WWE NXT Spotlight: 1/16/19 By Kurt Zamora

Welcome one and all to the latest installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. We have only 2 episodes left until our next Takeover event in Phoenix. The card is coming together and I’m sure we’ll get it filled out by the end of today’s episode. Before we kick off, I want to send well wishes to Dakota Kai, who announced she tore her ACL last month. She was becoming one of my favorites in NXT and this sucks to hear. Now, let’s get on with the show!

The Street Profits vs. The Metro Brothers

The Metros have been on before, they’re the new version of Deuce & Domino. Montez Ford and Chris Metro will start the match. Chris with a shove and Montez with one back that knocks Chris down. Metro back up and with a right hand. Montez with a double leap frog and then a nice dropkick. Angelo Dawkins in now and drops Chris with a shoulder tackle. He then gets Montez up in a back suplex and Montez flips over into a splash on Chris. The Profits are hyping themselves up and Angelo ends up shoving Montez down, which was pretty funny. JC Metro comes in and slaps Angelo, which doesn’t go well. Angelo sends him down with a hard right hand, and then Chris gets one too, much to the funny delight of Montez. Montez to the top rope with his frog splash and that’s the match.

Winners: Street Profits

Post match, as The Profits are celebrating with the crowd, here comes the Forgotton Sons with an ambush attack. They get Montez trapped in the ring 3 on 1 and Jaxson Ryker lays out Montez with a sitout chokeslam. The crowd chants, “we forgot you”, which is amusing. Angelo tries to come in the ring to cover his partner, but Blake and Cutler get him up and drop him with their double team reverse DDT/curb stomp.

K-Tank’s Take: Two teams/stables that I’m a big fan of, so I’m good with a future feud between them. It’s good to see Street Profits back on TV as they are so entertaining. Montez Ford just exudes charisma. Hopefully with Heavy Machinery moving up, that gives a team like the Profits more time in the future.

We go backstage to Matt Riddle and Keith Lee. Riddle is asked if he’ll be ringside for the match. He says he hasn’t been medically cleared yet, so he can’t be ringside. There is nothing more he’d like to do than see Ohno find out why Lee is Limitless. He just hopes Keith leaves him a little something, so that he can get a piece…BRO.

We go to a pre-produced interview with Aleister Black. The days of Takeover: Phoenix are at hand. Ciampa thought he was safe and spared from Black. But he will absolve Ciampa of his sins and take back his NXT Title to put it back around the waist it belongs on. He challenges Ciampa to meet him at Full Sail next week to start the fight a little early.

Undefeated Meets The Champ

Before I start, I need someone to send me a .gif of the white guy dancing to Belair’s theme song. Tremendous. Chaos tried to stop Belair’s ride. But when she sent Nikki Cross home, the whole world learned what’s up. 2019 is Belair’s year, but she’s got 2020 vision when it comes to that NXT women’s title. Shayna may have the title and may have the Horsewomen, and may think she’s the baddest, but at Takeover, the EST of NXT is walking out with that title. Because she’s Un-De… And that cues up the champ’s music. She’s escorted by Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir.

They make their way to the ring. Shayna says she doesn’t see it about being the EST of NXT. Everyone knows about the records at the PC, she may be the fastest and strongest, but she’s obviously not the smartest. If she had half a brain, it doesn’t matter how big and strong her arms are, Shayna is going to tear them off in Phoenix. Bianca says, girl uh-huh. The only thing that’s going in her arms is the NXT women’s championship. Shayna says she’s just like everyone else. Just like everyone else, they don’t put their money where their mouth is and just fight Shayna. She’s afraid that Shayna is gonna break her arms and end the hype. Bianca is afraid that she’s gonna change the vocabulary from undefeated to overrated. Bianca eyeballs all three in the ring and Shayna tells her not to worry, they won’t have anythign to do with the match. Shayna goes to move them to the corner, but when she turns around, Bianca smacks her right in the face. She avoids getting hit by Duke and Shafir and leaves the ring content.

K-Tank’s Take: This was a fun promo with some great lines. The 2020 line by Bianca was strong, and then the vocabulary line by Shayna was good too. This match is going to have an interesting dynamic and I’m really excited to see it.

Dominik Dijakovic vs. Adrian Jauode

Jauode trying to throw Dijakovic off early with his BJJ style. He manages to get Dijakovic off his feet a couple times and tries a side mount, but it doesn’t work. Jauode with a fireman’s carry that gets Dijakovic back down. Jauode gets Dijakovic back in the corner but that’s where Dijakovic is able to get separation finally. Big back elbow by Dijakovic and then a running clothesline in the corner. Dijakovic with a tossing suplex that sends Jauode across the ring. Jauode back up with punches and kicks but Dijakovic with forearms and a big clothesline right back. Jauode looking for a knee bar but Dijakovic falls into the ropes. Jauode gets up and hits a roundhouse kick that sends Dijakovic into the corner. Jauode tries charging him but runs into a big boot. Dijakovic says it’s time to Feast Your Eyes and gets him up for the reverse GTS and the win.

Winner: Dominik Dijakovic

K-Tank’s Take: I did not like this matchup for Dijakovic. The beginning was just awkward and it didn’t mesh well and showcase him enough. He and Keith Lee have been killing it at live events lately according to all reports, so hopefully we can see something like that moving forward.

