WWE NXT Spotlight: 3/22/17 by Kurt Zamora
Welcome one and all to the penultimate episode of the NXT Spotlight before we get to Takeover: Orlando on April 1st. The card has started to take shape with all all title matches set but now we start to work on the undercard and grudge matches. Hopefully tonight’s show will set something up as we have a big six man match between Sanity vs. Roddy Strong, No Way Jose, & Tye Dillinger. Let’s see what the Yellow & Black have for us tonight.
Before we officially start, right as I went to sit down and start writing this week’s Spotlight, the news came down that Jim Ross’ wife passed away. As someone who has admired JR for decades, I am so incredibly saddened by this news and my prayers are with him.
Oney Lorcan vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas
Almas mocks Lorcan to start and Lorcan proceeds to chase him on the outside. They get back in and Lorcan unloads with a series of chops. Almas botches a seated dropkick and then Lorcan strikes Almas and sends him back to the outside. Almas gets back in and eventually hits a Reality Check combo and then drops the double feet on Lorcan’s chest in the corner. Then he just straight slaps him across the face. Almas goes back outside and Lorcan once again chases and comes off the steel steps with a splash but Almas catches him with a powerslam to the floor. We go to commercial.
We come back to Almas on the attack, working over Lorcan. Almas delivers Snake Eyes in the corner and then chokes Lorcan in the ropes. Lorcan gets shot into the ropes and Almas catches him with a jumping side kick. Lorcan avoids a couple shots and manages to get a couple shots of his own in, and then comes off the ropes with a Blockbuster. Almas kicks out at two. Almas blocks a half and half suplex attempt but Lorcan comes back and hits two massive European uppercuts, the second one sending Almas back to the floor. Lorcan goes to the top rope and connects with a somersault senton onto Almas on the floor. Lorcan gets Almas back in the ring and in the corner and comes charging at him with a series of running body blocks. Almas looks done as Lorcan is finally able to connect with the half and half suplex, but somehow Almas kicks out again. Lorcan tries to put Almas on the top rope but Almas reverses it and Lorcan ends up on the top rope. Almas gives him a stiff chop to the chest for good measure but Lorcan headbutts him off the ropes. Lorcan comes after him but Almas ducks and then connects with a handspring standing double knees. He now goes for his double knees in the corner but Lorcan gets up and hits a big boot. He comes off the ropes and Almas meets him with a lariat. Lorcan kicks out. Almas gets Lorcan in the corner and here is the double knees, right into the hammerlock DDT for the VERY hard fought match. This was a FANTASTIC match!
Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas
We go to DIY backstage who talk about the 12 years of struggle is real. They’ve gone everywhere and doesn’t matter how many people where in the crowd, they did this because they love it. The day they came to NXT, not even signed, the first two guys they saw were The Revival and The Revival did not like them at all. They fought at NXT Brooklyn and then finally took the titles from them at NXT Toronto. Then however, as quick as the dreams came true, they ended thanks to Authors of Pain. DIY is a state of mind. It’s not just them two, it’s everyone who’s ever supported them two. All the fans at the merch booth that have said hello and thank you, THAT is DIY. DIY is a movement and they will have their moment.
We get another vignette to showcase the debut of Aliester Black. They have all been very good.
We are shown once again when Ember Moon’s Eclipse injured the neck of Billie Kay.
Asuka vs. Priscilla ??
I couldn’t catch the last name, but I doubt it’s going to matter. Asuka grabs the mic before the match and tells Ember Moon that this is her fate and then manages to kick Priscilla’s head off her shoulders. I thought that would be it but Asuka toys with her a bit before Priscilla slaps her right in the face. Asuka just smiles at her and hits the Rear View and then a series of nasty kicks to the sternum. She then comes with a deadlift German Suplex followed by another kick to the head. She goes for a pin but pulls up Priscilla before three. Well that’s not very babyface of her. Now a series of knees to the midsection and face. Now it’s finally time for the Asuka Lock and Priscilla immeditately taps out. Asuka refuses to let it go for a few seconds.
Winner: Asuka
After the match, Asuka gets the mic again and starts yelling in Japanese. Then says “No Eclipse”.
