WWE NXT Spotlight: 7/6/16 By Kurt Zamora
Welcome one and all to another installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. After what was a tremendous show last week in my opinion, the Yellow and Black brand look to follow that up with another great outing. We have a huge rubber match taking place as American Alpha and The Revival face off for the third time, each winning once at the last two Takeovers, and this time its two out of three falls. This should be nothing short of Match of the Year quality. If that wasn’t enough, we have a huge women’s match that should set who Asuka’s next challenger will be. Let’s get right to the action.
Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss
Can Jeff’s favorite woman pull off another big win? For his sake, I hope so. Bayley starts with a snapmare, back elbow to the spine, and then seated clothesline. Alexa isn’t phased long as she ends up catapulting Bayley into the middle rope. She goes for a pin and Bayley kicks out. Alexa hooks on a neck vise to slow down Bayley. She then slams Bayley back into the mat and goes for another pin. Bayley kicks out. Alexa chokes Bayley on the ropes and another pin attempt. Bayley still in the match. Alexa rides the surfboard on Bayley and curbstomps her head into the mat. Bayley finally fires up and catches a kick from Alexa and turns it into a Turnbuckle Bomb. Bayley now hits her signature offense in the corner. She does it in a second corner. She goes back to the original corner, but this time Alexa jumps over her and goes for a sunset flip. Bayley counters it into a pin but Alexa kicks out immediately and then plants Bayley with one hell of a forearm shot. Bayley is down in the corner as we go to commercial.
We return to Alexa all over Bayley. Alexa now works over the left arm and shoulder, using the ropes to her advantage. Alexa going for the catapult again, but Bayley reverses momentum and sends Alexa into the ropes. Bayley then ends up hitting a Twist of Fate through the ropes and goes for a pin but Alexa kicks out. Alexa recovers and hits her chokeslam/STO combo and then Insult to Injury. Alexa is going up top for Twisted Bliss but Bayley cuts her off. Both ladies on the ropes now and Bayley wants a Bayley to Bayley. Alexa denies her and Bayley falls off the ropes. Alexa hits a fantastic sunset flip powerbomb but Bayley manages to kick out! Great false finish there. Alexa starts to throw a tantrum to the ref, which lets Bayley try to sneak a pin in but Alexa kicks out. Both ladies trade pinfall and rollup attempts but no one stays down for three. Bayley reverses a back slide and turns it into a belly to back suplex. Alexa kicks out once more. Bayley hits an elbow out of the corner and then goes to the second rope, but Alexa trips the legs and Bayley takes a hard fall into the top turnbuckle. Alexa now goes to the second rope for a Vader Bomb but Bayley gets the knees up and then quickly gets up to hit the Bayley to Bayley for the win!
Winner: Bayley
Post match, Bayley grabs a mic and says it has been a long road back. In Dallas, she was knocked out by Asuka and lost her title. Like she always does, she bounced back but got knocked down again by Nia Jax. She had to sit back and watch Nia take her opportunity at Takeover. She’s back though… Speak of the devil, Nia Jax’s music hits and here she comes to the ring. Both women get face to face with each other and Bayley asks her for one more match. Nia agrees and laughs at Bayley as she walks to the back.
A vignette is shown for TM-61.
Cathy is backstage with The Revival and asks them if they’re worried they could lose their titles as quickly as they won them back. Dash says absolutely not, there is no way they’ll lose tonight. Dawson says they got four good fists and four good legs and American Alpha is gonna learn that they talk heavy and hit harder. They will retain their titles tonight, there is no doubt about that.
Blake & Murphy vs. The Hype Bros
Apparently Blake and Murphy are back together again. Cause you know, we all missed them and all. The new Mr. America and his partner Mojo Rawley look to continue their great work from last week against Ciampa and Gargano. Mojo and Blake start the match. Mojo ducks a clothesline and leapfrog and drops Blake with a shoulder tackle. Murphy immediately tags himself in and now starts fighting with his partner. All of a sudden, here comes Rhyno and he Gores everyone except Murphy.
