WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn
August 22, 2015
Brooklyn, New York (Barclays Center)
Commentators: Rich Brennan, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton
Recap by: Jason Namako of Wrestleview.com
Triple H opens in the ring and talks about the change and revolution of NXT, culuminating in tonight’s NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. Lights come on, crowd loudly chants “NXT.” “We are NXT” says Triple H and leaves.
We see the usual intro, then commentary welcomes us to the show.
We get a NYC summer fashion show for the “Gorgeous” line for our opening match.
“Prince Pretty” Tyler Breeze vs. Jushin “Thunder” Liger
Liger comes out to a WWE variation of his classic New Japan theme music. Big reaction for Liger in Brooklyn. Breeze with a side headlock and a shoulder tackle, then lays on the ropes to relax. Liger motions for Breeze to come on. Liger with a drop toe hold and an elbow drop to the back, then mocks Breeze by laying on the ropes. Liger takes Breeze down, Rocking Horse applied into a surfboard variation. Breeze gets to his feet and stomps his away out. Liger avoids a corner charge, soccer kick to the ribs while Breeze was across the ropes. Romero Special applied, Breeze doesn’t submit, Liger breaks. Monkey Flip by Liger sends Breeze all the way down face-first. Liger has some fun with Breeze’s Selfie Stick, then throws it at him and hits some chops. Breeze slips out of the Liger Bomb, goes after Liger’s mask and hits the Supermodel Kick for 2. Commentary mentions that Breeze is 1-3 at TakeOver events. Liger can’t get up from the Supermodel Kick. Breeze stomps away at Liger in the corner, then yells at the ref not to touch him. Snapmare, leg drop for only 1. Front chancery applied, crowd wills on Liger. Liger fights back, but Breeze with a knee to the ribs. Side Backstabber gets Breeze another 2. Breeze trash talks Liger, kneedrop gets another 2. “Full Sail Sucks” chants by the Brooklyn crowd to the tone of the “New Day Sucks” chant. Back to the front chancery. Liger powers out and sends Breeze face-first to the mat. Breeze goes to the apron, springs back in, but Liger catches him with the Koppo Kick. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Liger, then he heads up top for a splash, but Breeze gets the knees up. Crucifix Driver by Breeze for a close 2. More stomps by Breeze in the corner, followed by right hands. Breeze again yells at the ref, allowing Liger to hit the Shoten. Breeze rolls outside, Liger goes to the apron, rolling senton wipes out Breeze! Liger poses for the crowd, then back in, Breeze again slips out of the Liger Bomb, but Liger with another Shoten.
RUNNING LIGER BOMB!!! 1-2-3!
Winner: Jushin “Thunder” Liger by pinfall (Running Liger Bomb)
Liger celebrates his win afterward, bowing to the crowd.
We see Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and X-Pac sitting in the front row.
Bayley is seen preparing backstage for her match later. Charlotte & Becky Lynch come in and show their support for her tonight.
We see a vignette on the impending debut of Nia Jax.
NXT Tag Team Titles: The Vaudevillains (“The Artiste” Aiden English & Simon Gotch) vs. Blake & Murphy (c’s) w/Alexa Bliss
Vaudevillains come out wearing old-timey top hats and trench coats, sporting new blue ring attire. Bliss gets on the mic before the match and rips on the Vaudevillains for not getting help. Vaudevillains stop her from slapping them and point to the entrance. Out come Blue Pants as their back-up! Big reaction by the Brooklyn crowd for Blue Pants.
