WWE nXt Results
January 17, 2018
Center Stage Theatre, Atlanta, GA
Commentary by Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, and Nigel McGuinness.
Opening Segment
Great choice to get Heavy Machinery out to start the show. So much energy and excitement from this team who have been favourites of mine since their debut last year.
We see a clip from last month where Dozovic is trying to move their opponents’ convertible by lifting it and they have a little confrontation. So now we’re seeing this match in the squared circle.
Tag Team Match: Heavy Machinery vs. Riddick Moss & Tino Sabbatelli
Dozovic and Sabbatelli start it off. Dropkick by Sabbatelli. Dozovic isn’t fazed. He charges with a shoulder-block. Off the ropes, under Sabbatelli, and he catches him mid-air for a power slam!
Knight tags in and gets slingshot over the top rope by Dozovic for a senton on Sabbatelli. Pinfall attempt is unsuccessful. Knight with a giant swing and that forces Sabbatelli to his corner to tag in Moss.
Moss responds with punches to the head. Knight with the takedown from behind and now he’s going for the giant swing but it doesn’t last very long. Dozovic tags in and we get a double team collision on Moss, knocking him down.
Dozovic with the WORM?! Ranallo calls it a caterpillar which is even better. Jumping elbow drop and a 2 count because Sabbatelli interrupts the count.
Moss chopblocks Dozovic, thanks to interference from Sabbatelli. They dominate Dozovic in their corner for a minute, which prompts boos from the fans. Moss can’t hold on to his headlock. Dozovic with the belly to back suplex to free himself.
Hot tag!
Knight’s in with shoulder tackles and a hip toss on Moss. Dropkick on Sabbatelli. Running splash in the corner. It’s all Knight here but wait! Moss steals a pinfall by using the ropes with his legs as leverage!
Winners: Riddick Moss & Tino Sabbatelli via pinfall in 8 minutes
Ughhhhh. What a cheap win for Moss & Sabbatelli. Gotta give them a cool point for the crafty yet illegal means of victory because it will extend this feud, which is good for the tag division.
One cool point for another fun outing for Heavy Machinery, with special note to that caterpillar/elbow drop combo by Dozovic. Great stuff.
In a pre-recorded film interview, Adam Cole touts the reasons why he will embarrass Aleister Black at Takeover: Philadelphia. Fish & O’Reilly say the new #1 contenders, whoever they may be, are simply earning the right to step up and get dropped by the Undisputed Era. Cause it’s their era and everyone else is just living in it.
Up Next: Roderick Strong vs. Fabian Aichner
Second Segment
“When The Lights Come On” by Asking Alexandria is one of the official theme songs for nXt Takeover: Philadelphia.
We see promo and review clips setting up the Takeover match between Adam Cole and Aleister Black in an Extreme Rules match.
Singles Match: Roderick Strong vs. Fabian Aichner
Big “Roddy” chants to start this match. The two men lock up and nothing doing until they run the ropes. Strong with a leg lariat for a 2 count. Strong tries to leap over Aichner coming out of the corner. Aichner catches him for a powerslam! Colour Ranallo impressed as…
We go to commercial.
On the return, Aichner’s stretching out Strong’s abdomen. Another slam by Aichner for a 2 count. Chops and kicks in the corner bring Strong to the mat. The referee calls Aichner away. Powerbomb attempt. Strong lands on his feet. Off the ropes, reversal and a lariat from Strong. Running forearm in the corner. Strong catches Aichner in the air for a beauty of a backbreaker. 1-2- kickout by Aichner.
Strong lifts Aichner on to his shoulders. Aichner uses the ropes and shakes himself free. Off the ropes, Strong runs right into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker!
Aichner springboards off the top rope for nothing because Strong catches him for a half-nelson backbreaker. Now he cinches in the Strong Hold Boston crab submission and Aichner taps almost immediately.
Winner: Roderick Strong via pinfall in 5 minutes
Post-match, Strong gets a mic and says he’s run through the competition, just like the guy he’s talking about. He wants to destroy this force: Lars Sullivan.
One cool point for Strong because, for a while, it didn’t look like he was going to win, but he finished strongly. Great submission at the end.
One cool point for Aichner for matching Strong with a backbreaker of his own, and for making this a close match. He was spoken well of by the announce crew. That’s a good sign.
Nick Miller & Shane Thorne, TM-61, are shown in a backstage promo, kinda goofing around. They’ve been away from nXt for a year. That’s interspersed with clips of them in action, as well as some background on how they became a tag team in Australia. They wrestled in Explosive Pro Wrestling against each other often, but this led to a common respect and brotherhood. They went to Harley Race’s training camp. They had an unsuccessful WWE tryout. They wrestled in Japan, which is where they started to shine.
This was a fantastic promo and it was only Part 1. Next week, we’ll see Part 2.
