Show opens with a video highlighting the Cesaro/Zayn feud and their first 2 matches sharing wins. A nice video that really shows these guys are top guys in NXT.
Bayley vs. AJ Lee (c) for the Divas championship: AJ gets a big reaction from the crowd and they even chant for her. In ring introductions for this match, just adds a bit more focus onto the importance of the title something WWE don't do with this title. Bayley wants a hug to start and the fans chant for the hug but AJ pushes her down and hits 2 neckbreakers in a row for 2. AJ throws Bayley into the corner, snapmares out and grabs a seated kravat while saying “I'm sorry I'm hugging your neck now”. Bayley fights out but runs into a back elbow for a 2, this deserved a replay apparently. AJ misses a corner splash and Bayley gets her hug and rams her into the corner while hugging 3 times. Bayley hits a corner clothesline and a scoop slam for a 2 then a knee drop for another 2. Bayley climbs to the 2nd rope and hits a back elbow for a 2, AJ is grabbing her mouth with Bayley feeling bad and this lets AJ hit a kick and a shining Wizard for the win. I wasn't that impressed with this match to be honest, the big fan girl gimmick just doesn't work long term for me. Winner and still champ: AJ Lee
We go backstage with the model guy (Tyler Breeze) and his iPhone, it depressed me that he's already been added to the opening as it means they must have plans for him. He stops a random woman and asks her to take a picture of him, another wrestler photo bombs him the same who did it last time. The model is annoyed at this and runs off complaining. Oh so sad for Fandango version 2.
Michael Zaki & Ron Hicks vs. The Ascension (Conor O'Brian & Rick Victor): Generic job squad already in the ring and I feared this would be an Ascension match, they are all entrance and little else in my view also fans don't care about them. You know when I said I was hyped for this show that's been destroyed right now especially with Alex Riley on commentary. Conor hits a kick and his 3 headlock takedowns, tags out and he lifts up Zaki into a double chickenwing and Rick punches him in the gut I asked last time why do that? Rick hits a series of chops and uppercuts in the corner and tags out, they hit the H-Bomb and another tag leading to their Total Elimination for the win. Basically a squash and they didn't even look good in the squash, they didn't even hit their finisher right. Winners: The Ascension
Baron Corbin vs. CJ Parker: Baron's already in the ring. This is CJ's debut and he's the guy who's been photo bombing the model. CJ is an drugged up hippy, or that's my guess looking at his entrance. CJ grabs a headlock and shimmy's out of the corner. He quickly gets the headlock back on and he floats over into a school boy but gets knocked down by Baron and this allows him to get some strikes. CJ gets his boot up and a jumping clothesline. CJ then hits a double knee in the corner and a weird DDT for the win. This was in front of silence, fans are just not into this show and I don't blame them. Winner: CJ Parker
Renee Young comes into the ring to interview CJ. She asks where has he been, he says it's more about where he hasn't been in a hippy tone. She asks who he is, he says they may call him a hippy and he's having a little fun. She brings up the photo bombs and he says that's a harsh word and it's photo loving this leads to the model guy coming out “angry” and he asks really and it's now I realise that this is a total rip off of Zoolander as he's even trying to copy the accent. They argue over the picture and Renee can't keep a straight face, can't blame her as this is laughable. The model says CJ is the joke and CJ goes to punch him but the model guy runs. I fear where this will go.
