WWE NXT Spotlight: 12/21/2016 by Kurt Zamora

Welcome one and all to the latest installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. After a jam packed episode last week, tonight we will find out our main event for Takeover: San Antonio the night before Royal Rumble as we have a huge Fatal 4-Way match to determine who will be Nakamura’s challenger for the NXT Title that night. Let’s get to the action!

Billie Kay (w/Peyton Royce) vs. Daria Berenato

Daria is from the last season of Tough Enough for those unaware, continuing the trend with Patrick Clark of the non-winners doing better than the actual winners. Daria goes right after Billie and after a snapmare, gives a Shining Wizard right to the spine. Peyton doesn’t wait long to distract Daria by grabbing the leg and that allows Billie to nail a suplex and get advantage. It doesn’t last long as Daria hits a couple stiff clotheslines and then a version of the Spear. Daria takes off her MMA gloves now and starts unloading with punches to Billie. Peyton finally pulls Billie out of the way and brings her to the outside to regroup. Daria follows them out there and takes out Peyton. She brings Billie back into the ring but Peyton comes back and rams Daria into the apron. She tosses Daria back into the ring, who gets up and walks right into the big boot from Billie and that’s the match.

Winner: Billie Kay

Post match, Billie and Peyton grab mics and talk about how this the fate of the women’s division when you cross them two. They call out Asuka for saying there’s no competition. They say they’re the competition and so when Asuka has the guts to face them, they’ll show her who calls the shots around here.

The Authors of Pain (w/Paul Ellering) vs. John Ortegon & Anthony Bowens

My apologies if I got the opponents name wrong, they were said quickly in passing. Akam tosses Bowens into his corner and Rezar tags in which he then destroys Bowens himself. Otegon wants no part of the match but Akam forces him to get in the ring. Rezar splashes him in the corner and then Akam with a big boot. They get their opponents up for the back cracking double powerbomb. Ortegon is dropped right on Bowens, who immediately doesn’t look right. AOP tries to get him up for The Final Chapter, but the ref calls the match immediately as Bowens looked knocked out legit. The replay shows that Otegon’s elbow caught Bowens right in the temple on the way down.

Winners: The Authors of Pain

Post match, Ellering grabs the mic and says that all roads lead to San Antonio and they don’t care if it’s DIY or The Revival. They are coming to win the NXT Tag Team titles.

Quick Plug: Be sure to check out this week’s episode of The Match Beyond podcast. This is the final episode of 2016 and myself with Hank and Mark McAllen, give our choices for Best/Worst Storyline, Male/Female Superstar of the Year, and Match of the Year for both WWE/NXT and all other promotions. It’s a great discussion with some of your comments discussed so check it out!

Asuka is backstage to be asked about Billie & Peyton’s comments from earlier. Asuka says they are no competition and better be careful. Asuka then looks behind the interviewer and Nikki Cross is hanging out laughing at Asuka.

A very cool video package is shown to highlight our main event tonight and how all four feel they’re the one to become #1 Contender.

Fatal 4-Way Match to determine the #1 Contender for the NXT Title
Bobby Roode vs. Roderick Strong vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. “The Perfect 10” Tye Dillinger

As Dillinger enters the ring as the last man, we have 21 minutes left in the show so this should be a great match as it’s elimination style as well. Roode takes a powder to the outside to start the match but Roddy and Dillinger go to the outside and beat on Roode. Almas then takes out Dillinger and then Strong takes out Almas. Almas and Strong get in the ring and Almas chops Strong so hard, it sounds like a gunshot. Almas hits a low dropkick on Strong and we go to commercial.

We come back to Almas still on top of Strong. He hits another kick and goes for a pin but Strong kicks out. Almas sets up for his double knees in the corner but Almas pumps the brakes and just slaps Strong in the face. Strong fires up now and both men trade shots until Almas gives Strong a bodyslam. Almas goes to the ropes but Dillinger is now in the ring and cuts him off. Almas drops him to the mat next to Strong and goes for a moonsault. Dillinger moves and Almas lands on his feet and goes for a standing moonsault on Strong but he gets his knees up. Dillinger throws Almas out of the ring and now he and Strong go face to face. Roode comes in the ring now and dumps Dillinger to the floor though. Now Roode and Strong go one on one. Roode hits a shoulder tackle but then runs into one of Strong’s many backbreaker variations. Dillinger comes back and tries to hit a sneak pinfall on Strong but doesn’t work. Strong ends up dropkicking Dillinger, who rolls out. Roode then grabs Strong and hits a vertical suplex. Strong kicks out at two. Roode drops a knee and Strong kicks out again. Dillinger back in but sent promptly back out. Roode stays on the offensive on Strong and then delivers a neckbreaker. Strong kicks out again. Almas tries to get back in but Roode sends him back out. Strong catches Roode with a knee to the gut and then an Angle Slam of sorts. Roode goes to the outside and Strong dives over the top rope with a corkscrew plancha on all three of his opponents. We go to commercial again.

