WWE NXT Spotlight: Asuka vs. Cross Last Woman Standing (6/28/17) by Kurt Zamora

Welcome one and all to another installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. This week starts what should be a series of big shows as we inch closer to Takeover: Brooklyn. We have a big NXT Title match scheduled for next week but before we get there, we have the first ever Last Women Standing match in NXT history tonight between Asuka and Nikki Cross. That should be incredible so let’s get right to it!

Nigel McGuinness introduces us to the greatness of Mauro Renallo who is the new play by play announcer for NXT. Such a great addition, even though Tom Phillips was really good himself. If only we could lose Percy Watson. I bet Renallo and McGuinness as a two-man would be simply outstanding.

The Velveteen Dream vs. HoHo Lun

Lun comes to us from the CWC last year for those that don’t remember. McGuinness reminds us that TVD is only 21 years old. I had to confirm that because I remember him being young on Tough Enough, but not that young. Lun starts with a wristlock but TVD overpowers him into the corner and gets a break. They go back to the middle and TVD grabs a side headlock. Lun connects on some forearm strikes but TVD brushes them off and nails a big boot. TVD gets Lun up and drops him with the Jackhammer suplex. He goes up top for the Purple Rainmaker as he’s now calling the top rope elbow and that’s it.

Winner: The Velveteen Dream

K-Tank’s Take: As I specified last time, the elbow drop does not look good. This week his elbow missed completely and his armpit landed on Lun. He didn’t do the cartwheel DVD which I still say should be the finisher. Hopefully HHH or HBK is seeing this and working with TVD to get something better. I’ll give him one thing, he’s totally committed to the character, which you have to be for something this flamboyant.

We go to “earlier today” inside Asuka’s car that is taking her to Full Sail. She’s asked about the challenge Nikki Cross presents and Asuka just says she’s confident. The car comes to a sudden stop and Nikki Cross is on the windshield of the car screaming for Asuka. She then goes to Asuka’s door and tries to open it to get her out until security shows up. Asuka looks startled and a little concerned. Nikki is so great.

We then go to a recap of 3 weeks ago when Hideo Itami went overboard on his attack on Oney Lorcan before Kassius Ohno broke it up. Lorcan is getting his rematch tonight.

Now we’re inside William Regal’s office where Heavy Machinery and The Authors of Pain are inside. Regal announces that Heavy Machinery has earned their tag title match and so in two weeks, they will get their shot. Tucker Knight says that AOP is so big, they may not need a second meal after that match. Ellering asks what jurassic cocoon did Regal find thoses guys in? Regal says they may be a little strange but they’re a formidable opponent so his men better be ready.

K-Tank’s Take: So all 3 titles defended in 3 consectutive weeks. When Takeover: Chicago eneded, I said that the weekend of GBOF made sense for another Takeover to bridge the gap until Brooklyn. The fact that they’re doing 3 title matches so closely to that weekend tells me I wasn’t far off base with that thought, but I guess they didn’t want to water down the Takeover concept. Or just wanted to make some of the normal TV shows feel bigger.

Hideo Itami vs. Oney Lorcan

The bell rings and Lorcan immediately charges and nails Itami with a running uppercut. He unleashes some chops and then the ref calls Lorcan off and checks on Itami. The camera comes up to Itami and it’s clear as day that Lorcan has broken Itami’s nose with that uppercut. The blood is rushing down Itami’s face. The ref has called for the bell due to Itami’s injury even though Itami is challenging Lorcan to bring it. Itami’s nose looks pretty gnarly.

Winner: No Contest due to Itami injury

K-Tank’s Take: I know it’s just a broken nose, but yet another Itami injury. Man he is snakebit. I love Lorcan’s physicality and in a weird way, this could actually help him. We’ll see if they continue this angle in the coming weeks since Itami was technically still tied to Ohno in storyline.

We now get a video package hyping next week’s NXT Title Match between Roderick Strong and Bobby Roode. This was another fantastic piece done by NXT.

We’re back at ringside and here comes Itami with cotton stuffed in his nose and it’s completely pointed to the right and he’s calling Lorcan back out! Lorcan comes out and here we go!