Winner: No Contest
Next week is Finn Balor vs. Shinsuke Nakamura in a dream match. We get an awesome video package previewing the match. I am beyond excited to cover this match for all of you.
Andrea is backstage with American Alpha. She asks them how they expect to get their titles back? Jason Jordan says following their gameplan. Gable says that two out of three falls sounds great. The longer the match goes, they better they get. They have never been more Ready, Willing, & Gable.
Rhyno is caught up with outside of Full Sail and is asked why he’s back in NXT. He just continues to walk off.
NXT Tag Team Title Match: Two out of Three Falls: American Alpha vs. The Revival (c)
I am watching this show “live” on the Network and it is starting at exactly :30 past the hour so this is going to get PLENTY of time. American Alpha going full 1990’s Steiners with thier new attire tonight. Gable and Dash start fall number one. Gable with a go behind but Dash turns it into a wrist lock. Gable shows off his skills and somehow turns it into an Ankle Lock. Dash gets to the ropes quickly and goes to the outside to regroup. Dawson now tags into the match. Gable tags in Jordan and he gets an armbar immediately on Dawson. Both men go back and forth exchanging holds and then come to a stalemate, much to the fans approval. Dawson then goes afte Gable on the apron, which distracts the ref. Dash comes in with a cheap shot and Dawson follows suit. The Revival double team Jordan but Jordan reverses a double hip toss and hits a double clothesline. Gable in the ring now and they go for stereo German Suplexes but The Revival counter. They have to settle for stereo double dropkicks instead and The Revival go to the outside as we go to commercial.
We come back to Jordan with a headlock on Dawson but Dawson turns it into a bodyslam. Jordan hits a reverse atomic drop but Dawson is able to lean back enough to make a blind tag. Dawson comes in and now The Revival start to work over Jordan. Dawson is the legal man and goes after Jordan’s left knee now. He hits a dragonscrew on that knee. The champs continue to make quick tags and work over that knee any way possible. Dawson wraps the knee around the turnpost and slams it hard around the steel. The Revival have completely cut off the ring. Dawson hits a low dropkick and goes for a pin but Jordan kicks out. Dash now tags back in and everything still focused on that knee. Jordan is desperate to fight out but Dawson tags back in and locks on a front face lock to block Jordan and continue to cut him off. Both men counter suplex attempts and Gable is finally able to make a blind tag. Now he takes out both of The Revival with a pair of atomic drops and a T-Bone Suplex to Dawson. He goes for a pin but Dawson kicks out. Dawson sends him into the ropes and bends for a back body drop but Gable turns it into a small package. Dawson kicks out. Dash and Jordan back in the ring now but the ref only tells Jordan to get out. Gable gets sent into the ropes and Dash ends up low bridging him and Gable takes a nasty fall to the floor as we go to another commercial.
We return to Dawson being all over Gable and dropping him with a big lariat. Gable manages to kick out. Dash tags back in and continues to stomp Gable. Dawson tags back in and Dash gives Gable a drop toe hold and Dawson hits a snap elbow drop to the back of the head. He bodyslams Gable and Dash back in. The Revival hit a double team legdrop and go for a pin but Gable kicks out. Dash with a headbutt and then hooks on a neck vise. Dash tries to hit Gable with something but Gable moves and it sends Dash to the outside. Dawson is able to get a tag before Gable can get to Jordan though. Gable ends up on the apron and gets clotheslined over the tope rope back into the ring as the ref is distracted by Jordan again. Gable really tries to fight back and comes off the ropes with full momentum but Dawson just catches him in a Double A Spinebuster. Dawson now gets a headlock. He tags back in in Dash and Gable jumps over Dawson and tries to get to Jordan but Dash cuts him off. The Revival hit a modified Demolition Decapitator but Gable still manages to kick out. More quick tags by the champs as Gable still can’t make a tag. The Revival go for a Snapshot but Gable manges to escape and and then shoves Dawson into Dash. That’s enough for the hot tag to Jordan and Jordan is a house of fire. Dropkick to Dash, Head and Leg Suplex to Dawson. Dash gets tossed high in the air. Spear in the corner to Dawson, huge spear to Dash. He covers Dash but he manages to kick out. Jordan goes to the second rope with Dash, but Dash headbutts him down. Gable comes in the ring as Dawson comes off the top from the opposite corner and Gable catches him in an overhead belly to belly! Dash leaps onto Jordan but Jordan rolls through and turns it into an Ankle Lock. Dawson is trying to get Dash to the ropes but Gable gets him in an Ankle Lock on the outside and Dash inside the ring has no choice but to tap out!
