WWE NXT Spotlight: 6/21/17 by Kurt Zamora

Welcome one and all to the latest installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. After last week’s arena wide brawl between Asuka and Nikki Cross, a NXT Women’s Title match that will be competed under Last Woman Standing rules was signed for next week’s episode (6/28) on NXT. That should be simply tremendous if they’re given the time. As for this week, we have a main event I’m highly intrigued to see between Kassius Ohno and Aleister Black. So let’s get to the action!

Peyton Royce (w/Billie Kay) vs. Ember Moon

Have I mentioned how much I love Peyton Royce recently? The hole in my heart left by Eva Marie has been filled by her and now Maria Kanellis back as well. #Blessed. Peyton starts out on top after a tie up with a couple forearm shots. Ember counters quickly and connects with a dropkick. She gets Peyton in the corner and hits her front handstand elbow. She wanted The Eclipse early but Peyton cuts her off. Peyton goes for a superplex but Ember blocks it. Peyton falls into the ref though so it gives Billie a chance to grab Ember by her arm and pull it down on the top rope. Peyton then sends that recently hurt shoulder into the turnpost a couple times. We go to commercial… already?

We come back to Peyton with a hammerlock on Ember. Peyton connects with a few shots on Ember, but Ember fights back and then springboards off the second rope with a cross body. She nails a standing backbreaker and then goes for that front handstand elbow again but this time Peyton is waiting with her spinning heel kick. Ember is able to kick out at two. Ember sneaks a pin but Peyton kicks out herself. Both women miss kicks and then Ember gives Peyton a headscissors takedown. She goes back up top but Billie pulls Peyton out of the ring. Ember gets fed up and dives off the ropes to the outside and takes out Billie. Peyton and Ember get back in the ring and exchange pin attempts but neither get the 3. Peyton hits a nice looking modified Widow’s Peak but still only a two count. Ember ends up slamming Peyton into the turnbuckles and goes to the top a third time and this time The Eclipse comes down on Peyton and Ember gets the win.

Winner: Ember Moon

K-Tank’s Take: Good match with the time it was given. Peyton is improving every time in the ring and it seems like she gets far more in-ring time than Billie nowadays. It’s good to see Ember back in the ring. I would expect to see her challenging for the title in Brooklyn.

We go to Kassius Ohno warming up backstage and Hideo Itami walks up on him. Itami says he’s been letting the pressure get to him of not having the success in NXT that he had in Japan. Yelling and pushing Ohno, he apologizes for everything. Ohno says he appreciates that. He really understands where Itami is coming from. Things don’t go your way and you can’t help but get angry. Neither of them are done though and he’s going to start getting things right by beating Black tonight. Itami approves and walks away.

Sanity vs. The Ealy Brothers

Wolfe and EY will be competing for Sanity. No Dain or Cross with them at ringside. Wolfe and Urial Ealy start the match. I swear I can’t tell these brothers apart. Wolfe brawls for a little bit and then tags in EY. EY does more of the same and then a quick tag back to Wolfe. Urial connects with a big boot and he tags in Gabriel but Wolfe connects with a big boot of his own. He brings Gabriel to his corner and now a series of quick tags and beatdowns by Wolfe and EY. Wolfe ends up staying the ring and wrenches at the neck of Gabriel. Wolfe tries attacking Gabriel in the corner but he catches nothing but turnbuckle and here comes Urial. The Ealy’s try a double team move but EY gives Gabriel a neckbreaker. Wolfe gets Urial up in a back suplex and EY comes off the middle rope with a double team neckbreaker and that gets the win.

Winners: Sanity

K-Tank’s Take: Simple squash match for Sanity. They need some direction. Would love to see them get in the tag title picture but I don’t know if that’s going to happen any time soon with Heavy Machinery in the way.

We get a recap of last week’s brawl between Asuka and Nikki Cross. Next week is the Last Women’s Standing match as mentioned at the beginning.

We see the Sonya Deville vignette from last week as she is in action next.

Sonya Deville vs. Rachel Evers

Evers for those that haven’t seen her before is Paul Ellering’s daughter. She’s been on NXT in this role before. Sonya starts with a couple kicks and then a Superman clothesline. She delivers a sliding knee to the spine of Evers. Then a sliding knee into the ribs. She gets Evers into the corner and delivers a series of kicks to the midsection. She then hooks a bodyscissors and grinds her forearm into the face of Evers. Evers gets out but Sonya hooks a double leg takedown. She goes for a pin but Evers kicks out. Evers hits a jawbreaker and a boot to the face as she tries to fight back. Sonya looks fed up and takes off her MMA glove on her right hand and repeatedly punches Evers in the stomach. She then locks on the Kimura Lock and gets the submission victory. I guess Brock isn’t using that anymore?

