Reviews

WWE: NXT Spotlight 10/21/15 by Kurt Zamora

TJR Wrestling

Welcome one and all to another edition of the NXT Spotlight right here on TJRWrestling. I am your host as always and this week I am prepared for the NXT debut of one James Storm. This may be the most excited I’ve been for a debut in NXT and that’s clearly saying something. Let’s get right to the action and see what else NXT has in store for us this week.

Asuka vs. Billie Kay

Billie is shown on a second screen promo and says that she’s faced Asuka in the past and she’s a great talent. She’s got the longest legs in NXT apparently and she will move anyone in her way. Well ok then. The match starts with Asuka creepily wanting to shake hands with Billie and Billie suckers her in and cheap shots Asuka and goes on the attack. Billie gets Asuka in a very impressive delayed vertical suplex and Asuka kicks out at two. Now Billie works over the left arm. Billie snapmares Asuka but Asuka kicks her from the mat and then starts kicking Billie repeatedly. Billie gets in a forearm shiver and it seems to rile up Asuka who all the sudden hooks on a armbreaker. Billie doesn’t tap, but gets a German suplex and Shining Wizard for her troubles right after that. Asuka smiles at her work, grabs the arm of Billie and hooks on the Asuka Lock. Billie has no choice but to tap out.

Winner: Asuka

The announcers recap how Baron Corbin & Rhyno’s partnership came to an end last week during the battle royal. They will go one on one in our main event tonight. We then go to one of the old Baron Corbin vignettes they showed a while back.

We now go to Tyler Breeze who’s filming himself give a message to Samoa Joe. Tyler says that if he’s not #1 Contender, then Joe isn’t going to be either. If Joe has a problem with that, he can come find Prince Pretty and he’ll slice a couple pieces of bacon off Joe.

Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady (w/Carmella) vs. Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder

Enzo and Cass start the match with a funny spiel about it being Halloween soon and how Dash and Dawson shouldn’t have trick or treated around the two of them. Enzo and Dawson start the match off. Dawson drops Enzon with a punch early and then chop blocks Enzo’s knee. He hits a dragonscrew after that, tags in Wilder and now they work over the left leg of Enzo. Quick tags by both of them. Dawson hooks on a leg lock and goes right back to it even when Enzo gets out for a brief second. Big Cass has enough of it and just comes into the ring and stomps on Dawson. Dawson goes and pushes Cass off the apron, but Enzo comes from behind and rolls up Dawson and gets the pin!

Winners: Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady

No time for celebrations as Dawson and Wilder work over both guys immediately and take them both out. Big Cass is dropped with the Shatter Machine. Dawson and Wilder stand tall despite losing the match.

The vignette shown for Rhyno when he first returned to NXT is shown again to hype tonight’s main event.

Eva Marie is still on vacay in Paris. She’s enjoying the culture in Paris, which we may or may not understand, but she wanted to give the fans a present, her. She hopes the fans miss her because she misses them. She’ll see all of us soon.

James Storm vs. Danny Birch

HUGE ovation for Storm, complete with a “You belong here” chant. I could not agree more! This is awesome. About the only thing he didn’t get to bring over from what he had in TNA is his theme song. The one used here in NXT isn’t bad, I just think it needs more of a hook for when he comes from the curtain. But it fits him for sure. The announcers say he’s been working the indies for the last 15 years and William Regal has clearly been searching for talent like him. Well at least he wasn’t in obscurity. Birch kicks Storm as the bell rings and then gets a shoulder tackle but Storm rebounds with a hiptoss. Birch gets him with a forearm and then stomps him down in the corner. He tries for a pin but only a one count. Birch gets a head vise on but Storm gets out and hits a flying forearm and then an Atomic drop. Storm goes to the corner and gets tossed onto the apron but Storm hits an enziguri followed by a running neckbreaker. Storm gets Birch up into an Irish Curse position but spins him around into a Russian Leg Sweep of sorts. It looks impressive. The announcers call it the 8 Second Ride and that’s the match.

Winner: James Storm

We get replays of the match and Storm holds up the one finger in the ring as the crowd cheers. Maybe there’s room for one more even in NXT. Storm puts an exclamation point on the night by telling Birch “Sorry About Your Damn Luck.” Great debut.

Finn Balor and Apollo Crews has been signed for two weeks from now for the NXT Title. We get a video package hyping Apollo and his background in life and his journey to NXT. Yet another phenomenal package that really gets you invested in someone. Apollo’s story is fantastic. Don’t call him Terry Creed. Part two of this package will be next week.