Hideo Itami vs. Oney Lorcan – Take Two!

This time it’s Itami charging with a huge big boot in the corner and then a series of kicks. Itami gets him in a suplex and drops him stomach first over the top rope. Itami goes to the top rope while Lorcan is hanging there and drops a knee to the back of the neck. Itami delivers a kick to the spine and gets Lorcan to the corner. Lorcan comes back with a boot and a back elbow. He goes to the top rope but Itami comes in with a back elbow of his own and Lorcan takes a hard fall to the floor. We go to commercial.

We come back with both men facing off and Lorcan with a LOUD chop and then Itami with a kick. Itami hits some strikes but then Lorcan goes off the ropes and comes back with two running uppercuts and then a running blockbuster. He goes for a pin but Itami kicks out. Itami tries to gather himself in the corner and while the ref keeps Lorcan back, Itami takes a cheap shot to the knee of Lorcan. Itami goes for the GTS but Lorcan gets out. Itami goes to the corner and hits his Tornado DDT where he drops the neck of his opponent over the top rope. Itami goes to the top rope and hits a clothesline. He goes for a pin but Lorcan kicks out. Itami does a throat slash, which I thought was outlawed but they didn’t edit it out, and goes for GTS again but Lorcan escapes. However, Lorcan now is favoring his knee and the ref is calling off Itami as he checks on Lorcan. Lorcan says he doesn’t want the match ended and Itami grabs Lorcan and drills the GTS. Needless to say, that was a hard fought win.

Winner: Hideo Itami

K-Tank’s Take: That was phenomenal. Itami is supposed to be turning heel but the fact he came back out garnered a HUGE pop and the crowd was chanting Hi-De-O after the match. Itami after the match looks like he’s been in an absolute war. I hope this benefits Lorcan too.

Post match, Itami calls Kassius Ohno to the ring. Ohno gets to the apron and all of the sudden Nikki Cross shows up and soon after is Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe who take out both Itami and Ohno. They hit a double powerbomb on Ohno. Wolfe grabs a mic and says all these forced friendships and pleasantries, they have to end all of these lies. The best way to do that… Chaos. They know their orders from their maestro Eric Young. He’s away on his “master plan” right now and he can’t wait to hear it. Tonight though, the first note will be played by Nikki Cross. Nikki starts her freak out and tells the men to get out.

K-Tank’s Take: Eric Young has a “master plan” going on? That obviously sounds interesting. Is it a new member? Is it the attacks on Breezango’s offices to start their move to the main roster as John Canton has put out there as a possibility? I’m not sure, but I love everything Sanity does, so I’m excited to see what it is.

NXT Women’s Title Match – Last Women Standing Match
Asuka (c) vs. Nikki Cross

25 minutes left in the show as Asuka makes her way in the ring and introductions begin, so this is going to get plenty of time. This should be outstanding. The bell rings and both women slowly get a feel for each other before tying up. Asuka misses a spinning heel kick. Nikki gets Asuka in the corner where they brawl. Asuka with multiple kicks as Nikki is up against the ropes. Nikki shoots her to the other side and comes at her with a cross body. She slams Asuka’s head into the mat repeatedly. She goes for another cross body but Asuka moves and comes back with a Shining Wizard. Nikki goes to the floor and Asuka goes for a baseball slide, but Nikki lifts the ring skirt and traps Asuka in it while attacking her. Nikki goes under the ring and pulls out at least six steel chairs before we go to commercial.

We return to Nikki attempting a suplex on Asuka onto that pile of chairs. Asuka blocks and goes for the same but Nikki blocks and ends up throwing Asuka into the steel stairs instead. Nikki goes to throw Asuka into the other set of stairs but Asuka reverses it and Nikki this time goes into the stairs. Nikki is thrown into the ring and Asuka goes under the ring and grabs a trash can. Asuka rams it into Nikki’s midsection and then places it on top of Nikki and repeatedly kicks the can while Nikki is inside. She then goes to the top rope, with Nikki still inside the trash can, and comes off with a dropkick. That was cool. Nikki gets up at the count of 7. Asuka goes back under the ring and pulls out even more steel chairs. They have a tug of war over one and Asuka ends up being rammed into the barricade. Nikki tries to come off the apron but Asuka catches her with a GTS style knee. Asuka goes back to throwing more chairs into the ring. Both women on the apron and trading blows but then Nikki ends up dropping Asuka with Christian’s old falling reverse DDT. That sounded brutal. Nikki rolls Asuka in the ring and continues the attack. She goes to the top rope but Asuka is able to cut her off. She nails a spinning heel kick and then throws Nikki by her hair, off the top rope onto the pile of steel chairs! Wow! Asuka can’t follow up though as Nikki catches her off guard with a high angle back suplex onto the chairs! Both women back up at 6. Both women using the ropes to hold them up as we go to commercial again.

