WWE NXT Spotlight: 6/26/19 By Kurt Zamora

Welcome one and all to the latest installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. While everyone else in wrestling is having breaking news and twitter feuds, NXT has just stayed the course and continued to provide quality content as we head for the next Takeover event in Toronto. Tonight’s episode looks absolutely loaded as we have the tag champs in action, the Breakout Tournament starts tonight, and we have a Steel Cage match for the NXT Women’s title! Let’s get right to it.

NXT Breakout Tournament – Round 1
Joaquin Wilde vs. Angel Garza

Wilde is the former DJZ from Impact Wrestling and Garza was known as Humberto Garza on the indies and Mexico. I’ve seen him compete live at a couple indy shows in Texas and he’s very good. Wilde comes out wearing an LED mask and LED chest protector. He’s sporting a very short buzz cut with some designs shaved into them. They show a quick video package talking about his near death experience in Mexico in the ring and how no one thought he’d get here. Garza comes outs and psychs out a fan with a high five but then kisses the hand of the grandmother who always sits front row. His video package talks about why his name is Angel. His face is pretty and his body is perfect. He’s also got more experience than anyone else in the tournament.

Garza taunts Wilde to start and then immediately backpedals to the turnbuckles. Wilde with a high headlock takeover. Garza with a shoulder tackle. Both men showing off their quickness and end up coming to a stalemate. Garza plays innocent at first and then sucker punches Wilde. Wilde gets out of the corner with a unique springboard arm drag. Follows that up with a tilt a whirl cross body for a two count. Garza counters a headscissors with a sit out slam. Garza with a pop up penalty kick. He rips his pants off and now is just wearing tights as he throws the pants at Wilde. The girls seemed to like that.

Garza with a hell of a facebuster out of a powerbomb position that only gets a two count. Both men trade chops and then Garza hits a running dropkick. Garza with a straightjacket submission. He leans back too far with it, which allows Wilde to backflip and reverse the hold. Wilde with a flying clothesline and then an atomic drop. Wilde with a unique pop up kick, using his legs, and that gets a two count. Garza to the outside and avoids a Wilde dive, except Wilde decides to dive through the turnbuckles, ala Sami Zayn tornado DDT, and takes out Garza.

Garza back in and Wilde tries the top rope but Garza cuts him off. Garza attempts a superplex but Wilde blocks it. Both men standing on the top rope now and Avalanche Spanish Fly by Garza!! Wow! Wilde kicks out! Garza can’t believe it and then Wilde catches him in a crucifix pin for a two count! The crowd is going nuts. Garza gets up and shotgun dropkick to the head. He double underhooks Wilde and almost does a reverse Bubba Bomb, and that gets the hard fought win.

Winner: Angel Garza advances

K-Tank’s Take: This was a fantastic match and a perfect way to kick off the tournament. Both men came out looking great here, but I think Garza is the right call here because he’s younger and looks more like a star than Wilde does. Both men had tremendous offense though and this was a very fun match for TV. Wilde does not look bad in losing here, which I’m sure was the plan to make sure both get established right away.

We get a video package for KUSHIDA who talks about his time in the company so far. He wants to know who his next opponent will be.

We go to last week after NXT where Damian Priest is asked about his debut match and if that’s something that can be expected moving forward. He says there will be plenty of time for questions. You haven’t seen anything yet. The name Damian Priest will live forever.

NXT Tag Title Match
Street Profits (c) vs. The Forgotten Sons

After all 4 men are in the ring, the Profits grab some mics. Ford questions why the Sons think they can step to the champs. The Sons think somehow that if this match was for the titles, they could take the titles. Ford says it’s their lucky day though because they’ve been handing out free smoke and so with that being said, how about they put the NXT tag titles on the line right now. The Sons of course accept. The Profits say the Sons won’t be forgotten, they’ll be remembered as the first team that takes an L to the new champs.

Ford and Cutler start it off. The crowd was highly against this being a title match because it obviously reeks of a title change. The Sons are all over Ford. Ford against the ropes and Blake tags in to hiptoss Cutler on top of Ford. They do a nice double team Angle Slam/Neckbreaker. They try it again but Montez gets out this time and makes the tag to Dawkins. Dawkins takes out both opponents. Big exploder suplexes onto both Sons, followed by double 360 avalanche splashes. Dawkins with a Sky High to Cutler, tags in Ford, who goes up WAY high for the Frog Splash. Jaxson Ryker pulls Ford out though before the 3 and the ref calls for a DQ.

Winners: Street Profits by DQ

Post match, the Sons triple team the Profits until Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch come in and even up things. Dawkins ends up spearing Ryker and the Forgotten Sons retreat. Lorcan and Burch grab the tag titles. They give them back to the champs but remind the Profits that they owe them now.

K-Tank’s Take: I understood the fans reaction at first because it did come across as an alert that we were about to have a title change. Based on what I saw on my live event last week, the Profits and Sons can have a hell of a Takeover level match if given the chance. I like keeping Lorcan and Burch in the title picture. Maybe a 3 way at Takeover?

We get a brief vignette hyping the return of Killian Dain.

Now we go to a taped promo from Vanessa Borne and Aliyah who mock Mia Yim’s promo from last week. They announce that next week Aliyah will take on Mia.

