Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin
A card like this definitely needs one all-out hoss fight, and NXT has obliged us by putting Samoa Joe up against Baron Corbin in a match that is sure to be hard-hitting. While Joe’s NXT run has thus far not been as great as many expected when he debuted a few months back, the indy legend has nonetheless put on some great matches with guys like Rhyno and Kevin Owens.
The green but eager Baron Corbin has been running roughshod over the NXT roster (minus its stars) for months now, beating opponents in seconds with his End of Days finisher. After one quick win, Corbin grabbed a mic and said that nobody could get up from his finisher and well, you don’t make a claim like that and not get a response from Samoa Joe.
Joe came off and got in Corbin’s face and after the big man at first hesistated to fight Joe, a brawl eventually set off that saw Corbin quickly take control. However when he tried to hit End of Days, Samoa ducked and locked in the Coquina Clutch, effectively putting the big man to sleep. The sequence was shocking, especially when you consider that nobody had been able to so much as pin Corbin without help since he debuted months ago. While this one may not be the prettiest match on the card Saturday night, it will definitely be the hardest-hitting, and that’s all we can ask for.
Apollo Crews to Finally Debut
Your next entrant in the long line of indy legends turned NXT powerhouses is Apollo Crews, formerly known to the wrestling world as Uhaa Nation. For those who don’t know how great of a wrestler this man is, I present to you a clip of Uhaa Nation’s greatest moves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOirsweHaZM
For those who don’t want to watch the video (your loss), Crews is basically a powerhouse who does things no man of his size should be able to do. From standing backflips to aerial assaults from the top rope, Crews has it all.
Saturday night will mark the beginning of the next big thing in NXT, and that man is Apollo Crews.
Blake & Murphy (w/ Alexa Bliss) vs. The Vaudevillains (NXT Tag Team Title Match)
A few weeks prior to this match being made, the Vaudevillains shocked everyone by beating crowd favorites Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy (HOW YOU DOING?!) in a #1 Contender’s match for the tag titles and earning themselves a shot at Blake & Murphy just a few weeks later.
In that match, the Vaudevillains seemed to be moments away from finally being crowned NXT tag Champs when a well-timed distraction from Alexa Bliss allowed the Champs to instead retain. The Vaudevillains responded by hitting their finisher on Blake and tossing Murphy out of the ring, and the next week NXT GM William Regal announced their rematch would take place at TakeOver.
Unlike the other two title matches of the evening, I fully expect the challengers to walk out of here as the new Champions. Simon Gotch and Aiden English have worked for months to get a true shot at the belts and Saturday night looks like it will be the night they finally break through and claim the gold.