NXT – December 14, 2016: Reading is the Better Option
NXT
Date: December 14, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Corey Graves, Tom Phillips
It’s another interesting night as we have the four matches to set up the fatal fourway match to determine a #1 contender to the NXT Title. Other than that though we’re heading down to Australia to see what should be the final match between Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe for the NXT Title. As a bonus, it’s inside a steel cage. Let’s get to it.
We open with a look back at the Nakamura vs. Joe rivalry with both title changes to set up tonight’s final match.
The cage is lowered and we’re starting in a big way.
NXT Title: Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
From Melbourne, Australia. Nakamura is defending and it’s pinfall/submission/escape. The champ takes him down by the leg and wins an early strike exchange. A knee drop sets up Good Vibrations in the corner but Joe comes back by sending him into the cage. Back from an early break with Nakamura in even more trouble until a spinning kick to the head drops Joe.
Kinshasa is countered with a powerslam and it’s off to a standing Koquina Clutch. Shinsuke flips back to escape and the sliding knee to the head has Joe reeling. It’s too early to escape though and Joe loads up the super MuscleBuster, which is countered into a powerbomb to keep Joe down. Nakamura has the chance to walk out but opts for Kinshasa instead. A second Kinshasa retains the title at 12:56.
Rating: B-. I’m sure the full match was a lot more entertaining than this but it was a good way to wrap things up between them. There’s really no reason to keep Joe off the main roster at this point so just let him go on up like he should have done already. There wasn’t much doubt in this one and there’s nothing wrong with that.
We look back at Peyton Royce and Billie Kay walking out on Daria Barenato a few weeks back.
The Aussies laugh at Daria until she comes up to demand a fight with one of them next week.
#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Tye Dillinger vs. Eric Young
Still no Sawyer Fulton with Sanity. Young goes right after him to start but gets clotheslined down for his efforts. Left hands in the corner (ten of them of course) have Eric in even more trouble. The Tyebreaker is loaded up but Nikki Cross comes in for the DQ at 1:20.
Tye fights off Sanity until Damo comes in to lay him out.
#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: No Way Jose vs. Andrade Cien Almas
Jose grabs a headlock to start before slapping on an airplane spin to take us back in time while still having some fun. The announcers try to get Gravy over as a nickname for Corey as Jose knocks Almas down a few more times. A pop up right hand gets two but Almas kicks him in the face and hits his arm trap DDT for the pin at 3:54.
Rating: D+. I’m still not getting the appeal of Almas but I’m getting the appeal of Jose. A guy his size with that much charisma should be a guarantee for a spot in this company but I’d like to see them do something with him instead of just having him float around. Almas still doesn’t do much for me but having him as a heel is instantly an improvement.
#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Roderick Strong vs. Elias Samson
Before the match Samson sings a song I can’t quite understand. Samson kicks him in the ribs to start as we hear about Strong’s abilities with a backbreaker. It’s already off to the Tree of Woe for some upside down choking followed by a chinlock. Strong comes right back with a running dropkick followed by a fireman’s carry gutbuster. The Sick Kick ends Samson at 3:17.
Rating: C-. No time for anything here but Samson is in need of a partner of some sort. He’s really not enough in the ring to make anything of himself but the guitar playing character is more than enough to go somewhere. Strong is a case of what you see being what you get though I had almost forgotten he was even part of the roster. To be fair though he’s the kind of guy you can give a quick push and make something of him without too much effort.
Billie Kay vs. Daria Barenato next week.
#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Oney Lorcan vs. Bobby Roode
Guess who the fans are behind here. They trade arm work to start with Roode taking him to the mat and riding Oney a bit, much to the crowd’s delight. Roode stops to pose so Lorcan gives him a running uppercut to the jaw. We actually get an ONEY chant until Roode knocks him off the top and onto the ropes. Oney gets two off a backslide and starts speeding things up with a running elbow in the corner. A running Blockbuster gets two but the regular version misses and Roode grabs a spinebuster. The inverted DDT sends Roode to the fourway at 7:16.
Rating: C-. Well duh. You have to assume Roode is getting the title shot in San Antonio and that’s best for everyone involved. Lorcan is fine for a jobber to the stars but there’s only so much you can do with a name like Oney. Graves made this even better by losing his mind about Roode on commentary, which is exactly what someone like him should be doing.
The fourway is Roode vs. Dillinger vs. Almas vs. Strong.
Overall Rating: C. This was a show with one goal and while it accomplished that, it wasn’t the most interesting in the world. The wrestling either didn’t have time to go anywhere or wasn’t all that great in the first place. Roode should be a lock to win next week and I like the idea of him winning a few matches to get there. Not a bad show here but one you really should just read the results for instead of watching in full.
Results
Shinsuke Nakamura b. Samoa Joe – Kinshasa
Tye Dillinger b. Eric Young via DQ when Nikki Cross interfered
Andrade Cien Almas b. No Way Jose – Arm trap DDT
Roderick Strong b. Elias Samson – Sick Kick
Bobby Roode b. Oney Lorcan – Inverted DDT
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I feel like José would have been a much better option in the Fourway, but maybe they’re protecting him a bit. I really want Dillinger to win, but I know it’s not happening. Curious to see where this is heading for him. Strong is an odd choice, since he was brought in to be Aries partner, but I wonder if that spot wasn’t supposed to be Aries and they just made the adjustment on the fly after the injury.