5/31/17 NXT Recap: Ciampa Explanation; Pete Dunne, Andrade Almas in Action; SAnitY vs. Strong/Ohno Main Event
We see a brand new opening video and theme song for NXT this week, and then we go into the NXT Arena at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida where Tom Phillips, Percy Watson, and Nigel McGuinness welcome us to the show.
Tommaso Ciampa makes his way to the ring on crutches. Ciampa says he’d like to take a moment to call Johnny Gargano out to the ring so he can give him an explanation. Gargano doesn’t come out and Ciampa says he is not here. Ciampa says he has learned more life lessons in the last two weeks than he had in the previous 32 years. He says the Thursday before NXT TakeOver: Chicago, he sustained an injury. He says he knew that he was going to fight at TakeOver, but the fans started replacing him with dream partners for Johnny Gargano. He says he is not an afterthought and put it all aside. He says he and Gargano fought against The Authors of Pain because that’s all they do: fight. He says he took a fall at TakeOver and felt something in his knee pop. He says he knows the difference between being hurt and being injured and he knew he was injured. He says he fought through the pain because of the fans and Gargano. He says he realized after the match that the fans and Gargano were just alike. He says there is no doubt in his mind that Gargano was going to replace him and wouldn’t hesitate to do it. Ciampa says he wasn’t going to let that happen and made his decision to be done with Gargano. He says if he has to go away for a long time, then Gargano was going to go away for a long time as well. Ciampa says TakeOver was supposed to be their moment, but it wasn’t. TakeOver was simply Ciampa’s moment. Ciampa says he knows in his heart that the ring is not replaceable, nor is he replaceable. Ciampa says the fans are replaceable. He says he doesn’t need them before and he doesn’t need them now. Ciampa says he is going to be better than ever and will be the most dangerous son of a bitch in NXT when he returns. He says he is professional wrestling, whether we like it or not.
We see that Kassius Ohno and Roderick Strong will battle Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe in the main event, but coming up next is Pete Dunne vs. Danny Burch. We then take a special look at Burch.
We see that Powerflo’s “Resistance” is the new official theme song for NXT. Tom Phillips informs us that Tommaso Ciampa does indeed have a major knee injury, but Johnny Gargano has refused to inform anybody of how he is doing.
We see footage of Bobby Roode earlier today, informing us that he is going to hold a Glorious Celebration, but we are not invited. He says don’t fear, because he returns next week.
Match #1: Danny Burch vs. Pete Dunne
They tie up and Dunne drops Burch to the mat and applies an arm-bar and joint manipulation submission. Burch gets to his feet and takes Dunne down with a drop-toe hold. Burch applies a headlock down on the mat, but Dunne gets back to his feet. Burch takes Dunne back down and runs the ropes and then takes Dunne to the mat. Dunne gets to the ropes and then drops Burch with a right hand. Dunne goes for the cover, but Burch kicks out at two as we head to a break.
We’re back and Dunne is still in control. He stomps down on the back of Burch’s neck and then digs his knuckles into the back of Burch’s head. Dunne decks Burch with a right hand and charges in the corner, but Burch counters with boots to the face and takes Dunne down with a missile dropkick. Burch delivers a chop and an uppercut. Burch runs the ropes, but Dunne catches him with a knee against the ropes. Dunne sends Burch to the corner, but Burch counters with an exploder suplex. Burch delivers a right hand and goes for the cover, but Dunne kicks out at two. Burch delivers a knee strike to the jaw and a big headbutt and goes for the cover, but Dunne kicks out at two again. Burch grabs Dunne, but Dunne counters with a snap suplex. Dunne kicks Burch in the back of the head and then drops him with a X-plex. Dunne goes for the cover, but Burch kicks out at two. Dunne goes for the Bitter End, but Burch counters and rolls Dunne up for a two count. Dunne kicks Burch in the face, but Burch comes right back and takes Dunne out with a big clothesline. Dunne rolls onto the apron and Burch goes after him, but Dunne catches him with a forearm. Dunne launches over the ropes, but Burch catches him with a right hand. Burch delivers a draping DDT to Dunne and goes for the cover, but Dunne kicks out at two. Burch goes for a running knee, but Dunne counters with a German suplex into the corner. Dunne drops Burch with the Bitter End and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Pete Dunne.
After the match, Dunne says he has had to watch some boy carry a championship that rightfully belonged to him. He says at TakeOver, it was his pleasure to take it from Tyler Bate. He says history will show that the WWE UK brand started and everything that goes with it was owned by the “Bruiserweight” Pete Dunne.
We go backstage with Kayla Braxton and she is joined by the Velveteen Dream. He stops her and says the ambience isn’t right for him. He says everything needs to be perfect. He says the ambience and Kayla’s hair needs to be fixed, and then maybe he will give an interview.
We are reminded of tonight’s main event: Kassius Ohno and Roderick Strong vs. SAnitY, and see that Andrade “Cien” Almas will be in action next.
