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00:00The following contest is scheduled for one fall!
00:07Introducing first, from Singapore, weighing in at 227 pounds, Dante Shinsuke!
00:16The following contest is scheduled for one fall!
00:20Introducing first, from Singapore, weighing in at 227 pounds, Dante Shinsuke!
00:31We're getting the action started tonight now for the third time in the last month.
00:35The Singaporean warrior in the midst of maybe the most successful year of his career
00:39looks to keep his momentum building at certainly the right time.
00:44As Dante Chen, you see that smile on his face here, ready to set us off with his electric entrance.
00:50Considered by many to be one of the top in all of NXT.
00:54And let's see if he can get mile high right here!
00:57With Dante Chen as we welcome him ringside here.
01:01Blake Howard now joined alongside, welcome back to Main Event.
01:05Now from Monday Night Raw, the five time Intercontinental Champion right there.
01:10It is great to be back here on Main Event alongside Blake Howard.
01:14And man, this show is all about the future.
01:17So let's get rolling with some future stars.
01:20And his opponent, from Crescent, Arizona, weighing in at 260 pounds, Skylar Clinton!
01:43And I'll talk about a very unique opportunity on the horizon here tonight for the opponent of Dante Chen.
01:49Never having even competed in NXT.
01:51He's been chomping at the bit for nearly two years at the WWE Performance Center.
01:55Former division one and arena football standout.
01:58Looking to make his official debut.
02:00260 plus pounds of chaos in Skylar Clinton.
02:04And how about this for a debut?
02:07Handful of matches to his name in very small buildings.
02:11And suddenly the bright spotlight of WWE Main Event is on you.
02:16Let's see how you cope with that Skylar.
02:18Talked about some of those live event opportunities.
02:20Skylar Clinton has been in the ring with Dante Chen before, but certainly never the magnitude of this.
02:24Here in the Mile High City.
02:26And Dante Chen, we talked about Wade, has had a lot of opportunities over the last year.
02:30Specifically here on Main Event.
02:32Has become quite a regular over the last several weeks.
02:34Yeah, it's the first time I've clapped eyes on Skylar.
02:36But I know Dante Chen very well indeed.
02:39A guy I've been impressed with over the past three or four years down in NXT.
02:43He's really a guy that needs to make a step up to a whole new level now.
02:47And this run he's going on on Main Event is just about getting in there.
02:50And a lot of management are starting to open their eyes to this Singaporean superstar.
02:55Very technically sound is Dante Chen.
02:57We talked about some of those recent opportunities on the Main Event.
02:59Loss of NXT North American Champion, Oba Femi.
03:02Also in toe-to-toe with RAW Superstar, Ilja Dragunov.
03:05And Wade, how do you confidently bounce back from those opportunities?
03:08Everybody loses to Oba Femi, first of all.
03:10You have to expect that.
03:12And of course, you know someone like Ilja Dragunov massively experienced at the very top level here in WWE.
03:18So there's no shame in losing to a star like that.
03:21But it's all great experience for somebody like Dante Chen.
03:24And you can see, just comparing to the Dante Chen of six months ago.
03:27So much more confident, so much more points.
03:30Wade, you talked about calling some of his matches earlier on a couple of years back in his early NXT days.
03:35You can certainly see a lot of improvement right there.
03:37But look at Skylar Clint looking to derail this momentum.
03:39I don't care.
03:40You've improved.
03:41There's very little you can do when someone with the power and bad attitude as Skylar Clinton's in there.
03:47There's a clothesline.
03:48There's a cover.
03:49Shoulders are down.
03:50But Clinton only gets two.
03:51And Skylar talks about the aggression being his ace in the hole.
03:54This looks to be the perfect outfit for Skylar Clinton.
03:56Yeah, absolutely.
03:58And watch again as that aggression comes to the fore, de-cleating his opponent here.
04:04And now looking to punish Dante Chen.
04:06I'm impressed with what I've seen from the rookie, let's call him, Skylar Clinton.
04:11A lot of aggression, a lot of explosion early on here from Skylar Clinton as he's going one-on-one with Dante Chen.
04:15Huge opportunity.
04:16And we talked about Wade Skylar being at the Performance Center for nearly two years.
04:20He's seen some superstars make debuts before he's had that opportunity.
04:23But he sees himself above some of those said superstars.
04:26Yeah, I mean, that's happened to a lot of us in the past who've gone through the developmental system.
04:30Oh, nice.
04:31Developmental system.
04:32It annoys you.
04:33And a lot of guys are...
04:34There's a cover.
04:35Closer down to Chen.
04:36Maybe a rookie mistake there, Wade, not hooking the leg.
04:38Well, a lot of guys are very adamant that they want to play politics.
04:41They want to chat to the bosses.
