WWE NXT Spotlight: 4/24/19 By Kurt Zamora (Gargano vs. Strong)

Welcome one and all to another installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. This week was back to normal for the brand, no more shakeups and no more roster moving. We have a tag champion that officially needs to move on at some point, and they just so happen to have a tag title match tonight against Street Profits, so is this the night they drop the titles? Let’s get started and find out.

Jaxson Ryker vs. Humberto Carillo

Carillo has been making some noise on 205 Live as of late. Ryker immediately overpowers him into the corner and then face washes him. Carillo escapes a back suplex and then hits a springboard disaster kick that only gets a 1 count. He tries to out run Ryker and then does a headscissors takedown. He follows with a handspring back elbow and then a standing moonsault that again only gets a 1 count. Ryker hiptosses Carillo into the turnbuckles and then stomps a mudhole. He hooks Carillo to the tree of woe and drops some forearms.

More forearms from Ryker on the ground and then a sitout chokeslam, that Mauro calls the Widowmaker. Carillo rolls to the floor and Ryker continues the assault there. Ramming him into the guardrail and apron. He then hurls Carillo into the crowd. Carillo is sitting against a barricade and Ryker with unmerciful knee strikes and the ref has to finally call for the bell and disqualify Ryker.

Winner: Humberto Carillo by DQ

Ryker gorilla presses Carillo across the barricade, but can’t do much more as Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch show up to finally even the sides with steel chairs. It’s a hostile situation as the tag team faces off with the Forgotten Sons.

K-Tank’s Take: The fans unfortunately still do not care about the Forgotten Sons. There was no reaction to the activities after the match with Lorcan and Burch. I’m sure it will be fine for a secondary tag feud, I have no issues with it.

We then go backstage to an Adam Cole photoshoot. He’s asked about tonight’s match between Johnny Gargano and Roderick Strong. He said he thought Gargano would be man enough to challenge the leader of the Era, but he was wrong. He knows that Roderick will do what he would do against Gargano and that’s beat Gargano to a pulp. He’s then distracted and sees Matt Riddle. Riddle says he’s next in the photos and says he’s never seen anyone as jealous as Cole is because Roddy got a match instead of him over Gargano. Riddle says it’s hilarious and asks Cole what he’s gonna do about it. Cole says he’s got bigger fish to fry and walks off.

Vanessa Borne & Aliyah vs. Candice LaRae & Kacy Catanzaro

Aliyah has gotten in really great shape as of late. I like her look a lot now. I hate Candice’s new theme song. Her original one was perfect. Kacy’s entrance of climbing the ring post is fun. Kacy and Aliyah start things off. Aliyah with a takedown and then a knee drop across the throat. Kacy with a clothesline in the corner and then a nice gymnastic headscissors takedown. She follows that with a somersault legdrop across the back. Aliyah gets up and yanks Kacy down by the hair. Borne tags in and they hit a delayed double vertical suplex.

Borne all over Kacy with punches and kicks. She hiptosses her across the ring and then tags back in Aliyah. They double team Kacy as she’s draped over the middle rope. Aliyah with a surfboard submission. Kacy tries to elbow her way out but Aliyah slams her face first instead. Borne comes back and they go for another double team suplex, but this time Kacy turns it into a double neckbreaker and tags in Candice.

Candice goes to the top and hits a missile dropkick on Borne. Baseball slide to Aliyah and then a jaw jacker to Borne. Candice with a senton splash on Borne’s back, followed by a neckbreaker. Nice lionsault and that leads to a three count.

Winners: Candice LaRae and Kacy Catanzaro

K-Tank’s Take: Don’t know that Candice and Kacy will be a lasting pair like Borne and Aliyah, which is why I would’ve given them the win instead, but they’re fun together nonetheless. Candice can be the next Bayley in NXT if given the opportunity.

We go to a recap of last week’s NXT Women’s Title Match. Then we go to Cathy Kelley who is with Io Sharai, who is asked about what took place. She says what Shayna did was terrible. Duke and Shafir show up and attack her from behind and then hold her up for Shayna to come in with a clean shot with a knee strike.

We are reminded that Kushida has signed with NXT and then go to William Regal’s office. He raves about how good this signing is and how exciting it is. Kassius Ohno shows up from his stint on NXT UK. They go back and forth on some sarcastic banter on how good Ohno is and Ohno volunteers himself for Kushida’s debut next week. Regal says he’ll think about it, but once Ohno leaves, he decides that should be the match.

NXT Tag Title Match
Street Profits vs. War Raiders

Welp, they’re still Hanson & Rowe here in NXT. The champs clear their gear on the rampway but Montez Ford decides there’s no waiting and he dives out of nowhere, TREMENDOUS camera shot, and takes out the champs! He throws Rowe in the ring, as the bell rings, and Dawkins drops him with a big spear. They hit the double team sky high and frog splash from Ford… Rowe kicks out at the last second! What a great start. They set up Rowe for a Doomsday Device but Rowe escapes. He takes out Ford and then tags in Hanson. Hanson with a sitout sidewalk slam and then a cross body block. Ford comes in and they trade some athleticism, but Hanson drops him with a lariat.

