This week’s episode of NXT was the first since NXT TakeOver: Orlando and it was a massive episode. It featured a new theme song as well as a new opening video along with new graphics all around. We also got two massive debuts on this episode of NXT.
The first one was of former WWE Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre. The second debut was of one of WWE’s best-kept secrets in recent years – Dylan Miley. He has been touted as WWE’s next big star and as WWE’s ‘next Brock Lesnar’.
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Apart from this, we got the Full Sail debuts of Aleister Black and Ruby Riot as well as Shinsuke Nakamura’s farewell to the NXT Universe. Read on for full details.
Aleister Black vs Corey Hollister
Aleister Black made his Full Sail debut tonight as he took on Corey Hollister. Black got a massive ovation from the fans at Full Sail as he came down the ramp.
Black sat down in the middle of the ring to get ready for battle as the lights came back on. Hollis and Black faced off as the fans chanted “Black is going to kill you”.
Hollis bounced around as Black was deadly calm as the bell rang. Hollis then charged in and Black hit him with the Black Mask, Aleister Black’s trademark spin kick to the side of the face. Black then covered Hollis for the win.
Aleister Black def. Corey Hollis
We then got footage of Tye Dillinger making his debut on SmackDown Live last week when he came out to take on Curt Hawkins. Following the footage of Tye’s debut win on the main roster, we got a backstage interview with Tye Dillinger.
Tye said that he still had unfinished business on NXT, despite his SmackDown Live debut. He said that he went and spoke with William Regal earlier in the day, and would get the chance to finish his feud with Eric Young next week and to take care of the numbers disadvantage the match would take place in a steel cage.
#DIY vs Dylan Miley and Michael Blaze
Two weeks ago at TakeOVer, #DIY challenged for the NXT Tag-Team Championships at NXT TakeOver: Orlando. Despite their efforts, they came up short on the night as they returned to Full Sail University tonight to face Dylan Miley and Michael Blaze. Dylan Miley has previously been touted as the next Brock Lesnar and finally made his television debut tonight.
As the match started, Miley offered Ciampa his hand. The two shook hands but the difference in the size of their hands was stark. Ciampa tried to take Miley down with a headlock but Miley just picked him up and tossed him away like a sack of potatoes.
Also Read: Dylan Miley – 5 things you need to know about WWE's next Brock Lesnar
Miley then ran after Ciampa, who dodged, before Miley bounced off the ropes and charged back. Ciampa hit him with a slap across the chest but it had no effect on the monster. He bounced off the ropes against before tackling Ciampa.
Miley then picked Ciampa up in a Gorilla Press but Ciampa escaped and tagged in Gargano. Gargano looked to springboard off the ropes but Miley caught him in midair before holding him up in a stalling vertical suplex.
After more than 10 seconds, he finally hit the suplex. Miley then tagged in Michael Blaze. Blaze hit a few right hands in the corner before Gargano hit back with a rolling enzeguiri followed by a neckbreaker. He then tagged in Ciampa as they isolated Blaze in their corner, looking to win the match before Miley could get into the ring again.
DIY hit their running knee/enzeguiri combo in the corner before Ciampa hit Miley with a running knee as he looked to get into the ring. Miley got knocked off the apron and Gargano and Ciampa hit Blaze with the Superkick/Running Knee combo. Gargano then pinned Blaze to pick up the win for DIY.
DIY def. Dylan Miley and Michael Blaze
Gargano and Ciampa celebrated and left the ring, as Miley still knelt on the apron. The 6 foot 3-inch monster then entered the ring to get his frustrations out on his partner Michael Blaze, who was still down on the mat.
The fans in Full Sail chanted DELETE as Miley circled his now-former partner. Miley caught Blaze by the back of the head before ramming his massive right arm into the side of the helpless man’s face. Miley then picked up Blaze by the face before slamming him back down onto the mat. Twice.
He then picked up Blaze and hit him with a spinning Powerslam before he finally left the ring.
We got highlights from Ember Moon’s losing effort against Asuka at NXT TakeOver: Orlando before moving onto an interview with Ember. She said that TakeOver: Orlando was supposed to be her moment. It was supposed to be her opportunity to prove herself to the world.
She then added that it was her destiny to win but Asuka proved that she would do anything to keep her championship. Ember vowed revenge and promised to be the one to beat Asuka and become the next NXT Women’s Champion.