Gotch & Blake start. “Blue Pants City” chants by the crowd. Chain wrestling early, roll-up by Gotch gets 1. Gotch stops a whip, knocks Blake down. Rolling Oklahoma Roll into a cross armbreaker, Blake counters out with a pin attempt for 2. Armdrag into an armbar by Gotch. English in, slingshot elbow drop by Gotch, running boot by English for 2. English goes to the arm. Tag champs try double teaming, but English thwarts it and goes to work on Murphy’s arm. English sent to the apron, but Murphy pulls him off to stop a slingshot, sending English crashing onto the apron. Blake in, gets English back in and gets 2. Chinlock applied, crowd wills on English. English fights back, but Blake cuts him off and stomps away at him, Murphy in, mocks English’s pose. More stomps by Murphy, elbow drop gets 2. Back to the chinlock. English tries for a tag, Murphy drives him into his corner. Blake in, running elbow in the corner, front elbow drop gets another 2. Knee to the back, chinlock re-applied, crowd again wills on English. English gets free, sending Blake outside, but Blake pulls Gotch off the apron to prevent a tag. Murphy in, alley-oop into a neckbreaker gets a close 2. Blake in, English stops a double-team, sending Blake into Murphy. English crawls over to make a tag, kicks Blake off, Gotch gets the tag. Clotheslines and forearms for the champions. Leaping knee to Murphy, spinning back kick to Blake. Down come the straps, running corner forearms to the champions, Murphy goes into Blake. English, Murphy stops a double-team, sending Gotch outside and crotching English on the turnbuckles. Murphy goes up with English, English blocks a superplex. Champions go for a double superplex, Gotch comes in underneath, double powerbomb! SENTON BOMB BY ENGLISH!! 1-2…MURPHY KICKS OUT!!! ENGLISH CAN’T BELIEVE IT! Gotch in, Bliss gets on the apron, Blue Pants pulls her off! Blue Pants gives chase to Bliss, Bliss kicks her off. Bliss in the ring, but Blue Pants stops her from slapping them. Blue Pants slaps Bliss and spears her outside. Roll-up by Murphy to Gotch for 2.
WHIRLY DIVIRISH!! 1-2-3! NEW CHAMPIONS!
Winners and NEW NXT Tag Team Champions: The Vaudevillains by pinfall (Whirly Divirish)
Vaudevillains & Blue Pants celebrate their title win afterwards.
We see NXT Champion Finn Balor & Neville arriving to the building earlier today, then run into Cesaro.
We see music producer Rick Rubin in the front row.
“The Perfect 10” Tye Dillinger vs. Apollo Crews
Nice reaction for Dillinger. Good reaction for Crews for his debut. Dillinger avoids a corner charge, does a cartwheel and says it was a 10. Crews goes up & over, does a backflip, then says it was a 10. “10” chants by the crowd. Big leapfrog and a dropkick by Crews. Dillinger with a shot to the leg, then stops a Crews springboard with a dropkick to the knees. Dillinger stomps away at Crews, then chokes him with his boot. Dillinger only gets 1. Leaping stomp to the head, Dillinger does another 10. Cobra Clutch applied, Dillinger says, “this is why I am a perfect 10.” Crews powers out, Dillinger slips out of a slam, Crews sits down on a Sunset Flip for 2. Superkick by Dillinger for another 2. Dillinger with a series of right hands. Crews blocks a whip and another superkick, hits an enziguri. Right hands by Crews, followed by a Discus Clothesline. Leaping Avalanche, Flying Clothesline, Crews kips up.
Crews Combo (Gorilla Press/Standing Moonsault combo) gets Crews the win.
Winner: Apollo Crews by pinfall (The Crews Combo)
Backstage promo from NXT GM William Regal, announcing the “Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic” in memoriam of the late Dusty Rhodes. It will be a tag-team tournament starting on the 9/2 episode of NXT and ending on 10/7 at the next TakeOver special.
We see the Tough Enough finalists in the front row. We see video highlighting the Corbin-Joe rivalry.
Grudge Match: “The Lone Wolf” Baron Corbin vs. “The Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe
Lots of heat for Corbin, big reaction for Joe. Jockeying for position early. Joe goes to the arm, knee to the ribs. Facelock applied, Corbin gets free. Joe goes for the Kokina Clutch, Corbin quickly slips outside to re-group. Ref gets in-between them outside, Joe motions for Corbin to get back in. Corbin goes downstairs, big right hand. Joe with the running back elbow/enziguri combo to Corbin in the corner. Running dropkick sends Corbin outside. Joe with a head of steam, but Corbin stops him with a forearm and a big right hand. Corbin trash talks the crowd, back in hits a trifecta of avalanches to Joe in the corner for only 1. More stomps and right hands by Corbin. Joe comes back with a front kick, a big chop and jabs. Joe avoids a right hand, roll-up for 2. Joe quickly transitions into a half crab, then into a Crossface. Corbin tries to reach the ropes, but Joe grabs the arm and pulls it back. Corbin gets his foot on the ropes, forcing the break. Corbin sends Joe outside, then goes to the apron, but Joe clotheslines his legs, sending Corbin face-first off the apron. Joe sends Corbin flipping into the barricade. Back in, Joe eyes the crowd, but Corbin takes him down and locks him in a heel hook. Joe is able to reach the ropes, Corbin just breaks before the ref’s 5 count. Joe with another big chop, but Corbin catches him with a Bossman Slam for a close 2. Corbin is getting frustrated. Corbin with a superkick, Joe fires back with an enziguri, both men down. Both men up by the ref’s 8 count. More jabs by Joe, then rapid-fire gut shots. Corbin blocks a spinning backfist, hits a series of right hands. Joe with more shots, Corbin with forearms. Joe with open-hand slaps, Corbin catches a kick and hits a big right hand. Joe this time hits the spinning backfist, then places Corbin up top. Corbin avoids the Muscle Buster, kicks Joe off and hits a big boot. Suplex Slam gets Corbin a close 2. Corbin stomps away at Joe in the corner, then a series of right hands. Corbin calls for the end and goes for End of Days, but Joe locks him in the Kokina Clutch. Corbin snapmares out and hits a double-handed Choke Bomb for a close 2.
Joe goes right back to the Kokina Clutch with the body scissored! Corbin tries to fight it, but eventually fades and Joe has choked Corbin out!
Winner: “The Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe by submission (Kokina Clutch)
Joe celebrates his win afterward as Corbin can’t believe he lost.
We see WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair & Sgt. Slaughter in the front row, as well as Japanese women’s wrestler, Kana.
Stephanie McMahon comes out to introduce the NXT Women’s Title match. We see video package highlighting the Sasha-Bayley rivalry.
NXT Women’s Title: “Its” Bayley vs. “The Boss” Sasha Banks (c)
Bayley comes out wearing a polka-dot headband and wristband in memoriam of the late Dusty Rhodes. Sasha comes out with 4 bodyguards, riding an Escalade to the entrance ramp. Pre-match intros for this one.
Dueling chants for both women as the bell sounds. Sasha laughs at Bayley’s tribute to Dusty, then Bayley takes her down and unloads with shots. Running basement back elbow, sliding clothesline gets 2. Sasha sends Bayley into the turnbuckles repeatedly, but it has no effect on Bayley, who now sends Sasha repeatedly into the turnbuckles. Bayley places Sasha in a Tree of Woe, then hits a springboard elbow drop while Sasha is upside down! Bayley gets 2. Sasha with a roll-up for 2. “Sasha’s ratchet, no she’s not” dueling chants by the crowd. Sasha runs into a back elbow, lucha armdrag by Bayley off the ropes sends Sasha outside. Sasha goes to leave, but Bayley goes out on the other side and hits a sliding dropkick through the