Tye Dillinger vs. Wesley Blake
Tye Dillinger works through some headlocks and then a snapmare take down followed by a cartwheel. Some chops to the chest on each corner and Blake hits a thumb to the eye. Dillinger is thrown into the corner and is hurting. Tye comes back in the ring with a dropkick and then a few more take downs. He sends Blake into the corner and kicks him down. He hits a knee and a side Russian Leg Sweep. He continues to kick him and hits the Tye Breaker for the win.
I am still so surprised that Tye Dillinger is not a bigger deal. He is really good and his gimmick is perfect for how he looks and what he does. I really want to see him get pushed because he has money written all over him. I like how he has an old school approach, dissecting his opponents and focusing on the weakest part. He is a smart, careful and entertaining wrestler.
The Authors of Pain vs. TM-61
AoP attack Miller and Thorne before the bell rings. Miller and Thorne send both members of the AoP over the top rope. Thorne dives over the top rope and hits a topé on AoP One. Miller hits a splash on AoP Two. The Bell rings and Thorne lands a few European uppercuts on AoP One. Thorne has AoP One trapped in the corner. AoP Two distracts Thorne long enough for AoP One to get the advantage. AoP One tosses Thorne to the outside. AoP Two drives Thorne shoulder-first into the ring post.
After a short break, AoP One tries to power bomb Thorne. Thorne reverses it and hits an enzguri. Thorne finally makes the tag to being in Miller. Miller levels AoP One with a clothesline. Miller knocks AoP Two off the apron. Miller hits a cross body off the top for a near fall. TM61 hit a tandem high and low clothesline/leg sweep. Miller and Thorne hit the ropes, but AoP Two pulls him out of the ring. AoP One spine busters Miller. The AoP hit their smash power bombs on Miller and Thorne. The AoP hit their finish on Miller for the win.
Watching these two teams do battle shows us that NXT is certainly in a big transitional phase in the division. Both have value, but both are still very fresh and getting their gimmicks figured out. Miller and Thorne are fun to watch, with a very smooth and athletic feel to them. Their agility and quickness is fun to watch and I expect them to be booked differently after this night. Authors of Pain show us that big guys like them can still go. They are going to be interesting to see how they are perceived by the Full Sail crowd over the next few weeks. With a heel tag team champion, what do they do until they can chase the titles?
