3/8/17 NXT Recap: Andrade Almas, Ember Moon in Action; Shinsuke Nakamura Returns

NX opens up with the video hype package for Shinsuke Nakamura’s return and we see that he will go one-on-one with TJ Perkins. We see the usual NXT opening video and then go into the arena where Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness, and Percy Watson welcome us to the show.

Match #1: Tye Dillinger vs. Eric Young
Before the match, Eric Young tells Killian Dain, Alexander Wolfe, and Nikki Cross to go backstage. They coome right back with a prone Roderick Strong and throw him down on the stage. Dillinger leaves the ring to check on Strong as Young smirks and looks on from the ring. Wolfe, Dain, and Cross join Young at ringside and No Way Jose comes out from the back to check on Strong as well. Young tells Dillinger, “You did that.” Jose and Dillinger charge the ring and a brawl breaks out. The numbers catch up to Jose and Dillinger and SAnitY beats them down. Wolfe and Dain drop Jose with their double-team finisher and Young drops Dillinger with a wheelbarrow neck-breaker. SAnitY stands tall over Jose and Young.
Match Result: No Contest.

We are reminded that Shinsuke Nakamura will go one-on-one with TJ Perkins later tonight, while Bobby Roode will defend the NXT Championship against Kassius Ohno on next week’s show.

We see a video with Billie Kay and Peyton Royce backstage. They are looking for a place to hang their “Breakout Superstar of the Year” Award and then interrupt Ember Moon’s training session. We then see that Ember Moon and Billie Kay will go one-on-one later tonight.

We see a vignette for a debuting Superstar who says, “I am neither saint nor sinner,” as we see scenes of melting candles inside of a church.

Match #2: Ho Ho Lun vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas
Lun goes for a quick roll-up from behind, but Almas blocks it and then delivers a big chop to Lun that sends him to the mat. Almas sends Lun to the corner and then drives his knee into Lun’s midsection. Almas chokes Lun over the top rope and then stomps down on him. Almas tosses Lun into the corner and then kicks him in the back of the neck down on the mat. Almas beats down Lun, but Lun fights back and connects with a few kicks. Lun runs the ropes, but Almas drops him with a big clothesline. Almas grabs Lun and drops him with a hammer-lock DDT and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas.

We are reminded once again of the contest between Shinsuke Nakamura and TJ Perkins later tonight and see that Ember Moon and Billie Kay will do battle next.

We see that “Are You Coming With Me?” by Crown the Empire is one of the official theme songs for NXT TakeOver: Orlando.

Match #3: Billie Kay (w/Peyton Royce) vs. Ember Moon
Ember dropkicks Billie immediately and then comes off the ropes with a cross-body. Ember goes for the cover, but Billie kicks out at two. Billie tries to crawl out of the ring and grabs Peyton, but Ember pulls them both in the ring. Ember yells at Peyton to get out of the ring and Billie attacks her from behind. Billie slingshots Ember into the bottom rope and goes for the cover, but Ember kicks out at two. Ember comes back with a roll-up, but Billie kicks out at one. Billie connects with a boot to the face and goes for the cover, but Ember kicks out at two. Billie clubs Ember in the back and then connects with a knee to the face. Ember comes back with a right hand and then a forearm shot to the face. Ember runs the ropes, but Billie drops her with a big forearm shiver. Billie goes for the cover, but Ember kicks out at two. Billie trash talks Ember, but Ember comes back with a couple kicks and an enzuiguri. Ember kicks Billie in the face and then clotheslines her in the corner. Ember goes up top and goes for the Eclipse, but Peyton gets on the apron. Ember stares at her and she jumps down. Ember connects with the Eclipse and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Ember Moon.
After the match, Billie is still down in the ring and is being checked on by the trainers, the referee, and Peyton Royce. She’s moving her extremities, but is pointing to her neck area. She sits up in the ring and finally get to her feet as the crowd claps for her as she is helped from the ring.

We see an interview with TJ Perkins. He says his ultimate goal is still to regain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, but he goes wherever the universe takes him and right now he is only focused on Shinsuke Nakamura.

Match #4: The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) vs. The Ealy Brothers
Before the match, The Authors of Pain attack the Ealy Brothers and slam them into the barricade at ringside. The Revival runs from the ring and escapes through the crowd. The Authors drop one of the Ealy Brothers with the Last Chapter as The Revival looks on from the crowd.
Match Result: No Contest.

