A Room with a Review: NXT 1/15/20

Posted: January 16, 2020/Under: Belts/By: Richard Phillips

NXT rolls on with the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, a Cruiserweight banger, and a battle royal to name the #1 contender for the Women’s title.

The show starts with a Keith Lee promo. Lee has some killer pink shoes. He says that Undisputed Era has reached its peak, while he remains limitless. This prompts the Era to come out and attack him. Roderick Strong “Pillmanizes” Lee by wedging his leg in a chair and jumping on it from the turnbuckle. Ciampa makes the save, but the damage has been done.

A quick montage of participants in tonight’s NXT Women’s Championship #1 Contenders battle royal, including a returning Tegan Nox.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: The Broserweights (Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne) vs. Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster. Both of these are strange pairings but at least Flash and Andrews are former NXT UK Tag Team Champions. Andrews has a really fun spot where he slingshots in the ring, victory rolls Dunne, which launches him into Riddle for a tornado DDT. Riddle hits a spear on Andrews and Webster, then goes for a Jackhammer ala his best friend Bill Goldberg. Andrews turns it into a neat small package for a near fall. The Broserweights win and advance in the Dusty Classic to face Imperium. Yes, please.

Speaking of Imperium, NXT shows a recap of them getting jumped by Undisputed Era at NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool II.

Queen Cathy Kelley is outside the trainer’s room to get an update on Keith Lee, but there is nothing at this time. But how will I bask in his glory now?

Promo time with Tommaso Ciampa. He says Undisputed Era obviously has a hit list, but so does he, and Adam Cole (bay bay) is at the top. UE comes out and attacks Ciampa. Cue Johnny Wrestling! Gargano cleans house and we get a #DIY reunion moment when Tommy and Johnny hit their old tag team finisher on Kyle O’Reilly. I think I might know who will finally dethrone Fish and O’Reilly as tag team champions.

More Dusty Classic as The Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and Kushida) take on the Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake). I’m really excited to see what Shelley can do. Well, he has some of the loudest overhand chops I’ve ever heard, as he lights up Drake’s chest. Shelley and Kushida move like they may have tagged once or twice before. A great match won by GYV after a Ticket to Mayhem. I don’t know how long the Time Splitter reunion will last but I hope we get a few matches with them.

Next is a previously recorded segment with Chelsea Green and her new manager, Robert Stone. Stone was known as Robbie E in Impact and was kind of their answer to Zack Ryder. And now he’s managing the woman engaged to the real Zack Ryder. Woo woo woo, you know it.

Triple Threat Match for a shot at the NXT Cruiserweight championship: Lio Rush vs. Tyler Breeze vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott. I enjoy Lio Rush. He has a chance to fill the Rey Mysterio “little guy who can win at anytime” role, if WWE lets him. He hits one of the stiffest suicide dives I’ve ever seen on Breeze before Scott hits him with a twisting moonsault to the outside. Rush has the prettiest frog splash since D-Lo Brown. Swerve hits the JML driver for the win (and a possible broken back for Breeze).

Outside, Johnny Gargano is being interviewed when Tomasso Ciampa comes up and says Trent Seven is talking smack on Twitter. Looks like we are getting #DIY vs. Moustache Mountain at World’s Collide (only available on the WWE Network).

Main Event: Battle Royal to determine the #1 contender for the NXT Women’s Championship. The participants are: Candice LeRae, Mia Yim, Bianca Belair, Kacy Catanzaro(!), Mercedes Martinez (that didn’t take long), Io Shirai, Tegan Nox, MJ Jenkins, Kayden Carter, Xia Li, Deonna Purrazzo, Shayna Bayzler, Jessie Kamea, Santana Garrett, Shotzi Blackheart, Vanessa Borne, Indi Hartwell, and Catalina. Here’s the order of elimination, followed by who eliminated them:

Your winner is Bianca Belair. I think this is the right call and I’m excited to see what she and Rhea Ripley can do together. Other notes: They made sure to keep Bayzler strong by giving her the “Diesel” spot, eliminating 1/3 of the field but not winning. Also, they must have big things planned for Shotzi Blackheart, if they allowed her to eliminate Bayzler after that run.

As usual, another action-packed episode of NXT. There were also a lot of new faces, so that helps in keeping things fresh (I’m looking at you, SmackDown). Who was your favorite of the fresh faces? Let me know in the comment section below.

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