We return to Asuka kicking Nikki while she’s on her knees but Nikki is just laughing in the face of Asuka. Asuka is getting agitated but Nikki comes back with William Regal’s old neckbreaker finisher. Nikki then connects with her Fisherman’s Neckbreaker. Both women up at 5 and Nikki connects on three more of those neckbreakers, one right after the other. Asuka is barely up at 9. Nikki now goes to attack Asuka with the title, but Asuka kicks it back in Nikki’s face. Asuka with another spinning heel kick. Nikki uses the ropes and gets back up at 8. She’s still laughing. Asuka gets on the apron where the chairs are on the floor and she wants to suplex Nikki over the top rope onto them. Nikki drops Asuka’s head over the top rope though and slides to the floor. Powerbomb onto the chairs!! Good lord. Asuka’s head bounced off the chairs and the rampway. Asuka again barely up at 9. Nikki now frustrated for the first time. She drags Asuka up the rampway. Asuka teases suplexes off the ramp but Nikki blocks them. Asuka ends up just delivering a forearm that drops Nikki off the ramp and then comes off the ramp herself with a Rear View. Nikki up at 7. They’re now over by the announce table. Asuka goes to kick Nikki’s head off but she moves and Asuka hits one of the lights that’s behind the announcers. Asuka is selling her foot now. Nikki gets Asuka up in a suplex and places her feet on the barricade and then drops Asuka with a spinning neckbreaker. That looked brutal! Asuka once again up at like 9 1/2. Asuka with a spinning back fist to buy her some time. Nikki grabs a ladder from somewhere and nails Asuka with it. She then slams Asuka into a table and now sets up that table in front of the announcers. This does not look or sound like the normal wooden tables. Now Nikki opens the ladder in front of that table. She puts Asuka on the table, repeatedly punches her and now she climbs! Asuka gets up and tries to stop Nikki. Both women now on opposite sides of the ladder and the announcers decide they don’t need to be here for this and they clear out. There’s the table in front of the ladder and the announce table behind Asuka’s side of the ladder. HOLY SHIT! A suplex off the ladder through the announce table by Asuka!! The table collapses and the ref counts. Asuka once again up just after the 9 count but Nikki is still down at 10!

Winner: Asuka retains by making the 10 count

Post match, Asuka looks in disbelief that she won and is almost on the verge of tears. Nikki Cross is smiling!! We get a ton of replays of the high spots in the match as Mauro comes back to commentary to describe the scene and what we just saw. We go back live and Nikki is still staring down Asuka, who is returning the stare right back and they are both smiling as we go off the air.

K-Tank’s Take: HOLY. SHIT. That was the damndest women’s match I’ve ever seen. That suplex was insane! Nikki was literally on the very top of the ladder as Asuka suplexed her down. Please don’t let this be over! (I know it probably is though) Nikki is just one of the best performers going in all of WWE in my opinion, and this match made her a star I believe. This match did a ton for Asuka too because this is a type of match we’ve never seen her in. She’s never had to get violent like this in a special stipulation type match. It adds to her aura that she can take a beating like this and still come out on top. I just cannot say enough good tings about this match. Go out of your way to see this. Kudos to the women of all 3 brands. They main evented every show this week and I feel between Nia Jax (she was in that match for 30+ minutes), Carmella, and Nikki Cross, 3 new stars were born. That is awesome.

That was a hell of a show, one of the best I’ve ever covered, and next week is going to be another big one. I will be here for all the coverage so until next time, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do… but if you do, name it after me!