Third Segment
Singles Match: Aliyah vs. Lacey Evans
These two ladies are in need of a victory where there is plenty of competition in front of them, vying for the nXt Women’s Championship.
Aliyah with the takedown. Evans counters Aliyah’s pinfall attempt with a bridging escape. Snapmare by Aliyah and pinfall attempt for 2. Evans counters the Irish whip. She lands on the apron and braises Aliyah’s face along the top rope. Slingshot elbow drop for 2.
Evans stomps Aliyah down in the corner, uses the ropes for leverage and swings down with her rear end on Aliyah. She can’t keep up the momentum. Aliyah fights back, capping it off with a Northern Lights suplex for a 2 count.
Evans with a jawbreaker to get space from Aliyah. Aliyah stumbles towards her and receives a right hand from Hades by Evans. Whoa! Evans looks surprised at her fist and then pins Aliyah for the 3 count.
Winner:Lacey Evans via pinfall in 6 minutes
Post-match, Evans asks how nXt General Manager William Regal let the lowest forms of societal trash to walk around the Women’s Division. It’s time that a proper, sophisticated, powerful woman cleaned house. She’s gonna start with the psycho Nikki Cross or confused Ember Moon or, of course, the pathetic…
And there’s Shayna Baszler staring down Evans. Evans walks away. Baszler heads for the ring and locks Aliyah in a Karafuto Clutch. Aliyah taps but Baszler won’t let go.
This prompts Ember Moon to come to the rescue. Baszler smirks as she walks away from the ring.
Moon calls out Baszler on the mic. She dares her to try that stuff with her. Baszler says she doesn’t have her gear but it should be for the title. Moon says name the time and she’ll beat her ass.
Baszler says Philadelphia.
Wow, Moon just handed the newcomer a title shot. Usually, newcomers need to earn that opportunity.
One cool point for Evans, finding her hidden strength with a knockout punch. Aliyah’s still pretty awkward in the ring, at times, and Evans is definitely at a higher level than her. I think Evans has potential against the ladies she challenged. I’m buying in.
GM Regal is backstage and the interviewer asks about what happened. Regal says it’s against his better judgment but he books that Women’s Championship match between Moon and Baszler.
Zelina Vega shows up and says Gargano knows he’s gonna lose to the nXt Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas. She proposes Gargano put his #1 Contendership on the line against Velveteen Dream. Regal declines. Vega disparages Gargano a little more before the camera cuts to…
No Way Jose in a backstage promo! Looks like he’s making his return next week.
While the commentary team are discussing what just happened, Johnny Gargano walks down to the ring, sans theme song. He’s done being doubted around here. It’s not a fluke that he’s the #1 Contender. This is his opportunity and no one is gonna stop him!!!
Fans are on board with his words. Gargano says if Dream wants him to put his #1 Contendership on the line, he’ll do it next week. And Gargano is confident that he will still become the next nXt Champion.
Final Segments
nXt Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Street Profits vs. Authors of Pain w. Paul Ellering
Ford and Akam start it off, and Akam’s much stronger than Ford. This is shown when Akam cuts off the ring and works in their zone, keeping Ford away from his team’s corner. A little double-team work from the Authors keeps Ford in pain.
Full nelson submission by Akam wears Ford down until Akam decides to spike Ford to the mat. 1-2- kickout.
Double team work continues, bringing Rezar in to latch on a full nelson as…
We go to commercial break.
On the return, Akam with the pinfall on Ford for 2. Rezar tags in and fights with Ford, wearing him down in this full-nelson like hold.
This goes on for a few minutes until Ford slowly pushes Rezar towards the SP corner.
Finally, Dawkins receives the hot tag and he’s knocking down Akam and Rezar, left and right. 360 splash in the corner! Ford’s up on the top rope for a flying dropkick/spinebuster combo! 1-2- Akam interrupts the count.
Akam with a clothesline on Dawkins, and that’s the beginning of a dominant run that culminates in a Super Collider on both Street Profits members, followed by a Last Chapter on Ford. That’s all she wrote.
Winners and new #1 Contenders:Authors Of Pain via pinfall in 8 minutes
One cool point for the Authors of Pain for re-establishing their power game in this match. They’re the perfect opponents for the Undisputed Era, presenting a unique challenge for Fish & O’Reilly to overcome.
Street Profits got crushed, but good on them for getting the chance to show up and shine. No cool points though because they got dominated, despite getting a few signature moves in.
Takeover: Philly card looks like this so far:
nXt Championship: Andrade “Cien” Almas (c) vs. Johnny Gargano (#1)
nXt Women’s Championship: Ember Moon (c) vs. Shayna Baszler
nXt Tag Team Championship: Undisputed Era (c) vs. Authors of Pain (#1)
Extreme Rules: Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black
Roderick Strong vs. Lars Sullivan (unconfirmed)
Looking forward to reading your cool point suggestions and comments on tonight’s nXt show.
Peace!!