It’s time for the next match in the 2021 NXT Breakout tournament. We’ve seen Odyssey Jones & Duke Hudson move forward, and tonight another man will join them. Comparable in size is former Evolve Champion Josh Briggs, who made his debut by destroying Asher Hale on 205 Live recently. His opponent will be Carmelo Hayes, who has taken men like KUSHIDA & Adam Cole to their limits since joining NXT. Whoever wins this match could be the eventual winner of the whole tournament .
Josh Briggs Towers Over The Competition
The 6’8” tall Briggs would tower over Hayes, but Hayes has shown his insane speed in NXT. Briggs would start with a powerslam, but his second one would be countered as Hayes slipped out and looked to beat Briggs down with strikes. A big pump kick rocked Briggs, before a dropkick to the knee dropped him down into the corner.
Hayes would be dumped over the top rope by Briggs, and it was a long way down. Briggs would be hit with a springboard leg drop after Hayes got back into the ring, before Hayes clamped on a guillotine choke to bring Briggs down to one knee. Hayes was thrown off, but took a heavy running back elbow as we went to commercial break.
Carmelo Hayes Punches His Ticket To The Semi-Finals
Back from the break, Briggs had a tight chinlock applied. Duke Hudson would join the commentary team to scout his next opponent, which included seeing a huge standing splash from Briggs which got a two count. Hayes would counter out of a powerbomb with a hurricanrana before nailing an enziguri.
A springboard lariat dropped Briggs, and finally got Hayes some space. This wouldn’t last as he nearly took a chokeslam, but Hayes flipped out and nailed a codebreaker for a two count. Briggs came back with a running big boot and chokeslam, but only got a two count. Another big boot in the corner and a backbreaker were the plan, but Hayes blocked and nailed two takedowns before going up top for a huge leg drop to get the win.
A great clash of styles which saw Hayes show his adaptable nature, while Briggs proved to be a fantastic powerhouse. This tournament is getting better and better, and Hayes moving on was a great move. Match Rating: 3/5 (***)
Carmelo Hayes moves on in the tournament, and will face Duke Hudson in the next round. Can they make the finals? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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