WWE NXT Spotlight: 2/7/18 By Kurt Zamora

Welcome one and all to the latest installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. Philadelphia is officially in our rearview mirror and all signs point towards New Orleans, which will be our next Takeover location during WrestleMania weekend. We’re back in Atlanta this week at Center Stage and we have a tag title rematch on tap along with our first comments from Johnny Gargano since he came up short in his quest for the NXT Title. Let’s get to it!

We were going to start this show with our Tag Title match, but as Undisputed Era, along with Adam Cole, made their entrance, Sanity attacked from behind. It’s a brawl between all six men until multiple security guards come out to try and keep them apart. Killian Dain makes sure they are unsuccessful. Undisputed Era make their way to higher ground, but that brings out William Regal. He says enough is enough and it will all end tonight. It will be Sanity vs. Undisputed Era in a 6 man, tornado rules match. Hells to the yes.

Heavy Machinery vs. Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli

Otis Dozovic and Moss will start the match. Otis shoulder tackles Moss and then tags in Tucker Knight. They hit a double team headbutt on Moss after a double team shoulder tackle. Moss manages to clothesline Knight in the back of the head and then shoves him into his corner. He works over Knight until tagging in Tino. Knight fights back on Tino until getting dropped with a high dropkick. Tino showboats quite a bit as Moss wants a tag. Tino begrudingly tags Moss in and Moss did not appreciate how that was done. Moss works over Knight some more and then basically knife-edge chops Tino to tag him back in. Knight throws Tino hard into the turnbuckles and that allows him to tag in Otis. Otis steamrolls both of his opponents and then hits an avalanche splash on Tino. Otis goes for The Worm, AKA The Catapiller when Otis does it, and lands an elbow drop but Moss breaks up the pin. Tino then tries to steal a win like they did the last time these teams faced off, but the ref sees the feet on the ropes. Knight ends up cannonballing Moss on the outside and then Otis sets Tino up for The Compactor as Knight comes in to finish it off.

Winners: Heavy Machinery

Post match, Tino is selling the finish on the outside and looks for a handshake of sorts from Moss, but Moss just shakes his head at him and walks off.

K-Tank’s Take: Really?? We’re going to cause dissension between this team just like that?? Ugh. I hate it. These guys have a ton of potential and I don’t think it’s as singles… yet. They need to achieve more as a team to make them established. I really hope this is a ploy of some sorts.

Johnny Wrestling Speaks

Gargano comes out for a speech as the crowd gives him a much deserved ovation. He says it’s been a hell of a month. He was to go to Philadelphia and become champion, but that didn’t happen, and it sucks. The reaction he just got from the crowd tonight though, it’s quite obvious that what he earned that night means more than a championship, because he earned everyone’s respect. It was the match of his lifetime. The fans made him realize that title or no title, the fans made him realize that he is exactly what he says he is, Johnny Freaking Wrestling. Philadelphia will be a night he’ll never forget. He’ll also never forget the crutch shot to the back. He’s kept his mouth shut since Chicago, but Tommaso Ciampa, that’s who he’s gunning for. Before he can continue, Andrade Almas’ music hits and here he comes with Zelina Vega.

Almas is all smiles as Vega grabs a mic. She asks who cares if Gargano earned respect? Instead of Gargano being out here, Almas should be out here with a party and confetti. Gargano didn’t prove anything except that he’s a loser. Ciampa had nothing to do with him losing because Almas has beaten him again and again and again. He’s not Johnny Wrestling, he’s Johnny Loser. A large “we want Candice” chant breaks out. Gargano says his favorite part was earning the fans respect. The 2nd favorite part was when his wife hopped the guardrail and beat the hell out of Vega. Vega gets in Gargano’s face until Candice finally makes her way out and she shoves Vega out of the ring. Gargano clears Almas as well as husband and wife stand tall. Vega gets the mic again and says she’s sick of them both. Almas has beaten Gargano three times and he’s still around. What’s it gonna take to get rid of him? Gargano says she wants him gone, give him another NXT Title match. Vega says she’s going to make this very clear, he’s getting another title shot but if he loses, he leaves NXT. Gargano agrees, if he loses, he’ll leave NXT for good. Vega is pleased with the developments as Candice isn’t so sure Gargano made the right decision.

K-Tank’s Take: The match between these two was the greatest NXT match in history. I wouldn’t expect a repeat of this, but with this stipulation, it would seem inclined for Gargano to finally win the title. However, where does Ciampa fit in this? Gargano can’t leave until that match happens. This has a lot of layers that should be fun to get to the bottom of in the next couple of weeks.

We go to “earlier today where Shayna Baszler is with the media. She says it only took a month to become the most feared woman in NXT. Ask anyone she’s come across. Anyone that gets in the ring with her has three choices, Tap, Nap, or Snap. She’s asked what’s next, and she says there is no next. She’s not getting a rematch because Ember is scared. She almost popped Ember’s arm out of her socket, so Ember doesn’t want any part of a rematch. She tells the media to feel free and tell Ember that.