Ruby Riot vs Kimberly Frankele
Ruby Riot came out next for her first match at Full Sail University.
We got a short interview with Ruby. She said that she had made her NXT debut standing up to Nikki Cross and SAnitY but her ultimate goal was to become NXT Champion, and she would start on that path tonight.
Her opponent was Kimberly Frankele, who was known on the indies as Kimber Lee. These two women know each other well from their time on the indies.
Ruby and Frankele locked up to start us off. Frankele then hit a couple of forearms in the corner before Ruby Riot responded with a boot to the face of an incoming Frakele. She followed it up with an hurracanrana from the middle rope before we heard a loud clanking sound at ringside.
It turned out to be Nikki Cross. Frankele hit a distracted Ruby Riot with a split-legged Jawbreaker followed by a gut-wrench backbreaker. Frankele went for the cover but it was only a 2-count.
Frankele followed it up with thumping boot to Ruby’s back and followed it up with knife edged chops in the corner. Ruby Riot followed it up with chops of her own in the corner, before taking Frankele down with a clothesline. Ruby then drove Frankele face-first into the middle turnbuckle before connecting with a spinning kick.
Ruby Riot followed it up with the Wind-Up Pelle Kick to finish off Frankele.
Ruby Riot def. Kimberly Frankele
Ruby and Nikki Cross stared each other down after the match.
We got backstage footage from earlier in the day of Billie Kay in the Performance Center, being followed around by Peyton Royce who was filming. They spotted Liv Morgan and Aliyah talking to a trainer. The iconic duo walked up to Morgan and Aliyah, calling them “NXT’s resident losers”.
Kay and Royce mocked Aliyah before Morgan pushed Kay into a tub of water. Billie Kay screamed at Royce to turn the camera off as the trainer helped her out.
Drew McIntyre vs Oney Lorcan
Drew McIntrye made his NXT debut in the main-event as he made his long-awaited return to WWE. The former WWE Intercontinental and Tag-Team Champion set into an NXT ring for the first time as he faced NXT’s resident brawler Oney Lorcan.
McIntrye and Lorcan locked up as the match started at a quick pace. He hit Lorcan with a belly-to-belly suplex to Lorcan who rolled out of the ring. The Chosen One then posed for the fans as Lorcan made his way back into the ring and hit a couple of running European Uppercuts which sent McIntyre out of the ring.
Lorcan followed it up with a running dive over the tope ropes before he came back into the ring and went to the top rope. He looked to hit a crossbody but Drew McIntyre caught him in midair and slammed him back-first into the apron as we headed to commercial.
Drew McIntyre was still in control when we came back from the break. He hit another belly-to-belly suplex before following it up with chops in the corner. McIntyre then looked to Irish Whip Lorcan into the opposite corner. Lorcan hit Drew with a boot before looking for a middle-rope blockbuster but McIntyre dodged it.
Lorcan followed it up and hit a running blockbuster. He then covered Drew for a 2-count. Lorcan then headed to the top rope but Drew McIntyre got up and hit him with a headbutt. He then followed it up with an overhead suplex from the top-rope. Lorcan then hit back with a series of slaps. He then looked to hit McIntyre with a boot but Drew planted him face-first into the mat.
Drew McIntyre now had Oney Lorcan where he wanted him. He hit Lorcan with a running big boot then sent Oney Lorcan inside out. Drew then covered him for the 3-count. A win for Drew McIntyre on his NXT debut.
Drew McIntyre def. Oney Lorcan
Shinsuke Nakamura’s farewell to NXT
Shinsuke Nakamura came out to a massive ovation from the WWE fans. Nakamura said that after a year in NXT, it was now his home. He added that he had learnt a lot from his fellow wrestlers, coaches and especially the fans.
Chants of ‘Thank You Shinsuke’ broke out as he paid tribute to NXT – calling it its own entity, it’s own brand which is something different. Nakamura then called the fans – the NXT Universe – crazy before thanking them for chanting and singing for him. Nakamura then added that he would NXT before paying a tribute to the fans saying “we are NXT”.
The fans gave Shinsuke a standing ovation as the entire locker room came out onto the ramp. The fans sang along with Nakamura’s theme song for one last time as Nakamura headed up the ramp and bowed to William Regal and joined the NXT roster. Finn Balor came out from the back to join Nakamura’s farewell as NXT headed off air.
#ThankYouShinsuke
