WWE NXT Spotlight: 8/30/17 by Kurt Zamora

Welcome one and all to another installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. We are back to Full Sail now after another successful venture to Brooklyn. Everyone is still buzzing at what took place at Takeover and now is when we begin to see the fallout from that night. Will we see the Full Sail debut of Adam Cole and ReDRagon? Let’s find out!

Well it may not take long to find out as Sanity and security has been attacked and laid out outside of Full Sail. William Regal rushes to the scene and looks out in the distance and I’m sure he knows who it is. To note, when they went to the announcers, Percy immediately singled out Cole & company and Nigel in full heel commentator mode said that we shouldn’t rush to judgment. Probably means nothing, but he’s usually pretty unbiased in his commentary.

McIntyre’s NXT

The new NXT champion has arrived to NXT’s home and receives a champion’s welcome. McIntyre says that this is his life. All the sacrifices over the last 17 years led to this moment right now. It’s his life’s work. He’s not naive though. He knows the title comes with a big target. He hadn’t even won the title for a minute before they were already lining up. It’s one thing to win it, it’s another to defend it. He’s getting his mission statement out right now. Everyone in the locker room, he’s putting them on notice. This is Drew McIntyre’s world now. If you want a shot at the champ, all you have to do is walk to the ring, step up to him and look him in the eye like a man and ask for a fight.

Cue Roderick Strong’s music. Roddy says he’ll be the first to congratulate Drew but he’s also the first to agree that he’s the target. He saw what happened at Takeover and he doesn’t care about them or that. All he cares about is his family and that NXT championship. Tonight he beats Bobby Roode and then after that, he’s stepping up to ask for a fight. Drew says this is what he wanted, someone to step up to him like a damn man. He just hopes Roddy is ready to get knocked out like a damn man. With that, Drew leaves the ring.

K-Tank’s Take: Short and to the point from both men. I really do hope Roddy doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. In other news, I’m pretty sure they updated the NXT Title as Drew has his own side plates now. It stands out because they’re silver compared to the rest of the belt being gold. I don’t remember Roode having plates like that.

We go back and listen to Bobby Roode’s interview from last week’s show where he laid out his plan for NXT and Smackdown Live.

Next week it appears is when Asuka will relinquish the title on TV as they show a clip of her tweet talking about the injury and they say she’ll be on next week to talk about her future.

Peyton Royce (w/Billie Kay) vs. Ruby Riot

I know what you’re thinking and yes, there was no way I was not going to put that picture in this review. Before the match, they show clips of 3 weeks ago when Peyton called out Ruby after she had defeated Billie Kay. Ruby has a new hairstyle again for those keeping track. They try a tie up a couple times with no success and then Ruby gets a a side headlock. Peyton reverses it into a headscissors. Ruby escapes and after some back and forth, Ruby armdrags and dropkicks Peyton. She goes for a pin but Peyton kicks out. Ruby then goes for an armbar. Peyton pushes her to the ropes and then clotheslines Ruby with the top rope. Peyton then delivers a knee and starts to toy with Ruby. She dumps Ruby to the floor and we go to commercial.

We return with Peyton having a rear chin lock on Ruby. Ruby escapes and fires back with some clotheslines, kicks, and a dropkick. Ruby then does her headscissors while driving Peyton’s head into the turnbuckle. She goes for a pin and Peyton kicks out. Ruby goes to the top rope but Peyton cuts her off. Peyton wants a superplex off the second rope but Ruby knocks her off. Billie distracts Ruby, which allows Peyton to grab her in a DVD and she she does the cartwheel DVD that I said The Velveteen Dream should use as a finisher. Ruby kicks out at two though, so I guess that won’t be a finisher for anyone. Ruby comes back after ducking a Peyton kick and grabs her in a powerbomb and drills her with it. Peyton kicks out again though! Peyton gets pulled to the outside by Billie and Ruby decides to do a low bridge dive through the 2nd and 3rd ropes onto both women. Ruby gets Peyton back in the ring but the ref doesn’t see Billie pull Ruby right back out. Billie proceeds to absolutely kill Ruby with her big boot, it looked BRUTAL (in a good way), and Peyton pulls Ruby back into the ring, hits her fisherman’s suplex and gets the win.

Winner: Peyton Royce

K-Tank’s Take: Two weeks in a row for Peyton with two wins? How did I get so lucky? That was actually quite a competitive match, probably Peyton’s best showing thus far. I really enjoyed it. That boot from Billie was just devestating. I’d really like to see this momentum continue for these two.

We go to William Regal’s office who is asked about the attacks earlier. It’s suspected to be Cole & ReDRragon. Regal says he will work to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Kassius Ohno barges in and says that he’s healthy again. Regal says he’s saw the doctor’s report. Ohno says the only thing on his mind is Hideo Itami. Regal says it’s interesting he says that because next week it will be Ohno and Itami again. Ohno asks for one favor, he wants it to be No DQ. Regal grants him his wish.

We get a vignette for Heavy Machinery who are in action next.

