WWE NXT Spotlight: 12/13/17 By Kurt Zamora

Welcome one and all to another installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. This week NXT was available both on the Network and USA Network. According to PWInsider they received 841,000 viewers, which is a really solid number for a one off like this. My coverage will be from the Network version as there was more material on that version. We have a huge main event with a Fatal 4 Way qualifying spot on the line between Adam Cole and Aleister Black. Let’s get right to the action.

We get a recap of the NXT Title situation, from Andrade Almas winning, to Drew McIntyre’s injury, to the set up of the Fatal 4 Way match that will determine a new #1 contender.

Non-Title Match
Andrade “Cien” Almas (w/Zelina Vega) vs. Fabian Aichner

Almas comes right out at the bell and dropkicks Aichner into the corner. He doesn’t follow up though and Aichner lands a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Almas goes to the floor and Aichner does a springboard splash that takes out Almas. That looked insane. Almas gets rolled into the ring and Aichner comes in with a springboard tornado DDT. Aichner stomping Almas in the corner and then powerbombs Almas with a pinning attempt but Almas kicks out. Vega distracts Aichner as he tries to get back to the top rope and Almas is able to hit him to the floor outside. Almas follows him out there and then sends him into the steel steps. Almas rolls Aichner back in, locks in the Hammerlock DDT and gets the win.

Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas

K-Tank’s Take: Interesting approach for the first time the new champion competes in the ring. That was more of a showcase for Aichner than Almas. Too short to say much else about it.

We see one of Aleister Black’s vignettes to hype up the main event.

We go to a promo with Sanity that starts with a close up of the head wound that Alexander Wolfe obtained at War Games. It looks beyond gnarly. Multiple staples in his head. EY says that War Games was as beautiful as they imagined, but the outcome was not ideal. They have not left the battlefield though and next week they will finish what was started in Houston.

Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch vs. The Authors of Pain (w/Paul Ellering)

Burch and Akam start the match. Burch with some European uppercuts and then Lorcan tags in with some huge chops. Rezar comes in and he gets lit up by Lorcan. Both men are just pounding away at AOP until AOP finally come out of the corners with a lariat by Rezar and a Death Valley Driver into the turnbuckles by Akam on Lorcan. Super Collider powerbomb follows and then The Last Chapter.

Winners: The Authors of Pain

K-Tank’s Take: Well that’s a bummer. Burch and Lorcan finally become a tag team and their two outings together don’t amount to much. The crowd reacts to everything they do so I wish they were allowed to do more.

We get a highlight package for the Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne match from Takeover: Chicago as next week will be Dunne vs. Bate III.

Non-Title Match
Ember Moon vs. Peyton Royce (w/Billie Kay)

Peyton winked at me during her entrance. You can’t see it obviously, so just take my word for it. Peyton starts with some knees to the midsection but Ember springboards over Peyton, ducks a spinning heel kick and comes back with a headscissors takedown. Peyton goes to the floor and Ember goes to the top rope. Ember dives off and takes out both of The Iconic Duo. Peyton gets rolled back in the ring but Billie grabs Ember just long enough for Peyton to hit a version of the 619. She locks up Ember in the ropes with her version of the Tarantula as we go to commercial.

We come back to Ember fighting out of a headlock and then lands a spinning back kick, knee to the face and then an enziguri. Peyton manages to kick out. Peyton catches Ember with rollup but Ember kicks out. Ember goes for a double underhook but Peyton blocks it. Peyton with a back elbow, forearm, and back kick. She goes for a pin but Ember kicks out. Peyton wants her fisherman’s suplex but Ember fights out into the corner. Ember ducks a spinning heel kick and tries to powerbomb her out of it but Peyton blocks it by grabbing the ropes. Ember leaves her hanging on the ropes and curbstomps her down. Ember goes up and it’s Eclipse time as Peyton sells it like The Rock selling a Stunner.

Winner: Ember Moon

Post match, Billie Kay comes in and nails her Shades of Kay boot. Peyton comes in and they do a facebuster into the knee of Billie. All of the sudden Nikki Cross comes out of nowhere and goes after the Iconic Duo. She chases them both out of the ring. Nikki sees the Women’s Title just laying there and stares wanting at it until she just starts running the ropes for no reason. She leaves without incident as Ember tries to regain herself.

K-Tank’s Take: Well that’s two non-title matches that the champions won. What a huge difference compared to Raw and Smackdown. It’s not hard to make your champions look legit. I would assume a tag team match is coming soon. I would be very surprised if they go another Fatal 4 Way for the title.

We go to a WWE.com exclusive from last week with The Street Profits, who are introducing their new segment, Street Talk. They talk to some of the Full Sail crowd talking about how they’ll take over in 2018.

We get a vignette for Adam Cole BAY BAY, as we conitnue to hype the main event tonight.

The vignette from last week that had the spades in the word “soon”, is revealed to be Shayna Baszler.

Fatal 4 Way Qualifying Match
Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black

O’Reilly & Fish come out with Cole at first but they go back to the back as Cole makes his way to the ring. Only 10 minutes left as the bell rings, so that’s disappointing. Big reactions for both men as you’d expect. Cole escapes a headscissors early and blows a kiss to Black. Cole with a snapmare and is quite proud of himself thus far. Black catches a punch, hooks the arm and proceed a flurry of kicks and strikes. Cole goes to the outside, Black takes his seated postion as we go to commercial.

We come back with Cole hooking on a crossface submission. Cole lets go of the hold and stomps away at Black. Cole does his singalong with the crowd and Black gets right to his feet and starts firing back. Multiple kicks and strikes again. Standing lionsault and then Black goes for Black Mass but Cole dives to the apron to miss it. Cole grabs Black and slingshots him over the top rope. Cole goes to the top rope and jumps off but Black catches him with a kick to the side of the head. Cole manages to kick out. Black sets up for Black Mass again but Cole comes back with an enziguri and a backstabber. Black manages to kick out. Cole tries to get Black up but Black fights it off. Both men start to trade blows. Cole with a bicycle kick and a side kick. Black comes back with a pinning attempt but Cole kicks out, gets up, and nails Black with the Tye-Breaker. Black kicks out again. Cole goes for another superkick but Black catches it and nails a jumping knee strike. Cole dares Black to hit him with the Black Mass and Black is more than willing to deliver. Adam Cole gets pinned clean.

Winner: Aleister Black

That ends our show.

K-Tank’s Take: Wish there was more to the match than that. After the commercial break was fun but would’ve loved more. That’s a HUGE win for Black to defeat Cole cleanly like that. Just based off that, he’d have to be the favorite to win the Fatal 4 Way. Lars vs. Roddy for the last spot will take place in two weeks.

Next week we have two big title matches, the UK Title and the Tag Titles. Should be an awesome episode. So until next time, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do… but if you do, name it after me.