Wednesday, 2 November 2016

The 7 Most Epic Moments of LA's First NXT Show

Inside the world famous Hollywood Palladium, we witnessed one of the best live wrestling events in years — going back to the days of the Attitude Era.

NXT made its way to Los Angeles this past Sunday night, and we were there for the final night of the five-city California tour. "Finally!" Southern California fans yelled out in excitement as WWE’s most popular brand made its much anticipated debut in the City of Angels. Did NXT live up to the hype? “Oh Hell Yeah!” as Stone Cold Steve Austin would say. Superstars like Shinsuke Nakamura, Samoa Joe, Asuka and Bobby Roode — amongst many others — delivered exciting and memorable matches, as they fed off the palpable energy the LA crowd delivered all night.

Far different from any of the WWE main brand shows that usually fill up arenas like the Staples Center, this intimate venue felt special — like being invited to a hidden speakeasy. Instead of overpriced spirits and cocktails, what we found inside were dropkicks, clotheslines and a Kinshasa! From the chants that started outside in the lines, to the OMG moves delivered in the ring, the night was a “Glorious” spectacle.

Breaking everything down for you, here are the main highlights and moments that made an impression on us.

(Warning: Spoilers after the break!)

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Well It’s About Time!

Over the last three years, NXT has risen to become arguably the premiere wrestling brand. Based in Orlando, NXT has toured throughout the country (primarily the east coast) and around the world, but had not done a show in Los Angeles — one of WWE’s most coveted markets. Who knows why it took NXT so long to make it out to Hollywood? But when they finally arrived, the Los Angeles faithful were ready. Lines wrapped all around the Hollywood Palladium. Once inside, it was shoulder to shoulder with fans showing their love and appreciation for the wrestlers on the NXT roster.

Many of the current NXT superstars have strong ties and live in the LA area. From local boy Samoa Joe to Shinsuke Nakamura — who trained with Joe at the NJPW dojo in Los Angeles— and the Pro Wrestling Guerilla (PWG) alum like Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano and Roderick Strong, this city knew how to pop for the NXT show. Hopefully the NXT brass took notice and will treat the fans with an LA TakeOver event soon.

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The Best Match of the Night Was…

This could easily be a toss up between #DIY (Gargano and Ciampa) vs. The Authors of Pain or the “Glorious” Bobby Roode vs. Kota Ibushi. The edge goes to Roode vs. Ibushi, considering Kota’s appearance was a bonus treat for the crowd. But before we get to that match, the “Holy Shit” chant spot-of-the-night occurred when Rezar from The Authors of Pain caught both Gargano and Ciampa in midair then violently drove them into the mat with a simultaneous Samoan drop and fall-away slam! Many people were left saying "Wow!" after that.

Booby Roode is definitely over with the crowds. As has been the case all across the country, the moment Roode’s entrance music hits, fans stretch out their arms and serenade the man with “Glorious.” He’s found the right gimmick at the right time. As much love as Bobby got, Kota Ibushi got the same with possibly a bigger pop once his name appeared on the screen. Making a name for himself in WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic tournament, the Japanese high-flyer is an amazing in-ring talent, and his match with Roode showed a potential rivalry down the line. Even though Bobby got the W, both men came out looking good as the match got a standing applause at the end.

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Crowds Love to Chant

Fans love being part of the show, and how they demonstrate it is by chanting their praise or disapproval of wrestlers or matches. Sure, sometimes it gets obnoxious — bordering on the line of being self-congratulatory — but it’s pro wrestling. LA was no different in providing the soundtrack for the evening which included these favorites:

  • "This is Awesome"
  • "This is Wrestling"
  • "Fight Forever"
  • "10"
  • "Asuka/Joe’s Gonna Kill You"

Most of these you’ve heard before, as they’ve been used countless times at Full Sail Live and TakeOver events. Being LA, you heard a high volume of “PWG” chants in addition to “10” being used for everything. From near-falls to count-outs and punches thrown, the only number heard was “10,” much to the referees’ displeasure. Tye Dillinger’s “10” has become the “What?” of NXT.

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The Perfect 10 Is A Hit

Speaking of Tye Dillinger, the journeyman underdog has truly done the work and paid his dues to finally be climbing the NXT card. Fans have embraced his character and the “10” chants (as stated) have spread like wildfire. Here, he was pitted against the Australian Buddy Murphy, who has yet to find the right gimmick but is slowly becoming an enjoyable heel. Both men put on an entertaining, enjoyable match that was crisp and well-told. Tye’s upcoming match against Bobby Roode at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, is sure to establish him as an upper-card talent for the brand.

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Asuka Vs. Ember Moon???

Even though both women partnered up in a tag team match against Peyton Royce and Billie Kay, it’s only a matter of time before they battle each other. There’s no other alternative with the way things are. After cleaning out the division, there’s no real challenge left for Asuka. It’s gotten to the point where WWE is bringing in free agent names like Mickie James to compete against her. While fairly new to the company, Ember Moon has the skill set and experience to go toe-to-toe with Asuka and compete for the title. After Asuka’s match with Mickie, expect Ember to jump to the front of the line and begin a must-see rivalry with “The Empress of Tomorrow."

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Halloween Love

Being the night before Halloween, many festive fans came dressed as their favorite wrestling superstars. There were many Shinsuke’s and Asuka’s in attendance, but you could also spot some Kevin Owens doppelgangers and costumes of Ric Flair, “Macho Man” Randy Savage and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Maybe cosplay is the norm at NXT, but considering this is Hollywood — right off the Sunset Strip — people blended right in.

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The King of Strong Style

Nakamura, Nakamura and, oh yeah, Nakamura. People came out in droves to see the excitement of NXT but also to see Shinsuke Nakamura live. With his career primarily based in Japan, outside of a few scattered Ring of Honor appearances, people stateside haven’t had the opportunity to see Shinsuke in person. That’s all changed now that he’s part of NXT, and SoCal fans wanted to experience the marvel for themselves. From the shirts, merchandise and aforementioned cosplay, Nakamura was the theme of the night, and rightfully so. Fingers crossed that this is the first of many matches Nakamura has in Los Angeles.



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