WWE NXT
Episode 403
#WWENXT
Original Air Date: July 26, 2017
Event Date: July 12, 2017
City: Winter Park, FL
Venue: Full Sail University
Commentary: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
Intro Video
“Resistence” by Powerflo
Match 1
Ember Moon vs Lei’d Tapa
(referee: DA Brewer)
Result: Ember Moon wins via pinfall after an Eclipse
Time: 1:23
Match Thoughts
A short match. Maybe not quite a squash, but it was close. Tapa started strong right at the bell, but Moon quickly turned things around. Not much to the match really.
Ring Area
Ember Moon gets on the mic and declares that she wants Asuka at Takeover: Brooklyn. She’ll give Asuka all the competition the champ could want.
Video
A promo package for Aleister Black.
Ring Area
David Ramos and Timothy Bumpers are in the ring or a tag match. The Authors of Pain come out and head toward the ring with Paul Ellering, but Nikki Cross appears and blocks their path. Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe run into the ring and attack Ramos and Bumpers from behind. AoP walks down to the ring and brawl with SAnitY for a few seconds, but SAnitY is forced out of the ring. The Authors of Pain stand tall in the ring.
Video
The Street Profits are coming to NXT.
Outside the Venue
Earlier today, Zelina Vega told No Way Jose that while she admires Jose handling his business, in doing so he got into hers and Andrade’s business. Andrade isn’t happy about that.
Match 2
Velveteen Dream vs Cezar Bononi
(referee: Tom Castor)
Result: Velveteen Dream wins via pinfall after The Purple RainMaker
Time: 1:39
Match Thoughts
A lot like the opening match on this show, Bononi started strong but things quickly fell out of his favor in an almost-squash match.
Ring Area
Kayla Braxton comes out to the the stage and asks Velveteen Dream what his goal is in NXT. Dream tells Braxton that she’s going to have to wait.
Backstage
Christy St. Cloud asks William Regal about Ember Moon’s declaration earlier. Regal confirms that Moon will challenge Asuka for the NXT Women’s Title at Takeover: Brooklyn.
Ring Area
Drew McIntyre heads to the ring. McIntyre thanks everyone who has been along with him for his ride to his NXT title match. He talks about his first time in WWE when he was known as “The Chosen One.” He felt entitled, but he realized that he wasn’t working hard enough when he got released. He then made it a point to always be the hardest worker in the room and in the world. The NXT locker room pushes him to be better and work harder. Everyone works together in NXT, everyone except for Bobby Roode. Roode is all about entitlement, and that’s not how NXT works.
Video
Another video promo for Aleister Black.
Backstage
Kayla Braxton welcomes Raul Mendoza. Johnny Gargano returns to the ring next week, but Mendoza will make next week all about Mendoza when he defeats Gargano.
Match 3
Hideo Itami vs Kassius Ohno
(referee: Darryl Sharma)
Result: Kassius Ohno wins via DQ when Hideo Itami hits an intentional low blow
Time: 7:41 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
A good match, but the main point was to get Ohno and Itami to finally dissolve their friendship. Both guys got frustrated during the match, but Itami was visibly more frustrated. This match was mostly about emotion and story.
Ring Area
Hideo Itami continues to attack Kssius Ohno after the match. Itami beats Ohno up a little before hitting him with a GTS and dropping him on the ring steps.
Show Impressions
This was an okay show. It’s more of a setup show than anything else. The matches are forgettable, but it wasn’t bad. It was just all about setting up the next Takeover show, so that means it felt like not a lot happened here.
Match of the Night
Hideo Itami vs Kassius Ohno
They’ll have better matches against each other, but this was a fine first step in a more heated feud between these two.