American Alpha – 1, The Revival – 0
There is no break in the action as Dawson makes a legal tag and comes off the top rope with a sunset flip. Jordan blocks it, back body drops Dash for the hell of it and then goes for a pin. Dawson kicks out. Both men trade pin attempts and each kick out. Dawson drops Jordan with a DDT and now Dash goes to the outside and takes Gable off the apron. Dawson then locks on an inverted Figure Four on Jordan and that knee was still hurt so Jordan has to tap out.
American Alpha – 1, The Revival – 1
Again, no break in the action as we go straight to the third fall. Dawson goes right back to the leg but Jordan gets a small package and Dawson kicks out. Gable is now able to tag in. He gets a few pin attempts on Dawson but Dawson continues to kick out. Gable goes for a back slide but can’t get it. They end up in Alpha’s corner and Jordan makes the blind tag. They go for Grand Amplitude but Dash breaks it up. Dawson wants the Shatter Machine but Gable takes out Dash and Jordan sunset flips Dawson but only gets two. The crowd absolutely thought that was it. Great false finish. Jordan goes right to the Ankle Lock again. Dawson reverses it and sends Jordan into the turnbuckle. Dawson rolls up Jordan but Jordan kicks out. Dawson goes back to the inverted Figure Four but Gable comes off the top rope and clears over half the ring and hits a diving headbutt onto Dawson! That was awesome! Gable and Dash go to the outside. Dawson sends Jordan into the turnbuckle but it’s in his own corner and Gable is able to make a tag. Gable and Dawson end up on the apron and trade blows. Gable wants to hit the German Suplex off the apron but Dawson holds on for dear life. Dash comes in and breaks it up and out of nowhere, The Revival hits The Shatter Machine on the apron! That looked brutal! Dawson is the legal man and so Dash goes to keep Jordan down, Dawson makes the pin and the champs retain! WHAT. A. MATCH.
Winners: Still NXT Tag Team Champions, The Revival (Two Falls to One)
That ends our show.
K-Tank’s Final Takes
– Seriously, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME NXT! These last two shows have been fantastic and next week’s is sure to be great as well with Balor and Nakamura. This blueprint for an episode is not hard. I really enjoyed this show.
– Bayley beating Alexa was no surprise, but it will be interesting to see if she can get through Nia Jax or if they’ll go ahead and have her put over Nia once more before moving to the main roster. My guess is she’ll defeat Nia and get one more match with Asuka in Brooklyn.
– I don’t know that anyone was really clammoring for Rhyno to come back, but here he is. Not sure where he fits, but I’m sure we’ll find out.
– The Revival and American Alpha put on a clinic. This was our generation’s Midnight Express vs. Rock-N-Roll Express. I can’t put over this match enough. I loved how they basically flipped the prototypical WWE formula for a two out of three falls match. Typically they’ll get through the first two falls quickly and leave time for the third fall. This one, that first fall was well over half of the total match. It was built beautifully. The crowd was eating out of their palms in that third fall with a couple great false finishes.
– Clearly, American Alpha is being fast tracked to the Main Roster as I’ve discussed before. However, The Revival has 100% made themselves Main Roster ready. Their performances in 2016 have gotten better and better and now they have the mic work to go with it. I would not be surprised to see The Revival end up putting over Ciampa and Gargano and then end up on the main roster by the end of the year.
So next week, we have the match everyone is waiting for. The champ, Samoa Joe, will also be returning next week and he obviously be completely focused on this match. I cannot wait to see what Balor and Nakamura have in store for us. I hope you’ll join me next week for it! Until next time, always remember that Kalisto was born in Chicago.