We’re shown a vignette hyping up The War Raiders and their Viking lifestyle. Pretty cool video with them setting a bonfire that has the Undisputed Era chairs with logos, on top. They say the reign will end in Phoenix and THAT is undisputed.

We get a big video recap of the first NXTUK Takeover event. If you haven’t watched it yet, go out of your way to see at least Pete Dunne vs. Joe Coffey. That match was off the charts good.

Johnny Gargano vs. Humberto Carillo

It’s hilarious that Carillo just debuted on 205 Live, and almost dwarfs Gargano. Maybe not so hilarious when you think about Gargano’s prospects on the main roster. Strong chain wrestling to start until Gargano lands a left hand to get the advantage. Carillo flips out of the way of an attack in the corner and then dives off the second rope for a sunset flip attempt. Gargano rolls through, both miss a kick, then Carillo comes back around with an enziguri. Carillo bounces off the second rope with a high arm drag takeover that sends Gargano to the floor. Carillo tries a dive from the inside, but Gargano hops on the apron and dives through the ropes with his spear into the ring. Gargano with a dropkick to the back of Carillo’s head. Carillo with a boot to the face of Gargano in the corner and then a handspring back elbow that sends Gargano back to the floor. Carillo with a twisting dive over the top rope that takes out Gargano.

Carillo gets him back in the ring and goes to the top rope and comes off with a high missile dropkick. Standing moonsault by Carillo for a two count. Carillo sets Gargano up for a moonsault from the top, but Gargano gets his feet up as Carillo is coming down. Gargano with a superkick and then a lawn dart into the middle turnbuckle. Gargano goes to the apron and hits his slingshot DDT, which gets the 3 count.

Winner: Johnny Gargano

After the match, Gargano gets in the face of one of the cameras at ringside and says if Ricochet wants his respect, show up next week and he’ll get all the respect he wants.

K-Tank’s Take: Fun match for the time it was given. I laughed a little when I realized Gargano was letting his chest hair grow out. That’s an old school thing about how heels have body hair and babyfaces don’t. I can’t wait for him and Ricochet at Takeover. That will be hard to beat.

Now we go to Tomasso Ciampa backstage. He says Black likes to call him the Puppetmaster. If he’s the Puppetmaster, then that makes Black the ultimate puppet. Black is so gullible that he’s telling everyone that they don’t have to wait til Phoenix and he’s gonna bring the fight to the champ. Black still doesn’t understand. Ciampa only fights on the biggest stages. So yes, he is going to wait until Phoenix. That’s what a top level guy does. He wouldn’t expect Black to understand that. Be careful what you wish for though.

We get the vignette of The Velveteen Dream that we saw last week and he will be in action next week.

Keith Lee vs. Kassius Ohno

10 minutes left in the show as the bell rings. Keith shoots Kassius into the ropes and knocks him down with a shoulder tackle. Keith tries a powerbomb but Kassius avoids it. Kassius with a chop that has no effect. Keith leapfrogs Ohno with ease, drop down, and then a running cross body for a two count. Ohno now going to the floor to regroup after that. Lee is thinking about a dive to the floor but Ohno runs away before he can do it. They get back in the ring and Keith avoids a big boot and then chops Ohno. He sends Ohno to the ropes and delivers a towering back body drop. Ohno in the corner and Keith charges him, but Ohno trips him and Keith hits the turnbuckles.

Ohno now in control as he works Keith over in the corner and then hits two big boots while Keith is on his knees. Keith gets up but is met with a third and forth boot before Ohno finally hits a running senton for a two count. Ohno with the ultimate rest hold as he’s literally just holding Keith’s arms and Keith is selling it like a submission. Keith gets up but Ohno with punches and kicks still. Ohno sends Keith throat first into the top rope and then delivers an elbow strike to the back of the head for a two count. Ohno back to the same ridiculous rest hold. Keith up again, but yet again Ohno with kicks. He tries another senton splash but Keith gets the knees up this time. Both men up and swinging with all their might. Keith gets Ohno in the corner and hits an avalanche splash. He then tosses Ohno across the ring. Keith ends up on the apron and does a slingshot cross body splash for a two count.

Ohno starting to beg off and then Keith catches a right hand before dropping Ohno with a clubbing forearm. Ohno back up with a shot to the midsection, but Keith fights it off. Mongolian chop by Keith and then he hits the Pounce. He tries to get Ohno up for the finisher, but Ohno grabs the ropes. Ohno lets go, but ends up shoving Keith into the ref. Keith checks on him, but that allows Ohno to come from behind and hit a low blow. Ohno gets up and lands a roaring elbow for the win.

Winner: Kassius Ohno

Post match, Matt Riddle comes charging the ring, refs are trying to hold him back. Ohno slides out as Riddle checks on his friend. That ends our show. It was announced after the show that Kassius Ohno and Matt Riddle will have another rematch at Takeover: Phoenix, which does in fact round out our card now.

K-Tank’s Take: Did I mention how ridiculous that rest hold was? TWICE! Ugh. Totally took me out of the match. As I said earlier, Keith is killing it on live events, so I’m not worried that he’s lost his last two matches on TV as they’ve both been main event matches and he’s looked good in both. He’ll get his opportunity. Maybe he’ll transition back into a feud with Ohno after the match with Riddle at Takeover, which should be the blowoff.

That’s it for this week. We’ll be back next week for the go-home heading into Takeover. Until next time, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do… but if you do, name it after me!