WWE: NXT Spotlight 09/30/15

Welcome one and all to the NXT Spotlight right here at TJRWrestling. I am your host for another week as we are seven days away from the next Takeover show, entitled Respect. We know of four matches that will take place at that event, so with the last quarterfinal tonight in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tonight, let’s find out if there is anything else announced for the big show.

The show starts with Kyle Edwards in the control room in Titan Towers to discuss where we are in the Tag Team Classic. We see clips of The Hype Bros vs. Gable and Jordan in a quarterfinal match. Gable and Jordan pin Zack Ryder for the win and they will now face Rhyno and Baron Corbin in one semi-final match next week at Takeover. The other semi-final will be The Mechanics vs. the winner of tonight’s match between Finn Balor and Samoa Joe vs. Enzo and Cass.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinal Match
Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady vs. Finn Balor and Samoa Joe

Is it weird that I get goosebumps now when I hear Enzo do his opening promo after witnessing it live? It was that good. Odd that this match is opening the show. Finn has a brand new entrance, lot less emphasis on the “Demon” side of him and focusing more on the Balor Club routine they’re going with. Music is the same, but lighting and such is different. Starting off big as Joe and Cass begin the match. I’ve met Joe and he’s clearly not a small or short man but Cass dwarfs him. Cass sends Joe to the outside and then Joe drags Cass out with him and they start clubbing each other on the floor. Enzo and Finn get in the ring and they do dives to the outside on their respective opponent. Cass looked like he hit the back of his head hard on the rampway as you could see Balor instantly go to make sure he was ok. We go to a quick commercial in the show.

We return to Enzo and Finn in the ring and Finn sends Enzo into one of the corners and ends up eating a DDT from Enzo. Both men make a tag and Cass goes to take out Joe but Balor comes from behind on the apron and hits Cass with a kick to the back of the head and Joe follows up with a STO for a two count. Cass fights back and hits a big boot to Joe and then takes out Finn with one as well. Cass hits his Empire Elbow but Joe kicks out at two. Both men trade blows and Cass hits the East River Crossing and then tags in Enzo for his big splash from the top rope, but Joe reverses the pin at two and carries Enzo to the corner. Finn tags in and hits a shotgun dropkick to Cass and then Joe hits Enzo with the Muscle Buster as Finn goes up top and hits the Coup De Grace! Joe and Finn advance.

Winners: Samoa Joe and Finn Balor

Tomasso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano are backstage and are asked about their experience in NXT so far. They say that they were disappointed with thier performance in the Tag Team Classic but now they focus on what’s next. Gargano says it’s only the beginning for them. They both say they’re friends with Apollo Crews and travelled the world with him. Gargano faces him later tonight. Tyler Breeze shows up and says since they’re friends of Crews and they cost him his chance to win the Tag Team Classic, Ciampa has an opponent for tonight now.

An awesome video package for Asuka is shown.

Johnny Gargano vs. Apollo Crews

Is this surreal to anyone else that this match is happening in NXT? Maybe NXT is beyond that point now, but it’s pretty dang cool. No handshakes between friends and Apollo sends Gargano down with a shoulder tackle. Apollo catches Gargano in a fireman’s carry, but Gargano turns it into a sunset flip, but only a quick one count. Apollo charges Gargano in the corner but catches a boot and then Gargano grabs Apollo in a submission in the ropes. Tarantula esque. Both men counter holds and transitions until Apollo hits one of his patented dropkicks. Both men go back and forth trying to take out the other on the outside, but Gargano finally catches Apollo with a spear through the ropes. Cool move. Gargano follows up with a snapmare and dropkick to the head, but only a two count. Gargano gets Apollo in a modified abominal stretch. Apollo hiptosses out of it but gets kicked in the head after and Gargano gets another two count. Gargano gets Apollo in an alligator roll headlock. Apollo rolls with him while hooking a suplex and in one motion gets Gargano up in the air and drops him. Apollo hits a couple clotheslines and a Stinger splash in the corner. Another clothesline and then his Gorilla Press into standing moonsault combo and that’s the match.

Winner: Apollo Crews

We now go to William Regal in his office with Dana Brooke and Emma. He tells the ladies that they interrupted him when he was making his big annoucement last week bringing in Asuka. He says that Dana always wants to be taken seriously, so at Takeover she will be facing Asuka. Dana says she’s not scared because Asuka is the one who tucked her tail and ran away last week. Regal says he saw that but Dana should see more of Asuka. He shows her some clips on his laptop that we can’t see. Can only hear the sound effects, but Dana’s and Emma’s faces change and they don’t look confident anymore. Emma tells Dana good luck with that and leaves her.

Nia Jax is still coming soon.

Now we are shown the video of Asuka that Dana and Emma saw and it’s Asuka beating up a punching bag.