Heavy Machinery vs. Edwin Negron & Kenyon Awheel

The jobbers have matching attire so maybe they stand a chance? Kenyon and Otis start the match. They tie up and Kenyon walks backwards up the turnbuckles and ends up on the top rope and Otis just lets him fall face first to the mat. Tucker tags in and they do the dual belly bump on Kenyon. Tucker gets the front face lock but Kenyon tags in his partner. Tucker cross body blocks both of them. Tucker gets a running start and avalanche splashes both men. Otis grabs Edwin in a bodyslam after tagging in, Tucker then does his running piggyback and all three men crash down on poor Kenyon with The Compactor.

Winners: Heavy Machinery

K-Tank’s Take: I think Heavy Machinery was fast tracked into a title match with Authors of Pain and not given the appropriate time to gel and grow as a team. Hopefully now that Sanity should have thier hands full with ReDRagon for awhile, Heavy Machinery can find a midcard tag feud with someone. Maybe TM61 comes back as heels?

We go back to Lars Sullivan attacking No Way Jose last week while in Brooklyn. We then go to “earlier tonight” back in Regal’s office, who is standing with Lars. Regal says actions have to have consequences. He’s beaten up three tag team partners, so next week he will have to compete in a 3 on 1 handicap match.

Bobby Roode vs. Roderick Strong

18 minutes left in the show as this match gets underway so hopefully we get a classic. Roode is in full heel mode, but the crowd is behind him and actually boo Roddy when he disrupts Roode saying that his NXT is GLORIOUS. Roode gets Roddy in the corner and drives some shoulders into the midsection and then chops him. Roddy tries to come back with a backbreaker but Roode escapes and then goes to a side headlock. Roode gets shot off the ropes and after a shoulder tackle, he gets nailed with a dropkick. Little bit of miscommunication as Roddy tries to shoot Roode into the turnbuckle, but they recoup and Strong ends up hitting one of his backbreakers. Roode tries to get the rope but Roddy grabs him and launches him into another backbreaker. Both men end up on the apron and start trading blows. Roode eventually shoves Roddy into the turnpost and Roddy hits spine first and lands on the floor. Roode tries to jump on Roddy but Roddy catches him. Roode manages to escape and sends Roddy into the steel steps. Roddy comes back with a big boot but then charges Roode and gets drilled with a spinebuster on the floor as we go to commercial.

We return with Roode in control and hits a neckbreaker on Roddy that gets a two count on the pin. Roode then lands a couple of backbreakers of his own. He of course deems them GLORIOUS. Roddy fights back but Roode sends him hard into the turnbuckles and goes back on the advantage. Roode with a reverse atomic drop but as he comes off the ropes, Roddy catches him in a popup Codebreaker. Roddy getting back the advantage and lands clotheslines, chops and forearm shots. He lands another backbreaker but Roode kicks out of a pin. Roddy lands the Pearl River Plunge powerbomb and then goes for a half crab but Roode is able to get to the ropes. Roode lands a TKO into a Stunner, which looked really good, but Roddy kicks out again. Strong with forearms and back elbows but he runs into another Spinebuster. Roode signals for the GLORIOUS DDT but Roddy reverses it into the Angle Slam. Roddy hits a front face slam but Roode kicks out once more. Roode ends up on the apron and grabs Roddy’s head and drops it over the top rope. He goes to the top turnbuckle but Roddy cuts him off. Roode is able to knock Roddy off though. Not for long as Roddy comes back with a massive kick. Roode is out on the top rope and Roddy delivers a superplex off the top rope. Another pin but Roode kicks out yet again. Both men trading punches on their knees and then get up and continue to fight. Roddy misses a high knee and turns around into the GLORIOUS DDT. Roode crawls for a pin but Roddy gets his foot on the rope. Roode yells that Roddy will never be as good as him and he’s an embarrassment to his family. Roddy comes back with three knee strikes and then connects with a suplex into a backbreaker. He picks Roode up, blows him a kiss, and delivers the suplex into a backbreaker again and he gets the big win!

Winner: Roderick Strong

Post match, as Roddy soaks in the moment, Drew McIntyre’s music hits and he comes out to the ramp and points at Roddy while holding the title up in the air. Here comes Adam Cole BAY BAY! Cole and ReDRagon attack McIntyre and Cole hits a DDT on the stage. Security comes out and the three men leave as Cole says this is their NXT and you’ll never know when they’re coming. Regal storms after them and follows them out of the arena. Cole says he’s doing Regal a favor as they make it to their car and end our show.

K-Tank’s Take: Where to start? Roode and Roddy had a battle. It wasn’t a great match, as there were no real good near falls, but I loved the psychology of the match and some of the little things both men did. It’s great to see Roddy get that win as Roode moves on now. The crowd exploded for Cole and ReDRagon and obviously they did all they needed to do. Regal acting the way he did almost makes it seem like they’re acting like the three men aren’t officially signed to NXT even though it was announced they were. I’m really intrigued to see the story told and seeing how these three came together and will they add any more? Strong perhaps? I stated previously that I can see a scenario where Roddy is a part of the group as well. All I know is we have Adam Cole BAY BAY, and we’re better off for it.

Join me next week for that huge Itami vs. Ohno match and Asuka’s swan song in NXT. Until next time, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do… but if you do, name it after me!