WWE NXT Spotlight: 7/11/18 By Kurt Zamora (Incredible NXT Tag Team Title Match!)

Welcome one and all to the latest installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. We’ve got a huge main event lined up for this one, as Moustache Mountain will take on Undisputed Era in their mandatory rematch for the NXT Tag Titles. If it’s as good as the first match was, we’re in for a treat tonight! Let’s get right to it.

Adam Cole vs. Danny Burch

Cole is over like a million bucks as he makes his way in the ring for this non-title match. Both men using their chain wrestling to try and get the advantage to start. Burch with a release Northern Lights Suplex and then a wrist lock, but Cole gets out with a big forearm to the face. Cole then takes Burch down with a side headlock and starts the trash talk. Burch shoots Cole off, but Cole comes back with a shoulder tackle. Cole off the ropes again and this time it’s Burch with a shoulder tackle. Cole gets up and tries to leap frog Burch, but Burch grabs a leg in mid air and sends Cole crashing down. Cole goes to the floor, where Burch follows, and Burch ends up going back first into the ringpost and then a swinging neckbreaker on the floor. Burch barely gets back in the ring before 10, Cole with another neckbreaker and then a two-count pin. Cole attacks Burch in the corner now. Snap Suplex out of the corner and then a knee to the spine of Burch. Burch tries to fight back after being worn down but Cole comes back with a pump kick to send him right back down. Burch finally gets some chops in and a Thesz press to turn the tables. Standing enziguri in the corner and then Burch comes off the second rope with a front dropkick. German suplex by Burch and then a lariat but Cole kicks out of a pin. Burch tries a crosface but Cole gets out quickly. Burch with a knee and then a big headbutt to the sternum. Burch gets Cole up on the top turnbuckle and sets him up for his Tower of London finisher, which he lands, but Cole still kicks out at two. Cole blocks a suplex and then lands a couple kicks, goes for his version of the Tye-Breaker neckbreaker and Burch manages to kick out. Burch is on his knees and gets superkicked. Cole gets him up for the brainbuster over his knee and then pulls down his kneepad for the Shining Wizard to the back of the head and that’s it.

Winner: Adam Cole

K-Tank’s Take: I don’t understand why this wasn’t for the title. I think it would’ve been better for Burch to come up short in a title match, plus we didn’t have this title on the line at Takeover, so I think this was a missed opportunity. I’ve said before that Cole is only 2nd to Black as a true superstar on the brand, but I think he’s clearly become #1 and Black may have even slipped to #3 depending on how you feel about Gargano.

We go to “earlier today” where we catch up to Candice LaRae. She ends up running into Shayna Baszler, who tells her to just continue to be a cute little sidekick. Candice slaps Baszler, who then starts a fight with Candice. They brawl for a few seconds until they’re pulled apart by multiple personnel.

We now go backstage to Dakota Kai, who says that Shayna Baszler will see her again really soon. She wants another shot at the championship. Lacey Evans now shows up and says no one cares. If she ever got the title, she would bring the division down. That title needs women with class and sophistication. Dakota says she’s going to kick the class of Lacey’s face next week.

Vanessa Borne vs. Kairi Sane

Both women attack the other in the corner. Kairi manages a clean break eventually though, and then fakes an elbow shot and taps Borne on the forehead. Borne with a go behind slam on Kairi, but Kairi comes right back with a dragon screw leg whip. Kairi now locks on a version of the ankle lock and Borne has to get the ropes. Kairi tries a crucifix pin but Borne turns it into a Samoan Drop. Borne now locks on a body scissors. Borne gets up with Kairi and nails a screwdriver suplex for a two count. Borne gets Kairi ties up in the ropes and uses the 5 count to her advantage. Solid offense being shown by Borne. Borne to the second rope and taunts the crowd but comes off with an elbow drop and hits nothing as Kairi moves. Running neckbreaker in return by Kairi. Headscissors takedown followed by a spear on Borne. Kairi walks the plank and running seated elbow smash in the corner. Kairi tries to go up top but Borne is able to cut her off and sends her down to the mat by her hair. Kairi comes back with a spinning back fist. Borne with a rolling SOS but Kairi rolls it into a submission the announcers are calling the Anchor, it’s a combination Sharpshooter/Liontamer with a bridge by Kairi. It looked damn impressive and Borne taps out!

Winner: Kairi Sane

Post match, Kairi gets a mic and calls out Shayna Baszler as well. She reminds Shaya that she’s beaten her before and she will do it again. She’s coming for the treasure of the NXT women’s championship. It’s announced after the match that next week will be a Fatal 4 Way #1 Contenders match between Kairi, Nikk Cross, Candice LaRae, & Bianca Belair.

K-Tank’s Take: I like everyone gunning for Shayna after her promo last week. That makes her promo more meaningful. If I had to guess, I would pick Kairi to be the new #1 contender, even though I continue to say there should be more with Nikki. Candice is also a possibility. I would expect one of the “losers” of the match to have something in the match land them in a feud with Bianca. Borne looked good in this match and helps the depth of the division.

