(SPOILERS AHEAD)
SEGMENT: A match between Tyler Breeze and Adam Rose (complete with a new gimmick!) is interrupted before it had even started by Bull Dempsey. Rose’s new gimmick is a ‘party pooper,’ which I expect will go down as well as his party man gimmick! Anyway, he isn’t important here at all. Dempsey and Breeze exchange barbs on the mike. Breeze’s barb that the biggest accident was the day Bull was born gave me a fit of laughter. Rose attempts to intervene, but Dempsey knocks him out of the ring. Breeze and Dempsey brawl, until Breeze retreats. They will fight on the next episode of NXT.
Tye Dillinger vs Danny Burch
Not much to report on this one. Over in five minutes. Dillinger gets the easy victory.
WINNER: Tye Dillinger
VERDICT: 3/10. A below average squash match.
INTERVIEW: Rhyno and Baron Corbin are asked about their changes against Ciampino and Gargano. Unfortunately, we have to listen to Corbin try to emote. Does this guy understand anything about any element of wrestling? His promos are dire. Boo!
PROMO: A freaky one introducing NXT’s latest contract signing, Japan’s great woman wrestler Asuka. I’ll be having nightmares tonight…
Apollo Crews vs Solomon Crowe
A strange pairing this one. It only confirms that the NXT heads have lost faith in Crowe. Is he a heel now? I guess so! He now seems to be a jobber, much like Danny Burch. What there was of this match was fairly good. Crews impresses, as always. His deadlift vertical suplex was the highlight of the match. And it’s always cool to see his finisher. Crowe got a modicum of offence in before the inevitable defeat. Oh well!
WINNER: Apollo Crews
VERDICT: Average squash match. With this match, Crowe has been relegated to the bottom ranks of NXT.
INTERVIEW: Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa show Corbin how to do a decent promo! They looked and sounded enthusiastic about their upcoming match. Corbin could learn a thing or two from them!
Rhyno and Baron Corbin vs Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa (2nd Round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic)
Hands down the best match of the night. Nothing else came close. Gargano and Ciampa are full of energy, flying all over the ring with kicks and forearms. Their tag team moves are peerless and flawlessly executed. They are incredibly smooth in the ring. Opposite Corbin, they look like wrestling gods. Which they are not, of course, but they are very good wrestlers. They’ve made a great impact in their two tag team matches on NXT. Let’s hope they stay on…Rhyno and Corbin did their part adequately enough, but they played second fiddle to Gargano and Ciampa. Suicide dives, a crossbody off the tope rope, a missile dropkick, a leaping DDT…they left it all in the ring. I wasn’t able to guess the outcome of the match, unlike the rest of the matches of the evening. However, Corbin hits the End of Days for the victory. The odd tag team of Rhyno and Corbin progress, unfortunately. I guess Corbin needs victories after his loss against Samoa Joe.
WINNERS: Rhyno and Baron Corbin
VERDICT: 8/10. A great showing by Gargano and Ciampa, and Rhyno and Corbin held up with them. Easily match of the night!
INTERVIEW: The Vaudevillains are interrupted by Blake, Murphy and Alexa Bliss. She invokes the rematch clause for the NXT Tag Team Titles on next week’s episode of NXT. “What a wench!” Gotch humourously snapped.
PROMO: Just an aside…is it just me, or just Nia Jax sound like Chyna? Uncanny!
Bayley vs Sarah Dobson
Dobson starts fighting at the bell. Her cartwheel knee strike was a great spot, as was her rolling headlock. However, after that the end was inevitable. Bayley builds up to her finisher and pins Dobson.
WINNER: Bayley
VERDICT: 3/10. Squash squash squash!
POST-MATCH: Bayley is interrupted by Sasha Banks! She congratulates Bayley and herself for having the match of the year at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn. Banks wants a rematch, but she “wants to beat [Bayley[ again and again and again…”
William Regal comes out and announces that the two women will main event NXT: Takeover…in a 30 Minute Iron (Wo)Man Match! Now that will be something to behold!
OVERALL VERDICT: 5/10. Only one match of any note, between Rhyno and Corbin against Gargano and Ciampa. However, the storyline developments at the start and end of the show made it worth a watch.
Leave your thoughts/comments below!
(Click here for my review of NXT Episode 295)
Hammy Reviews 
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