Nykos Rikos vs. Keith Lee

Nykos will go down as wearing the worst ring gear ever. Nykos isn’t about basking the glory and tries to pull Keith’s arms down but that doesn’t work. Then he tries chopping Keith and that also doesn’t work. Keith with a Mongolian chop that does work and then he Pounces Rikos back to Greece. Keith yells this is his NXT and then hits the Limit Breaker for the win.

Winner: Keith Lee

K-Tank’s Take: Well that was short and sweet. More for Keith please!

We get a video package showcasing the Adam Cole BAY BAY Championship Tour. There’s footage from him at Download Festival hanging out with Corey Taylor from Slipknot. He then pulls up in front of a pizza place called Gargano’s and that’s where the footage ends.

Next week will be Tyler Breeze vs. Roderick Strong and then Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Cameron Grimes in the NXT Breakout Tournament.

NXT Women’s Title Steel Cage Match
Io Sharai vs. Shayna Baszler (c)

This is the first time ever for this title to be defended in a steel cage. About 19 minutes left in the show as the door is locked and the bell rings. Io tries charging Shayna right away but doesn’t work. Shayna is wearing the UFC style gloves for this match. Shayna going for the choke early but Io escapes. Shayna grabs the leg and holds a high angle half crab before letting go and stomping Io in the head. Io comes back and trips Shayna and then a kick to the spine. Dropkick by Io. Io with a palm strike after catching one Shayna’s kicks and then tries to climb but doesn’t get far. Shayna grabs her and then throws her face first into the cage.

Shayna grabs Io and throws her into the cage again, this time with more momentum as Io goes into it back first. Shayna grinds Io into the cage. Shayna twisting Io in a unique submission attempt and then once more throws Io into the cage. Stiff kick to the spine of Io and that gets a two count. Shayna starts to toy with Io, which allows Io to small package her, but Shayna kicks out and immediately drops Io with a clothesline. Io is thrown into the cage once more. Shayna with a UFC style of pressing Io into the cage with some punches to the stomach. Shayna with another two count. Shayna once again to the submission but Io gets out. Shayna charges her and Io moves, Shayna finally tastes the steel. Shayna caught between the ropes and the cage and Io hits two running dropkicks. A running double knee followed by a German suplex for a two count by Io.

Io with a release German suplex and another set of running knees. Io is climbing to the top and has a leg over, but Shayna is able to get up and stop her. Shayna with the choke as both women standing on the top rope. She throws Io off and looks like she’s got it, but Io gets up quickly and then throws Shayna off the ropes with another release German. Io crawls for a pin but only get a two. Io now crawling for the door, but here comes Duke and Shafir to prevent her from getting out. Shayna comes from behind and locks on the choke, but Io kicks the door and takes out Duke, Shafir, and the ref. Io escapes the choke and hits a double stomp but Shafir locks the door again so Io has to climb now.

Io gets to the top but Shafir climbs up and stops her. Candice LaRae shows up now and she climbs the cage to get Shafir away. Duke enters the cage and tries to get Shayna out the door, but Candice jumps off the top of the cage with a cross body and takes out Duke! Shayna knees Candice but Io is now standing on the top of the cage. Shayna may try to stop her but Io decides to come off the top with a HUGE moonsault!! Wow! That was a tremendous sequence.

Io and Shayna both crawling again but both women are preventing the other from escaping the door. Io looks like she has an opening and she’s halfway out but Shayna recovers and now has the choke through the ropes. Io rams Shayna’s head back against the turnbuckles to release it, which she does for a second, but then gets a better grip on it outside the ropes. Io looks out of it but she grabs the open door and starts slamming it into the head of Shayna! Shayna lets go but Shayna collapses forward and falls to the floor in a heap as Io is still inside!

Winner: Shayna Baszler retains

Post match, Shayna can’t believe she won as she’s handed the title. Io is also in disbelief in the ring as the ref explains how it’s over. The Horsewomen carry out Shayna as Candice tends to Io. Io looks at Candice and all the sudden snaps and attacks Candice! Io then looks like she knows she got carried away and leaves the ring, but then grabs a chair and brings it back in the ring. She unloads on Candice with the chair. She opens the chair up and basically does a brainbuster over the chair! Io is clearly not sorry for what she just did as the crowd’s cheers have turned to boos. Io says she doesn’t need a friend and then yells in Japanese as she walks back up the ramp to end our show.

K-Tank’s Take: This was a TREMENDOUS match. Definitely Io’s best match in NXT and possibly Shayna’s too. They used the cage perfectly and the use of the Horsewomen and Candice was perfectly done. Whoever the agent was for this match deserves a lot of kudos. The finish was super creative too as Io had Shayna out on her feet with those door slams, and Shayna just, unfortunately, falls the wrong way and keeps the title. Just fantastic storytelling. This definitely gets the “Go Watch This Match!” stamp of approval.

Obviously, a huge story to come out of the match with Io turning heel. I don’t think anyone saw that coming. It makes sense that she reached her breaking point in coming up short and Candice was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’ll be interesting to see how she comes across as a heel, her antics post match say she’s going to be just fine, but so far in NXT she’s just been a shy/smiling type. Her and Candice could be a great secondary rivalry in the division, as I can only guess Shayna will move on to Mia Yim now. Serious props to all five women involved in this match. I truly enjoyed it.

That’s it for this week. Next week is going to be hard pressed to follow this, but I’m sure they’ll try! Until next time, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do…. but if you do, name it after me!