8/8 Gutteridge's WWE NXT Review: Dean Ambrose vs. Adrian Neville for the U.S. Title, Bo Dallas vs. Leo Kruger for the NXT Title, Tyler Breeze vs. Danny Burch, Summer Rae vs. Emma in a dance battle

By Darren Gutteridge



WWE NXT on Sky Sports 3

Taped July 11th in Winter Park, Florida
 
[Q1] Before titles, a video package previewed tonight’s episode as “face-off night”. They advertised Dean Ambrose vs. Adrian Neville for the US title, Bo Dallas vs. Leo Kruger for the NXT Title, and Emma vs. Summer Rae in a dance battle...
 
After titles, ring announcer Byron Saxton asked for everyone’s attention, and said he had been informed that Tyler Breeze had entered the building. Neville’s music played, and Tom Phillips and Alex Riley introduced themselves as Neville made his way to the ring. The crowd popped for the Shield’s music, and Ambrose entered alone from the side of the ramp...
 
1. Dean Ambrose vs. Adrian Neville for the United States Title. Neville took Ambrose to the corners early on, throwing several kicks and building to his multiple headstands spot, which culminated in a crossbody from the second rope. Ambrose escaped an arm lock and tried to send Neville to the corner, but Neville reversed and nailed Ambrose with a high roundhouse kick. Neville went to the tope rope, but Ambrose rolled out of the ring. Neville gave chase, only for Ambrose to dodge his baseball slide and put him down with a clothesline.
 
Following a quick tour promo, Ambrose locked Neville in a bow and arrow stretch. Neville turned the hold into a pin, but Ambrose kicked out and took control back immediately with chops in the corner and a vertical suplex. Neville caused a break by elbowing Ambrose in the face, and then suckering him into the corner, causing Ambrose to run into the post.
 
Neville landed a springboard crossbody for a two, before hitting two running clotheslines and a head scissors. Ambrose got sent to the outside, and Neville dived over the ropes onto him. He threw Ambrose back inside, and set up for the Red Arrow. He nailed it, but just as the ref was about to count the three, Seth Rollins ran in to break the count up...
 
Adrian Neville defeated Dean Ambrose via DQ in 7:14.
 
Rollins, Ambrose and Roman Reigns began to beat up Neville, but Corey Graves and Xavier Woods ran down to make the save. The Shield exited the ring and backed up the ramp while Woods and Graves tended to Neville...
 
Backstage, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady were speaking to Scott Dawson and Sylvester Lefort. Amore asked if Dawson was ready for his big match against Mason Ryan. Dawson said it would be a piece a cake. Lefort said it was all about the money (for some reason), before he and Dawson left. Amore said he knew Dawson would fall through. CJ Parker walked past in the background, fist pumping towards the camera as Amore and Cassady agreed to get a good seat for the Dawson vs. Ryan match... [C]
 
Gutt Reaction: The match built strongly, but the finish wasn’t very exciting. Considering the fast pace both men are capable off, the end just seemed to shuffle together. Props to the production team though, as you couldn’t see Rollins until the refs hand was millimetres away from counting the three. The pair may have been holding off in this one if they aim to revisit the match over the coming weeks if The Shield vs. Neville, Graves and Woods becomes a drawn out feud.
 
[Q2] Byron Saxton introduced NXT’s first ever dance battle, and said the winner will face Paige for the NXT Women’s title next week. Summer Rae entered first, before a replay of the ending of Rae vs. Emma in the Women’s Title Tournament semi final aired. After Emma entered the ring, Saxton explained the rules. He said each Diva will get four chances to show off their dance moves. FOUR?!?!
 
Rae went first, and did a quick tango. Emma retaliated with the funky chicken. The crowd chanted “YES!”. Loudly. Rae was met with “NO!” One of Emma’s dances was called the “Advanced shopping trolley”, in which she mimed shopping. Rae got angry as the crowd chanted “You got served”. She shouted at Emma for mocking the art of dance, and asked for her “real” music. Fandango’s music played, and she did a Fandango-less version of her usual entrance dance. Emma responded with her signature dance.
 
Saxton asked the crowd who won. They picked Emma. She celebrated, but Summer Rae attacked her from behind. She put Emma down with an inverted leg drop bulldog before leaving... [C]
 
Gutt Reaction: I have a degree in journalism. And I’m writing about a dance battle. I feel I may have wasted my time and money...
 
