winners and Still NXT Tag Team Champions- Lucha Dragons **1/4 ( I knew this would be a style clash going in but I felt these two teams really didn’t click together at all. It was weird seeing the Dragons attempt their lucha style while the Vaudevillians used their more slow, 70/80s wrestling style and the crowd was tuned off as a result. )
Tye Dillinger vs. Baron Corbin
Snake eyes by Corbin and he hits a big boot. End of Days by Corbin gets 3.Corbin stares down Bull Dempsey after the match.
Winner- Baron Corbin SQUASH (The crowd counting the seconds for Corbin was an awesome touch. Just a squash to continue Corbin’s run of destruction.)
Video package for The Ascension/Itami and Balor airs.
The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) vs. Hideo Itami and Finn Balor
Finn Balor’s entrance for this match is up there with Bray Wyatt’s Wrestlemania entrance as one of the best entrances of the year. The Ascension’s faces after what they just saw are fabulous. Itami and Balor hammer away to start and they hit stereo basement dropkicks in the corner, forcing the Ascension to bail. Itami officially starts with Viktor and he hits a dropkick for 2. Tag to Balor and he hits a slingshot stomp. Viktor fights back and Konnor tags in. Dropkick by Balor gets 2 and Itami tags in. He fires away at Konnor and Konnor comes back with the flapjack for 2. Tag to Viktor and he knocks Itami down with an uppercut for 2. Tag to Konnor and they hit a double shoulder block for 2. Spin kick to the midsection by Itami and Viktor tags in. He stomps away on Itami and the Ascension works over Itami in the corner. Viktor rakes the face of Itami and Itami fights back with forearms. Viktor ends that and he hits a fist drop for 2. Chinlock by Viktor but Itami fights out. Tag to Konnor and he hits an avalanche in the corner for 2. Tag to Viktor and he goes back to the chinlock. Itami rolls out and Viktor prevents the tag. Shoulders to the gut in the corner by Viktor and he charges but misses and hits the post shoulder first. Itami dumps Konnor to the floor but Konnor sweeps the legs of Balor before Itami could make the tag. Itami fights out of the Ascensions corner and Balor finally makes the tag. He cleans house and hits the Sling Blade on Viktor. Enzuigiri by Balor knocks Viktor to the floor and he hits the summersault plancha onto the Ascension on the floor!!!! Back in, Balor goes up for the double stomp but Viktor moves. Reverse Bloody Sunday by Balor gets 2 as Konnor saves!!! Itami takcles Konnor to the floor and Viktor hits an STO on Balor for 2 as Itami saves. Itami goes for the GTS but Konnor saves. He dumps Itami to the floor and they go for Fall of Man but Itami pulls Konnor to the floor to block. Pele by Devitt and Itami hits the flying knee strike on Konnor. Itami and Balor go up and hit the stereo double stomps for 3!!!
Winners- Hideo Itami and Finn Balor *** (This match was designed to be the Finn Balor show and it worked like a charm. He looked like a mega star between the incredible entrance and his hot finishing sequence. The match was pretty good, Itami played the hero in peril well and the Ascension did their part to make Balor and Itami look strong in one of their final NXT appearances.)
Roman Reigns makes a special appearance and says it felt phenomenal to win Superstar of the Year. He says he’s here to watch the main event and says Neville and Zayn will be the future. He says in his future, he wants to be the first NXT alumni to win the WWE Championship.
Video package for Charlotte/Banks airs.
NXT Women’s Championship- Charlotte © vs. Sasha Banks
Thesz press by Charlotte and she hammers away on Banks. Knee to the midsection by Banks and Charlotte comes back with chops. Banks bails but Charlotte throws her right back in. Banks kicks Charlotte off the apron and she sends Charlotte into the steps. Back in, Banks covers for 2. Shoulders to the gut in the corner by Banks and she drives both her knees into the midsection of Charlotte for 2. Snap mare and Banks mocks Ric Flair. Charlotte rolls Banks up for 2 and she hits a jawbreaker. Tilt-a-whirl into the back stabber by Banks. She grabs a bow tie chin lock while stretching Charlotte but Charlotte backs Banks to the corner to break. Banks pulls Charlotte down by the hair for 2. Head scissors by Banks but Charlotte powers into the electric chair to break. Charlotte cleans house and hits a swinging neck breaker for 2. Banks dumps Charlotte to the floor and she hits a suicide dive onto Charlotte!!!! Back in, Banks covers for 2 and they trade blows. Knees to the midsection by Banks and Charlotte comes back with a Spear. Banks drop toe holds Charlotte into the corner and Charlotte blocks the Bank Statement. Charlotte goes for the Figure-4 but Banks counters with a small package for 2. Neck breaker by Banks gets 2. Gut wrench suplex by Charlotte and she goes up. Monnsault misses but Charlotte comes right back with a standing summersault senton for 2 as Banks gets her foot on the ropes. Banks blocks the Splash Mountain and she drives Charlotte face first into the corner. Banks puts Charlotte on top and follows up. Banks goes for the superplex but Charlotte blocks. Natural Selection off the top by Charlotte gets 3!!!!
