As the Raw and SmackDown rosters build towards WWE SummerSlam 2016 , NXT General Manager William Regal leads the superstars from Full Sail University towards TakeOver: Back to Brooklyn , scheduled for August 20. To that end, Shinsuke Nakamura had a match with Wesley Blake, Regal announced his choice for Samoa Joe’s opponents at NXT TakeOver , and the NXT Champion showed up to give his thoughts on the situation.
Also, with Nia Jax, Alexa Bliss and Carmella all being drafted to one of the main rosters during the WWE Draft last week, questions remain about who will fill the void in the NXT Women’s Division once Asuka finishes her program with Bayley and/or Nia Jax. Both the women’s division and women’s title were addressed on last night’s WWE NXT . With Back to Brooklyn now less than four weeks away, who will Asuka face when she defends the NXT Women’s Championship next?
While Team Japan remains undefeated in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic tournament, their influence at Full Sail University is shining through in NXT as well. This week, Kota Ibushi made his NXT debut, Hideo Itami was advertised for his long-awaited return on next week’s WWE NXT and Shinsuke Nakamura was both the first and last NXT Superstar that members of the NXT Universe saw this week.
Note: The following contains the full results and spoilers for the episode of WWE NXT that first aired on the WWE Network on July 27.
Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Wesley Blake — will face Samoa Joe at NXT TakeOver: Back to Brooklyn
While Blake and Murphy continue to figure out what’s next for them in NXT, the King of Strong Style once again showed why so many people want to see Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at TakeOver next month. People often forget that Wesley Blake is a very talented in-ring performer, but it was hard to ignore that Nakamura brought out Blake’s absolute best. After the match, “before Samoa Joe arrived in the building,” William Regal announced that Joe would defend the NXT Championship against Shinsuke at Back to Brooklyn . When Joe showed up and protested at the end of the episode, he was forced to accept Regal’s decision or forfeit the title. Joe vs. Shinsuke is now official for TakeOver .
#WWENXT GM @RealKingRegal has spoken! @SamoaJoe defends the #NXTTitle against @ShinsukeN at #NXTTakeOver : Brooklyn! https://t.co/ZyGgdBCxtl
— WWE (@WWE) July 28, 2016
Billie Kay Defeated Santana Garrett
With three NXT women drafted to either Raw or SmackDown (and Bayley obviously making the move soon), there will be plenty of room for the next generation of NXT women to make a spot for themselves on the roster. With a dominant win over Santana Garrett, Billie Kay could be one of the women expected to help rebuild the division to what it was when Bayley and Sasha Banks were headlining NXT specials. Billie has already been allowed to compete on WWE SmackDown , so it’s clear the team in Orlando has high expectations for her future in NXT.
Bayley Requests Match Against Asuka
On last week’s episode of WWE NXT , Bayley defeated Nia Jax in a match that many assumed would determine the new No. 1 contender for Asuka’s NXT Women’s Championship. Before the match, Asuka seemed to imply that she didn’t want to choose between facing Nia or Bayley and that she would simply face them both. This week, after they aired highlights of Bayley appearing at Battleground , she approached Regal backstage, asking for her rematch against Asuka at Back to Brooklyn . Regal said that if Asuka agrees, the match is set. The NXT Universe can expect Asuka’s answer next week.
TM-61 Defeated Rob Kimball And Adrian Nails
Not unlike the NXT Women’s Division, the Tag Team Division will look to fill the void left by American Alpha and the Hype Bros, who will now compete full time on WWE SmackDown Live . TM-61 seems like one of the teams that will be challenging for the NXT Tag Team Championship in the future. For now, however, The Revival is busy with Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. TM-61 hit their Thunder Valley finisher in this quick match against two relative unknowns.
No Way Jose Defeated Steve Cutler — And Called Out Austin Aries
After airing a brief recap of the feud between No Way Jose and Austin Aries, No Way Jose was successful in a match against another relatively new NXT talent, Steve Cutler. After the match, Jose cut an angry promo against Austin Aries. One assumes they will face off at NXT TakeOver: Back to Brooklyn , and that Aries will show up on WWE NXT next week to offer his response.
If you ask @WWENoWayJose, @AustinAries is the biggest COWARD in @WWENXT ! #TheFiestaIsOver #WWENXT https://t.co/NUfuUo9dmI
— WWE (@WWE) July 28, 2016
Kota Ibushi Defeated Buddy Murphy
Considered a favorite to win the WWE Cruiserweight Classic tournament, Kota Ibushi is the latest Japanese talent to improve the NXT roster, joining Shinsuke Nakamura, Hideo Itami and Asuka before him. Blake and Murphy continue to struggle in their effort to return to their winning ways and remain relevant in WWE’s unofficial farm system. Like the Nakamura/Blake match that opened the show, Murphy’s oft-forgotten in-ring skills were on full display as he kept pace with Ibushi during the Japanese superstar’s NXT debut.
These results have been confirmed by WWE.com’s official NXT results page .
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Hideo Itami And Bobby Roode Return To WWE NXT Next Week
While no matches were announced for next week’s episode of WWE NXT , it was made official that Hideo Itami will return on the episode airing August 3. Itami has been out of action since suffering an injury in May of last year. It should be expected that Asuka’s opponent for NXT TakeOver will be made official, as well as Austin Aries vs. No Way Jose. On top of all of that, it was announced that Bobby Roode will be on WWE NXT next week.
NEXT WEEK: @REALBobbyRoode makes his official @WWENXT debut, only on @WWENetwork ! pic.twitter.com/c85vQPL2SV
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) July 28, 2016
Updated NXT TakeOver: Back To Brooklyn Card
With the event now less than three weeks away, matches are starting to get booked for Back to Brooklyn . The next NXT TakeOver event is set for August 20 at the Barclays Center. The official theme song is “Relentless” by Of Mice And Men.
” @ShinsukeN is an UNDESERVING contender .. and is NOT material to be #1Contender !” – @SamoaJoe #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/I9QX2OZcv6
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) July 28, 2016
- NXT Championship — Samoa Joe (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
- NXT Tag Team Championship Match — The Revival (c) vs. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa (unconfirmed)
- NXT Women’s Championship Match — Asuka (c) vs. Bayley vs. Nia Jax (unconfirmed)
- American Alpha vs. The Authors of Pain (unconfirmed)
- Austin Aries vs. No Way Jose (unconfirmed)
Unless otherwise noted, the matches above were confirmed on the official WWE NXT page .
Where To Watch
The WWE Network airs new episodes of WWE NXT on Wednesdays at 8/7c. It is available for streaming on-demand immediately. NXT TakeOver: Back to Brooklyn will air exclusively on the WWE Network on August 20.
Additionally, on Thursdays, replays of WWE NXT are available to stream on-demand with a Hulu Plus subscription.
[Photo via WWE]