SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV REPORT
DECEMBER 13, 2017
TAPED IN ORLANDO, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
AIRED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY JUSTIN JAMES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Pre-credits video shows Andrade “Cien” Almas winning the NXT championship, Drew McIntyre acknowledging his injury, and William Regal booking a serious of matching leading to a Fatal Four Way to become the #1 contender to Almas.
Percy Watson is wearing a T-shirt and a flannel shirt. Did his luggage get lost? Tonight is Aleister Black facing Adam Cole. I think it would be a huge mistake to throw away Black’s win streak on a qualifying match to get to a Fatal Four Way, so I’m going with a dirty finish from Undisputed Era (to lead to a Black – UE feud) or a Black victory.
Almas and Zelina Vega come out to boos. Fabian Aichner is his opponent. Possible face turn for the athletic Aichner?
(1) NXT Champion ANDRADE “CIEN” ALMAS (w/Zelina Vega) vs. FABIAN AICHNER – Non-Title Match
Quick dropkick sends Aichner into the corner. Almas gloats, letting Aichner recover and send Almas to the outside. Massive springboard plancha to Almas on the outside, then Aichner drops Almas in the ring with a leaping tornado DDT for two. Chop takes Aichner off his feet. Aichner catches Almas, powerbomb and a cover for two. Aichner is going full-on face here. Distraction from Vega keeps Aichner for going up top, letting Almas knock Aichner to the floor then drive him into the steps. Hammerlock DDT.
WINNER: Fabian Aichner in 2:12. Great match for Aichner to show off his move set and show he can hang with the champ for a few minutes. Almas looked weak for needing help from Vegas to beat Aichner who has been a low card player for months.
Video package on Aleister Black.
Video from Sanity, showing stitches on Alexander Wolfe’s head and a neck brace. Eric Young acknowledges the loss at War Games, but vows to finish what was started in Houston.
(2) ONEY LORCAN & DANNY BURCH vs. THE AUTHORS OF PAIN (AKAM & REZAR w/Paul Ellering) – Tag Team Match
Burch and Akam kick it off. Burch fights out of the corner, gets pushed into his corner so Lorcan tags in. Lorcan clobbers Akam, fends off Rezar. Burch lends a hand, they manage to keep AOP on their heels for a moment. AOP recovers. Super Collider. The Last Chapter.
WINNERS: the Authors of Pain in 1:16. If you thought AOP was heading for the main roster, a quick squash like this shows that they are hanging around on NXT for the mean time. I like the pair of Lorcan and Burch. But The Authors of Pain are complete forces of nature and they are so enjoyable to watch.
Reminder that Pete Dunne defends the UK Championship against Tyler Bate next week.
Good reaction for Ember Moon. I supposed the championship has done something to improve her popularity. Looks like she has new ring gear.
(3) NXT Women’s Champion EMBER MOON vs. PEYTON ROYCE (w/Billie Kay)
Quick offense from Royce. Springboard puts Moon over Royce. Royce catches a spinning heel kick, Moon recovers and sends Royce outside. Jump off the turnbuckle wipes our Royce and Kay ringside. Kay yanks Moon’s leg behind the ref’s back, Royce with a 619 of sorts and a hold through the ropes. Abrubt commercial break in the middle of the hold. [c]
Rapid flurry of offence gets Moon a two count. Moon wants a double underhook suplex but Royce blocks. They go back-and-forth with strikes. Knee strike to the face gets Royce a bit more than two and she is frustrated. Royc wants her fisherman’s suplex finisher, but Moon fights it off. Moon ducks a kick, picks Royce up for a powerbomb, Royce grabs the ropes. Stomp in the corner knocks the wind out of Royce, Moon hits the Eclipse.
WINNER: Ember Moon in 5:25. Royce got an awful lot of offense in there, didn’t exactly make Moon look good. But what heel women are left on the roster besides Royce and Kay?
Post-match, Kay ambushes Moon. Royce recovers and assists with the beating. Nikki Cross makes the save. Cross single-handedly sends Kay and Royce packing. Then she suddenly stops, looks at the championship belt, and eyes Moon. Cross does some crazy running and screaming, then runs out of the ring and out a side area. Moon clutches the belt in the ring.
“Last week” video package with Street Profits. They welcome us tp the first episode of “Street Talk”. They interview people outside FSU arena. They give a kid some swag and get him to talk them up.
Apparently, the rest of Undisputed Era is banned from ringside for the upcoming Black – Cole match. Perhaps Sami Zayn can explain to William Regal what exactly “ringside” is.
Video package on the upcoming wrestling… it is Shayna Baszler.
(4) ALEISTER BLACK vs. ADAM COLE – NXT Championship #1 Contender Fatal Four Way Qualifying Match
Lock up and some back-and-forth on the mat. Cole plays mind games with Black and taunts him. Black throws Cole to the mat, then locks up Cole’s arm and hits a ton of strikes and forces Cole to the ramp. Black calmly sits down mid-ring while Cole checks his jaw. [c]
Cole is wrangling Black to the mat out of the break. Black drags Cole to the ropes to get a ref break. Cole jaws at Black as he uses kicks to keep Black down. Cole taunts Black, Black stares at him and gets to his feet. Black catches a kick and fires up. Black kips up then lands an elbow in the corner. Springboard moonsault takes Cole down. Cole dodges Black Mass, and is able to hot shot Black over the top rope. Cole to the top, and eats a roundhouse coming off the top for a nearfall.
Black preps Black Mass, Cole hits an enziguri and a backstabber, cover for two. Cole with a fireman’s carry, Black slips our, Cole grabs roles, Black has strikes for Cole. Superkick from Cole, Black rolls him up, foreman’s carry into a backbreaker earns Cole a nearfall. Coles backs into a corner to plot his next move. Cole telegraphs a superkick, Black catches it, knee to Cole’s chin. Black Mass as Cole yells at him.
WINNER: Aleister Black in 8:57. This was the expected, and correct outcome. Adam Cole continues to fail to impress me in the slightest. I spent most of the match asking myself “why hasn’t Black won yet?”
Another reminded that next week is Pete Dunne defending the UK Championship against Tyler Bate, and Sanity defending the NXT Tag Team Championship against Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Not a bad episode, but little to sink the teeth into other than Black vs. Cole. It was fun to see The Authors of Pain in action looking strong.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 12/6 NXT TV Report: Almas and Vega celebrate NXT Title win, Riott vs. Deville, Seven vs. Dane, Ohno vs. Gargano
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