You rarely get a second chance to make a first impression, and with the kind of faith put behind Adam Cole, Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III, it was incredibly important that they were able to connect so quickly with the fans. In just one night, the trio took NXT by storm -- and that eave of momentum continued Wednesday night as the action returned to Full Sail University.
The beauty of Cole, Fish and O'Reilly's brief involvement in NXT thus far is that their attacks have come from multiple directions. They created a remarkable moment by attacking new NXT champion Drew McIntyre in Brooklyn, and that came just a short time Fish and O'Reilly made a statement of their own by attacking new tag team champions SAnitY immediately following their victory.
It was more of the same Wednesday, as the show opened with SAnitY and a number of security guards jumped outside of a car as the trio walked away, and closed with Cole hitting a DDT on the ramp on McIntyre before he, Cole and O'Reilly were chased away by William Regal.
You NEVER know when @AdamColePro, @KORcombat and @theBobbyFish will show up... #WWENXT @DMcIntyreWWE @roderickstrong pic.twitter.com/pQwJlIcFST
- WWE (@WWE) August 31, 2017
Much like Kevin Owens did in his debut with NXT, this trio has jumped right into the main event mix with little regard for waiting their turn.
With Bobby Roode moving on to SmackDown, McIntyre was in need of serious challengers in a hurry, and with Cole, that problem is seemingly solved. McIntyre made it clear in the opening segment of NXT that this rivalry-to-be will be a cornerstone in NXT for months to come.
"Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly, Adam Cole, every single person in that locker room: I am putting you on notice right now. This is Drew McIntyre's world now, and if you want a shot at me, if you want a shot at the champ, all you got to do is walk down to this ring, step through those ropes, walk up to me, look me in the eyes like a man and ask me to fight."
It was also the perfect vehicle to bring Roderick Strong back into the title picture, as he was the first one to walk out and respond. "Drew, I'll be the first to congratulate you. But I'm also going to be the first the agree with what you said and that makes you the target," Strong said. "All I care about is me, my family and that NXT championship."
That moment, in tandem with his main event match against Roode, reminded NXT fans of the dynamic in-ring talent that Strong can be. Roode got the NXT sendoff he deserved, and Strong got a measure of revenge from the psychological torture that Roode had put him through.
It was clear from the get go that this was Roode's last match in NXT, and the Full Sail crowd knew it as they flooded the former champ with "Thank you Bobby," chants.
Strong secured the biggest win of his NXT career over Roode in a tremendously-worked match, tying up the only loose end Roode had left in NXT.
Despite Roode's NXT career culminating with his only two pinfall losses as part of the brand, he (and his "Glorious" entrance) carried NXT for over a year, during which he held the NXT championship for 203. His gimmick was perhaps the most popular in NXT history and he consistently dazzled audiences with creative promos, engaging rivalries and excellent matches. SmackDown Live has snagged a WWE champion in the making.
Following Strong's victory, McIntyre appeared on the stage to congratulate Strong for vanquishing Roode and showing that he was ready and willing to give Strong his shot by holding the championship aloft in the air. Cole led the charge from out of nowhere, ambushing the NXT champion with help from O'Reilly and Fish before running out of the building.
With the next scheduled TakeOver event seemingly four months away (though we've been surprised before, as was the case in Chicago), Strong could get his championship opportunity before TakeOver as part of the slow build to a McIntyre vs. Cole culmination in the fall.
EXCLUSIVE: The #IconicDuo had a plan when @WWEPeytonRoyce defeated @RubyRiotWWE, now they have another plan in mind... #WWENXT @BillieKayWWE pic.twitter.com/HUSTwBrHFG
- WWE (@WWE) August 31, 2017
Peyton Royce continues to roll
For the past few months, the entertaining Iconic Duo of Peyton Royce and Billie Kay had been sparingly used. But for the second time in as many weeks, Royce saw in-ring action. Last week, she scored a pinfall victory over Sarah Logan in Brooklyn. This time around, she faced off against Ruby Riot and with an assist from Kay, Royce found the win column for the second week in a row.
The NXT women's championship situation is about to devolve into chaos, with Asuka's yet-to-air relinquishment of the title set for the coming weeks, but as that situation develops, Royce finds herself at or near the top of the list of worthy contenders at the moment.
How will NXT handle the vacated women's championship? Perhaps a tournament to capitalize on the recent success of the ongoing Mae Young Classic? Could the winner of that tournament be rewarded with a spot in another tournament for the NXT women's championship? Time will tell, but one thing's for sure: women's wrestling is on fire.
Heavy Machinery dominates
Coming off of their loss to former NXT tag team champions the Authors of Pain last month, Heavy Machinery has unfortunately taken a back seat in the division. They attempted to push forward this week with a dominant win over enhancement talent Edwin Negron and Kenyon Awheel.
It's only a matter of time until Heavy Machinery's potential becomes fully realized.
Next Week
- Asuka returns
- Kassuis Ohno vs. Hideo Itami in a no disqualification match
- Cezar Bononi vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas
- Lars Sullivan gets a three-on-one handicap match