ropes, wiping out Sasha. Sasha with a knee to the ribs of Bayley back in, then drapes her across the middle rope. Bayley avoids the Draping Double Knees, then they head up the turnbuckles. Bayley blocks a superplex, but Sasha kicks out Bayley’s legs, sending Bayley crashing all the way down outside! Back in, Sasha unloads on Bayley, does her own running basement back elbow, then hits a running slap for 2, mocking Bayley. Bayley fights back, but Sasha cuts her off. Neck vise applied, crowd wills on Bayley. Sasha yells that Bayley is loser and to give up. Knee driven into the back, Stranglehold applied, crowd wills on Bayley. Bayley fights out, but Sasha drives her into the corner. Bayley blocks forearms, fights back, but Sasha with a big forearm, but Bayley counters the Draping Double Knees by grabbing Sasha in slam position. Sasha slips out and headscissors Bayley’s head into the top turnbuckle. Sasha places Bayley across the top rope, goes up top, SUPER DRAPING DOUBLE KNEES!! 1-2…BAYLEY KICKS OUT!! Sasha is beginning to get frustrated. Sasha continues to put the badmouth on Bayley, but Bayley fires back with a kick from underneath. Sasha sent into the middle turnbuckle, then Bayley unloads with shots. Sasha sends Bayley onto the apron and sends her arm-first off the middle rope. Sasha goes outside after Bayley and removes the wrapping from her previously-injured wrist. Sasha sends Bayley back outside, then drives the injured wrist off the steel steps. Sasha with a top wristlock, then stomps on the wristlocked arm. Sasha traps the hand against the steps and STOMPS AT IT!!! Sasha poses in the ring as the ref goes to check on Bayley, but then Sasha LEAPS OVER THE REF AND WIPES OUT BAYLEY WITH A FLIP DIVE!!! “This is awesome” chants by the crowd. Back in, Sasha gets 2. Sasha with more badmouth, paintbrushing Bayley, then goes to knucklelock her, running up the ropes and drives her arm-first across the top rope, with Sasha herself landing hard outside! Ref begins his 10 count, Sasha back in at 8. Strike exchange from their knees, then on their feet. Bayley with shots with her good arm, followed by a series of double sledges. Running shoulder in the corner, then the running corner back elbow. Buckle Suplex by Bayley, then she fixes the headband, but Sasha blocks the Belly-to-Bayley. O’Connor Roll by Bayley, Sasha blocks a German and hits a Divorce Court into the Bank Statement in the center of the ring! Bayley crawls to the ropes, but Sasha stomps on the injured hand and pulls back some more. Sasha goes to pull her back to the center, but Bayley reverses and LOCKS SASHA IN HER OWN BANK STATEMENT!! Sasha thinks about tapping, but is able to reach the ropes to force a break. “NXT” chants by the crowd. Sasha kicks Bayley off, but Bayley hits the Belly-to-Bayley!! 1-2….SASHA KICKS OUT!! BAYLEY CAN’T BELIEVE IT!! “This is awesome” chants by the Brooklyn crowd. They head up top as Bayley goes for a Super Belly-to-Bayley, but Sasha knocks her off. Bayley with a big forearm, then goes for a Super Rana, but Sasha shoves her off, sending Bayley crashing to the mat! Meteora by Sasha off the ropes, but Bayley KICKS OUT AGAIN!! SASHA NOW CAN’T BELIEVE IT!! More dueling chants by the crowd. Sasha places Bayley up top facing the crowd, but Bayley knocks her off. Sasha heads back up and they fight on the turnbuckles. SUPER REVERSE RANA BY BAYLEY!!!
ANOTHER BELLY-TO-BAYLEY!!! 1-2-3! NEW CHAMPION!!
Winner and NEW NXT Women’s Champion: “Its” Bayley by pinfall (Belly-to-Bayley)
Bayley celebrates her title win afterwards. We see highlights of the match, then Becky Lynch & Charlotte come in and celebrate with Bayley. Sasha comes in as well and embraces with Bayley, then all of the NXT 4 Horsewomen embrace in the ring and raise each other’s arms.
We see WWE Champion Seth Rollins in the front row.
