WWE NXT Spotlight 12/14/16: Joe/Nakamura IV by Kurt Zamora
Welcome one and all to a huge installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. Tonight, we have all the big names on the show as everything is centered around the NXT Title. While Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura officially put their rivalry to bed, inside a Steel Cage no less, 8 men compete to be the next one to challenge for that title in San Antonio at the next NXT Takeover. Let’s get right to it!
We get an awesome video package, highlighting Joe vs. Nakamura, and as we head to Melbourne, Australia, we’re kicking the show off with the title match!
NXT Title Steel Cage Match
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Samoa Joe
Looks like a great crowd in Melbourne. This has been a grueling two week trip for NXT which doesn’t actually end until today as I write this on the 15th. One thing I’ve found funny in these two matches, and they’ve done it before for shows not at Full Sail, there’s a “previously recorded” disclaimer on the screen, as if the Full Sail shows aren’t taped themselves. Both men start the match trying to get the other on the ground, a lot of grappling as they get pinned against the ropes. Joe tries to send Nakamura into the steal but Nakamura blocks it. He then ducks a clothesline and taunts Joe. Joe ends up in the corner and it’s Good Vibrations. Joe gets up and picks up Nakamura in a bodyslam and slams his back into the steel. Nakamura pinned against the cage now and after a series of right hands, Joe splashes Nakamura into the steel. Corey Graves was in the middle of a statement as my feed cut to a commercial.
We come back to Nakamura hitting Joe with a knee and then a left kick. Now he drives his knees into the top of Joe’s head as he’s on his knees. Nakamura goes for the inverted Exploder Suplex, but Joe blocks it. He cannot block the German suplex though. Nakamura sets up for Kinshasa, but Joe counters it into a snap powerslam. Nakamura manges to kick out. Both men start trading blows now and Nakamura ends up turning right into the Coquina Clutch! Joe has a standing version of it locked it, Nakamura does the Bret Hart sleeper counter to get Joe off him though. Nakamura with a scissors kick to Joe and then a knee strike to the side of Joe’s head. Joe kicks out at two. Nakamura now goes to escape the cage for the first time, but Joe is behind him and catches him. Joe is going for the Muscle Buster off the second rope, which is what he used against Finn Balor in the cage, but Nakamura blocks it and sunset flip powerbomb by Nakamura! Nakamura now goes back to the top rope and walks to the middle of the ropes and comes off with a springboard KINSHASA!! Nakamura is too exhausted to make a cover though and crawls towards the door instead. He reaches it, but then looks back at Joe, decides to close the door and comes at Joe with a second KINSHASA!! Nakamura doesn’t look like that’s it though and somehow Joe is still up, so here comes a third KINSHASA!!! Nakamura with the cover, 1-2-3.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura retains the NXT Title
We get a recap of the 3 on 3 women’s match from Toronto three weeks ago with Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, & Daria taking on Liv Morgan, Alliyah, & Ember Moon. We see Billie and Peyton leave Daria out to dry. We now go backstage to Billie and Peyton who are asked about their plan to run the women’s division. They said the plans are still on track now that they got rid of Daria. They don’t associate with losers. Daria shows up and says after Toronto, she doesn’t want to be in their future plans, but what she does want is to hurt one of them next week. They can figure out which one.
#1 Contender’s Qualifying Match
“The Perfect 10” Tye Dillinger vs. Eric Young (w/Sanity)
As stated last week when this was announced, the winners of these four matches will go on to a Fatal Four Way Elimination Match next week and the winner of that will go to San Antonio to now take on Shinsuke Nakamura for the NXT Title. Also as an update from last week, Sawyer Fulton apparently tore his pectoral muscle in Toronto, so that’s why they’ve eliminated him from the group. Tough break as he finally had gotten an opportunity.
EY charges Dillinger immediately and beats on him in the corner. Dillinger fights back though and drops EY with a clothesline. He gets EY in the corner and goes for the 10 Count punches. Now it’s time for the Perfect 10 mudstomp. Alexander Wolfe tries to distract Dillinger, but he gets knocked off the apron. Dillinger drops the kneepad for the Tye-breaker but Nikki Cross comes in the ring and jumps Dillinger from behind. EY has been disqualified. Dillinger somehow fights off all three members of Sanity, but then Big Damo shows up through the crowd and takes out Dillinger. he drills Dillinger with Wasteland and then a senton splash. Damo walks through Sanity as they all lock eyes with each other.