Winner and Still NXT Women’s Champion- Charlotte ***3/4 (This was an excellent match. Props to Sasha Banks for stepping up and putting on her best performance yet. She was aggressive and told a great personal story of wanting to prove she was better than Charlotte but ultimately just wasn’t good enough. Charlotte continues to impress me and once she goes to the main roster full time she’ll become the long-term face of the Diva’s division. She has the best combination of star presence and in ring ability for a Diva since Trish Stratus.)
Video package for Neville/Zayn airs.
NXT Championship- Adrian Neville © vs. Sami Zayn
If Zayn loses, he leaves NXT. The pop Zayn gets for his entrance is off the charts. They battle for control on the mat early and they reach a stand still. Neville begins to work the arm of Zayn and again, we reach a stalemate. Tilt-a-whirl back breaker by Zayn and Neville bails. Slingshot Arabian Press to the floor by Zayn!!! Back in, Zayn hits a leg lariat for 1. Snap mare and Zayn gets a crucifix for 1. Back elbow by Neville gets 2. Dropkick to the back by Neville gets 2 and he grabs a chin lock. Zayn fights out and Neville catches Zayn with an uppercut for 2. Neville drives his knee into Zayn a few times for 2 and he goes back to the chin lock. Zayn backs Neville into the corner to break and Neville hits a second rope dropkick for 2. Rapid kicks to the head by Neville but Zayn catches him with a clothesline to come back. Dropkick by Zayn knocks Neville to the floor. Hurricanrana by Neville and Zayn backdrops Neville to the floor. Suicide plancha to the floor by Zayn!!! Back in, Zayn goes up and hits a crossbody off the top of Neville for 2. Zayn counters a handspring reverse hurricanrana into the Blue Thunder Bomb for 2!!! Jawbreaker by Neville and he hits a running uppercut into the corner. Slingshot German suplex by Neville gets 2. Zayn blocks a powerbomb attempt and he goes for the assisted swinging DDT but Neville blocks. Sit-out powerbomb by Neville gets 2. Forearms by Neville but Zayn fires back with his own. Clothesline by Zayn turns Neville inside out!!! Helluva kick misses and Neville hits an enzuigiri. Neville goes up for Red Arrows but eats knees!!! Koji Clutch by Zayn but Neville gets his foot on the ropes to break. Neville counters the Exploder suplex with a wheelbarrow roll-up for 2 and the kick-out knocks Neville into the ref. Super kick by Neville and he hits the reverse hurricanrana for 2!!! They trade forearms and Zayn hits the rolling German suplexes. Release half nelson suplex by Zayn and he goes for the Helluva kick but Neville bails. Zayn dives through the turnbuckles with a swinging DDT to Neville on the floor!!!! Back in, Zayn hits the Helluva Kick but he hits the ref as well!!!!! Neville grabs the belt and Zayn hits a big boot on Neville before he could use it. Zayn looks at the title and the dead ref before deciding not to use it. Neville rolls Zayn up for 2!!! Exploder suplex into the corner by Zayn and he hits the Helluva Kick for 3!!!!!
Winner and NEW NXT Champion- Sami Zayn ****1/4 ( A perfect match to culminate the Sami Zayn chase for the title. The wrestling was suburb and is the type of match we’d expect both Zayn and Neville to have on the big stage. I loved the story of Zayn wanting to win the title but also wanted to win it in a moral way, not resorting to cheating or using ref bumps to his advantage. They booked the finish to the chase perfectly and now Zayn takes his rightful place as the face of the NXT brand.)
After the match, Kevin Owens comes out and leads the NXT locker room in congratulating Zayn. Neville hugs Zayn and raises his hand as well. The locker room clears the ring, leaving Zayn alone to celebrate some more. Zayn leaves the ring and embraces Owens once again on the floor. They start to leave together and OWENS DRIVES ZAYN ONTO THE RAMP!!!! POWERBOMB ON THE APRON BY OWENS!!!! Owens leaves as Regal checks on Zayn to end the show.