04:43They want to stir some trouble up to get ahead.
04:45That isn't Skylar Clinton's way.
04:47He's going to go in there and damage opponents who are more experienced than him.
04:51That's how he's going to get attention.
04:53Skylar Clinton, several stops in Division I on his football journey.
04:56Most notably at University of Alabama, Birmingham.
04:59Also played tight end in the Arena League.
05:01And Wade actually, at one of his stops on his journey,
05:03headbutted one of his own teammates without his helmet.
05:06After one minor disagreement, Skylar Clinton won with a very short temper.
05:09Ha!
05:10Well, that is going to pay dividends here in WWE.
05:13They've got very tight rules in college football and arena football.
05:16We're a little more loose here in WWE.
05:19And that, for a guy like Skylar Clinton, is a big opportunity.
05:23Little snap behind that power slam.
05:25But you're right.
05:26Once again, Blake, failing to hook that leg.
05:28It's these little things that someone with the lack of experience as Skylar Clinton has.
05:31You're looking for something, some ways to get better.
05:34That right there is a perfect example.
05:36And it almost feels at the moment like Skylar's not really trying to win this.
05:40He's enjoying punishing Dante Chen a little too much.
05:44Certainly looking to put his name on the map here against Dante Chen,
05:47who has picked up a win in the past over Tadeon Heights here on Main Event.
05:50But Skylar Clinton, that headbutt-based offense looks like it's starting to click.
05:53I mean, if your head is just stronger than everyone else's,
05:57if you've got a thick skull, a thick cranium,
05:59use it to your advantage.
06:01Clinton takes Chen up and right down.
06:04Shoulders are down once again at Dante Chen.
06:07And right on the cusp there of Skylar Clinton.
06:09Very impressive here in his debut on Main Event.
06:11Yeah, just a raw-boned kind of guy.
06:14And the issue is the lack of technical skills, especially in those pins,
06:18may be an issue later on in his career.
06:22But wow, there is a lot of untapped potential in this man, Clinton.
06:27Skylar Clinton labeling himself a crash-out.
06:29Left the game of football aggressively.
06:31You have to almost wonder, Wade, was that on his own volition?
06:34Yeah, maybe he was kicked out, but their loss is our gain here on Main Event.
06:39He certainly loves the physicality of wrestling inside the ring.
06:42And just like football in arenas like this, Skylar Clinton has thrived in the past.
06:47Looking to take full advantage right here.
06:49And again, Wade, deeper waters of this matchup.
06:51Skylar never necessarily been in this position.
06:53And this is kind of an issue when you have a less experienced superstar.
06:56They don't really have the full playbook at this moment.
06:59They have their greatest hits of three or four big moves.
07:02And once those don't work, once you don't get the victory,
07:04what the hell am I supposed to do next?
07:06Indeed, as Dante Chen considers himself often a gatekeeper of NXT.
07:09That first real big test for superstars.
07:11Skylar Clinton looking to pass that test right here.
07:14Chen's had to show a lot of durability.
07:16He has been beaten from pillar to post.
07:19But my, oh my, have the tables turned.
07:21And over the last several months, you can certainly call this
07:23the summer of Chen with an NXT title opportunity.
07:26Certainly some X Division qualifying opportunities as well.
07:30Been on main event a couple of times.
07:31Even a Singapore cane match to boot.
07:33Yeah, he's a tough, tough dude.
07:35And make no mistake, he's a great mover is Chen.
07:37He's a big lad with it too.
07:39He's kind of looking a little smaller than Skylar Clinton.
07:42But he is a massive individual.
07:44And those shots he's delivering pack a lot of punch.
07:48Certainly a massive super kick right there.
07:50And Dante looking to dial it up right here.
07:52Looks to get right in position.
07:54And Wade, we've seen this before.
07:58And Dante getting Denver right behind him.
08:00And all it takes is a gentle touch.
08:04Into the cover.
08:05And Dante prevails.
08:09Here is your winner, Dante Chen.
08:14Well, Wade, you certainly have to tip your cap to Skylar Clinton.
08:16Certainly showed up in his first ever appearance here on main event.
08:20But Dante Chen, you said experience to come away with a victory.
08:23Yeah, experience and quality was the difference tonight.
08:26But earlier on in the matchup, Skylar Clinton giving all of us a good account
08:31of what he's going to be capable of in the future.
08:34But here we go.
08:35This is when the tables turn for good.
08:38And Dante Chen with that crowd backing him all the way to the hill.
08:42Scores a massive goal.
08:44His momentum continues.
08:46And Wade, you talked about it right here on main event.
08:48Where we see future superstars.
08:50Dante Chen gets his second win ever here on main event.
08:53And starting to build a little bit of momentum right here in Denver.