The show starts with a highlight video package on NXT TakeOver: Dallas.
Tom Phillips & Corey Graves welcome us to the show from commentary. Tonight, Apollo Crews and Elias Samson will go one-one-one. Phillips sends us to Cathy Kelly at WWE Headquarters.
Kelly will taking us through all the fallout tonight. Two days ago, Apollo Crews debuted on Raw with a win over Tyler Breeze.
On Friday, American Alpha beat The Revival to capture the NXT Tag Team Championship. The finish saw Chad Gable pin Scott Dawson. The win was quite emotional and had me smiling from ear to ear.
Backstage, Jordan emotionally says there was a lot of digging deep to stick with it. Gable said they had to win this match. It was huge for them to win the titles over WrestleMania weekend. Gable says a lot of people don’t know that Jordan has had this coming for a long time. Jordan hugs Gable as the interview concludes.
-Commercials
After the first break, Kelly takes us through the NXT Women’s Championship pitting challenger Asuka against champion Bayley. In the end, Asuka made Bayley pass out to the Asuka Lock to win the Women’s Title.
Post match, Bayley congratulates Asuka on her win even though it’s hard for her to wrap her mind around it all. Bayley says Asuka is on another level and maybe she wasn’t ready for it. Bayley says she let everyone down. Bayley is planning on rising to the occasion when she returns.
Cathy Kelly says Bayley is the true definition of a champion, but she also can’t wait to see what’s in store for Asuka as champ. Kelly moves her focus to Elias Samson. He was defeated by Johnny Gargano two weeks ago on NXT. Apollo Crews made the save during the post-match attack on Gargano. The two will have a match later tonight.
We see a highlight video package that shows how Austin Aries beat Baron Corbin. Afterwards, Aries stated that he did what he said he would do. Corbin found out why Aries is the self-proclaimed greatest man that ever lived. Aries says he is here to stay. He will be in action next week.
Kelly then discusses how Baron Corbin debuted in and won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32.
We see highlights of Finn Balor retaining the NXT Championship against Samoa Joe in the main event. Backstage, Finn Balor calls Joe a monster that just won’t stop. Balor isn’t sure if he can stop Joe from pushing forward. Finn may still be NXT Champion, but he didn’t win; he barely survived the challenge of Samoa Joe. The cameras catch up with Joe backstage for a comment, but he continues walking on.
Last week, Apollo Crews beat Alex Riley. Afterwards, Elias Samson taunted him with a song. Their singles match is next.
-Commercials
We head back to Dallas for this week’s featured match. Elias Samson makes his way out to the ring to lots of boos. Samson introduces himself before singing a song he wrote for the fans in Dallas. Apollo Crews’ music hits and he makes his way out.
Elias Samson vs. Apollo Crews
They lock up and Samson rolls Crews away from him. Samson sits in the corner and kisses his guitar while Apollo waits for him. They lock up again, Samson repeating the previous actions. They lock up, Samson applies a headlock. Samson walks the ropes, but Crews gets out of the lock. They dodge each other until Crews connects with a dropkick and arm drags. Crews locks up the left arm on the mat.
Crews with an arm drag back into the same position. The two fall out of the ring with the hold still in place. Once back in, Crews does another arm drag to put the lock back in. Samson elbows his way out, but he runs into another arm drag. Crews lands on the apron and goes to fly back in, but Samson sweeps his legs out in midair.
-Commercials
Back from break, we see Samson kicking Crews in a corner. Samson wraps Crews up in the ropes while clubbing him with a forearm. Crews drops a couple knees before hitting a clothesline. Samson poses at the ropes while Crews stirs. Samson cuts him off with a headlock. Crews manages to get to his feet and takes a couple shots at the midsection. Samson counters with a boot to the head from the mat.
Crews whips Samson across the ring and Samson sends him flying with a kickout from the corner. Samson applies a chinlock on the mat. Crews works his way up again, but Samson drills him with a dropkick. Samson tries covering him while using the ropes as leverage. Samson throws a few punches until Crews comes back with clotheslines and a splash in the corner.
Crews connects with a big kick to the side of the head, cover. Samson rolls out of the ring to leave. Crews chases after him and manages to back flip off the apron onto Elias. Apollo sends Samson back in the ring, where he drops him and misses the standing moonsault as Samson moves. Samson catches Crews with a roll up followed by a knee to the head. Samson covers, nearfall.
Samson goes for a move but Crews counters with a kick to the head followed by the toss powerbomb. Crews covers for the win.
Winner: Apollo Crews – by pinfall (12:04)
Graves & Phillips briefly discuss what’s next for Apollo Crews.
-Commercials
Cathy Kelly welcomes us back to NXT. At TakeOver, we saw the incredible debut of Shinsuke Nakamura against Sami Zayn. Highlights of the match air. Afterwards, Zayn is interviewed. He was excited to face Nakamura, but it was one of the hardest battles of his career. Zayn says the respect shown from Shinsuke and the fans meant a lot.
Nakamura is backstage with Funaki as his translator. Nakamura is shown clutching his face. Nakamura ends up saying Strong Style has arrived. Nakamura will be in action next week.
Cathy Kelly signs off as we begin a new chapter of NXT next week.
