Skip to content
Sports
Link copied to clipboard

WWE NXT results and observations (10/12/16): Shinsuke Nakamura returns with a vengeance

The most recent episode of NXT saw the debut of two new teams, the quick dissolution of another and the return of the top man in the promotion.

We start with the latter, as NXT champion Shinsuke Nakamura returned to television after being sidelined due to injury thanks to an attack from Samoa Joe a couple of weeks ago.

Nakamura returned in response to Joe's persistent requests to NXT general manager William Regal to give him either Nakamura or Nakamura's NXT title.

Joe made his latest demand after destroying both Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake, who were in the midst of a grudge match of their own.

Regal didn't have to do anything Wednesday, as Nakamura returned, removed the neck brace he was wearing and went right after the man responsible for his injuries.

It didn't take long for a fleet of security guards, which included former Tough Enough participant Mata, to run to the ring and attempt to separate the two men.

However, they did very little to keep the peace, as Nakamura kicked and punched his way through multiple guards, including giving one a Kinshasa, to get to Joe.

Eventually, Joe and Nakamura fought their way back into the ring when Nakamura delivered another Kinshasa to Joe.

This was a very intense angle that had the fans at Full Sail buzzing throughout. It was a nice way for Nakamura to return and show that he is going to be a lot more ruthless moving forward given what Joe has done to him since winning the NXT championship back in August.

Elsewhere on NXT, the first round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic continued with a pair of tag teams making their television debuts.

First up to debut was the quartet known as SAnitY (Yes, the unnecessary use of capital letters is dumb).

All four members of the group donned masks until they got to the ring. That was when the two participating in the match removed theirs. Once removed, it was revealed to be Sawyer Fulton and Alexander Wolfe.

Their opponents were the makeshift team of Bobby Roode and Tye Dillinger. After much hype about the formation of their team, it only lasted one match when Roode attempted to jump in the ring to lend Dillinger a helping hand, but once he was in the crosshairs of Fulton, decided otherwise and left without even taking off his robe.

This obviously left Dillinger to fend for himself. Needless to say, he did not do well on his own.

Fulton and Wolfe won easily to advance to the next where they will face either Kota Ibushi and Hideo Itami or Lince Dorado and Mustafa Ali.

Given that Itami has reportedly suffered a serious neck injury, he probably won't be involved in the tournament.

As for the other two members of SAnitY, the shortest member of the group began attacking Dillinger after the match. The person then took off some of its attire to reveal a woman named Nikki Cross, who was formerly Nikki Storm on the independent scene. She actually came across as the least stable one in the group.

The final member of the group then got his licks on Dillinger and revealed himself to be former TNA Wrestling star Eric Young, who appears to be the group's leader.

It'll be interesting to see where this group goes moving forward. NXT is typically good about explaining a group's motivations, so hopefully that continues with this particular faction's chaotic motif.

As for Roode and Dillinger, it looks like we're headed to a feud between the two, which should be glorious.

The other first-round matchup on this night was TM-61 defeating the debuting Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss.

Fans of the WWE Network show Breaking Ground might be familiar with Sabbatelli, as he was featured on multiple episodes.

It appeared that all of his hard work at the WWE Performance Center paid off because he and Moss both impressed in their debut. What impressed me the most was their intensity in the ring.

It doesn't hurt that they both have great looks, but it definitely helps that they both carry themselves as stars.

The jury is still out on whether they become mainstays on television, but for one night, I thought they had a productive outing.

As for TM-61, will face either Austin Aries and his mystery partner or Niko Bogojevic and Tucker Knight in the second round.

Here are the full match results:

- Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (First round) – SAnitY (Sawyer Fulton & Alexander Wolfe) def. Bobby Roode & Tye Dillinger

- Billie Kay def. Liv Morgan

- Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (First round) – TM-61 def. Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss