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January 13th, 2016 On commentary tonight, at Full Sail University, are Tom Phillips and Corey Graves, in their debut show as a two-man announce team. They share that the 2015 year end award winners will be announced tonight. Opening Segment nXt GM William Regal is welcomed back to Full Sail by an excited crowd. He, in turn, welcomes the audience to nXt in 2016 and thanks them for their support of the fastest growing wrestling promotion in North America. The main event for the evening will be a battle royal to determine the #1 contender for the Women’s Championship. Regal then introduces someone who hasn’t been back in a while: Sami Zayn! Zayn gets a huge ovation from the crowd who chant “Ole!” and “Welcome Back” for him. Sami says his band (the audience) came to play tonight and they respond with more chanting, which Zayn says is his #1 single. Hilarious. Zayn calls himself a builder of the success of nXt. He says selling out the England tour was great but there’s no place like home, here in Florida. Getting to the heart of the matter, Zayn says he came back to nXt to become the first 2-time nXt Champion. Samoa Joe’s music hits and interrupts Zayn. Joe appreciates that Zayn wants his title back but what makes him think he deserves it. The last time he had a title shot, Joe saved his life. In London, Balor barely survived the title match. Joe threatens Zayn to leave the ring when Baron Corbin’s music hits. Corbin stands on the ramp. He agrees with Joe. Zayn should get to the back of the line. In fact, Corbin won at Takeover. Joe did not. He failed. Corbin has made his way into the ring by now. While Zayn was nursing his injury, he was passed by someone more durable. Corbin calls himself the uncrowned nXt Champion. Joe brings up choking Corbin out in Brooklyn and tells him to leave the conversation. He gets in Zayn’s face and intimidates him some more. Zayn retorts. Joe leaves. Corbin attacks Zayn from behind but it’s Zayn who gets the last say, kicking Corbin with a big boot, right out of the ring. Joe feigns getting back in the ring when Zayn sees him returning. Graves says this thing’s far from over. I agree. One cool point for sustaining Sami Zayn’s momentum by having him face off against the two biggest bad guys in nXt. It’s hard to believe he won’t win that #1 contender’s match in 2 weeks. That said, all 3 are desperate to fight the Demon which should motivate them all to wrestle very competitively. Backstage, it’s Rich Brennan with the nXt Women’s Champion, Bayley. He asks about her surviving the match with Nia Jax. Bayley admits it was tough but she had to stay champion. Reyes brings up the battle royal. Bayley loves the match type and she wishes all the women good luck. Depending on who wings, she’ll give them a hug, and then she hugs Brennan. Coming Up: Dash & Dawson vs. The Ascension and the results of the 2015 nXt Year-End Awards Second Segment 2015 nXt Year-End Award Winners A video package is shown, highlighting the winners of the awards, who were voted on by a million wrestling fans. The winners are shown with their awards, sharing a few words of thanks to the fans. Tag Team of the Year Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady Female Competitor of the Year Bayley Male Competitor of the Year Finn Bálor nXt Takeover of the Year nXt Takeover: Brooklyn Match of the Year Bayley vs. Sasha Banks @ nXt Takeover: Brooklyn Overall Competitor of the Year Finn Bálor Singles Match: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Danny Burch The two lock up, Burch working over the left wrist. Ciampa gets out of it, bringing Burch to the mat, twisting his left arm behind his back. He works the wrist as well, until Burch fights back to his feet. He hits Ciampa with a dropkick off the top rope. He stomps on Ciampa in the opposite corner, attempts a pinfall but Ciampa doesn’t even allow for 1 count. A resting side headlock turns into a few strong blows and a grin from Burch. Ciampa gets upset with the arrogant slaps to the head, and slaps Burch hard on the face. He tries to throw Burch into the corner but it’s reversed. No matter cause he boots Burch’s face, knocking the guy into the ropes. Ciampa runs, sneaks under Burch’s legs, lifts Burch, bounces his legs off the ropes and delivers an implant DDT for a 2 count! Ciampa leaves Burch in the corner, which provides him time to recover and connect with a big kick and a devastating right hand for a 2 count. Graves calls it his “London bar-fighting style”. Burch attempts to take over but Ciampa kicks Burch hard on the elbow. He tries to pull Burch off the ropes but Burch holds fast and a slapfest begins, with Ciampa even delivering a knee to the face. He takes too long to execute his next move and Burch attempts a backslide. Ciampa reverses it, flipping over Burch and executing an armbar, for the win! Winner: Tommaso Ciampa via submission in 3 minutes and 41 seconds One cool point for Ciampa who wrestles like a Tazmanian Devil. That guy is rough and tough and all over the place. I appreciated the intensity of each wrestler’s punches and kicks in this match. Burch tapping out so quickly to the armbar made the submission more authentic and more vicious. Backstage, Enzo & Big Cass are telling Dash & Dawson that they don’t forget. They pay credit where credit is due. Real G’s win or learn. They learned that Dash & Dawson have no backbone. The titles cover up that they’re SAWFT. Cass says the next time they meet up, business will be finished. Coming Up: nXt Battle Royal to determine the nXt Women’s Championship #1 Contender Promo: Competitors in the battle royal get a chance to talk about tonight’s match. They include: Billie Kay, Deonna Purrazzo, and Emma. Up Next Dash & Dawson vs. The Ascension Third Segment In his office, nXt GM William Regal says he mulled over the opening segment’s scuffle and everyone has a legitimate point. It will be settled with a match to determine the #1 Contender for the nXt Championship. In 2 weeks, Samoa Joe, Baron Corbin and Sami Zayn will fight. Tag Team Match: Dash & Dawson (c) vs. The Ascension Viktor and Dash posture in the ring to begin until Viktor yells in Dash’s face and unleashes some strong arms. He lays out Dash with a chop, intercepts Dawson with a kick but Dash recovers with a clothesline. He drags Viktor to his feet and brings him to their home corner, tagging in Dawson. Dawson continues to toss Viktor around, throwing him off the ropes for an elbow smash. Pinfall attempt, followed by pummeling Viktor’s head. Back to the home corner to tag in Dash and the two of them beat up on Viktor in the corner. Dash lays the boots to Viktor. He throws him off the ropes, drop toe hold. He tags in Dawson who runs the ropes and drops the elbow. Pinfall attempt for 2, and we’re into a thrashing about side headlock, with Dawson really wrenching the neck. Viktor fights to his feet and tries to muscle his way to Konnor but Dawson stands in the way. Dawson tags Dash back in to receive a clothesline from Viktor. The two squirm their way back to their respective corners for a DOUBLE HOT TAG! Konnor with 3 consecutive punches which knock Dawson down. Then he executes a multiple jab combo, a huge cross-corner running clothesline and a face first, over the shoulder body drop. He pins Dawson but Dash distracts the referee. Viktor rushes across the ring but is catapulted over the ropes by Dash. Konnor dumps Dash out of the ring. He and Dawson reverse each other’s moves. Dawson, off the ropes, is tagged by Dash as Dash flies off the apron to the outside. Off the ropes, Dawson lifts up Konnor to receive the knees on the mat from Dash. Great double team move and this one’s over. Dash pins Konnor for victory. Winner: Dash & Dawson via pinfall in 4 minutes and 17 seconds One cool point for Dash & Dawson who wrestle so intelligently that I think the only way they’ll lose is if they lose their cool. Also, the Ascension get cheered down here but their effort was nothing to write home to Mom and Dad about. Backstage, nXt trainer Tara is checking Nia Jax’s throat as Eva Marie and GM Regal look on. Regal asks if Jax can compete. The trainer says she needs a couple more weeks to heal. Eva keeps saying it’s okay, it’s okay, you’ll be back so soon. She’s got this tonight for them. Promo: Competitors in the battle royal get a chance to talk about tonight’s match. They include: Carmella, Peyton Royce & Alexa Bliss Fourth Segment Singles Match: Elias Samson vs. Corey Hollis Corey Graves plays up that Samson and him are both from Pittsburgh, but Samson still won’t talk to him. Phillips says well, not many people do want to talk to you. Burn! A vicious lockup from Samson. Hollis tries to throw Samson off the ropes. Samson stops him and breaks away, kicking and stomping on Hollis, even pressing his boot right into Hollis’ sternum. Hollis fights back with punches to the torso. Samson tries throw Hollis into the corner; Hollis reverses it. Samson lifts himself up, using the ropes and backwards kicks Hollis hard in the head. Samson smiles at the crowd and sits in the corner. Samson casually pins Hollis for a 2 count. Hollis is still lying on the ground when Samson lays in with the punches to the head. He asks him to be quiet and