We see a vignette from Paul Ellering hyping up The Authors of Pain. He says the Book of Pain has been shut, and the Book of Dominance has been opened.
Match #2: Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Cezar Bononi
Almas takes Bononi down with a dropkick and then stomps away on him in the corner. Almas delivers double knees in the corner and then drives his knee into Bononi against the ropes. Almas slaps Bononi across the chest and then kicks him in the face. Almas drives a knee into Bononi, but Bononi fights back. Bononi connects with an elbow and then a few uppers=cuts and knee shots. Almas counters with a neck-breaker and then kicks Bononi in the chest. Almas stomps down on Bononi and then kicks him in the side of the face. Bononi fights back, but Almas sends him to the corner. Almas connects with a clothesline and then slaps him across the face in the corner. Almas grabs Bononi and goes for a suplex, but Bononi counters with a roll up and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Cezar Bononi.
After the match, Almas looks shocked but then shakes it off and acts like he doesn’t care that he just lost.
We are reminded once more of tonight’s main event: Kassius Ohno and Roderick Strong vs. SAnitY.
We see Peyton Royce and Billie Kay in the Performance Center earlier today. They are talking about remodeling the center when Ember Moon walks by. They say she ruined their shot, but then the doctor asks her to sign her medical release form. She tells them “See you soon,” and walks off as Peyton and Billie tell the cameraman to turn the camera off.
We see in two weeks, Asuka will defend the NXT Women’s Championship in a Triple Threat Elimination Match. We then see footage of Hideo Itami going ballistic after his loss to Bobby Roode at TakeOver, where he trashes the locker room while Kassius Ohno and others try to calm him down. We then see Itami and Ohno talking in the parking lot earlier today and shaking hands with each other. We see that Hideo Itami will go one-on-one with Oney Lorcan next week.
Match #3: Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe (w/Killian Dain) vs. Roderick Strong and Kassius Ohno
Strong and Young start the match and Strong backs Young into the corner and delivers a chop. Young sends Strong into the corner and connects with a right hand, but Strong comes back and sends Young into the corner again. Strong delivers a chop and then takes Young down with a neck-breaker. Wolfe tags in, but Strong takes him down with a clothesline and tags in Ohno. Ohno and Strong double-team Wolfe in the corner and then Ohno drops Wolfe with a kick in the middle of the ring. Wolfe comes back with a right hand and tags in Young. Young takes Ohno to the corner and tries to slam his head into the turnbuckle, but Ohno counters and kicks Young in the face. Young sends Ohno across the ring, but Ohno lands on the ring. Ohno catches Young and Wolfe with boots to the face, but Dain pulls Ohno down on the apron. Young comes off the ropes and connects with an elbow to the back of the neck to Ohno. Young goes for the cover, but Ohno kicks out at two. Young takes Ohno to the corner and connects with right hands. Young tosses Ohno to the floor and Dain decks him with a right hand as we head to a break.
We’re back and Young has a submission locked in down on the mat. Ohno gets to his feet and connects with right hands to break the hold. Young takes him down with a shoulder tackle and goes for the cover, but Ohno kicks out at two. Wolfe tags back in and stomps away on Ohno. Wolfe drops Ohno with a right hand in the corner and tags in Young. Young connects with a few right hands and tags Wolfe back in. Wolfe delivers an uppercut in the corner and then delivers a suplex. Wolfe goes for the cover, but Ohno kicks out at two. Wolfe applies a submission down on the mat, but Ohno fights to his feet and backs Wolfe into the corner. Ohno connects with al elbow to Wolfe and then one to Young. Ohno shoves Wolfe away, but Wolfe comes back with a big boot. Wolfe goes for the cover, but Ohno kicks out at two. Young tags in and comes off the ropes with a clubbing shot to the back. Young delivers a neck-breaker and goes for the cover, but Ohno kicks out at two. Ohno connects with an enzuiguri and Wolfe tags in. Wolfe goes for an elbow drop, but Ohno moves and tags in Strong. Strong drops Wolfe with a few forearm shots and then a flying clothesline. Strong drops Wolfe with the American Eagle Slam and then drops Young with a back-breaker on the apron. Strong knees Wolfe in the face and then slams him down to the mat. Strong goes for the cover, but Wolfe gets his foot on the rope at two. Strong delivers forearm shots and then connects with an elbow. Young makes a blind tag and delivers a neck-breaker to Strong. Young goes for the cover, but Strong kicks out at two. Ohno kicks Wolfe out of the ring and Young kicks Ohno to the floor. Dain gets on the apron, but No Way Jose runs from the back and pulls Dain down. Jose slams Dain into the ring post and Ohno drops Wolfe with the rolling forearm. Strong drops Young with the End of Heartache back-breaker and gets the pin fall
Winners: Roderick Strong and Kassius Ohno.
After the match, Strong, Ohno, and Jose celebrate in the stage while SAnitY looks on from the ring as NXT comes to a close.