Alexander Rusev vs. Dolph Ziggler: I can't help but think Dolph is being wasted here with Alex who seems barely mobile just from his entrance, he breaks a bit of wood with Ziggler written on it over his knee. Fans go crazy for Dolph as they should. Alex looks for a test of strength and the fans chant “That was awesome” for Dolph's entrance. Dolph gets a quick school boy but Alex shoots up and back with his hands up. Alex gets a boot to the gut and a big (bad looking) punch. Dolph stops the Irish whip and does his strut. They tie up and Alex pushes him off but Dolph gets up and hits a beautiful dropkick but is caught in a crossbody attempt, Alex goes into the ropes and lays in some knees and then dumps him over to the outside. Alex hits a shoulder block in the corner for a 2 and grabs a reverse bear hug I guess. Dolph breaks it with a stunner and hits a Stinger splash in the corner followed by another dropkick for a 2. Alex reverses a whip and runs after hitting Dolph with a clothesline the second he hits the ropes. Dolph hits a low kick and the Fameasser for a 2, after this referring to the match the commenrators say “Dolph must be thinking why did I come down here” he probably was. Alex shrugs off the Zig-Zag and hits a spinning heel kick for a 2, that was impressive. Alex goes to the top and misses a splash allowing Dolph to hit the Zig-Zag for the win. This may have been an attempt to make Alex look great and he looked good but Dolph just out shined him here, especially since this was the first time I've seen Alex in NXT I think they would have been better putting Dolph against a big NXT star. Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Sami Zayn vs. Antonio Cesaro in 2 out of 3 Falls: In honour of Cesaro I now have a big caramel latte by my side for this match. Zayn hits a tope con heelo before Cesaro gets in the ring and the bell rings with Sami hitting a boot in the corner and a school boy for the first fall. Extremely quick here but this is my problem with these matches it often seems like you have to get the first 2 falls out of the way. Sami clotheslines Cesaro outside and hits a double axe handle off the apron, he then throws Cesaro into the steps. Sami just keeps attacking and Cesaro rolls across the ring onto the other apron to get a shoulder block but Sami hits a leg lariat for a 2. Sami then goes for the 10 punches but Cesaro carries him out this leads to a sunset flip attempt, Cesaro breaks the hands and goes for his double stomp but Sami moves and Cesaro then eats an elbow in the corner and another. Sami jumps from the 2nd to the top rope hitting a crossbody for a 2, so fast paced right here. Cesaro flapjacks Sami into the corner and mounts with punches. Cesaro hits his corner punches, Riley keeps bringing up his feud with the Miz in a “remember I was in WWE guys” moment. Cesaro grabs his chinlock, Sami fights back but Cesaro grabs it back. Cesaro grabs the leg and deadlifts Sami into a powerbomb for a 2 and grabs his chinlock again but Sami hits a jawbreaker to escape. Sami then runs into a clothesline for a 2 and a double stomp for another 2. Sami keeps trying to fight back but Cesaro rubs it off for a while and this leads to him lifting up Sami on his shoulders and just tossing him over. Cesaro hits a jumping stomp and a deadlift gutwrench suplex but Sami gets a roll up for a near fall. Sami dodges an attack in the corner and gets a hurricanrana. Cesaro comes back with his fall away slam into a pin for a 2. We come back from break with Cesaro grabbing his chinlock again this leads to a criss cross with Sami attempting a leap frog and Cesaro goes for his tilt-a-whirl back breaker from it but Sami gets another roll up for a 2. Sami starts fighting back with punches and he then gets lifted up and he hits a dropkick. Sami goes for another running boot but Cesaro grabs his chinlock again but this time swings him around, they go down and this leads to Sami tapping out for the 2nd fall. At least they were building the chinlock as his move and Cesaro did go a bit further to get the win. Sami struggles to get to his feet and Cesaro hits a running European Uppercut for a near fall. Cesaro picks up Sami by the ear on the apron and clotheslines him over the top. Cesaro hits his deadlift Superplex, which you can see Brian Cage & Michael Elgin do, for a near fall. That is always an great looking move. Cesaro grabs Sami by the throat and is yelling at him this allows Sami to attempt a small package but Cesaro lifts him into a suplex but that's floated over into a school boy for a 2 and Cesaro grabs his chinlock the second he kicks out but Sami floats over like Bret Hart did to Steve Austin at Survivor Series 1996, for a 2 count. They get up and Sami hits his boot in the corner for a near fall. Both men are struggling to get up, Sami can't whip Cesaro as he's grabbing the rope this lets Cesaro hits forearms. Cesaro whips Sami and they do this crazy looking spot Cesaro loves to do it seems where in a quick fluid motion they go from the set up to powerbomb to sunset flip bomb pin for a very near fall this leads to Cesaro rolling out. Sami jumps between the bottom and 2nd rope on the outside and hits a tornado DDT, he did this as El Generico and it always looked good. The count is up to 9 and Cesaro barely gets it and Sami grabs a pin for a 2 straight away. Sami grabs the hand and hits some kicks, he goes for his DDT but Cesaro stops him lifts him up and walks around the ring, he then shoots him upwards into a European Uppercut on the way down and hits the Neutralizer for the 3 and the win. Fans are going crazy for this match and I have to say it was a fantastic match. Like I said at the beginning it felt like they had to get through the first 2 falls to get the build really going, it was the final fall where both guys really showed what they could do. Winner: Antonio Cesaro
This was a one match show but it was a hell of a match. Cesaro to me is like Daniel Bryan, if you give him a chance to wrestle he'll win the crowd over and they'll stay over with him and Sami has already shown how good he is I'd be surprised if he stays in NXT for that long. Now back to the match I think it was great but the timing of it sucked and by that I mean he has to compete with the Punk/Lesnar and Cena/Bryan matches from Summerslam which were both fantastic. This match is close to them but I liked the Summerslam matches a little better. Still I highly recommend going out to watch this match but it's probably the only match worth watching from this show.
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