Tyler Breeze & Tyson Kidd vs. Hideo Itami & Finn Bálor

Kidd holds the ropes open for Natalya and offers to do the same for Breeze in a funny bit. Itami and Kidd get things going but it’s quickly off to Breeze, whose arm is quickly yanked. Balor comes in with a slingshot stomp for no count but Kidd makes a blind tag and decks Finn to take over as we go to a break. Back with Breeze coming in to stomp Finn in the corner before it’s quickly back to Kidd for even faster stomping.

A neckbreaker gets two for Tyson and we hit a bow and arrow. Balor fights up but misses a dropkick to put him right back down. Breeze grabs a neckbreaker of his own for two before Kidd comes back in for a hard kick to the leg. A slingshot legdrop to the back of the head gets two for Kidd but he eats a Pele (now called a soccer kick), allowing Finn to tag Hideo. Itami fires off a series of kicks to destroy Breeze before hitting a delayed running dropkick in the corner to a sitting Tyler. Everything breaks down and Balor hits Shadows Over Hell, setting up Itami’s kick to the back of the head for the pin.

Winners: Hideo Itami & Finn Bálor

Post match Finn tells Ascension to bring everything they have because he’s going to show them something they’ve never seen before.

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Finn Balor is asked about his match and he says that he is here to make a big impact. Finn says that the future is now. He is asked about Tyson’s comments from last week. Finn says that he hopes Tyson sends his uncle a copy of this match.

Finn Bálor vs. Tyson Kidd (with Natalya)

Kidd with a waist lock but Balor with a standing switch. Kidd with a hammer lock but Balor with a waist lock and Kidd gets to the ropes. They lock up and Balor with a wrist lock but Kidd with a reversal. Balor with a reversal and hip lock into an arm bar. Kidd with a knee and side head lock take down.

Kidd gets to his feet and Kidd with a kick and snap mare followed by another reverse chin lock. Balor with a drop kick and Kidd goes to the floor to regroup. Balor sets for a dive to the floor but Kidd hides behind Natalya and Balor stops before going airborne.

We go to commercial.

We are back and Kidd misses a charge into the corner and Balor with an enzuigiri. Balor tries for a springboard move but Kidd with a drop kick that sends Balor to the floor. Kidd goes to the floor and he hits a neck breaker on the floor. Kidd picks up Balor and sends him back into the ring. Kidd gets a near fall.

Kidd with an elbow to the bridge of the nose and then he connects with forearms in the corner. The referee has to pull Kidd out of the corner. Kidd chokes Balor and then he slingshots Balor’s throat into the bottom turnbuckle. Kidd gets a near fall. Kidd with a reverse chin lock. Balor with forearms but Kidd with a back heel kick. Kidd with a hard Irish whip to Balor. Kidd puts Balor in the Tree of Woe.

Kidd with knees to the midsection and Kidd tells Natalya he wanted her to choke Balor but since she does not, he shows her what he wanted her to do. Kidd with a hesitation drop kick for a near fall. Kidd gets a near fall. Kidd and Natalya have some words before Kidd returns to Balor. Kidd with a snap mare and kick to the back for a near fall. Kidd with a reverse chin lock.

Kidd asks the referee to asks Balor in Irish. Balor gets to his feet and Balor with a forearm. Kidd with a kick and he tries for a suplex but Balor lands on his feet and Balor with a chop. Balor with a running chop into the corner. Balor with an Irish whip and a running chop into the corner. Kidd misses a kick and Balor with a Pele Kick and a twisting brainbuster for a near fall.

Balor waits for Kidd to get up and he charges into a boot. Kidd goes to the turnbuckles but Balor with an enzuigiri that knocks Kidd to the mat. Balor goes up top and he tries for the double stomp but Kidd moves. Kidd tries fr the Sharpshooter but Balor kicks him away. Balor charges into the corner but Kidd with a drop toe hold that sends Balor into the turnbuckles. Kidd with a slingshot leg drop to the apron for a near fall.

Kidd goes to the apron and he tries fr the springboard elbow drop but Balor gets his knees up. Balor with a running kick to the head and then Balor goes up top, but Konnor and Viktor come to the ring and they attack Balor and the referee calls for the bell.

Winner: Finn Bálor (by disqualification)

After the match, the assault continues but Hideo Itami makes his way to the ring to help Balor. They square off in the ring until officials and other wrestlers make their way to the ring.

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Finn Bálor

Seth Rollins likes to call himself “the living, breathing future of WWE.” Even if he only got that moniker thanks to a glowing endorsement from his benefactor, Triple H (who, ahem, must have heard it first on WWE.com), the claim has some legs. Mr. Money in the Bank is nothing if not one of the most dynamic, versatile and physically gifted Superstars the WWE Universe has seen in years: A Jeff Hardy-style daredevil with a well-earned dash of megalomania to go with it, Rollins really does have it all.

Still, he’s certainly not the only guy in contention to be “the future.” Rollins has blinders on, as well he must, but there’s an astounding crop of talent sprouting around him even as he continues to reach both literal and figurative heights in his very young career. Just as we predicted Rollins as a future main-eventer all those months ago, WWE.com editors again regroup to select the Superstars (and Diva) we’ve pegged as the future of WWE. Plan accordingly.

