Opening Segment

Singles Match: Velveteen Dream vs. No Way Jose

Dream’s pretty quick to unleash his sensual posturing alongside some strong elbow and forearm strikes. No Way Jose’s response: double axe handles and double chops, alongside his usual cha-cha salsa dancing. Well-matched pair here. Jose drops Dream over the ropes and then he launches himself over the top rope for a plancha. That’s our cue for a…

commercial break.

On the return, both men in the ring, Jose’s getting slung into the ropes by Dream. Swinging neckbreaker by Dream! Jose gets his knees up as Dream descends from the top rope, followed by a roll-up for a 2 count.

Slaps to the kidneys in the corner by Jose. Jose winds up, lifts Dream and Dream dropkicks him. He lifts Jose on his shoulders for a Rolling DVD. “Dream over!” Purple Rainmaker. Bye bye, Jose.

Winner: Velveteen Dream via pinfall in 8 minutes

Post-match, Dream’s getting his name chanted by the fans and he’s got a mic in his hand. He’s awarding himself awards for match and competitor of the year. No one cares about Asuka or Tyler Bate, just him.

One cool point for Dream’s victory and one for his mic work after the match. The arrogance is working for him and more mic time is a good idea moving forward. Jose worked well in this match, too, though so I’m giving him a cool point. He was hustling.

I’d be glad to watch these two wrestle again, although it seems like a one-off.

Backstage, Zelina Vega is pumping up nXt Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas with some motivational words.

We see nXt General Manager William Regal and he announces that the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will return in 2018, in two weeks. The winners of the tournament will face the nXt Tag Team Champions at Takeover: New Orleans in April.

Second Segment

Singles Match: Nikki Cross (SAnitY) vs. Jessica Borne

Cross tackles Borne with the usual reckless abandon fans have grown accustomed to seeing in her matches. She climbs on Borne’s back for a bit, until Borne slams her to the mat. Borne tries choking Cross along the ropes but the referee breaks that with a 4-count. Snap suplex and floatover for a 2 count pinfall attempt. Borne is really wearing down Cross early here.

Cross starts smiling at Borne’s kicks but those smiles turn into shrieks. Flying crossbody! Two forearm takedowns. Cross slaps herself in the face before attacking Borne with a body avalanche in the corner. Cross flies from the top rope with a crossbody. She beats her chest, pulls on her hair and connects with the swinging fisherman’s suplex. Borne’s not getting up from that one.

Winner: Nikki Cross via pinfall in 4 minutes

One cool point for how quickly Cross turned from getting beaten up to overwhelming Borne with her intense offense. For some wrestlers, that can make for some eye-rolling or ennui, but with Cross, it fits. She’s such an unstable presence that I can buy into her changing gears quickly.

Footage from last week of Aleister Black and Killian Dain’s in-ring confrontation is shown. Both men want the nXt Championship but both men are standing in each other’s way of getting there.

Backstage, Johnny Gargano and his wife, Candice LeRae are backstage, quietly talking, preparing for the match later tonight.

Third and Final Segments

A tweet from Shane Thorne is shown, speaking of TM61’s experience in the Dusty Classic, referring to their presence in the 2016 Finals. This year, they plan to win it.
Last week’s nXt Women’s Championship match is shown, specifically the interference by Kairi Sane on Shayna Baszler. Next week, those two will fight in singles competition.

nXt Championship Match: Andrade “Cien” Almas (c) w. Zelina Vega vs. Johnny Gargano (#1c) w. Candice LeRae

Let’s be honest. Nothing I write here will do this match justice. Go out of your way to watch this match.

Just as the match begins, we’re sent to commercial break. Awkward placement.
Gargano lands a few quick dropkicks and clotheslines, the latter of which sends Almas to the floor. Gargano prepares to dive over the ropes. Vega stops him. So LeRae gets involved and flies at Vega with a crossbody. Gargano hits Almas with a somersault plancha from the apron. He rolls Almas back into the ring as the two ladies disappear backstage, engaged in their own separate brawl.

Almas jumped on Gargano once he was returned to the ring. He maintains the offensive, which includes a 2 point pinfall attempt. Almas wraps up Gargano in the ropes with a spider-like armbar on the left arm.

Almas continues to strike Gargano and work over the arm. He chucks Gargano into the turnbuckle and, draping Gargano’s legs over the middle rope, he slams him down to the mat. 2 count and Almas pauses to gaze out at the crowd as…

We go to commercial break.

Gargano battles out of another arm submission, tries for a pin attempt, and completes a series of countered moves and Irish whips that ends in a through the ropes spear for a 2 count.

The two trade punches in the centre of the ring. Punches turn to forearms and kicks. Almas responds with a bucklebomb. Double knees in the corner! 1-2- kickout by Gargano. Ranallo is almost speechless after that combination. McGuinness reminds us that Gargano’s career in nXt is on the line here.

Almas sends Gargano, shoulder-first, into the steel post of the ring. From the apron, Almas runs…kick to the face by Gargano! They trade forearms and chops there. Gargano knocks Almas to his knees. He lifts him up on his shoulders. Almas elbows his way free. Gargano slingshots directly into a devastating armbar from Almas! Trying to counter but he can’t. He tries to roll up Almas to break the pinfall.

Small package pinfall attempts from both men won’t do. This match continues.
Running double knees to the back of Gargano as he lies, face-forward, on the bottom turnbuckle. Pace of the match has slowed down. Almas lifts Gargano to the top turnbuckle in the corner. Punches to the gut. He’s trying for the hammerlock DDT but Gargano hooked his feet together to prevent it. Almas slugs Gargano’s calf muscle and now he’s climbing up to the top! Gargano’s hanging out there, slides freely to the apron and pushes Almas to the outside. Gargano flies through the ropes…TORNADO DDT!
Gargano rolls Almas in. He’s begging Almas to get to his feet. From the apron…

SLINGSHOT DDT! 1….2….NO! Kickout. Announce team is completely invested into this match, exclaiming as Almas kicked out.

Both men on their knees….Gargano still delivering punches and Almas responding likewise.

Superkick by Gargano! Almas with a tornado forearm but Gargano ducks and the referee is knocked out. Gargano cinches in his crossface submission but the referee isn’t conscious to see it. Meanwhile, Tommaso Ciampa arrives to the ring and nails Gargano in the back with his crutch.

Almas is up now. Hammerlock DDT for the pin and win. Gargano is 0-4 against Almas, and his career in nXt is over.

Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas via pinfall in 15 minutes

Two cool points for both men in this match. Don’t be fooled by the interference from Ciampa. It’s not as though Almas had no business winning this match. He punished Gargano’s arm and connected with double knees a few times, once to the back of Gargano’s head, a nasty assault.

Looking forward to reading your cool point suggestions and comments on tonight’s nXt show. For some of the best creative writing about wrestling on the net, check out the LOP Columns Forum . Read, comment and join in on the writing yourself.
Peace!!

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