Nia Jax will be back next week.

Alexa Bliss vs. Peyton Royce

Can anyone tell me if Peyton and Billie are related? They’re both from Austraila and looks fairly similar. I don’t know how I haven’t noticed this before. Peyton gets Alexa in a headlock but Alexa reverses it to a headscissors. Alexa goes for a quick pin but doesn’t get it. Peyton hits a sloppy powerslam and Alexa kicks out on the pin attempt. Alexa is sent to the ropes and Peyton drops down, but Alexa just ends up standing on top of her and making a point. Alexa taunts Peyton but Peyton takes her down and hits her a couple times. Alexa hits a modified hip toss and then holds on to the arm to work it over. Peyton gets out and hits a spin kick and a dropkick. Then a knee to the face and a scissors kick but she only keeps Alexa down for a two. Peyton sends Alexa in the corner and charges her but Alexa blocks it and goes back on the offense. She slams Peyton to the ground and hits her handspring double knees. That sets up the Sparkle Splash and Alexa wins the match.

Winner: Alexa Bliss

Alexa has a mic after the match and sarcastically congratulates Bayley again. Bayley has become a role model and an inspiration, but that’s about to stop. Alexa is what everyone aspires to be. She was made to be NXT Women’s Champion.

Next week it will be Samoa Joe vs. Tyler Breeze in the Main Event.

Baron Corbin vs. Rhyno

Baron starts on the offense but Rhyno quickly turns the tables and beats on Corbin in the corner. He sends him to two more corners and lays in the punches and kicks. Both men end up on the outside for a second but Rhyno sends Corbin right back in. Corbin is sent to the ropes but catches himself and goes back to the outside. Rhyno follows him but gets caught with a shot. Both men trade blows on the outside until Corbin sends Rhyno into the steel steps. Rhyno manages to get back in the ring but Corbin stomps on him until we go to break.

We return to Corbin sending Rhyno hard into the turnbuckle. Corbin sends him to the opposite corner and does it again. Corbin locks on a variation of the Cobra Clutch. Rhyno tries to get out but Corbin grabs him by the hair and sends him hard to the mat. Corbin goes right back to the hold. Rhyno gets out again but ends up getting dropped with Corbin’s version of the Black Hole Slam. Two count on Rhyno. Corbin tries to take a shot on Rhyno from the outside but Rhyno moves and now as both men are back outside, it’s Corbin that’s sent into the ring steps. Corbin gets back in but gets a couple clotheslines and then a belly to belly from Rhyno. Rhyno gets a two count. The crowd starts chanting for a Gore but Corbin fights back. Corbin takes a run at Rhyno but is caught in a spinebuster. Another two count. Now Rhyno does set up for the Gore. Corbin kicks him away but Rhyno ducks a clothesline and turns around and hits the Gore anyways. Corbin kicks out at the last second though. Rhyno sets up for a second Gore but Corbin catches him in the End of Days and Corbin gets the win.

Winner: Baron Corbin

We go back to Samoa Joe who has a reply to Tyler Breeze. He says desperation is a funny thing. Tyler is the definition of a desperate man. In Tyler’s time of desperation, he decided to call out Joe as well. Joe says he wants Tyler to look his very best and take one more selfie because after he’s done with Tyler next week, Tyler will never look the same again. That’s our show.

K-Tank’s Final Takes

– The whole creepy vibe that Asuka is clearly going for, I don’t know if it works for me. It’s weird. Maybe I don’t get it, but she definitely turned that part of her character up this week and I wasn’t a fan of it.

– Not sure how I feel about Dawson and Wilder taking a cheap loss like that even though they got their heat back afterwards. They need to be presented really strong for The Vaudevillians. I love Enzo and Cass, but they now occupy the spot that Tyler Breeze had now that he’s officially been called to the main roster.

– I absolutely loved James Storm’s debut. He was presented as a big deal, he came across as a big deal, and the crowd loved him. Perhaps Rhyno losing cleanly this week has opened up a spot for Storm. Storm can really go and can cut a tremendous promo. I would love to see him with Corbin next.

– A little bit of a weak main event this week, but clearly it’s going to pick up the next two weeks. We’re still in a bit of a transition for NXT, but they’ll have things settled soon as they gear up for their big European tour and the next Takeover event from London in December.

Until next time, Sorry about your damn luck.