October 5, 2016
Episode 357
(taped September 15, 2016)
City: Winter Park, FL
Venue: Full Sail University
Commentary: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
Video
Tonight, the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic starts.
Intro Video
“Roar of the Crowd” by CFO$
Match 1
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Round 1 Match
Bollywood Boyz vs Authors of Pain w/ Paul Ellering
(referee: Danilo Anfibio)
Result: Akam pins Gurv Sihra after a combination leg sweep and running lariat
Time: 1:43
Match Thoughts
Unfortunately, a squash. Hopefully the Authors of Pain get disqualified or something early in the tournament.
Video
Dan Matha is here tonight.
Match 2
Rich Swann vs Patrick Clark
(referee: Eddie Orengo)
Result: Rich Swann wins via pinfall after a cartwheel into a standing moonsault
Time: 2:56
Match Thoughts
Patrick Clark debuted a new look, but it wasn’t enough to get the victory. This was Swann’s match, and he just looked like he was having fun. A fun, one-sided match.
Backstage
Last week, Peyton Royce and Billie Kay laugh at Liv Morgan as she is treated in the back after her match with Asuka.
Match 3
Peyton Royce w/ Billie Kay vs Danielle Kamela
(referee: Tom Castor)
Result: Peyton Royce wins via pinfall with a pinning Fisherman’s Suplex
Time: 3:43
Match Thoughts
An okay match. Both women looked fine, though their moves seemed very deliberate. It was a fairly even match, though Royce looked better.
Backstage
Charly Caruso asks Roode and Dillinger about teaming up. Bobby Roode seems to think this is a great opportunity for Tye Dillinger to be in the ring with the best.
Ring Area
Dan Matha heads to the ring for his debut. Before his opponent can come out, Samoa Joe comes out and destroys Matha. Joe gets on the mic and asks Regal how many more have to suffer.
Backstage
Dasha Fuentes asks No Way Jose and Rich Swann about their team. Jose says Swann knows about hard times, and Swann likes how Jose dances and is a big guy.
Video
A video promo for Sanity.
Match 4
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Round 1 Match
Andrade “Cien” Almas & Cedric Alexander vs The Revival (NXT Tag Champs)
(referee: Danilo Anfibio)
Result: Scott Dawson pins Cedric Alexander after Shatter Machine
Time: 9:08 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Very good match. As usual, The Revival used all sorts of great teamwork and tricks. Alexander and Almas looked pretty good as a team with some good saves for each other, but Almas was in trouble for a long time. That probably led to what happened next…
Ring Area
After the match, Almas snaps and viciously attacks Alexander. He throws Alexander out of the ring and drops him onto the steel steps.
Show Impressions
This was a good show. I liked one of the two tournament matches, and I enjoyed seeing Joe ruin a debut that’s been given promos for the last few weeks. I wasn’t all that jazzed to see Matha anyway, but I like that it seems like they intentionally built it up for Joe to just break it down.
I’m not sure about Patrick Clark’s gimmick though. It seems they’re going the stereotypical “eccentric” route when they have the opportunity to do something much less offensive. And it all starts with how the announcers treat it. I wasn’t impressed in this episode. We’ll see if it continues though.
Match of the Night
Andrade “Cien” Almas & Cedric Alexander vs The Revival
It seems like any match with The Revival will always be one of the best matches of the night. They’re just as great with the little touches they put into their matches as they are with big moments. I kind of want them to never leave NXT.