A Room with a Review: NXT 1/22/20

Posted: January 23, 2020/Under: Belts/By: Richard Phillips

Another Wednesday, another fantastic episode of NXT. Don’t believe me? Read on!

We’re starting out with the semi-finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. It’s the Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly) w/ Roderick Strong and Adam Cole (bay bay) vs the Grizzled Young Veterans (Zach Gibson and James Drake). I think this is the most I’ve seen Fish do in NXT. UE hits Chasing the Dragon, which is an odd move name if you aren’t aware of their history. Imperium shows up to distract the NXT Tag Team champions and GYV gets the win with Ticket to Mayhem.

Next is a brief video package setting up the Rhea Ripley and Toni Storm match at NXT Worlds Collide, only available on the WWE Network. Toni’s picture in the match graphic makes her look like a waitress at a sports bar on costume night.

After the commercial is a vignette introducing the NXT Universe to Shotzi Blackheart. I think WWE is planning to move some of the women’s division to Raw and Smackdown, so they are already positioning Shotzi to fill one of the top spots.

Next is Toni Storm vs. Io Shirai in a rematch of the finals of the second Mae Young Classic. The commentators manage to reference both FKA Twiggs and Gordon Solie in less than a minute. Toni blocks the tiger feint kick (booyakah booyakah), but gets clobbered by Bianca Belair, resulting in a disqualification. Belair takes out Storm and Shirai, and Rhea Ripley slowly heads to the ring. The four women mix it up a little and Toni Storm ends the melee with the NXT Championship (nee Women’s Championship) in her hands.

Queen Cathy Kelly asks Undisputed Era about Imperium. They’re mad, but they’re focused on Keith Lee tonight. They’ll take care of Imperium at NXT Worlds Collide.

Next is an Ilya Dragonov vignette setting up his match with Finn Balor at Worlds Collide. It’s like this is a go-home show or something.

That is followed by Finn Balor vs Joaquin Wilde and his helmet/mask that makes him look like Hancock. Finn hits a stiff Coup de Grace and 1916 to make short work of Wilde. Mean Finn is scary. Give me back my LEGO building Balor, please. (Not really, though. Finn needed the change).

After a commercial, we get Shayna Bayzler vs Shotzi Blackheart. I’m going with SB in this one. The fans are firmly behind Blackheart as a Shotzi chant rolls through the Full Sail crowd. All three commentators are going full Michael Cole, though, over-explaining, why we should love Shotzi (“She’s a thrill-seeker and she’s taking care of business!”) Blackheart, hits Sliced Bread #2 on the ring apron, but when she follows with a top rope senton, Bayzler catches her in the Kirafuda Clutch. Shotzi fights for a good minute but ultimately taps. A good showing for Blackheart that keeps Bayzler strong.

Next is a video package detailing the history between Tegan Nox and Dakota Kai. There are so many different accents on this show.

NXT Cruiserweight champion Angel Garza is talking backstage with Queen Cathy about his title defense at Worlds Collide.

Dusty Classic: The Broserweights (Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne) vs Imperium (Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner) w/ WALTER and Alexander Wolfe. Imperium looks only half committed to their Run DMC cosplay. Good teamwork early by Barthel and Aichner. Barthel has a punchable haircut. Dunne hits a beautiful crucifix bomb on Aichner, but can’t put him away. After a Bro to Sleep/head kick combo, The Broserweights win a hard-hitting match to move on to the finals of the Dusty Classic. Their opponents, the Grizzled Young Veterans, come out to cut a promo and we get a little wink wink nudge nudge towards Riddle’s favorite pastime.

Main event: NXT North American champion Roderick Strong vs Keith Lee. Lee dominates early until Strong hits the left ankle that UE injured last week. Roddy continues to work over the ankle, keeping his much larger opponent off his feet. Lee manages to hit Strong with a one-handed press slam, but O’Reilly distracts the ref so Fish can take out Lee’s leg again. Lee fights back and knocks Roddy out of the ring with the Pounce. Lee misses a moonsault a Strong applies an ankle lock. Lee gets to the rope and, after fighting off the rest of the UE, hits the Big Bang Catastrophe to win the North American championship! Lee heads to the back, but Imperium shows up at ringside and brawls with Undisputed Era to end the show.

It was another fantastic show from top to bottom. NXT managed to set up matches for Worlds Collide, next week’s regular episode, and even Takeover: Portland, while also giving us squash matches and a title change. What did you think of the show? Let me know in the comment section below.

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