We come back to Roode and Strong the only ones in the ring again. Roode goes for a pin with his feet on the ropes but the ref sees it and stops the count. Dillinger comes in the ring but Roode hits another vertical suplex. Dillinger kicks out of a pin attempt but is dumped back to the outside after. Strong counters another suplex and turns it into a front suplex on Roode. He comes running at Roode with a running knee and then a running forearm in the corner. Strong goes to the top rope with Roode and it of course leads to a huge Tower of Doom spot with Roddy taking a gnarly fall on his shoulder. Dillinger is the first one to his feet and drops his kneepad as he wants the Tye-Breaker on Almas. Almas fights off though and then Strong comes from behind. Almas comes off the top rope and Dillinger moves and Almas dropkicks Strong. Almas with some stiff forearm shots to Dillinger, who is now set up for the double knees again and this time Almas comes full speed. Before Almas can pin Dillinger though, Strong comes with his Sick Kick to Almas and pins Almas!

Andrade “Cien” Almas Eliminated

Strong and Dillinger now battle in the ring as we’re down to three. Dillinger hits some forearms but Roddy gets him up in a back suplex but then drops him face first. Dillinger manages to kick out. Strong tries to get Dillinger up, but Dillinger out of nowhere gets Strong up and flips him over for the Tye-Breaker for the pin!

Roderick Strong Elminated

It’s now down to Dillinger and Roode. Both men go back and forth with shots. Dillinger comes off the ropes with a forearm shot. The crowd is going nuts for Dillinger who stomps a mudhole in Roode. Dillinger goes for the Tye-Breaker again but Roode slips out and goes for a sunset flip. Dillinger counters it but Roode kicks out. Roode gets up and drops Dillinger with a big clothesline. Roode goes to the outside and grabs a steel chair. He charges Dillinger but runs right into a Superkick! Dillinger goes for the pin but Roode gets a shoulder up. Great near fall. Roode is now on the apron on the outside and ends up dropping Dillinger over the top rope neck first. Roode goes to the top rope but Dillinger catches him for the Tye-Breaker. Roode manages to get out though and hits Dillinger with a patented spinebuster. Roode goes for the Glorious DDT, but Dillinger reverses it and Tye-Breaker! Roode kicks out! Wow, what a near fall! The crowd absolutely thought that was it. Dillinger can’t believe it of course. Roode is back on the apron on the outside and Dillinger comes after him from the turnbuckles. Dillinger sets up for a Tye-Breaker off the second rope but Roode fights out. Dillinger goes for a Tye-Breaker regular this time but Roode grabs the turnbuckle protection and throws it in the air. Roode squirms out and then gets Dillinger up and drops him crotch first over the exposed top turnbuckle. Roode gets Dillinger up and Glorious DDT, Bobby Roode is the new #1 Contender!

Winner and new #1 Contender: Bobby Roode

K-Tank’s Final Takes

• That was a GLORIOUS main event. Tremendous action especially after that last commercial. Credit to Almas, who has really started to shine as a heel, being able to be more aggressive.
• I really like Peyton and Billie together as a team and I think a triple threat against Asuka would be a really cool dynamic and something different for Asuka. Although I’m secretly (or not so secretly since I’m telling all of you) that it’ll be Nikki Cross. I can only assume they’re saving Ember Moon for WrestleMania weekend.
• I will be at Takeover: San Antonio and to see Roode vs. Nakamura live for the NXT Title will be worth price of admission. I cannot wait for that. The entrances alone will be tremendous.

Nothing was announced for next week, I’m not sure if it’ll be a year end episode, but if it’s new material I will be here to cover it all. Until next time, Merry Christmas to everyone reading. I hope it’s a wonderful holiday. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, but if you do, name it after me.