WWE NXT, August 2: Johnny Gargano returns, Aleister Black wins again
Johnny Gargano returns, Aleister Black battles, and Ember Moon puts Asuka in unfamiliar danger.
Johnny’s Wrestling
In his first match since returning from an injury inflicted by his former partner Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano got to fight himself a jobber named Raul Mendoza. Well, perhaps “jobber” is too insensitive a nickname for Mendoza, who does actually have his own entrance song, which not many actual jobbers can brag about.
At first, it looked like Gargano wasn’t as ready as we thought to shed his DIY past, as he came out to their old music, but after some showmanship by pointing at the Titantron, Gargano’s name appeared on the Titantron, signaling that Johnny Wrestling is indeed moving on.
His first chapter as a single’s competitor couldn’t have come out of the gate better, as he made Mendoza submit via the Gargano Escape, which didn’t look right without Ciampa putting someone else in the Bridging Fujiwara Armbar. He doesn’t yet have a match at TakeOver, but there’s still a few weeks left to get something going. (My uneducated guess: he faces Velveteen Dream.)
A Rare Moment of Weakness
Perhaps I’m wrong, but off the top of my head, I can’t think of a single time that Asuka was actually knocked out at the end of a segment. It could even be considered that Asuka did this to herself by being the one to start the smack talking to Ember Moon, and then when Moon came out to respond, Asuka was the one who made this encounter violent.
Ember Moon is the real deal, and someone who may actually have the undefeated Asuka a bit nervous. I mean, if you took an Eclipse from Moon, which is basically an awesome, inverted flying Stone Cold Stunner, and it resulted in your loss of consciousness, wouldn’t you be worried?
While that match could be the one to steal the show in Brooklyn, on NXT, Sonya Deville kept her momentum snowballing by tapping out Jenna Van Bemmel. Deville is someone who has made an immediate impact since her arrival, and my selfish hope is that she is waiting to challenge whoever comes out of this Asuka/Moon match with the least permanent damage — and the NXT Women’s Championship, naturally.
A Glorious Interview
Bobby Roode allowed us the privilege of his face on our screens, as he discussed his upcoming title match against Drew McIntyre. McIntyre has been on quite a roll, and could potentially be the most lethal opponent Roode has faced during his reign as NXT Champion. Roode didn’t seem phased or worried while talking about McIntyre, just as he didn’t seem phased or worried when Roderick Strong came storming into the room where Roode was sitting, attempting to get his hands on the champ once again. Strong needs to remain calm, and not tap into his inner Enzo Amore. If he’s lucky, maybe Bobby Roode will give him another opportunity after he disposes of Drew McIntyre. If he’s lucky.
Aleister Keeps Rolling
You can really get a grasp on who NXT considers to be its top competitors by watching the NXT commercials that air during other WWE television. In this instance, I was watching SmackDown Live when I saw those familiar yellow letters that I’m used to only seeing on Wednesdays, and the occasional Saturday. Aleister Black was the focal point of the commercial, which proudly stated he’d be wrestling on this week’s episode. If Black is indeed a top competitor (which, DUH!!!), he’ll need a chance to shine on NXT’s biggest stage, TakeOver.
For the last few weeks, Black has continued to get top-notch competition thrown at him, and this week was no different as he faced Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling veteran, Kyle O’Reilly. O’Reilly is not someone I’m completely familiar with, but he showed during this match why WWE showed interest in him. It was a back-and-forth affair, with both of these guys’ styles getting a chance to take the lead in this dance.
O’Reilly wasn’t the only superstar in Aleister Black’s way tonight; when Black came to the ring, it was an interruption of Hideo Itami, who was complaining about a lack of respect. What made him think he deserved respect after his absolute beatdown during and after his match against Kassius Ohno, I’m not so sure, but I do know that Black did not have any intentions of showing Itami respect. The two faced off in the middle of the ring, but Itami decided to get fancy and pretended to leave the ring only to get Black Massed right in the face.
Next: 15 WWE Superstars who could take on White Walkers
After the event went off the air, Itami attacked Black in the parking lot, which is somewhere I didn’t think Black had a need to be at. Doesn’t he sleep in a coffin on Full Sail campus or something? It was later announced on Twitter that Black will face Itami at Takeover: Brooklyn III, but I can’t even act like I have a single ounce of doubt that Black will win this match. Itami obviously has shown he is capable of a mean streak, but it won’t be enough to ruin Black’s undefeated record.