WWE NXT Spotlight: 10/18/17 By Kurt Zamora
Welcome one and all to the latest installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. The buzz for WarGames is continuing to grow and tonight’s main event should be a big stepping stone in getting us to that match officially. We’ve also got another qualifying match for the NXT Women’s Title Fatal 4 Way. There’s a lot going on, so let’s get to the action.
Qualfying Match for NXT Women’s Title Fatal 4 Way
Sonya Deville vs. Ember Moon vs. Ruby Riot
Ember and Ruby go for quick pins to no avail. Ruby lands a hurricanrana that sends Ember to the flood and then Sonya gives Ruby a clothesline. Ruby recovers and comes back with a single leg dropkick. Ember comes back in as Ruby sends Sonya to the floor. Both women counters each other and then go to ensure Sonya stays on the floor. Ember with a kick and Ruby comes back with a forearm. Ember bounces off the middle rope and comes off with a nice cross body. Ruby kicks out as Sonya comes back in. Ember throws Ruby into Sonya and then dropkicks them both. Ember tries pinning both but it doesn’t work. Sonya with some MMA kicks to Ember as we go to commercial.
We return with Sonya in control and hits a gutwrench suplex to Ruby. She tries to charge Ruby in the corner, but Ruby does her headscissors that ram Sonya’s head into the turnbuckles. She then headscissors Ember into Sonya. Ember throws Ruby out of the ring and goes for a pin but Sonya kicks out. Ember goes for the springboard crossbody again but gets absolutely drilled in midair by a spear from Sonya. That looked awesome Ruby breaks up the pin. Now it’s between Sonya and Ruby who trade blows until Ruby low bridges the middle rope and sends Sonya to the floor. Ruby wants to go for a dive but Sonya catches her with a forearm in the ropes. Sonya takes out Ember on the floor and then goes to jump off the apron onto Ember, but Ember comes back with a dropkick in midair. Ruby is now on the top rope and she comes off onto both women. Hard landing for everyone and Ruby comes up selling her right ankle. She brings Ember into the ring and lands her version of the Pele kick, but she does it with that hurt leg. She can’t crawl to a pin and Sonya comes from behind and locks on the ankle lock. She scissors the leg and turns it into more of a heel hook. Ruby goes for the ropes, but it’s a triple threat so no rope breaks since no disqualifications. Sonya brings her back to the middle and is back to the ankle lock. From behind though, Ember is on the top rope and she goes for broke and manages to catch Sonya with The Eclipse! Sonya rolls to the floor so Ember goes to Ruby, stacks her up for the pin and gets the win!
Winner: Ember Moon
K-Tank’s Take: That was a hell of a match! Great spots from all three women. The Eclipse looked awesome as Sonya had no idea it was coming and Ember had to time that perfectly. I said last week that Ember was a given for this Fatal 4 Way and now the question is who will be the 4th participant.
We go to some security footage outside the PC where Roderick STrong is leaving and The Undisputed Era comes up with some words and offers one of their shirts to him. No audio is heard, but Strong puts the shirt back on Cole’s shoulder and walks away.
Now we go to William Regal backstage who is asked how the 4th participant will be determined for the Fatal 4 Way way. Before he can answer, The Iconic Duo interrupt and say they’re waiting to hear that Billie Kay will be added to the match. Regal says she’s in the match to determine who, but so is every other woman in NXT, as there will be a battle royal next week to determine the 4th participant. The duo are obviously not happy and Peyton asks him, “How could you?” before leaving in disgust.
Raul Mendoza vs. Aleister Black
As soon as the bell rings, The Velveteen Dream comes through the crowd and grabs Black’s leather vest and puts it on. Black goes to go after him, but Mendoza cuts him off. TVD walks towards the top of the stage as Mendoza catches Black with a knee and then does a huge dive to the floor to take out Black. He throws Black back in the ring and then comes off the top rope with a springboard senton. Black gathers himself though and then starts to unload a flurry of kicks. He then lands a standing lionsault and waits for Mendoza to get up only to destroy him with the Black Mass kick.
Winner: Aleister Black
Post match, Black is in his seated position in the ring and TVD is angry that Black won’t acknowledge him. Once TVD leaves, Black then takes a look in his direction.
K-Tank’s Take: I really love this storyline. There’s a chemistry there that I did not expect between these two. It’s very interesting seeing the cat and mouse game between these two. I really hope whenever they have their match, that it delivers.
We then go to an exclusive interview with Drew McIntyre. He’s asked to talk about the journey to the title. He says it’s weird to say that, that he’s the champ now. It really has been a dream to be NXT champion, it’s not just something he’s saying because he accomplished something. A lot of sacrifies, but it’s all worth it now. He said it all didn’t pan out how he wanted after being signed at 21. It was a hard pill to swallow when he was released. He had just moved into a new apartment that week and was by himself wondering how he would tell everyone what just happened. He’s only known wrestling. There was no second job for him. When he told his girlfriend, now wife, she grabbed him and asked him directly if they would be ok. Something changed in him that day and he’s worked himself to the bone. A fire was lit inside of him and he was able to tell her that everything would be ok. He wants to inspire people.