Winner: Tye Dillinger advances by disqualification
#1 Contender’s Qualifying Match
Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. No Way Jose
Almas starts off with a headlock. Both men counter holds early on. Almas does his Spiderman pose in the ropes. They restart and this time Jose drops Almas with a flapjack. Now he gets him in the Airplain Spin, followed by a rolling senton Samoan Drop. Jose tries to work Almas over in the corner, but Almas blocks it and now attacks Jose in the ropes. Almas hits a running low dropkick to the side of Jose’s head after a snapmare and now goes back to the headlock. Jose snapmares Almas to get out of it. Jose with the right hands and double ax-handles finally get Almas down and then he gives him a hiptoss. Now it’s time for Wind Up and the Pitch, but Almas blocks it. Jose sends him to the ropes and this time connects with his big right hand after throwing Almas up in the air. Jose doesn’t stay in control for long though as Almas counters him with a big boot and then sets up for a Hammerlock DDT and that’s it for Jose.
Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas advances
#1 Contender’s Qualifying Match
“The Drifter” Elias Samson vs. Roderick Strong
Samson is making his return after a serious ankle injury sidelined him. No one in Full Sail missed him apparently. It’s good to see Roddy in this tournament as I can only assume that Austin Aries’ injury derailed some of the initial plans for him. Elias comes in hot to start the match and then hiptosses Roddy across the ring. Roddy manages to block being shot off into the ropes and comes up with a jumping leg kick. Roddy now starts to try and take control but Elias gets him backed up into the ropes and then uses the top rope to injure his arm. Elias then puts Roddy in the Tree of Woe and then yanks back on the neck of Roddy. Elias comes running on the floor with a kick to the side of Roddy’s head who’s hurt on the apron. Elias continues to wear down Roddy, but Roddy finally counters and then hits a textbook dropkick. Roddy with a big knee strike and forearm in the corner. He hits a gutcheck and then his Sick Kick and picks up the win.
Winner: Roderick Strong advances
#1 Contender’s Qualifying Match
Oney Lorcan vs. Bobby Roode
It’s time for a GLORIOUS finish to this week’s show. It is quite possible that this entrance takes longer than the match with the amount of time left. It’s a GLORIOUS entrance though. Roode starts with a headlock and then an armlock followed by a wristlock, which Roode says is GLORIOUS. Lorcan reverses it though and turns it to a hammerlock. Roode transitions to a go behind slam and then spins around on Lorcan, a few slaps to the back of the head and it’s GLORIOUS! Lorcan comes flying at Roode with a big uppercut and then runs into Roode in the corner with another shot. He goes for a cover but Roode kicks out. Lorcan hits a back suplex on Roode again but Roode kicks out again. Lorcan gets Roode up on the top rope and wants to go for a top rope half and half suplex it looks like, but Roode elbows him off and Lorcan lands on the top rope. Roode now attacks Lorcan on the apron and even uses the ringskirt to his advantage. Roode continues the assault on the inside and now wants a neckbreaker but Lorcan counters it into a backslide. Roode kicks out. Lorcan with some chops on the rope and then drops Roode with a couple shots. Lorcan comes charging in the corner but Roode moves. Lorcan then comes with a running Blockbuster but Roode kicks out again. Roode sends Lorcan to the corner hard but Lorcan regroups and tries jumping off the second rope but Roode moves. Lorcan then runs right into a Roode spinebuster and then the GLORIOUS DDT and that’s all she wrote.
Winner: Bobby Roode advances
Plug Time: Be sure to check out this week’s episode of The Match Beyond podcast as I have Michael Elgin on the show as my guest. We have a tremendous 50 minute interview, covering his entire career and his thoughts on training wrestlers and different styles of wrestling. You will really enjoy this interview. Be sure to check out the end for how you can take part in our year end awards podcast next week!
K-Tank’s Final Take
- Five main even quality matches, but I definitely feel like we got condensed versions of all of them. There’s no way we saw all of the Joe/Nakamura match because I got notes on social media to make sure to watch this match and it was nothing special compared to their other matches. That’s definitely a shame, but oh well.
So next week it will be Roode vs. Strong vs. Almas vs. Dillinger to see who will challenge in Nakamura in San Antonio. Should be one hell of a match and we’ll be here next week for all the action. So until then, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. If you do though, name it after me.