Hello, my name is Henry Keys, and I am here today to preview and breakdown the quarter-finals of the NXT Championship Tournament. If you would like to see these matches in the form of an image, the link is here. Enjoy!
"The Phenomenal" AJ Styles vs "Mr. NXT" Roderick Strong
The opening contest of the quarter finals pits two of the best athletes in the world today against each other, as AJ Styles faces Roderick Strong. Styles narrowly avoided a major upset in Round 1, just able to eliminate Chad Gable with the Phenomenal Forearm. Meanwhile, Strong had a war with the technician Tyson Kidd that lasted a lot longer than it should've, as Roderick wanted to end the match with the End of Heartache. A mistake like that likely won't serve him well against AJ, a man who has the experience to capitalize on any advantage. Both the fans and the oddsmakers favor AJ to advance, though the gap is not as huge for him as the first round.
Favorite: AJ Styles
"The Big Dog" Roman Reigns vs "The Swiss Cyborg" Cesaro
It was a tough first round for Roman Reigns, both mentally and physically, as he was forced to do battle with his good friend, Dean Ambrose. Ultimately, Reigns got the win, and now looks forward to facing the rest of the field. Cesaro relied on help from his tag team partner, Sheamus, defeating Dolph Ziggler with the Neutralizer, but not after the "Celtic Warrior" played a huge role. Immediately after the match, NXT owner Triple H informed the fans that all managers will be banned from involvement for the rest of the tournament, evening the playing field. This is one of the toughest quarter final matches to call: both men are extremely powerful and can deliver devastating offense. Cesaro is a major fan favorite, and will have their support in this encounter, while the oddsmakers are heavily on the side of Reigns.
Favorite: Roman Reigns
"The Destroyer" Samoa Joe vs "Strong Style Sensation" Hideo Itami
From the hard to call to the not so hard to call, this is the most lopsided quarter finals match on paper. Samoa Joe was not completely dominant in his first round encounter with Akira Tozawa, but he got the job done in the end with one of the best submission moves in the world today, the "Coquina Clutch". Hideo Itami engaged in a physical brawl with Luke Harper in his first round match, with a volley of strikes and then the GTS finally putting the Wyatt Family member down. Itami's devastating finishing move has beaten hundreds of opponents over his career, but is he going to be able to hit it on the much bigger Joe? The answer to that question could very well decide the rest of this tournament, as Samoa Joe is one of the big favorites to win it all. Obviously, the oddsmakers favor an easy Joe win, while the fans seem to be on his side as well.
Favorite: Samoa Joe
"The Architect of the Future" Seth Rollins vs "The Man That Gravity Forgot" Neville
There may not be two better high fliers in wrestling than Seth Rollins and Neville. Both men scored impressive wins in our last episode, with Neville defeating Tye Dillinger and Rollins taking out Kassius Ohno in the most acclaimed first round match. Both men are extremely confident that they are the next NXT Champion, with plenty of barbs going back and forth on social media. Certainly, this looks to be the most exciting match, perhaps of the entire tournament, with many fans divided on whether or not they even care who gets the win. The smart money should be placed on Rollins, who showed a more comprehensive performance in the first round, but Neville's recent submission work could lead to an upset.
Favorite: Seth Rollins
"The Phenomenal" AJ Styles vs "Mr. NXT" Roderick Strong
The opening contest of the quarter finals pits two of the best athletes in the world today against each other, as AJ Styles faces Roderick Strong. Styles narrowly avoided a major upset in Round 1, just able to eliminate Chad Gable with the Phenomenal Forearm. Meanwhile, Strong had a war with the technician Tyson Kidd that lasted a lot longer than it should've, as Roderick wanted to end the match with the End of Heartache. A mistake like that likely won't serve him well against AJ, a man who has the experience to capitalize on any advantage. Both the fans and the oddsmakers favor AJ to advance, though the gap is not as huge for him as the first round.
Favorite: AJ Styles
"The Big Dog" Roman Reigns vs "The Swiss Cyborg" Cesaro
It was a tough first round for Roman Reigns, both mentally and physically, as he was forced to do battle with his good friend, Dean Ambrose. Ultimately, Reigns got the win, and now looks forward to facing the rest of the field. Cesaro relied on help from his tag team partner, Sheamus, defeating Dolph Ziggler with the Neutralizer, but not after the "Celtic Warrior" played a huge role. Immediately after the match, NXT owner Triple H informed the fans that all managers will be banned from involvement for the rest of the tournament, evening the playing field. This is one of the toughest quarter final matches to call: both men are extremely powerful and can deliver devastating offense. Cesaro is a major fan favorite, and will have their support in this encounter, while the oddsmakers are heavily on the side of Reigns.
Favorite: Roman Reigns
"The Destroyer" Samoa Joe vs "Strong Style Sensation" Hideo Itami
From the hard to call to the not so hard to call, this is the most lopsided quarter finals match on paper. Samoa Joe was not completely dominant in his first round encounter with Akira Tozawa, but he got the job done in the end with one of the best submission moves in the world today, the "Coquina Clutch". Hideo Itami engaged in a physical brawl with Luke Harper in his first round match, with a volley of strikes and then the GTS finally putting the Wyatt Family member down. Itami's devastating finishing move has beaten hundreds of opponents over his career, but is he going to be able to hit it on the much bigger Joe? The answer to that question could very well decide the rest of this tournament, as Samoa Joe is one of the big favorites to win it all. Obviously, the oddsmakers favor an easy Joe win, while the fans seem to be on his side as well.
Favorite: Samoa Joe
"The Architect of the Future" Seth Rollins vs "The Man That Gravity Forgot" Neville
There may not be two better high fliers in wrestling than Seth Rollins and Neville. Both men scored impressive wins in our last episode, with Neville defeating Tye Dillinger and Rollins taking out Kassius Ohno in the most acclaimed first round match. Both men are extremely confident that they are the next NXT Champion, with plenty of barbs going back and forth on social media. Certainly, this looks to be the most exciting match, perhaps of the entire tournament, with many fans divided on whether or not they even care who gets the win. The smart money should be placed on Rollins, who showed a more comprehensive performance in the first round, but Neville's recent submission work could lead to an upset.
Favorite: Seth Rollins
Comments