Zelina Vega interrupts the interview and wants to conduct it with Drew. She says that he and Andrade Almas has a lot in common. Both were down on their luck and needed a second chance. She was Almas’ second chance. Now that he’s champion, he’s got the target on his back. No threat is bigger than Almas She wants to know why is Drew ducking Almas? Drew says she’s very good at what she does, but in case she hasn’t heard what he’s said, he’ll fight anyone at any time. Vega says that we all know that Drew has the most pull with Regal, so if anyone can make the match happen, it’s Drew. Drew says again that he’ll fight anyone at anytime, but is Almas really wants that match, how about next time he doesn’t just send his buisness partner and he comes himself and tells Drew that he wants that title match. Vega nods and leaves.
K-Tank’s Take: Almas has busted his ass and really worked through his early funk and I definitely think he deserves a title shot. He’s come into his own as a heel with Vega by his side. It may not be the most appealing match up, but it’s the perfect time to do it when WarGames is going to be the main attraction for the next Takeover. Almas and McIntyre would have one hell of a physical war.
Kassius Ohno vs. Cezar Bononi
Bononi goes right after Ohno with a kick and punches. Ohno tries to fight back but Ohno nails him with a beautiful dropkick. Bononi follows up with some knee strikes and then goes for a pin but Ohno kicks out. Ohno ends up on the apron and Bononi lands another dropkick that sends him to the floor. Bononi gets Ohno back in the ring and goes for a pin but another kickout. Bononi with a vertical suplex and another pin but Ohno kicks out yet again. Bononi goes for a third dropkick but Ohno avoids it and then lands a senton splash. Bononi in the corner and hits a big boot on a charging Ohno. They go to the opposite corner and Ohno ends up sending Bononi to the floor and then lands a wrecking ball dropkick. They get back in and Ohno lands a big boot. Bononi is on his knees and Ohno comes from behind and decks him with a Roaring Elbow for the 3-count.
Winner: Kassius Ohno
K-Tank’s Take: Ohno feels like an odd man out. Just a showcase match for him, but after the Itami feud, there’s been nothing for him.
The Undisputed Era vs. Sanity (w/Nikki Cross)
12 minutes left in the show as the bell rings. Wolfe and Fish start for their teams. Fish with quick kicks to the leg of Wolfe. Wolfe catches one and drills him with a forearm. Fish pulls Wolfe into the turnbuckles and then tags in O’Reilly. He is caught with a bodyslam though and now EY tags in. EY with an elbow drop to the back of the head and now Dain tags in. Shoulder charges in the corner and now Sanity with quick tags as they repeatedly attack O’Reilly. EY ends up being the legal guy, but then gets caught in Undisputed’s corner. O’Reilly takes him down and manages to tag in Fish. EY tries to fight out of the corner but Fish lands a huge roundhouse kick that sends EY to the floor as we go to commercial.
We return with Adam Cole BAY BAY tagging in officially and working over EY. O’Reilly tags back in and lands his strikes. He tags in Fish and they double team EY with kicks. Fish with a pin but EY kicks out. EY can’t get out of their corner as The Undisputed Era comes at him with quick tags. O’Reilly and Fish hit a double suplex but EY kicks out of another pin. O’Reilly is the legal man and kicks Wolfe off the apron. He then charges EY in the corner but EY moves and wants to tag in Dain. Fish gets a tag first though and cuts it off. EY kicks him off and finally the tag is made. Dain takes out everyone. He hits a running crossbody on Fish and then hits a front dropkick on O’Reilly while landing a senton splash on Fish. He gets O’Reilly up in a fireman’s carry while Fish jumps in his arms. Dain proceeds to hit a combo fallaway slam/Samoan drop. That was pretty cool. Cole is in disbelief as Dain then lands Wasteland on Fish. Senton splash followed by a Vader Bomb. Dain goes for a pin but Cole hits a Superkick from behind. EY and Wolfe hit a double team move on O’Reilly and now Cole is cornered 1 on 3. Dain brings Cole in the ring the hard way and they go for a triple team move, but here comes The Authors of Pain! Sanity goes after them but they get disposed of immediately. AOP double team Dain in the ring as Undisputed Era try to get the hell out of Dodge. AOP with The Final Chapter on Dain. They then send EY into the steel steps. Super Collider powerbomb to Wolfe and EY. They stand over Sanity with the tag titles in their hand as Undisputed Era looks on in disbelief. That ends our show.
Winners: No Contest
K-Tank’s Take: Pretty standard match but great finish with the re-appearance of AOP. We haven’t seen them since Takeover, so it was a meaningful attack and puts them right back in the heart of everything. I would expect the on-air announcement of WarGames to be next week now.
That’s it for this week, but I’ll be back next week for that big women’s battle royal and whatever else may happen. Until next time, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do… but if you do, name it after me.