We see William Regal and Ember Moon backstage. Regal says Ember Moon will challenge Asuka for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver: Orlando. Ember says at NXT TakeOver: Orlando, the NXT Women’s Division will begin a new phase.

We are reminded that Bobby Roode will defend the NXT Championship against Kassius Ohno on next week’s show.

We see that “Come and Get It” by I Prevail is one of the official theme songs for NXT TakeOver: Orlando.

We see an interview with Tom Phillips and Kassius Ohno. Ohno says it’s great to be back, but it is a little weird as well. He said he came to the Performance Center when it was an empty warehouse. Ohno says he has been wrestling all over the world for a long time. He says the WWE is the first place that he ever doubted himself. He said it would be sweet to win the NXT Championship next week and defend it at NXT TakeOver: Orlando. We see an interview with Bobby Roode, via satellite. Roode shuts up Phillips and says he doesn’t care what Ohno has to say. Roode says just as his NXT was taking shape, Ohno had to walk in and put his stink all over it. Roode says he has a responsibility to make NXT into his vision. Roode says the fate and future of NXT is in his hands and Ohno will not ruin it. Roode says he will walk out of next week and into NXT TakeOver: Orlando as the NXT Champion and will continue to take NXT to a level that has never been seen before, but more importantly, he will continue to make NXT glorious.

Match #5: TJ Perkins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Each man goes for quick kicks at first, but neither connects. Perkins goes after Nakamura’s knee, but Nakamura gets free. Perkins backs Nakamura against the ropes and then goes for a quick kick, but Nakamura blocks it. Nakamura takes Perkins down and goes for a front face lock, but Perkins gets free and the men stalemate once again. Nakamura backs Perkins against the ropes and then backs away and taunts Perkins a bit. Perkins comes back with a head-scissors take down and then wraps his legs around Nakamura’s neck. Nakamura gets up and plants Perkins’ shoulders to the mat, but Perkins kicks out at two. Perkins switches back to the leg wrap and mocks Nakamura, but Nakamura gets free and taunts Perkins again. Nakamura runs the ropes and leap frogs over Perkins, but Perkins counters and sends Nakamura down to he mat. Nakamura comes back and drops Perkins down to the mat and drives a knee into his head on the ring apron as we head to a break.
We’re back and Nakamura is in control in the ring. Nakamura applies a rear-chin-lock in the middle of the ring. Perkins comes right back and takes Nakamura down and drops an elbow onto the knee. Perkins grabs Nakamura’s knee, but Nakamura counters with an enzuiguri. Nakamura slams Perkins into the corner and then delivers Good Vibrations. Nakamura backs away and charges, but Perkins goes over the top and drops Nakamura with a neck-breaker. Perkins takes Nakamura down again with a dropkick and then delivers a back elbow in the corner. Perkins delivers a flying kick through the ropes and then drops Nakamura with a DDT from the top rope. Perkins goes for the cover, but Nakamura kicks out at two. Perkins goes for the Detonation Kick, but Nakamura counters and locks in a triangle submission. Perkins flips over and gets a pin on Nakamura, but Nakamura kicks out at two. Nakamura drops Perkins with a quick kick with his left foot. Nakamura drops Perkins with a few right hands and then a few kicks. Nakamura sends Perkins to the corner and splashes him there. Nakamura sets Perkins up on the top rope and charges, but Perkins moves and Nakamura hits his knee on the top turnbuckle. Perkins dropkicks Nakamura’s knee and then goes for the knee-bar submission, but Nakamura counters and turns it into a triangle submission. Perkins gets free and they exchange arm-bar submissions, but then Perkins turns it into the half-crab submission. Nakamura counters with a roll-up, but Perkins kicks out at two. Perkins comes right back and locks in the knee-bar submission. Nakamura makes it to the ropes to break the hold. Perkins kicks Nakamura, but Nakamura blocks a second. Nakamura drives his knee into Perkins’ midsection and then kicks him in the back of the head. Nakamura drives his knee into Perkins’ face and sends him to the corner. Perkins counters with a kick and goes up top, but Nakamura cuts him off. Nakamura delviers the double knee run and then a back-breaker. Nakamura delivers a reverse exploder suplex to Perkins and then connects with Kinshasa and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura.

NXT comes to a close with William Regal announcing that at NXT TakeOver: Orlando, the winner of the NXT Championship Match between Bobby Roode and Kassius Ohno will defend the title against Shinsuke Nakamura.