WWE NXT Spotlight 02/24/16 by Kurt Zamora
Welcome one and all to another installment of The NXT Spotlight right here at TJRWrestling. We are inching ever closer to the huge Takeover Event that will be taking place during WrestleMania weekend. However, last week we didn’t quite get our first match announced as Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe went to another draw with no clear cut winner to go against Finn Balor. This week we have a big tag match in the women’s division as Baymella goes against The Red Queen of NXT, my favorite and yours, Eva Marie and Nia Jax. Let’s get to the action!
American Alpha vs. BAMF
We’re still at the UCF Arena so this match literally took place less than an hour after the 8-Man tag from last week. Thus, American Alpha’s pop wasn’t its normal self. Gable and Murphy start the match. Both men tie up and Gable uses his ametuer skils to show off. He tags in Jordan who alligator rolls Murphy before going for a pin early. He throws Murphy over his back with a wrist lock attached. Gable tags back in but Murphy is able to escape and get Blake into the match. Gable tosses him around with some go behinds. Blake escapes and tries to throw Gable, but Gable lands on his feet. After ducking a couple shots, Gable hits a nice armdrag and then a headscissors and then another armdrag. Blake desperately tags in Murphy but Murphy stops in his tracks when Gable sees him coming. Gable judo throws Murphy and then goes for an armbar. Murphy gets to his partner for his tag but Gable makes them knock heads together and then gets Jordan into the match. American Alpha hits a double dropkick that sends BAMF to the floor and we go to commercial.
We come back to Jordan covering Blake but Blake kicks out at two. Jordan then hooks an armbar. Jordan sends him into their corner and Gable tags in and they hit a double northern lights suplex. Blake kicks out at two and Gable goes right back to the armbar. Blake tries to bodyslam Gable to escape, but Gable hangs on. Murphy is able to make a bling tag and Gable ducks a couple leapfrogs but runs right into a huge lariat by Murphy who now has flipped the momentum. Murphy hooks a headlock on Gable and then slams him into the mat by his hair. He attempts to pin Gable three times and Gable kicks out. Back into the BAMF corner and now Blake tags back in and stomps on Gable. Quick tag back to Murphy and they double team Gable, then Blake hits a backbreaker but the pin attempt only gets a two. Murphy now stretches Gable’s arms behind him in a submission attempt as Jordan gets the crowd to get behind Gable. Gable reverses the hold and then rolls up Murphy for a pin but he kicks out. Murphy manages to cut off Gable and Blake tags back in and hits an elbow drop to the small of the back. Blake goes for another elbow but Gable moves. Gable can’t get to Jordan though before Murphy tags back in. Gable finally fights his way out though and Jordan makes the hot tag. Jordan puts on a suplex display including a beautiful overhead belly to belly after catching Murphy in mid air. That was awesome. Blake is the legal man and Jordan tags in Gable and they hit their toss bridging back suplex and pick up the win.
Winners: American Alpha
We see a recap of the finish to last week’s match between Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe. William Regal says in two weeks, we’ll have a 2 out of 3 falls match between Zayn and Joe to have a definitive #1 Contender. However in the meantime, next week we’ll have a huge new debut in NXT as the contracts are now finalized.
An Elias Samson vignette is shown.
Apollo Crews vs. Christopher Girard
I’ve been told Girard is Indy star Biff Busick. I don’t know anything about him but look forward to seeing what he’s got. Both men tie up and then Girard hits a forearm to the back and goes for a quick pin. Girard showing a mean streak but gets caught square with a dropkick by Crews. Crews then goes for a suplex but Girard blocks it twice and then hits a series of forearms and then a kick. He comes off the ropes hard and hits a nice looking snap European Uppercut. Now he gets a headlock on Crews and really wrenches on it. Crews tries to escape but Girard refuses to let go. Girard ends up on Crews’ back and Crews is able to elbow his way out but as Crews comes off the ropes, he’s caught with another stiff uppercut. Now back to the headlock. Crews manages to pick Girard up on his back and then drives him back into the mat. Girard charges Crews but Crews hits a Spear. Crews then hits a splash in the corner and a jumping clothesline as Girard comes off the ropes. They end up in the corner and Crews hits an enziguri on Girard on the other side of the ropes. He picks up Girard over the ropes in a back suplex and although Girard tries to fight out of it, Crews tosses him into a sit out powerbomb and gets the win.
Winner: Apollo Crews
We get a recap of the Bayley vs. Carmella Women’s Title match from two weeks ago along with the post match beating from Eva Marie and Nia Jax. Alex Reyes is now backstage with Baymella who asks them about tonight’s match. Bayley says she’s happy to have Carmella as her partner because two weeks ago, Carmella proved to her that she’ll be a great champion someday. Carmella says she’s going to show Eva Marie and Nia Jax how she does things back home. Bayley is then asked about Asuka and Bayley says it’s clear that Asuka wants a shot at the Women’s Title.
We then see exclusive footage from WWE.com earlier this week of Enzo Amore being attacked by Dash and Dawson in the parking lot of the Performance Center. Big Cass finally makes the save before everything is broken up.
