Every week, the WWE Network airs the latest episode of NXT. Of course, if you are reading this site you know what WWE NXT is. However I know many WWE Network subscribers don’t follow the show. Much like Superstars, I watch NXT religiously every week. So why not share some of my thoughts while also giving some information to those who may not keep up with it?
As usual for NXT, Tom Phillips and Corey Graves are on commentary and I think they do quite a good job together. Is there commentary perfect? Probably not. But I think it is quite good considering. And one touch I loved was them hyping up American Alpha, Tommaso Ciampa, etc. to appear on the show later tonight. Of course, we know that wouldn’t be the case.
William Regal comes out and reveals that Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe is a 2/3 Falls Match that will be starting next, but he also makes it clear that he won’t be suspending Baron Corbin like he’d prefer. Austin Aries, NXT’s newest signing, requested a match with Baron instead. Regal granted it for NXT Takeover: Dallas. Not bad right? You know Aries is going to make Baron look great and Corbin in his own right has improved a lot. This leads to our “opening” match of the night.
2 Out Of 3 Falls Number One Contender’s Match
Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe
What can you say about this? Normally I like to give at least a little recap of what happened in a match. Not a full recap, as I find that style kind of boring, but some. This one, however, I don’t intend to discuss too much. This is both because I think people should check it out, but mostly because it is just so long.
At forty three minutes in length, this is the longest match in NXT history. It also happens to be the longest WWE TV match since 2007. As a result, there is just too much to try to cover in a review. Instead I’ll focus on a few select bits:
I really liked how long the first fall took. We have become far too accustomed to the first fall coming early. While it can make sense, if it happens all the time I think it becomes too cliche. And with that, when we do have a long wait for the first fall we often have the next fall right away. Thanks to the time allotted to the match, this 2 out of 3 falls contest felt much more realistic and much less typical.
I also really liked Joe winning. Of course, we know Sami recently re-debuted on RAW but in addition to that, knowing what the plans are for him at NXT Takeover: Dallas, we are in for quite the event. Plus Joe and Finn absolutely killed it the first time. Imagine how they’ll be this time?
Another thing I liked about this was the pacing. It kept building and building but both guys played their characters perfectly. Sami as the never say die babyface who isn’t quite an underdog but certainly isn’t the favorite while Joe is just a big bad heel. It works and they played their roles well. I’m really curious to see how people react to a match like this.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe celebrates as the crowd is stunned silent. Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor is now confirmed for NXT Takeover: Dallas while Sami Zayn is officially out of the title picture. What a match, and what a night!
Match List
Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn
Closing Thoughts
Wow. A match on modern day TV lasting nearly 45 minutes? The last singles match in WWE to last this long was the famous John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels match from 2007. So for this to be the longest WWE TV match in almost a decade is huge. Oh, and it makes history as the longest match in NXT history. Not bad huh?
This episode was obviously all about one thing. This wasn’t an episode that has a lot of variety. If you aren’t into in-ring work, this episode probably isn’t for you. But for those who are, this a historic episode that will go down in history.
What did you think of the show? Make sure to leave your thoughts and feedback. As always, stick to WWE Network News for the latest WWE Network news, polls, reviews, and rumors! Bookmark us, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter: @WWENetworkChron!