We go outside Full Sail to Aleister Black, who’s asked about his match with Tommaso Ciampa in two weeks. Johnny Gargano confronts Black and tells Black that Ciampa cannot be NXT champion. Black simply says ok and tries to walk off. Gargano says Black doesn’t understand, he can’t win. Black says he understands that this is of Gargano’s personal interest but Black has to handle this and Gargano just needs to address his own issues. Gargano says he knows exactly what he’s doing before storming off. Black walks into the backstage area and is ambushed by Ciampa. Ciampa sets Black up on a trainer’s table and drops him with a draping DDT like Randy Orton does in the ropes. This is on concrete though so it looked vicious. Ciampa waves bye to Black and walks off as Black is tended to.

NXT Tag Title Match
Moustache Mountain (c) vs. Undisputed Era

19 minutes left in the match as the bell rings. We start guns blazing as Era jumps Mountain in their corner. The champs are able to turn the tables quickly and Bate ends up bodyslamming Strong onto O’Reilly. Back senton by Bate onto both challengers and then Seven with his trust fall onto Strong. Era think about going to the floor, get back in the ring and things stay the same as the champs send them right back to the floor. All four men brawling around the ring as the crowd is very loud with dueling chants. The challengers end up getting the advantage as Roddy does a kneebreaker on Seven’s heavily braced knee, right on the steep steps. Everyone goes to their corners now and O’Reilly is legal as he works over that now injured leg. Strong comes in the ring and pulls down that brace as they continue to hurt the knee. Seven does everything he can to escape the attack on his knee, even has a rollup on O’Reilly that gets a two count. He ends up tossing both challengers over the top rope and is crawling to Bate but at the last second as Seven leaps for the tag, O’Reilly pulls Bate off the apron. Seven with a DDT on Strong but yet again O’Reilly knocks Bate off the apron. Seven with multiple kicks to O’Reilly and FINALLY can get the hot tag to Bate. Bate is the proverbial house of fire. Strong getting the brunt of it. Standing shooting star press by Bate for a two count. O’Reilly comes in and locks a sleeper hold, but Bate runs him into the turnbuckles. Strong charges Bate and Bate with an exploder suplex into O’Reilly. He gets Strong up in an airplane spin, O’Reilly tries to kick his legs out, but Bate trips O’Reilly and somehow he’s doing an airplain spin and swing at the same time! Wow! Bate slams Roddy on O’Reilly and then deadlift German suplexes Roddy right after that. Trainers are looking at Seven’s knee in the meantime. Bate tries for the Tyler Driver but instead somersault kick to O’Reilly. Strong with an enziguri. Bate bounces off the ropes and comes back with a lariat. Tyler Driver to Strong, 1-2… O’Reilly with the break up! What a near fall. Bate is debating whether he wants to tag in his partner. Seven has removed his brace completely and wants the tag. Bate says no and then walks right into a half and half backbreaker. O’Reilly tags in, lands the Penalty Kick, two count, gets Bate right back up with a brainbuster, and another two count!! WOW! This action is insane. Era now try to double team Bate but he’s fighting them off. Bate ducks a charging Strong, who ends up clotheslining his own partner. Strong drills Bate with a clothesline and Bate falls back into his partner, who tags himself in. Seven can barely stand but he’s trying to take both out. Dragon suplex to O’Reilly, ripcord clothesline to Strong and Strong still kicks out! Seven tries to get Strong up for a Burning Hammer but he cant hold Strong up. Strong now locks on the Strong Hold, all the pressure on the bad knee, but Bate manages to break it up! The ref warns Bate that he’ll be DQ’ed for that next time as Seven is crawling for a tag and O’Reilly is now legal. He comes off the second rope and big knee drop right to the injured knee. O’Reilly locks on the heel hook and Seven is trying everything he can to get to Bate. O’Reilly drags him away and both men slap each other repeatedly. Seven with one last desperation kick, finally gets the hold broken. O’Reilly comes right back and has a combination Sharpshooter/Heel hook. Bate wants to throw the towel in to save his partner but Seven is begging Bate not to do it. The emotion of this is off the charts! Bate can’t help it finally and he throws the towel in and immediately goes to cover his partner and save him from more damage. We have new tag team champions!

Winners: New NXT Tag Team Champions, Undisputed Era

Post match, we get the much needed O’Reilly title guitar as Cole and Bobby Fish come out to celebrate. Seven is in absolute agony as trainers and refs come into the ring. That ends our show.

K-Tank’s Take: WOW. Just Wow. That’s the best NXT TV match in over a year. Gargano vs. Almas in February would’ve my leader for 2018 until this one. I spoke to our fearless leader John Canton about this match and he gives it 4.5 stars. I think I’d give it a full 5 stars just based on the emotion and story telling. It was flawlessly done by all 4 participants. I love the subtle part of the ref admonishing Bate for breaking up the submission and it leading to Bate being between a rock and a hard place the rest of the match. Go out of your way to see this! So many ways they can go with this and I absolutely hope there’s more to come.

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