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Bull Dempsey
Pretty sure this is Bull’s last match in NXT as he was released shortly after this. I would assume this means a showcase match for Ciampa which i’m happy to see. Bull struggles to get his shirt off as the bell rings. Ciampa is not impressed. The ref has to help him get it off. Bull does some jumping jacks as Ciampa gives him a mock applause. Ciampa wants a test of strength. Bull grabs both of his hands and makes him do jumping jacks with him. Ciampa laughs and then charges with a big boot. Bull comes back with a right hand and then a rolling senton. He gets caught with a kick to the face in the corner and the Ciampa comes off the ropes with a jumping armbreaker. Now Ciampa drives the knees into Bull’s shoulder. Ciampa is relentless with elbows and kicks and then grinds on Bull’s face. Ciampa goes for a pin but Bull kicks out. Ciampa goes right back to the arm. Ciampa tries to bodyslam Bull, but can’t hold the weight so Bull lands on Ciampa. Ciampa charges Bull in the corner but Bull moves and then hits the right hands. Ciampa ducks one and grabs the arm and hooks on his rollover armbreaker submission and Bull has to tap out.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
Samoa Joe is caught up with backstage and asked about William Regal’s decision earlier tonight. Joe isn’t surprised because he’s had to jump through hoops since he’s got here. NXT has gotten hot because Samoa Joe is here. Joe feels sorry for the decision because that means Sami has to feel twice the pain now on his way to becoming the next NXT Champion.
Alex Reyes is now with Sami Zayn and Sami is asked if he’s ready for his match with Samoa Joe. Sami says he’s always been ready. It’s not his first two out of three falls match and he’ll do whatever it takes to get to his goal of becoming the first ever two-time NXT Champion.
Baymella vs. Eva Marie and Nia Jax
Carmella and Eva start the match and Carmella goes right after her with a couple Thesz presses and lays into Eva. Eva tries to get out of the way but can’t, and Bayley now tags in. Baymella hits her with a double suplex and Eva kicks out after a pin attempt. Eva dives for a tag and gets it and now Nia in the match and tosses Bayley around. Bayley tries to roll up Nia but that doesn’t work and gets a headbutt for her trouble. Eva tags back in and Nia stomps on Bayley’s leg as Eva showboats to the crowd. Bayley manages to escape Eva though and tags back in Carmella. Baymella double team her in the corner and now both ladies have fun in the middle of the ring as we go to commercial and Eva tries to regroup.
We come back with Carmella getting a headlock on Eva. Eva gets Carmella to her side long enough for Nia to make a blind tag. Nia picks Carmella up with no effort whatsoever and then hits a shoulderbreaker. Nia now toys with Carmella as she showcases the huge size difference. Eva now tags back in and showboats some more, allowing Carmella to roll her up but Eva kicks out and then goes back on the attack. Nia tags back in and puts Carmella in a bearhug. Carmella tries to go for a front face lock, but Nia sends her back to her corner and Eva is back in now. Eva chokes Carmella over the middle rope and then tags back in Nia. Carmella tries to fight back but Nia has none of it. Now Nia hooks on a modified Cobra Clutch as the crowd chants for Bayley. Nia ragdolls Carmella as she refuses to let go. Carmella somehow fights out and then Nia gets sent to the floor as she charges Carmella. Tags are made to both Bayley and Eva and Bayley is all over Eva. She hits a suplex and then a series of back elbows in the corner. She goes up to the second rope and hits another back elbow for good measure. She then hits the Bayley to Bayley but Nia breaks it up and hits Bayley with a headbutt. Bayley manages to get a tag to Carmella and Carmella hooks hier leg scissors submission on Eva but Nia breaks it up. Nia sends Bayley to the floor and drags Eva over back to her to make the tag. She sets Carmella up for the big legdrop and after three in a row, Eva tags back in to get the opportunistic pin and get the win.
Winners: Eva Marie and Nia Jax
We go backstage to Alex Reyes who is backstage with Finn Balor and William Regal. Regal tells Balor that his reign is coming close to becoming the longest NXT Champion of all time. Balor says he’s flattered but not sure where this is going. Regal says this is going to lead to a match next week against the man who has the current record, Neville. Balor tells Regal he’s looking forward to it as our show comes to an end.
K-Tank’s Final Takes
– Fantastic showing by American Alpha tonight. I’m chomping at the bit to see them against Dash and Dawson. Although as the piece of footage showed tonight, there’s still another showdown with the champs and Enzo/Cass to come.
– I said I didn’t know much about the newly named Christopher Girard, but man he showed a lot of fire tonight. Really enjoyed his performance against Crews. I thought that might be a squash match, but it really wasn’t. Crews is really blowing in the wind right now with not much to sink his teeth into. It’s a bit of a surprise but I’m sure he’ll find his way soon enough.
– I’ve said a lot about Tommaso Ciampa and I’m such a big fan. I hope this win leads to some momentum and he has some opportunities come his way moving forward.
– It’s great to see my girl Eva Marie pick up a huge main event victory. Clearly she should be the new #1 Contender. I kid. Kind of. It was a fun tag match though for sure.
Next week we have now a huge dream main event of Finn Balor vs. Neville. Also the new debut has the same initials as Arn Anderson and you definitely do not want to miss this. So join me for all that great action and until next time, always be All Red Everything.