Dana Brooke and Emma vs. Peyton Royce and Billie Kay

Dana and Peyton start the match. Peyton tries to pin Dana quickly a few times but Dana kicks out. Billie gets tagged in and then hits a knee to Dana. Dana crawls away and gets Emma in the match, who gets caught in a headscissors. Billie then gets Emma up in a nice delayed vertical suplex, but only a two count. Billie punches Dana off the apron, but Emma takes advantage and lays out Billie. Billie is sent into their corner and Dana tags back in. Now they trade quick tags while beating Billie down in the corner. They both slingshot Billie out and Dana goes for a pin that gets two. Now Dana hooks in a bodyscissors. The announcers are really building up Asuka during this match. Emma tags back in and chokes Billie in the second rope. Emma looks a lot better both attractive wise and confidence wise ever since this heel turn. Emma hooks on a bodyscissors of her own now. Billie escapes but Emma prevents her from making a tag. Emma slaps her around a bit but Billie finally fights back. Billie hits punches and kicks and elbows to both her opponents and crawls for the tag, which she gets. Peyton and Dana back in the match now and Peyton hits a series of kicks to Dana. They get to the corner and Peyton comes off the second rope… and I have no idea what the hell she did. That looked bad. It almost looked like Peyton was going for a cross body block but got scared at the last second. They try to play off of it and all four women end up in the ring but only the legal two remain after Emma and Billie are dumped out. Peyton goes to roll up Dana, but Emma grabs her leg and trips her. Dana capitalizes and hits her Fireman’s Carry slam and picks up the win.

Winners: Dana Brooke and Emma

Devin is backstage with Chad Gable and Jason Jordan. Jason tells her to call him JJ. That makes it easier on me too, so thanks man. She asks them how they plan to overcome the odds against Corbin and Rhyno. Gable gets on to her for saying they’re against the odds. JJ says it’s Rhyno and Corbin that have to overcome odds. They’re ready, willing, and… The Mechanics interrupt before they can finish. Dash calls them a couple jamokes. I still love that word. The Mechanics blame JJ and Gable for losing the eight man match in Brooklyn, so there’s no way they can beat Rhyno and Corbin. All four men argue as we leave the scene.

Tomasso Ciampa vs. Tyler Breeze

Ciampa with a go behind to start the match and tries to overpower Breeze, but it ends up turning into a series of pin attempts and then they end up with Breeze riding Ciampa. That was funny. They get in the corner and Ciampa hits a couple loud chops. Breeze sent into the opposite corner and Ciampa hits a couple running knees and then the face wash with the knee as well. Two count after that. Dueling chants for both men as Breeze tries to get in the ropes and get a break. Ciampa sends him to the opposite ropes, but Breeze counters with a nice neckbreaker. Bakc in the corner and Breeze stomps Ciampa down. Snapmare and a legdrop by Breeze gets another two count. Breeze then hooks the same alligator roll headlock that Gargano had on earlier. Ciampa gets up and sends Breeze into the corner to break it. He has to do it a couple more times, but finally gains separation from Breeze. Right hands and chops from Ciampa and then Breeze walks into two big boots to the face. Ciampa hits a really cool flatliner with Breeze’s feet on the top rope, but again only a two count. Ciampa gets Breeze up for a powerbomb maybe, but Breeze gets out and kicks him in the gut. Ciampa hits a stiff knee to the face followed by a lariat but Breeze yet again kicks out at two. Ciampa now goes up to the top rope and Breeze manages to cut him off. Ciampa punches him away but when he jumps, Breeze catches him with a dropkick in mid-air. Ciampa kicks out at two. Back in the corner yet again and Breeze stomps Ciampa and then gets him in the middle of the ring and hits a Killswitch and picks up the win. If that’s a new finisher for Breeze, I approve.

Winner: Tyler Breeze

Now backstage to Rhyno and Baron Corbin. Rhyno says the only thing that can stop them is themselves. Baron says the tournmant is already over as far as he’s concerned and they’re the winners of the Tag Team Classic.

We get a rundown of the card for Takeover: Respect. I’ll run down the card in my Final Takes.

They show a tremendous video package as the “Final Countdown” for Bayley and Sasha Banks next week. Just fantastic footage shown from the Brooklyn match between the two of them. They show footage of the training both women are going through specifically for this match. Our show ends after the video package concludes with both women saying they will win at Takeover.

K-Tank’s Final Takes

– This was a tremendous show. All four matches were actually given time and were fun to watch. Especially go out of your way to see Gargano vs. Crews. I really hope to see more of Gargano and Ciampa, but I’ve said that for the last few weeks.

– Our card as it stands right now for Takeover: Respect, and what I would expect to be the final card, is as follows:

The Mechanics vs. Finn Balor and Samoa Joe (Tag Team Classic Semi-Final)
Rhyno and Baron Corbin vs. Chad Gable and Jason Jordan (Tag Team Classic Semi-Final)
Asuka vs. Dana Brooke
Apollo Crews vs. Tyler Breeze
Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks (NXT Women’s Title 30 Minute Ironman Match)

– I will have a Takeover preview column up before next Wednesday. I’m going to try and get ROH reporter Webb Anderson to help me out, and go into full details and predictions for each match. For right now I want to make one point on the main event. First off, I hope it’s apparent that I love writing about wrestling. So I get legit jazzed to be able to write the live recap of Bayley and Sasha. This match is going to TRULY transform women’s wrestling. There won’t need to be a “revolution”. That video package tonight made me more excited to see this match than Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show or even Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker. I’m not exaggerating either. It’s not hard to get fans 100% invested in a match like that. NXT has presented this match to where I KNOW this match is important. I KNOW what they’re fighting for. It’s a concept I really feel Vince doesn’t get anymore. I’ll have a lot more to say about this match next week for sure, along with the rest of the card.

So I’ll see you right here next week for the live results recap for Takeover: Respect. Until next time, channel your inner Bayley and hug someone.