WWE NXT Spotlight: 4/26/17 By Kurt Zamora

Welcome one and all to what should be yet another loaded installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. We are coming off the heels of back to back solid shows and it seems like the new era of NXT has built some momentum. We’ve got a UK Title Match tonight as well as Drew McIntyre back in action, so let’s get right to it.

Do You Want a Riot?

As our announcers welcome us to the show, Nikki Cross storms the ring from the crowd. She goes to the ring announcer and talks into the microphone calling out Ruby Riot and asking her to come out and play. Ruby makes her way slowly to the ring sans music and as both women stare at each other from across the ring, they get inside the ring and slowly come face to face with each other. Nikki finally charges Ruby and both women proceed to brawl. Nikki sends Ruby to the outside and drives her head into the stairs and apron and then the stairs again. Refs and security try to break them apart but it doesn’t go that well. Nikki jumps off the top of the stairs and takes out Ruby along with a security guard. Nikki finally gets dragged away by two refs and a security guard.

We now go to a recap of last week when Hideo Itami returned to interrupt Bobby Roode and then planting him with the GTS. We then go to Bobby Roode backstage. He says last week was a cowardly attack on the champion by Itami. Things have changed since Hideo was last here. This is Roode’s NXT. If he thinks he’s going to challenge Roode for his title, he’s going to have to earn that GLORIOUS opportunity.

Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Drew McIntyre

Almas starts off with some stall tactics to avoid locking up with McIntyre. McIntyre grabs him by the throat and throws him into the ropes. Almas does his Spiderman pose, which doesn’t impress McIntyre as he proceeds to kick Almas right in the face. McIntyre with a couple chops of the outside and then goes to drag Almas up the stairs but Almas grabs a leg and sweeps it so that McIntyre comes crashing face first into the stairs. Almas gets him back in the ring and both men trade chops. Almas connects with a modified Reality Check and then does a double foot stomp in the corner. He sets up for the running double knees but stops in front of McIntyre and slaps him in the face. McIntyre is pissed now and backs Almas into a corner and obliterates him. McIntyre hits a running clotheslines and then comes off the top rope with a standing elbow. Both men trade brutal chops until McIntyre powerslams Almas. McIntyre hits his version of the Sick Kick and that’s the match.

Winner: Drew McIntyre

We go to William Regal’s office who discusses what we saw earlier with Ruby Riot and Nikki Cross. He says they have differences to settle and they will do that tonight in a one on one match.

We get a video package of “Who is Roderick Strong? Part 1”. This was a very strong piece done on Roddy. It dates back to his time as a child and the issues his parents had. His mom even shot his dad at one point. Then it talks about how he got into wrestling as a young teenager and he credits Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart training him through his dad at at young age. Part two is next week. I highly recommend finding this video. They must have big plans for Roddy as they don’t do these in depth video packages often, but when they do, it was for the likes of Finn Balor.

Kona Reeves vs. Aleister Black

Reeves charges Black immediately and that doesn’t work as Black comes right at him as well. Reeves survives the attack and goes back on the offense. It doesn’t last long as Black unloads a barrage of kicks on Reeves. He drops Reeves and then goes into his Indian Style seat. He picks up Reeves by his boot and then sends Reeves’ head into the third row with the Black Mass kick. That kick is devestating!

Winner: Aleister Black

We go backstage to Ruby Riot who is asked about her match tonight with Nikki Cross. Sanity says they don’t conform to society. She could probably get behind that, just look at her. But Sanity wants everyone else to conform to their ways. So when Nikki Cross pushed her, she pushed back. This is just a step to her chance at the NXT Women’s Title and tonight we start a Riot.

We now go outside Full Sail where Andrade Almas is leaving in a SUV with a few of Orlando’s finest looking women. He’s asked about his match that he had against McIntyre but doesn’t look like he could care any less as he gets in the ring and they take off.

Nikki Cross vs. Ruby Riot

Ruby comes out first but doesn’t even make it to the ring before Nikki attacks her from behind. The women begin to brawl around ringside again. Ruby suplexes Nikki on the rampway. Nikki then sends Ruby hard into the side of the stage. The fight continues as refs and security come out for the second time. Ruby decks a security guard and then dives off the stage and takes out Nikki and another guard. She stomps away at Nikki as they try to drag her away. Nikki is literally apprehended by all of her limbs and carried out of the arena as she screams and tries to get her way out.

Winner: No Contest

We go to William Regal who is with Asuka in his office. He tells Asuka that next week there will be women’s battle royal to determine who her new #1 contender will be for Takeover: Chicago. Asuka doesn’t appear to care and just walks out of the office.

U.K. Title Match
Jack Gallagher vs. Tyler Bate (c)

Big match introductions for this match. I’m watching this live so not sure how much time is left in the show but we’re at 43 minutes past the hour when it starts. Bate and Gallagher shake hands to start. Catch as Catch can chain wrestling to start and Gallagher ends up escaping a side headlock by doing a handstand. That’s something new. Gallagher then gets a full nelson on Bate and Bate escapes and gets a clean break. Gallagher gets Bate to the mat and then starts to work over both arms with submission attempts and turns one of them into a modified crucifix pin but Bate kicks out. More chain wrestling from both men including multiple pin attempts. We finally end up at a stalemate and a gentleman’s duel pose as we go to commercial.

We return to Gallagher having a wristlock on Bate and then finding different ways to work on the left arm and elbow of Bate. Bate tries a monkey flip but Gallagher does not let go of the arm. Gallagher hammerlocks one arm with his feet and then brings the other arm across and down like a Rings of Saturn type submission. That looks really painful. Bate kicks out of a pin and then both men end up in a test of strength. Both men keep the knuckle lock on as they both monkey flip the other. Another stalemate but then Gallagher hits a dropkick. Bate comes back with a stiff punch and then a high angle German Suplex and Gallagher kicks out of a pin. Bate goes for a suplex but Gallagher blocks it and turns it into a Kimora lock. Bate breaks it though and goes back to the vertical suplex. He goes for another pin but Gallagher kicks out. Gallagher ends up on the apron and Bate drops him to the floor with a punch. Bate goes for a dive through the ropes but Gallagher stops him in mid jump with a headbutt right under the chin of Bate. Gallagher comes back in the ring and another headbutt. He goes for the pin and Bate barely kicks out. Gallagher drops Bate with a couple European uppercuts and then goes back to the arm. He sends Bate to the ropes and Bate comes back with a somersault kick. He sets up for the Tyler Driver 97 and he’s able to connect for the win after about 12 minutes.

Winner: Still U.K. Champion, Tyler Bate

Post match we see some fellow U.K. Tournament competitors at ringside as Bate celebrates in the ring. That ends our show.

K-Tank Final Takes

* I loved the interaction with Nikki and Ruby tonight. They really showed a lot of intensity and I’ve always said the more Nikki Cross we can get, the better.

* Aleister Black is quickly becoming one of my favorite acts in NXT. Everything about him is captivating and I cannot stress enough how good that Black Mass kick looks as a finisher. I hope no one kicks out of that for a LONG time.

* The main event wasn’t my cup of tea, that’s probably a bad pun to use, but that style just wasn’t for me.

Another good show overall though, and now we have the battle royal next week to decide Asuka’s next challenger. I’ll be here for all the action so until next time, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do… but if you do, name it after me.