Next week is Pete Dunne vs. Roddy Strong for the UK Title.

We then go to a Tyler Bate interview. He congratulates Roddy on his win last week, but he will be watching that match very closely. He’s very proud of his win of Match of the Year for 2017, but in 2018, he’s gunning for the very best in NXT.

Bianca Belair vs. Jesse Till

Till wants to shake hands before the match and Belair finally accepts, but then won’t let go. She then pulls Till in and lifts her up in a torture rack. She squats down with Till on her shoulders and then hits a reverse DVD. She gets Till up for her Alley Oop powerbomb and that’s the match already.

Winner: Bianca Belair

K-Tank’s Take: Not much to say there. I’ve been high on Belair and continue to be.

We get a vignette hyping up Kairi Sane.

Next week, Aleister Black will be in action.

Ember Moon has countered what Shayna Baszler said earlier and she says she will see her next week with the title on the line.

Tornado 6-Man Tag Match
Sanity vs. The Undisputed Era

There are 16 minutes left in the show as the bell rings and both teams face off. This immediately starts on the outside as a brawl. It’s obviously going to be hard to keep track of everything, so I’ll do my best. Everyone gets back in the ring and are all paired off as the brawl continues. Cole and EY are left in the ring as the other four go to the floor. O’Reilly gets driven into the announce table by Wolfe. Dain hits a bicycle kick on Fish on the outside as we go to commercial.

We come back with Dain drilling Fish with one of the NXT tag titles. O’Reilly gets gorilla pressed face first onto the announce table. EY is grabbing a table as Wolfe drills O’Reilly with a chair. EY tries to suplex Cole onto the table but Cole ends up throwing him into the steel steps. O’Reilly with knee strikes to Wolfe and then comes off the apron with a running double knees. Dain and Fish in the ring and Dain lands an avalanche splash. The other four are leaving the ringside area and brawling backstage. Fish lands a moonsault in the ring on Dain and gets a two count. Fish now grabs a kendo stick but Dain catches it and knocks it out of Fish’s hand. Fish runs to the outside and Dain chases him up the staircase to the top of the stage. Dain drills him with a forearm. Dain then picks Fish up and throws him off the stage and Fish is launched into everyone else on the floor below. We go to commercial again.

Dain and Cole are now in the ring with Dain in control. Fish escapes a move and lands a step up enziguri. Dain goes to the floor, but Wolfe is in right away and absolutely nails Cole with a sit out powerbomb. He doesn’t get the pin though as here comes Fish and O’Reilly. They double team Wolfe and go for a pin but Dain hits Fish with a senton splash. Dain then hits a Michinoku Driver on O’Reilly on top of Fish. Cole comes in though and superkicks the hell out of Dain. EY comes off the top rope and breaks up the pin with an elbow drop. All six men are down. Really fun sequence. EY and Cole get up and EY lands a superkick of his own. O’Reilly hits EY with a combo shot. Wolfe hits O’Reilly with a German suplex. Fish then hits a Samoan Drop on Wolfe. Dain hits a lariat on Fish. Dain then with a big boot on Cole that sends him to the floor. Cole is laid down on the table and Dain tries to cannonball him through it, but Cole moves at the last second. Dain crashes through the table. It’s now all of Undisputed Era vs. Wolfe in the ring. Wolfe is able to duck an O’Reilly kick, which lands on Fish. Wolfe then hits a pump kick on Cole. Cole comes back with a Superkick. O’Reilly and Fish with Total Elimination. EY is in with a kendo stick though and takes those two out before Cole hits another massive superkick. Cole hits the brainbuster into a neckbreaker on EY, but EY is able to kick out of the pin. Dain is back up and in the ring. Undisputed Era surrounds him and start to triple team him but he gets out and clears out all three. Wasteland on Cole and then lands a senton splash while dropkicking Fish. He hits his running cross body on O’Reilly. He hits his Ulster Plantation on Fish and that’s finally enough to get the win in this match.

Winners: Sanity

K-Tank’s Take: That was one hell of a fun battle to watch. Action everywhere. It was a great idea to do a tornado style match. The higher ups obviously see Dain as the start of the group in Sanity, and I can’t say I argue with that logic. EY is the crafty veteran and Wolfe is still someone they’re wanting to develop. Dain is incredibly agile for his size and can pull off some impressive moves. If this is seemingly it for this feud, it will be interesting to see where Sanity goes from here. Undisputed Era still have the tag titles with plenty of challengers and Cole will have no problem finding a storyline to get into.

That’s it for this week. We look to have a loaded show next week, so I’ll be here with all the recap. Until next time, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do… but if you do, name it after me.