Main Event for the NXT Title, Ladder Match: Finn Balor (c) vs. Kevin Owens
Balor comes out with the “Demon” entrance. Pre-match intros for this one as well. Owens talks trash to Balor as the bell sounds, then piefaces him. Balor stops Owens from going outside and unloads with forearms, but Owens with a knee to the ribs. Balor with a dropkick. Running chops by Balor in the corner, Owens comes back with a back elbow and a running back senton. Balor stops Owens again from going outside, Owens stomps away at him. Balor blocks a powerbomb, hits a double stomp, sending Owens outside. Owens sends Balor into the corner, back in, hits the Cannonball. Balor stops Owens again, but Owens with a headbutt. “OLE” chant by the crowd, Owens mocks Sami Zayn’s injury. Balor comes back with a Slingblade. Owens rolls outside and goes right to the ladder. Balor goes after him, knocks Owens and the ladder over with a running forearm. Balor grabs the ladder, but Owens grabs it and drives the ladder into Balor’s ribs against the apron. Owens places the ladder against Balor, then gets a running start, but feigns doing something and instead hits a right hand. Balor fights back, then blocks being sent into the barricade. They go into the crowd, Owens sends Balor into the barricade. Owens goes for a powerbomb, but Balor counters by back body dropping Owens back to ringside. Balor springs off the barricade, but Owens catches him in mid-air and drives him into the barricade. Owens then throws Balor over the barricade, then throws the top of the announce table into Balor’s head! Owens poses on top of the announce table, the points to the NXT Title belt. Owens grabs another ladder from underneath the ring, but Balor runs off the announce table and dropkicks the ladder back into Owens! Balor gets the ladder in the ring, but Owens grabs it away. Balor with a head of steam, FLIP DIVE WIPES OUT OWENS!! Balor brings the ladder back in and sets it up. Balor climbs the ladder, but Owens stops him. Owens sends Balor face-first off the ladder, then sends him outside. Owens sets up the ladder and begins climbing, but Balor grabs another ladder and brings it in. Owens with more shots to Balor, then throws aside the original ladder. Balor avoids the second ladder, Pele to Owens, sending him into the ladder in the corner. Balor charges, but Owens nails him with a clothesline. Owens has the ladder and nails Balor in the ribs with it repeatedly. Owens front slams Balor on the ladder, then hits another running back senton with Balor on the ladder! Owens taunts the crowd, then sets up the ladder, but Balor stops him and fights back. Owens goes downstairs and goes for a powerbomb onto the ladder, but Balor counters by BACK BODY DROPPING OWENS ACROSS THE LADDER, WHICH WAS ON ITS SIDE!! Balor sets up the ladder and begins climbing, but Owens stops him again. Owens sends Balor into the ladder against the corner, then charges, but Balor avoids the Cannonball, sending Owens crashing into the ladder! Shotgun Dropkick by Balor, then he heads up top and hits Coup de Grace! Balor sets up the ladder, begins climbing, touches the NXT Title belt, but Owens has his foot and brings him down with a Pop-Up Powerbomb from the ladder! “This is awesome” chants by the crowd. Owens sets up the ladder, begins climbing, but Balor comes up on the other side and topples the ladder over, sending Owens crashing into the turnbuckles and all the way outside! Owens pulls Balor outside, but Balor slips out of the Apron Powerbomb, running PK! Balor leaps off the apron, but Owens avoids the Coup de Grace! APRON POWERBOMB!! “NXT” chants by the crowd. Owens gets back in, sets up the ladder, begins climbing, but Balor turns over the ladder. Owens responds instantly with a superkick. Owens yells at Balor to stay down and hits another superkick. Owens says to Balor that he did this, then grabs another ladder and puts it in-between the bottom turnbuckle and the ladder. Owens goes up the ladder, saying Balor did this to himself. Owens goes for a Super Fisherman’s Buster onto the bridged ladder, but Balor blocks it. Big right hands by Balor, sends Owens head-first off the ladder, causing Owens to crash onto the bridged ladder! Balor climbs up, kicks Owens off, goes to reach for the belt, but has another idea. COUP DE GRACE OFF THE TOP OF THE LADDER!!
Balor climbs back up the ladder and grabs the NXT Title belt, retaining the title!
Winner and STILL NXT Champion: Finn Balor
Balor celebrates his title win afterwards as the show closes.
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