Quick Plug: Be sure to check out this week’s episode of The Match Beyond podcast. We’re back to 100% as Hank and Mark McAllen return to talk about all things Ring of Honor, WrestleMania, The Miz, and this year’s hall of fame class. It’s a really great episode so give it a listen!
We go to The Revival now. They are students of the game but of course they’re better than Arn and Tully, The Midnight Express, The Rockers, and so on. The reason they are The Revival is because they fight for money. They may not do flips on the Authors of Pain but they did pick them up for the Shatter Machine. They’ve done something that no other tag team has done. As for DIY, no one has grinded as much as The Revival has. Orlando is The Revival’s fate to become the greatest tag team of all time. Top Guys Out.
We get a very cool and very long video package that highlights the match coming up for the NXT Title between Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura.
We then go to the WWE.com footage from last week where Kassius Ohno challenged Elias Samson to a Loser Leaves NXT match, to which Samson accepted the challenge.
It’s announced that Andrade Almas will be Aleister Black’s debut opponent at Takeover: Orlando.
Sanity vs. Roderick Strong/No Way Jose/Tye Dillinger
It’s a brawl on the floor as soon as all six men at are ringside. The bell rings as Strong and Dain start the match. Dain immediately gets Strong in Sanity’s corner and tags in Wolfe. He gets some shorts in but Strong gets him in his corner and now Dillinger tags in. He taunts EY a bit and now Jose tags in. He bodyslams Wolfe who kicks out at one. Strong tags in now and hits a backbreaker on Wolfe. Dillinger tags in and drops a couple boots on Wolfe. Strong right back in now and Wolfe manages to get back on offense. Strong ends up dropkicking him to the floor though and then takes out EY and Dain on the apron. EY is now by Wolfe and Strong comes at them with a corkscrew dive over the top rope as we go to commercial.
We return to Jose tagging in and continuing the attack on Wolfe. He hits a sidewalk slam and Wolfe kicks out at two. Wolfe manages to drag Jose to his corner and EY gets in the match for the first time. Jose hits a back elbow and clothesline and tags in Dillinger. EY escapes though before Dillinger can get his hands on him and Wolfe is now right back in. Dillinger just tags Jose back in and Jose continues beating down Wolfe. Nikki Cross finally gets involved and holds Jose’s foot on the apron to distract him until Wolfe gives him a big boot to the floor. Now Dain is the legal man and he beats down Jose in the corner. He hits a series of massive elbow drops and then tags back in Wolfe. Wolfe goes for a pin but Jose kicks out. EY tags in and takes Dillinger off the apron but it allows Jose to tag in Strong. Strong clears out Sanity and then hits a half nelson backbreaker on both Wolfe and EY. He then hits a front slamming back suplex on EY but then all six men get in the ring and the match completely breaks down. The ref calls for the bell.
Winner: No Contest
The battle continues and Dillinger and EY are left in the ring. Dillinger stomps a mudhold in the corner but here comes Nikki Cross mounting Dillinger. But all of the sudden a woman we’ve never seen before comes in and takes out Nikki Cross! She hits a kick that takes out Cross and now the babyfaces start to take out Sanity one by one. Dain is the last one left and all three men take their best shot and get him down on the floor. The sides are officially even at 4 on 4 and I don’t think we’ve seen the last of this war. That ends our show.
K-Tank Final Takes
– The woman that attacked Cross was indy standout Heidi Lovelace, who from all reports will be known as Ruby Riot in NXT. If you’ve seen her look, her new name fits well.
– It may surprise you to hear this, but go out of your way to watch the Almas/Lorcan match. That was FAR better than it had any business being.
– I don’t get the heel teases they randomly do with Asuka. And it’s always like a week or two before a big match, it’s never sustained. It just comes across as odd to me.
– I can only imagine we’re going to add a 4 on 4 intergender match to Takeover which would then bring us to our standard 5 matches. If so, it looks like a really good card on paper.
I would assume the Ohno/Samson match will be next week but they didn’t announce it officially. Either way, I will be back next week with a full Takeover preview and notes from next week’s show should anything major take place. Until then, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do… but if you do, name it after me.