7/13/16 NXT Recap: Finn Balor vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Jul 13, 2016 - by Michael Riba

Tonight’s NXT opens with a recap of Shinsuke Nakamura challenging Finn Balor to a match a few weeks ago. The video then features highlights of the men’s careers. We see the opening video and then we go into the NXT Arena at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, and Corey Graves and Tom Phillips welcome us to the show.

We see Finn Balor arriving to the arena and then see Shinsuke Nakamura warming up in the Performance Center. Samoa Joe’s music hits, and the NXT Champion makes his way to the ring. Joe says he has come out to the ring for a few reasons. He says he is here tonight to witness Finn Balor vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and guarantees the crowd is there for the same reason. He says the implications of that match are disrespectful to him. He says Balor and Nakamura think that whoever wins automatically becomes a contender for his title. Joe says he is going to separate the fantasy from the reality. He says the reality is that he slayed the demon and is the NXT Champion. He says the reality is that is Nakamura tries to snatch his crown, he will leave him broken in a heap with all of the men who tried to beat Joe before Nakamura. Joe says he is the man and the icon of NXT and if anyone wants to do anything, they have to go through him. Rhyno’s theme hits and the “Man-Beast” makes his way to the ring. Rhyno says he will go right through Joe to get to the top. Rhyno challenges Joe to a match and Joe smirks and walks away. Joe says he will beat Rhyno up on his own time.

We are reminded that Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura will go one-on-one later tonight, and then we see previews for the Cruiserweight Classic, which begins tonight immediately following NXT, and WWE 2K17.

After the break, we see that Bayley and Nia Jax will go one-on-one next week, as well as American Alpha going one-on-one with The Authors of Pain. Samoa Joe vs. Rhyno is also announced for next Wednesday.

We see a video hype package for the upcoming match between Shinsuke Nakamura and Finn Balor. We see Nakamura and Balor walking backstage as we head to a break.

We see a preview for the Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship at Battleground, where Dean Ambrose will defend against Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.
Finn Balor vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Nakamura goes for a quick kick, but Balor dodges it. They tie up and Balor goes behind Nakamura. They exchange arm wrenches and Balor gains the upper hand. Nakamura comes back and powers Balor down to the mat with a wrist lock. Balor gets free and takes Nakamura down with a side-headlock takedown. Nakamura gets to his feet, but Balor takes him right back down. Nakamura goes for a quick pin, but Balor kicks out and Nakamura gets to his feet. Nakamura plays around, but Balor “Too Sweet’s” Nakamura in the face. Balor goes back to the headlock and gets Nakamura to his knees. Nakamura fights to his feet and sends Balor into the corner. Nakamura charges, but Balor moves. Nakamura comes back with a kick to Balor’s head and rolls him back into the ring. Nakamura delivers Good Vibrations to Balor in the corner two times and then slides to the floor. Nakamura puts Balor on the apron and connects with a running knee lift and then drops a knee on Balor’s neck as we head to a break.
Back from the break, Nakamura drops a knee on Balor in the ring and goes for the cover, but Balor kicks out at two. Nakamura backs Balor into the corner and delivers a few more knees. Nakamura sends Balor to the other corner, but Balor comes right back and dropkicks Nakamura in the knee. Balor applies a modified knee bar submission down on the mat. Balor switches to a headlock and Nakamura fights to his feet. Balor sends Nakamura off the ropes, but Nakamura rolls Balor up. Balor gets free and delivers a dropkick to Nakamura and goes for the cover, but Nakamura kicks out at two. Balor goes back to work on Nakamura’s knee and then delivers a few chops in the corner. Balor sends Nakamura to the opposite corner and delivers a few more chops. Balor tries it again, but Nakamura gets his foot up to stop Balor. Balor grabs Namaura’s leg and drives his knee into the back of Nakamura’s knee. Balor stomps down on the back of Nakamura’s knees and goes for the cover, but Nakamura kicks out at two. Balor locks in a knee-bar submission down on the mat, but Nakamura makes it to the ropes to break the hold. Nakamura fights back with right hands and then drives a knee into Balor’s midsection. Nakamura kicks Balor in the head and both men collapse to the mat. Both men get to their feet, but Nakamura drops Balor with a couple right hands and then kicks him into the corner. Nakamura drives his knee into Balor’s face and then delivers Good Vibrations again. Nakamura puts Balor on the top rope and then drives his knee into Balor’s midsection. Nakamura goes for the cover, but Balor kicks out at two. Nakamura goes for the reverse exploder suplex, but Balor fights out. Balor kicks Nakamura in the head and Nakamura falls to the floor. Balor delivers another kick through the ropes into Nakamura’s midsection. Balor then delivers another kick to Nakamura’s face from the ring apron as we head to a break.
Back from the break, Balor delivers the double-stomp to Nakamura’s neck and goes for the cover, but Nakamura kicks out at two. Balor goes for 1916, but Nakamura gets free. Balor grabs Nakamura and applies the knee-bar submission again, but Nakamura gets to the rope to break the hold again. Balor elbows Nakamura’s injured knee, but Nakamura comes back with a kick to Balor’s head. Nakamura locks in the triangle submission, but Balor gets his foot on the ropes to break the hold. Nakamura drives his knee into Balor’s head a few times and then drops him with a face-buster. Nakamura charges Balor in the corner, but Balor counters with an enzuiguri. Balor delivers a reverse-1916 and goes for the cover, but Nakamura kicks out at two. Balor takes Nakamura down with the Slingblade and then charges again, but Nakamura kicks Balor in the face. Nakamura delivers Kinshasa and goes for the cover, but Balor kicks out. Nakamura goes for another Kinshasa, but Balor counters with a double-stomp to Nakamura’s chest. Balor goes for the cover, but Nakamura kicks out at two. Balor grabs Nakamura and goes for 1916, but Nakamura counters and delivers a knee and a right hand. They exchange right hands in the middle of the ring, and then Balor kicks Nakamura in the knee. Nakamura kicks Balor in the head, but Balor comes back with a Slingblade. Balor dropkicks Nakamura into the corner and then goes up top. Balor jumps off, but Nakamura missed and Nakamura delivers a knee from the second rope. Nakamura delivers Kinshasa again and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura.
After the match, Nakamura gets up to celebrate, and then helps Balor to his feet. They hug and fist-bump an then bow to each other in the ring. Balor leaves the ring after one last handshake, and Nakamura celebrates his victory in the ring. We then see video highlights from the match. We see one last shot of Nakamura celebrating as NXT comes to a close.


Leave a Reply