Hanson goes back to Dawkins and works over the arm. Rowe tags back in and they double team Dawkins as Rowe bodyslams his partner on top of Dawkins. Dawkins manages to come back with a strong right hand, which leads to both men making tags. Ford and Hanson in the ring and Ford can’t get Hanson off his feet with shoulder tackle attempts. They both trade kicks and then Ford with a great looking dropkick. Ford shows off his strength getting Hanson up and holding him there for a back suplex. Standing moonsault and then Rowe comes in the ring, but gets knocked right back out. Both Profits with splashes in the corner on Hanson and then Ford with an Acid Drop on Hanson, using Dawkins for a base. That leads to a two count.

Hanson breaks through a double clothesline and then comes back with a handspring double back elbow. Rowe comes in and hits an exploder suplex on Ford and then his Judo knee strike to Dawkins. Running double knees to Ford and then he throws Hanson onto Ford in the corner. Dawkins is being held in the air by Rowe and Hanson with a springboard clothesline. Dawkins is thrown out of the ring and they throw Ford up in the air with Thor’s Hammer and that gets a three count.

Winners: War Raiders retain

K-Tank’s Take: That may have been the Street Profits best showing in NXT. I LOVED that opening sequence. Montez Ford is a star. He is so athletic and the hights he gets on his dives and frog splash are absolutely incredible. It ended up being a decisive win for the champs, but they clearly have to get the belts off them and the story coming out of this is how close the Profits came. I would love to see them get another shot and this time be able to take the titles away. The fans are ready to fully invest in the Profits, they just need a big win to do it.

We go to Mia Yim talking to the media backstage. She’s asked about Shayna Baszler being unstoppable. She talks about how all the challengers have faced against Shayna and she says she needs another chance after what she’s learned taking on Shayna the first time. She needs to show that the HBIC can show Shayna how it’s done.

Johnny Gargano vs. Roderick Strong

15 minutes left in the show as the bell rings, so hopefully this is as fantastic as we’d hope. Roddy gets Gargano grounded early with a front face lock. Roddy with a strong shoulder tackle and then both men start chain wrestling with some quick pin attempts. Multiple counters from both men until Roddy slides to the outside to regroup. Roddy comes back in and gets caught with a hiptoss and a dropkick. Gargano clotheslines him over the top rope and then hits a superkick from the apron.

Gargano tries a baseball slide but Roddy catches him in a wheelbarrow and then backbreaker across the apron. Roddy with strong chops once they’re back in the ring and then a gutbuster. Roddy with a backbreaker across his own shoulder for a two count. He’s truly the Messiah of the Backbreakers. Roddy ties up Gargano in the ropes, using the five count to his advantage. Roddy with more chops as Gargano tells him to bring it on. Roddy gets Gargano up in the Gory Special. Gargano escapes and tries to fight back from his knees.

Both men end up on the floor, but this time Gargano throws Roddy into the steel steps. Gargano with his slingshot spear into the ring for a two count. Gargano hits his rolling kick out of the corner and Roddy goes back to the floor. Gargano goes for a dive but Roddy avoids it. Gargano then avoids a wrecking ball dropkick and then goes to the apron and hits a somersault dive. He goes for his slingshot DDT but Roddy catches him. Gargano turns it into a hurricanrana and then a superkick for a two count.

Gargano with his own chops now, one leads to Roddy’s saliva going halfway out into the crowd. That gets a hell of a reaction, so of course he does it two more times. He sets up Roddy for a lawn dart but Roddy escapes. Both men escaping everything the other is trying. Gargano tries the slingshot spear again but Roddy catches him and turns it into a butterfly backbreaker for a two count. Gargano with a step up enziguri but Roddy comes right back with a back elbow. Gargano right back with a discus clothesline. Roddy avoids a superkick and launches Gargano into the turnbuckle. Another backbreaker followed by his front slam for a two count.

Roddy going for the Strong Hold but Gargano fights out. Gargano ends up hooking the Gargano Escape. Here comes Adam Cole for the distraction.Gargano has to let go, but as O’Reilly and Fish come out, here comes Matt Riddle from behind. He’s attacking everyone from the Era. Roddy goes to grab Cole, but Cole thinks it’s Gargano and turns around with an enziguri kick that takes Roddy out. Gargano dives through the ropes and takes out Cole. Gargano back in with his slingshot DDT and gets the win!

Winner: Johnny Gargano

Gargano and Riddle fist bump on the ramp as the Undisputed Era are arguing in the ring. Roddy is upset at Cole, obviously. Roddy ends up saying they’re fine, but it’s clear as the show ends and he walks away from the group, they’re not fine.

K-Tank’s Take: First off, it’s great to see Roddy in a big time match like that again. It’s been a while for a singles contest for him and this match was outstanding. I’m not sure if now is the time for a breakup of the Era, but they’re certainly teasing it. I thought the Dream and Riddle feud would continue, but obviously based on Dijakovic challenging Dream and Riddle now coming after the Era, that’s done. There’s a lot of moving parts, but I trust NXT knows what they’re doing.

That’s it for this week, so until next time… don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, but if you do, name it after me.