By Jason Powell
NXT TV
Taped January 7 at Full Sail University
Aired January 20, 2016 on WWE Network
The opening montage aired and then the broadcast team of Tom Phillips and Corey Graves checked in and then introductions for the opening match took place…
1. Sami Zayn vs. Adam Rose. Rose had an offensive run and performed a top rope headbutt for a two count. Rose came back with the Koji Clutch and got the submission win…
Sami Zayn defeated Adam Rose.
Powell’s POV: It should be meaningful win for Zayn to defeat a main roster wrestler, but there was never any real question regarding who would go over. That says everything about the way Rose has been positioned on the main roster. Fortunately, the live crowd kept it fun by chanting for Zayn through the match…
Backstage, Johnny Garano said he won’t back down from Samoa Joe when they meet in the main event… Phillips hyped the women’s tag match and the Apollo Crews vs. Tye Dillinger match for later in the show…
Chad Gable and Jason Jordan cut a promo outside Full Sail University about not being voted tag team of the year. They pointed out that they beat Blake & Murphy in London. Gable said they will be the Alpha Males of NXT. Jordan said they could call themselves Alphas of America or American Alpha. They settled in on American Alpha.
Powell’s POV: I like the new American Alpha or American Alphas team name (they said both). It stood out in a good way when they used the name during the tour of India over the weekend.
2. Apollo Crews vs. Tye Dillinger. Late in the match, Crews hoisted up Dillinger for a standing vertical suplex. Dillinger tried to break it up with knees to the head, but Crews will executed the move. Dillinger took offensive control and performed his knee to the head move and went for a cover. The near fall seemed to fool one guy in the front row who jumped to his feet. Crews came back and performed his powerbomb for the win…
Apollo crews defeated Tye Dillinger.
After the match, Crews said he doesn’t like it when matches end disqualifications. He said he wants to finish what was started a few months ago. He said he hasn’t earned a title match, but he wants a singles match against Finn Balor…
Backstage, Alex Reyes interviewed Blake, Murphy, and Alexa Bliss. Well, he held the mic while they blew him off and then Bliss told her team that she’s disappointed in them. Alexa said she would lead by example by winning her tag match… The broadcast team hyped the main event… A brief Vaudevillains video teaser aired with sinister music at the end…
Powell’s POV: There was never any real doubt that Crews would win his match, but that one guy in the front row was a believer! It seems like they could do more with Tye Dillinger. The Perfect Ten gimmick feels a little generic, but he has a good look and performs well in the ring.
Phillips narrated still shots of Sami Zayn wrestling at the Milwaukee, Wisconsin live event over the weekend only to have Kevin Owens confront him. Phillips hyped that you never know what will happen at an NXT live event…
3 Baron Corbin vs. Rich Swann. Phillips hyped the three-way number one contender match for next week with Corbin vs. Zayn vs. Samoa Joe. Swann didn’t get a big reaction, but there were some positive chants for him. Graves played up his independent notoriety. Corbin performed an early backdrop that actually resulted in Swann flipping all the way over and landing facedown. Cool spot. Swann came back with a superkick for a two count. Corbin performed End of Days moments later for the win…
Baron Corbin pinned Rich Swann.
Powell’s POV: Swann has made a nice name for himself on the independent scene, but this was another glorified squash match.
Backstage, Reyes interviewed Bayley and Carmella about their friendship, facing one another for the title, and teaming up tonight. They were interrupted by Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson. The heel champions worked up Carmella, and Bayley calmed her down after they walked away…
Ring introductions for the tag match took place. Graves questioned how successful Bliss would be without her tag team. He said Bliss and Emma were putting their differences aside. Phillips pointed out that Emma eliminated Bliss last week in the women’s battle royal. Carmella did her moonwalk. Graves said that with all due respect, Michael Hayes never looked as good as Carmella did while moonwalking. Bayley was out last, and Carmella clapped along to Bayley’s music…
4. Carmella and Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss and Emma (w/Dana Brooke). Graves said nothing will split friends quicker than a championship. Bayley was jumped by the heels, but she still started the match for her team. Bliss and Emma isolated her in their corner to start the match. Later, Carmella face-planted Bliss and then applied a leg scissors around the head submission hold for the win. Phillips said the momentum has been on the side of Carmella lately. Bayley and
Bayley and Carmella beat Alexa Bliss and Emma.
Powell’s POV: A straight forward win for the babyface duo. Carmella looked stronger, which is logical given that she’s the challenger heading into their showdown match.
Backstage, Reyes interviewed Finn Balor, who said he and Crews would settle things in the ring and leave no doubt as to who the better man is… Phillips hyped the Joe vs. Garano match…
5. Samoa Joe vs. Johnny Gargano. Joe backed off for a rope break and Gargano took advantage of it. However, Joe shot him down quickly. Gargano came back with a running kick to the gut. Joe went to ringside. Gargano was fired up, but Joe quickly cut him off with a leg sweep from the floor that took out Gargano’s legs on the ring apron.
Later, Gargano caught Joe with a couple of kicks and a DDT for a two count. Graves said he didn’t know where Gargano was getting the energy from, but he questioned how much damage it was really doing. Joe caught Gargano with a kick and then applied the Coquina Clutch and got the submission win…
Samoa Joe defeated Johnny Gargano.
Powell’s POV: Gargano played the excitable babyface underdog part well, but it was no surprise to see Joe win heading into next week’s three-way number one contenders match. Really, there were no surprises or major storyline developments on this week’s show. It’s rare that there is a missable NXT show these days, but let’s just say that Zack Zimmerman, who normally handles our NXT live reviews, picked a good week to take off while in Mexico. That doesn’t mean it was a bad show, it was just uneventful and ultimately missable since it was such a straight forward show.
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