delivers a vicious neckbreaker for the pin and win. Winner: Elias Samson via pinfall in 2 minutes and 22 seconds Post-match, the lights go dim and the spotlight shines on Samson, holding his acoustic guitar and a mic. He says what this place needs is what he is. One cool point for Samson’s neckbreaker. The crowd still isn’t too sold on him. Neither am I. Promo: Al Reyes interviews nXt champion, Finn Balor to get his thoughts on the #1 Contender’s match that was just made. Balor says his match against Samoa Joe was draining but it’s his job. The champion never rests. Balor. Balor says good things about each potential #1 contender, but, as far as he’s concerned, the championship is staying with him. Promo: Competitors in the battle royal get a chance to talk about tonight’s match. They include: Cameron, Aliyah, Liv Morgan & Asuka. Closing Segment Alexa Bliss, Emma, Carmella, Eva Marie and Asuka get full entrances, with Asuka interrupting Eva’s entrance and bumping her out of the way on the ramp. Battle Royal to determine the nXt Women’s Championship #1 Contender: Billie Kay, Deonna Purrazzo, Emma, Carmella, Peyton Royce, Alexa Bliss, Cameron, Aliyah, Liv Morgan & Asuka The match begins with Asuka’s right heel planting itself into Eva Marie’s face. She rolls out and is attended to by a referee. All of the girls eye Asuka nervously until Emma attacks her and the other girls begin to brawl. Emma tries to push Asuka over the ropes early but Asuka’s too feisty. Billie Kay’s long legs are briefly showcased as she attacks Cameron. We go to commercial. And we’re back and no one has been eliminated. Morgan and Royce are having a good battle in the corner. Aliyah takes a hard spill, being shoved over the ropes by Cameron, for the first elimination. Emma comes over to help Royce with Morgan, but Morgan rolls out of their grasp. Purrazzo gets awkwardly flipped over the top rope by Cameron. That’s the former Funkadactyl’s second elimination. Moran and Royce try to force Emma out but to no avail.Morgan attempts a powerbomb on Cameron but Cameron kinda...sorta...falls on her face. They try it again and this time Cameron holds on, walks towards the ropes and drops over them, trying to hurricanrana Morgan over and out. Bliss sees this and knocks them both out of the match! (Third and Fourth eliminations) Emma yells it’s about her and crossbody splashes Carmella in the corner, forcing her to escape the ring under the ropes. She returns and Emma tries once more to force Bliss out. Bliss puts a sleeper hold on Emma until Emma smashes her into the corner. Bliss is now up on the corner. Emma carries her over the shoulder to the apron and then backhands her out. (Fifth elimination) Kay and Royce immediately team up to fight Emma. They sit her on the top rope and all three trade punches and kicks. Asuka flies out of nowhere with an enziguiri.. This knocks Emma half over the ropes and another kick sends Emma to the floor, clutching her knee in pain as she landed hard below (Sixth elimination). Kay and Royce almost force Asuka over the ropes but she manages to return under the ropes. The Kay/Royce alliance ends swiftly. Asuka ends up taking them both out with a flying hipcheck when they unwisely linger on the apron (Seventh and Eighth eliminations). Cue Eva Marie’s return to the ring and she surprises Asuka, flipping her over the ropes and pushing hard with her boot to knock her off the apron (Ninth elimination). Eva begins cheering wildly for herself in the centre of the ring as the crowd looks on, exasperatedly gesturing and calling to Carmella who rushes in to throw Eva over the ropes for a surprising win. Bayley is shown watching the match in the back, smiling at the big win for Carmella. Winner and new #1 contender: Carmella in 9 minutes and 16 seconds After the highlights are shown, Bayley runs into the ring to give a hug to Carmella and to hold her hand high. Asuka smiles creepily from the ramp. One cool point for actual strategy. Seeing Kay and Royce team up, and then fight one another, was a very sensible approach to this battle royal. One cool point for Emma because she has a significant reaction from the crowd now, who cheer or mostly boo her. No cool points for Carmella’s win. She kinda won by being a coward and by being opportunistic. Can’t fault her for the second but, the first? She’s great and all, but she had better bring a heck of a great performance in ther match against Bayley. That’s all for now. Feel free to share your thoughts and cool point suggestions on tonight’s episode. Happy New Year, folks. Make each day count. Peace!
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