Winner: Sonya Deville

K-Tank’s Take: Not much to this one, it was as expected for Sonya’s new direction. Definitely nothing wrong with pushing new women talent though. Asuka won’t be around forever.

We go to “earlier today” where Bobby Roode is in the middle of a photo shoot as Roderick Strong walks in with his fiance and baby boy. Roode makes a joke that if they keep popping out kids like that, they’ll need the double wide trailer faster than he thinks. Roode tells Roddy’s finace that if she wants to be with a real man, let him know. Strong charges Roode and they start fighting until people are able to pull them apart. Roode tells Strong anytime, anywhere, he can have a shot. It’s then announced that in two weeks on the 400th episode of NXT, Roddy will get his title shot against Roode.

K-Tank’s Take: The fact they made a point that it’s the 400th episode makes me think it’ll be a “special” episode and gives more chance for a title change to happen. I would love to see it for Roddy. Should be tremendous nonetheless.

Kassius Ohno vs. Aleister Black

Ohno going with the throwback Chicago Bulls inspired gear tonight for those keeping score. 16 minutes left in the show as the bell rings, so that’s good news. Ohno with a go behind and then slams Black to the mat. He allows Black to get up and we start over. Black with a go behind on his own and has a front face lock but Ohno lifts him up and puts him on the top rope and we get a clean break. A third tie up as the crowd is deathly silent (in a good way). They seem as interested in this match as I am. Black with a hammerlock and Ohno flips it to a wristlock as now the dueling chants start. Ohno goes for a crucifix pin but Black gets out and goes back to the front face lock. Ohno once again flips it to a wristlock. Black now with a hammerlock of his own as both men continue to counter each other. Ohno to the ropes and another clean break. They get in the corner after a fourth tie up and Ohno with a loud chop. Black with a stiff kick to the chest of Ohno. Black then grabs a side headlock. He then drills Ohno with a knee to the gut. He wanted Black Mass but Ohno rolls to the floor. Black does his fake dive to the outside and instead backflips into a seated position. Ohno cautiously comes back into the ring but Black jumps up with multiple strikes but Ohno bounces off the ropes with a big elbow strike and both men are down as we go to commercial.

We return to Ohno all over Black in the corner. He delivers a huge big boot in the corner and goes for a pin but Black kicks out. After wearing down Black a bit more, Ohno drops all his weight on Black with a running senton splash. Black is able to kick out again. Ohno mocks Black’s seated position in the ring and Black comes back with a kick to the spine. Ohno comes back with a low dropkick. Ohno starts talking trash to Black as he lays in the blows but Black gets fired up and catches Ohno with a standing double foot stomp. Black hits an elbow in the corner and then connects with a lionsault. He goes for Black Mass, Ohno ducks, but Black comes back with a different kick to the head. Ohno is able to kick out of a pin. Kicks to the chest of Ohno and Ohno comes back with a kick to the side of the head of Black. Ohno hits an elbow in the corner, comes off the ropes and Black kicks him in the head again. Black comes off the ropes and Ohno hits his bicycle kick for a two count again. Ohno goes for a neckbreaker but then decides he wants an elbow strike but Black catches Ohno in a pin. Ohno kicks out but gets up and is repeatedly struck by Black. Ohno kicks out again. Black shoots Ohno to the ropes, he does his flip over the top and then catches Black with a boot to the face. He comes back in and nails an enziguri. Black gets back up and goes right back down from a rolling bicycle kick. Ohno stacks Black up for the pin but Black kicks out once more. Both men back up and Ohno tells Black to “fade to black”, but Black kicks him in the head. Ohno comes right back with an elbow to the head. He goes for the Roaring Elbow but Black connects with a jumping knee to the head. Black goes for a suplex but Ohno reverses it into a front suplex throw. Ohno sets up for the Roaring Elbow again but Black Mass! He ended up running right into it. Black picks up the hard fought win.

Winner: Aleister Black

K-Tank’s Take: Wow, I loved that match. If kicks and elbows aren’t your thing, this wasn’t for you, but I loved the physicality of this match and the back and forth both men came with. Big win for Black and I’m sure Ohno will continue whatever is meant to be with Itami. There was a quick video posted on WWE.com of Itami telling Ohno to brush off the loss backstage and Ohno says he’s not trying to hear this right now.

That’s it for this week so I’ll be back next week for that huge NXT Women’s Title match. Until then, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do… but if you do, name it after me!