Finn Bálor is going to be a massive star for WWE, because the guy already is a star. He looks like one, he carries himself like one and he is capable of communicating the fact that he is one. It’s not just the blistering offense or the angular European soccer star aesthetic that make him such a sure thing. It’s the “I belong in the main event” self-confidence that really translates. It’s the same poise that runs the tightrope between arrogance and assuredness that has made Seth Rollins such a commodity. Bálor can morph from underdog highflier to arrogant jerk with ease. And, like Rollins, he’ll have the same mass appeal as Jeff Hardy without any of his unfortunate faults.

It remains to be seen if Bálor is going to be able to sell himself on the microphone — always the biggest question with an international talent entering WWE. But he already proved himself to be a wildly charismatic figure during his stint as the head of Bullet Club in New Japan Pro Wrestling. If he can recreate that craze in WWE — and, believe me, he can — the Bálor era may await. — RYAN MURPHY

We open with a recap of Itami vs. Ascension and Balor debuting from last week.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Balor to open the show with a rather epic entrance. He says he’s here in NXT because he’s the future….and here are Natalya and Tyson Kidd arm in arm. Tyson is sure that Balor has a fascinating story but no one cares. Fact. Kidd was brought into this business as a Hart, so the first thing he was ever taught was respect. Cue Justin Gabriel who says a new international superstar is here every week to be a top guy. Finn has to get through them first though, but let’s pause for a WHO ARE YOU chant at Gabriel. Kidd and Gabriel get in the ring but here’s Itami, walking very slowly out to save his buddy.

Finn Bálor & Hideo Itami vs. Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel

This should be good. Gabriel and Itami get things going but it’s quickly off to Kidd for a wristlock. Balor comes in for the first time and Tyson is already out for Gabriel. A dropkick puts Gabriel down but he bails to the floor, setting up a big flip dive from Balor as we take a break. Back with Itami putting Justin in a chinlock and getting two off a kick to the chest. Off to Balor vs. Kidd with Tyson taking him outside for a neckbreaker on the floor. Gabriel hits a LOUD chop on the floor before kicking Finn in the back.

Tyson does the same for two as the heels take over on Finn in the corner. We hit the chinlock on Balor before Justin cranks on both arms at the same time. Kidd and Gabriel keep making the fast tags until Balor nails Tyson with a Pele Kick. The hot tag brings in Itami to clean house and a big kick gets two on Kidd. Justin dives into a knee to the ribs for two as everything breaks down. The newcomers hit stereo corner dropkicks, setting up a top rope double stomp to end Gabriel.

Winners: Finn Bálor & Hideo Itami

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The Ascension make their way out. Konnor says Hideo Itami has been beaten down for weeks on end, and tells him to come out to the ring so they can finish what was started at NXT Takeover 2. Hideo comes out to the ramp and is followed by Finn Bálor (Prince Devitt).

They nod to each other and rush the ring, colliding head-first with the Ascension. The crowd is loud with “Finn” chants as they take it to the heels. They hit stereo dropkicks on both members of the Ascension. Konnor rolls out of the ring, but Balor comes off the apron with a double foot stomp.

Viktor gets up and runs into a pele kick from Finn, and a running knee strike from Hideo Itami. Konnor crawls back into the ring with Hideo mocking him, but he gets tagged with another double foot stomp from the top rope. The two stand tall as the crowd chants “dream team” to take NXT off the air.

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WWE.COM: Was it the same for you, Fergal? You were a top star in Japan’s biggest promotion before you signed with WWE.

FERGAL DEVITT: I’d been doing it for about six or seven years when I ended up in New Japan. I was really just a boy and I became a man in New Japan in eight years. It came to a point where I could stay the rest of my career there and have the security of a job or I could step into the great unknown that is WWE and challenge myself. And that’s what I decided to do.

WWE.COM: Everyone here comes from a different part of the globe. Is it important for each of you to represent your countries in WWE?

DEVITT: You can teach a lot of things here at the Performance Center, but you can’t teach passion for wrestling. And the five people at this table definitely have it and have had it for a long time. And hopefully, a little bit of that can rub off on the rest of the people here and bring up the whole team.

WWE.COM: At the same time, you’re competing for a main roster spot with bodybuilders and amateur athletes with no wrestling background at all.

DEVITT: I do agree with the lads on most of that, but I do believe that we do need guys like that as well. They add something to the show. It’s like the circus. We need all types of people from all walks of life.

WWE.COM: It’s amazing how the scene repairs itself. One of the early criticisms of the Performance Center was that WWE was killing the indie scene by signing all the top stars …

DEVITT: I would say we’ll probably never be satisfied, and that’s the only reason we’re all here at the moment. It’ll probably be when we’re all 60 and at a Hall of Fame ceremony and we’re still thinking about what we can do next, because that’s what’s driven us. This thirst and hunger to keep pushing forward, I don’t think any of us will ever settle, be it a WrestleMania moment or a World Heavyweight Title. We’re all just going to still want more.

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