SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV PRIMER
DECEMBER 20, 2017
TAPED IN ORLANDO, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
AIRING ON WWE NETWORK
By Joey Galizia (@RamJam89), PWTorch contributor
Announced by WWE:
- Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne renew this historic rivalry as they clash once again for the United Kingdom Championship
- SANITY defends the NXT Tag Team championship against the Undisputed’s Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly
- Roderick Strong battles the behemoth Lars Sullivan in the final qualifier for the Fatal-Four Way #1 contenders match.
“THE YEAR OF THE BRITS”
As 2017 comes to a close, let us revisit a rivalry that began at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool England right at the tail end of January. Young Tyler Bate, 19 at the time, fought valiantly through the competition of WWE’s first ever U.K. tournament, landing himself a place in the finals thanks to his impressive strength and unique agility displayed throughout the contest. His opponent: The Bruiserweight, Sir Peter Dunne, whose tactics for making it to the championship round were far from respectable, but viciously effective. The two men are a perfect antithesis for one another. Bate, the scrappy underdog who fights with heart, and Dunne, the villainous werewolf who will scratch and cheat until his hand is raised. Dunne even attacked Tyler in the semifinals to assist in an easier victory when they met later in the evening, but fate and honor were behind the hometown hero that night, for it was Tyler Bate who would become the first ever United Kingdom Champion.
Flash forward several months. The U.K. division had been seeing more screen time on Wednesday Night’s NXT, and the champion Tyler Bate (now 20) had successfully defended the gold on more than one occasion against a slew of opponents. However, Dunne had always alluded him. It wasn’t until Takeover Chicago that the two were destined to cross paths again, this time, in a bout that has MATCH OF THE YEAR written all over it. On that night, the crafty youngster could not keep up with the demented Bruiserweight, and one Bitter End later, we had a new champion in the U.K. division.
Which brings us to tonight’s episode. Tyler Bate and his esteemed colleague/mentor Trent Seven of the faction “Mustache Mountain” have had their fair share of success and failure tagging together. Pete Dunne on the other hand has not only been a fighting champion, but has even debuted on the main roster, destroying that peasant ant known as Enzo Amore. It wasn’t until Bate pinned Dunne in tag action on the road to Takeover Houston that the thought of a third match was mentioned, and because of said pinfall, we get to see them go at it one more time. This may be the final time they meet in the historic 2017, but considering the chemistry these Brits have, and their lasting youth, this is only the beginning.
SPECIAL NOTE: Tonight is episode 2 of the new “PWT talks NXT” weekly podcast which will be available on the PWTorch Livecast podcast channel tonight a couple hours after NXT’s latest show airs. You can send your questions and comments for the NXT Podcast Team anytime between now and shortly after NXT TV tonight. pwtorchnxt@gmail.com
“TAKE THE TORCH; SHOCK THE WORLD”
-The other major marquee title match this evening pits the Undisputed’s Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly against the unconventional babyfaces known as SANITY. Eric Young and company have had their hands full with the Undisputed ever since they won the belts from the Authors of Pain at Takeover Brooklyn III. In fact, they haven’t really been able to enjoy their time holding gold, and come into this bout with little momentum, especially since it was Young who ate the pin in the first WarGames match of the last 20 years. Will Fish and O’Reilly be able to capitalize on the still reeling SANITY, or can the unlikely trio find a way to defeat their greatest enemy.
-NXT Champion Andrade Cien Almas sits atop his throne with Zelina Vega waiting for his next challenger to be determined. The final qualifier for the Fatal-Four way #1 contenders match will be determined as Lars Sullivan collides with the messiah of the backbreaker, Roderick Strong. We know that Roddy has the spirit of a champion inside him, but something tells me that there’s no stopping an angry Sullivan from reaching the top. The winner of this match joins Johnny Gargano, Killain Dane, and Aleister Black, who defeated Adam Cole last week thanks to his brutal Black Mass finisher.
-Ember Moon may not have made it onto the U.S.A. release of NXT, but she did get a special video package highlighting her triumphs including her title victory at Houston. The network version saw her defeat Peyton Royce, and even possibly start an alliance with SANITY’s Nikki Cross. Don’t forget about Kairi Sane, who has yet to be pinned since she signed with the WWE.
Great episode coming at you. Bate vs. Dunne alone should be enough to lure you to watch. Will you?
NOW CATCH UP ON LAST WEEK’S SHOW: 12/13 NXT TV Report: Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole, Andrade vs. Aichner, Ember vs. Royce, AOP vs. Lordan & Burch
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