Review and Results: WWE NXT Episode 317 (20.1.2016)

Sami Zayn vs Adam Rose

Sami Zayn made his televisual in-ring return against none other than…Adam Rose. Oh, so Rose is still around? He dropped the party gimmick shortly before dropping off the face of the earth. Rose dominated much of the match, even executing a diving headbutt before Zayn locked in the Koji Clutch to submit Rose. We knew Zayn was going to win, and the match was nothing more than a quick re-introduction to Zayn. It’s good to see him back in the ring, but let’s hope we see him in more worthwhile matches!

WINNER: Sami Zayn

VERDICT: 4/10. A short match that served only to prove that Rose is still employed by the WWE!

Interview: Johnny Gargano said that Joe was a bully, and that the only way to stop a bully was to punch him in the mouth. Hmmm…I’m not sure the ‘Gargano Defence’ would stop a pupil’s detention…and what about ‘violence begets violence?’

Segment: Jordan and Gable came up with a tag team name: The American Alpha (s?). Well, it could be worse, but it just doesn’t sound great. Why not stay with Jordan and Gable? These two have great chemistry, both in the ring and in promos, so it’s always a treat to see them talk or wrestle!

Apollo Crews vs Tye Dillinger

A rematch from Crews’ first NXT in-ring appearance. The crowd still love Dillinger’s ‘Perfect 10’ gimmick, but I’m afraid that he’ll be talent enhancement for the foreseeable future. Their first match was superior to this one. It got off to a dodgy start when Crews’ dropkick didn’t quite connect. Dillinger surprised me when he broke out a suicide dive out of nowhere! It’s a move I never suspected he would do! However, that was the only notable move of the match. Soon after, Crews began his finishing sequence, ending with his lifting powerbomb finisher. Again, not much to see!

WINNER: Apollo Crews

VERDICT: 4/10. Apart from a suicide dive from Dillinger, another quick match to give an NXT player a victory.

Post-Match: Crews asks Balor for a non-title rematch to finish what they started. He sounded better than usual on the mike!

Baron Corbin vs Rick Swann

An entertaining squash match? Starring Corbin? Yes! It was little more than a glorified squash match, but Swann made every move count. He even looked a little competitive against Corbin before his inevitable defeat. His flips, head scissor takedown and awesome roundhouse kick made me believe that Corbin could be defeated by someone half his size…but it was not to be. Swann didn’t even succumb to the End of Days, but to the Deep 6 (if that is its name?). Impressive showing from Swann! Have we seen him before?

WINNER: Baron Corbin

VERDICT: 5/10. A notch above the usual Corbin squash match, thanks to the aerial delights of Swann. Let’s see more of him!

Bayley and Carmella vs Emma and Alexa Bliss

This one started out strangely: the heels attacked Bayley and Carmella before the bell rang. Carmella was hurled out of the ring, and Bayley was battered for a bit. After the assault, Bayley held her ribs, indicating an injury. But I never saw the heels attacking her ribs. Should they have attacked her ribs, or was it a genuine injury? This question plagued me for most of the match, which centred on the heels isolating Bayley and focusing on her ribs. Maybe I’ll never know! The match was average and fairly short. Carmella received the hot tag, and executed her small repertoire of moves before hitting a Downward Spiral and locking in a headscissor choke to make Bliss tap out. The submission looked dangerous! Apart from that, not much to say about the match! Will Bayley and Carmella remain friends before, during and after their title match? We shall see…

WINNER: Bayley and Carmella

VERDICT: 5/10. Simply average!

Interview: Balor agreed to a rematch against Crews! They had a pretty good match last time, so I’m hoping for something similar when they meet again.

Samoa Joe vs Johnny Gargano

Were all of these matches supposed to be predictable? The women’s tag team match made me think about the outcome; having the heels win could create some tension between Carmella and Bayley. But the rest of the matches? All too easy to predict! Especially the five minute main event. Come on, a main event shouldn’t be five minutes! I know Joe, Zayn and Corbin have a triple threat match for the number one contendership to the NXT title next episode, but did we need to see them in separate matches? Why not a tag team match, pitting Joe and Corbin against Zayn and Balor? Instead, we received this incredibly short match, which Joe dominated. Gargano squeezed in a springboard DDT, but he had no chance. Joe locked in the Kokina Clutch for the victory. So we see Joe stand tall…and that was all!

WINNER: Samoa Joe

VERDICT: 3/10. A poor, short and pointless main event.

OVERALL VERDICT: 4/10. In the ring, it was a poor event. Five matches squeezed into an hour? They should have dropped at least one! There wasn’t much progression storyline-wise, either. Balor vs Crews II is on, but apart from that, little occurred of note.

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(Click here for my review of NXT Episode 316)