WWE NXT Recap: Zayn Vs. Cesaro III, Dolph Ziggler Vs. Alexander Rusev, The Ascension In Action, More

NXT opens with a recap of the feud between Antonio Cesaro and Sami Zayn.

WWE Divas Championship
AJ Lee (c) vs. Bayley

Bayley tries to hug AJ after the bell again. AJ grabs her by the head and slams her to the mat. She hits Bayley with a pair of neck breakers. She sends Bayley into the corner and kicks her in the gut. AJ hits a snap mare and locks in Bayley's head. Bayley battles to her feet and bounds off the ropes, but AJ hits her with an elbow. AJ takes Bayley to the corner and kicks her in the gut again. AJ charges, but Bayley moves. Bayley hugs AJ and rams her into the corner three times.

Bayley lands a body slam. Bayley drops a knee. She tries to pin AJ three times. Bayley goes up top and leaps off, hitting AJ with an elbow. Bayley starts checking on AJ, concerned if she is hurt. AJ kicks her and then hits a Shining Wizard for the win.

Winner: AJ Lee

Then, Tyler Breeze is backstage. A girl walks by (not sure who it is) and asks if she wants to take a picture. She smiles and says yes and he says of me. He hands her his phone and directs her where to stand. CJ Parker walks up and makes faces behind Breeze as the woman takes the picture. Breeze then takes the phone from her, looks at it and starts freaking out. He says who photo bombed my picture? They're ruining my entire life!

Michael Zaki and Ron Hicks vs. The Ascension

This is both Zaki and Hicks's NXT TV debut, I believe. Zaki and Conor start things off. Conor hits a kick to the gut. He hits Zaki with his three side headlock takedowns. Victor comes in and tosses Zaki into the corner. He hits Zaki with a series of chops and uppercuts. He slams Zaki to the mat. Conor comes in and they both slam him to the mat. Victor comes in and the Ascension hits their sweep kick/corkscrew flying forearm combo for the win.

Winners: The Ascension

Baron Corbin vs. CJ Parker

Parker locks in a side headlock. He backs Corbin to the corner. Parker gets a quick one count. Corbin hits a huge shoulder knockdown. He strikes Parker in the corner. He charges and Parker puts a boot up. Parker hits Corbin with flying knees to the chest. Parker hits his new finisher for the win.

Winner: CJ Parker

After the match Renee Young gets in the ring and asks where he's been. He says he's been everywhere and has found what he was looking for. She asks who he is. He says he's just me. She may call him a hippie, but he's going with the flow and having fun. Renee asks if fun means photo bombing. He says bomb is a harsh word and that he was just video lovin'. Then, Tyler Breeze comes out and says really CJ P? He says look what you did to my gorgeous picture, and the picture is shown. Parker tells him to chillax and that they were having a good time. Breeze calls Parker a joke and a Lenny Kravitz wannabe. Parker acts like he's going to hit Breeze, who rolls out of the ring. He then walks up the ramp talking trash.

Alexander Rusev vs. Dolph Ziggler

Rusev comes out with a piece of wood with Ziggler's name written on it and breaks it in half.

Ziggler gets a quick roll up attempt. Rusev kicks Ziggler in the gut. He then punches Ziggler in the head. Ziggler gets whipped but hangs onto the ropes. They tie up and Rusev shoves Ziggler across the ring. Ziggler lands a dropkick to the head. He leaps at Rusev, who catches him. He walks Ziggler to the ropes and then knees him in the mid section repeatedly. Rusev dumps Ziggler over the top rope to the outside. He tosses Ziggler back in the ring and charges him in the corner, colliding with Ziggler's gut for a two count.

Rusev locks in a waist lock from behind. Ziggler fights out and hits a leaping crossbody in the corner, followed by a dropkick for a near pin fall. Rusev lands a running body block against the ropes for a near pin fall. Ziggler comes back with a Fameasser. Rusev shrugs off a sleeper hold attempt by Ziggler and hits a spinning heel kick. He pulls Ziggler to the center of the ring and goes up top. He leaps off for a splash, but Ziggler moves and hits the Zig Zag for the win.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

2 Out of 3 Falls
Antonio Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn

Zayn flies over the top rope and takes out Cesaro with a dive as Cesaro makes his entrance. He lands multiple head shots. Zayn tosses Cesaro into the ring and lands a running boot to the head for the first fall.

First Fall: Sami Zayn

Zayn clotheslines Cesaro over the top rope. He leaps off and hits Cesaro with a double ax handle. Zayn hits a chop and then whips Cesaro into the steel steps. He slams Cesaro's head onto the apron and breaks the ten count. Zayn heads back out and lands multiple strikes to the body and face. He sends Cesaro inside and tries to follow up the attack, but Cesaro hits a shoulder to the gut. Zayn lands a kick to the head.

Zayn mounts Cesaro in the corner and gets multiple hits to the head. Cesaro fights out and goes for a double boot stomp, but Zayn rolls out of the way. Cesaro charges Zayn, but Zayn puts an elbow up. Zayn goes up top and hits a crossbody for a two count. Cesaro sends Zayn face first into the top turnbuckle. He then stomps on Zayn's head. Cesaro strikes Zayn in the corner and then locks in his head. Zayn backs Cesaro into the corner to get out, but Cesaro locks his head in again. Zayn backs into the corner again and hits head strikes on Cesaro.

Cesaro comes back with a power bomb for a two count. Cesaro hits a big clothesline. Cesaro bounces off the ropes and hits a double boot stomp. Zayn tries to battle back Cesaro with chops and elbows to the head. Cesaro flips Zayn behind him to the mat. He then hits Zayn with another double boot stomp. Cesaro goes for his delayed gut wrench suplex, but Zayn counters into a roll up. Zayn hits a hurricanrana for a two count.

Cesaro hits a bridging Suplex for a two count. Back from commercial and Cesaro has Zayn's head locked in. Zayn gets a roll up for a two count. Zayn lands several head strikes and a dropkick. He charges Cesaro in the corner, but Cesaro locks in Zayn's head and then spins him around. He takes Zayn to the mat with his head still locked in and Zayn taps.

Second Fall: Antonio Cesaro

Cesaro charges Zayn in the corner while he's recovering and lands a big uppercut for a near pin fall. Zayn heads to the apron for a breather and Cesaro pulls him up by his ear. Zayn tries to battle back but Cesaro snaps his neck across the top rope. Cesaro goes up top and dead lift superplexes Zayn from the apron for a very near pin fall. Cesaro picks Zayn up for another Suplex, but Zayn counters into a roll up. Cesaro tries to lock in Zayn's head from behind, but Zayn gets another quick pin attempt.

Zayn hits another running boot to the head in the corner for a near pin fall. Zayn tries to whip Cesaro, who hangs onto the ropes. He whips Zayn. Zayn reverses and hits a Canadian Destroyer, with Cesaro landing on back rather than head, for a ridiculously near fall. Cesaro rolls to the outside for a breather. Zayn runs alongside one side of the ring, dives through the ropes (like, through both sets of ropes where they meet in the corner) connects with Cesaro and hits a tornado DDT as the crowd chants NXT over and over.

Cesaro makes it into the ring at the nine count. Zayn locks in Cesaro's wrist and kicks him in the gut several times. He leaps up top for his springboard tornado DDT, but Cesaro catches Zayn, tosses him in the air above him and hits the European uppercut. He then hits the Neutralizer for the win.

Winner: Antonio Cesaro

The crowd chants match of the year as the show ends.