[Q3] Danny Burch, from London, was already in the ring when Tyler Breeze made his entrance. He had glitter on his face. Zim’s right, he really does look like Zigglander. The feed from his camera phone was shown on the tron. That’s a good touch I suppose...
 
2. Tyler Breeze vs. Danny Burch. Breeze continued to look at himself on his phone screen before Burch walked over. Breeze kicked him away and returned to look at his phone again. Burch caught him with a knee when Breeze walked over, and sent Breeze to the ropes, but got caught by high roundhouse kick. Breeze took another selfie before hitting Burch with a spinning heel kick to get the 1-2-3...
 
Tyler Breeze defeated Danny Burch in 0:44.
 
Breeze picked up his phone and took a picture of him pinning Burch...
 
Backstage, Renee Young introduced Bo Dallas. She congratulated him on surviving his first title defence against Antonio Cesaro. Dallas cut her off and said he didn’t survive, he pinned Cesaro in the middle of the ring. He called Cesaro a “good kid”, and said he had a bright future. Young said tonight he faces Kruger, and reminded him the Kruger pinned him last week. Dallas blamed the loss on Sami Zayn and his “inexperience”. He said Zayn should have had his back, and Bo knew that, being a former tag team champion himself. Young pointed out that he was only tag champion because of substituting for Oliver Grey. Dallas said he couldn’t remember because it was long time ago. He said tonight, he will beat the “strange” Kruger. He then started singing “Don’t stop Bo-Lieving”...
 
Mason Ryan vs. Scott Dawson, and The Shield vs. Neville, Graves and Woods were advertised for next week...
 
Gutt Reaction: It may have a few new quirks, but Breeze is playing the same “pretty boy” character that has been around since Lou Thesz’s day. It’s beyond stale. I also wish WWE would pick a direction for Dallas. I’m fine with him becoming a heel by over hamming his babyface mannerisms, but he then shouldn’t play the role of “top babyface champion” when he is in the ring. It’s an incredibly mixed message.
 
Tom Phillips talked over a replay of the end of the dance battle. He explained that Emma has now not been medically cleared to compete (after taking one normal finisher move), and Summer Rae has challenged Paige to a match next week for the Women’s title. Paige has accepted...
 
Saxton announced that Tyler Breeze had left the building. Kruger entered the arena first, greeted by some nice “Kru” chants, before Bo Dallas entered to a mixed reaction...
 
3. Bo Dallas vs. Leo Kruger for the NXT Title. All of Bo’s early control was met with “Bo-ring” chants. Kruger escaped an arm lock, and sent both himself and Dallas to the outside with a Cactus Jack clothesline. Kruger got back in the ring and hit Dallas with a baseball slide before the final commercial... [C]
 
[Q4] Kruger continued to dominate when we returned, putting Dallas on the top rope and looking for a superplex. Dallas twice fought him off, eventually throwing him back into the ring and hitting a flying clothesline. Both men struggled back to their feet, but Dallas made the quicker start with running forearms. He hit his rebound bulldog for a two count, and got another one off of a reverse DDT. Dallas seemed to get frustrated, continually hitting Kruger with punches and clotheslines.
 
Kruger rallied out of nowhere, throwing big right hands before putting Dallas down with a Double A spinebuster. He signalled for the Slice clothesline, and managed to hit it, but Dallas kicked out. The crowd chanted “You still suck” at Bo. Kruger said “Ta-Ta”, and locked Dallas in the GC3. Dallas held on and managed to get to the ropes. Kruger went to the top rope, and went for a big splash, but Dallas got his knees up. Dallas locked in a new elbow lock submission, and Kruger held on for a while before tapping...
 
Bo Dallas defeated Leo Kruger in 10:17 to retain the NXT Title.
 
Dallas posed with the title in the ring as NXT went off the air...
 
Gutt Reaction: Again, the match seemed tailored more towards an over babyface overcoming a vicious heel. The crowd were pro Kruger for the most part. Outside of that, the match was solid. The ending was a big surprise. Kruger tapping out was not something I would have called, given Dallas has never used a submission before, and Kruger has been shown to be so tough in-ring. I’ll take it though, as it is an improvement on Dallas’ weak looking alternative finishers.
 
The cloud of campiness from last week carried over to the middle order of this episode. Between Breeze, the dance battle and Dallas’ promo, there was a lot to skip over tonight, but good bookend matches make tonight’s show worth a watch.
 
Thanks for reading. If you had any comments or thoughts on the show or this review, add me on Twitter via @Dazatheg