Thanks to Will Henderson (@willh94) for texting us the following WWE NXT TV spoilers from tonight’s tapings at Center Stage in Atlanta:
* Nikki Cross defeated Vanessa Borne. I’m assuming this is a re-tape of the match they had last night, to air on February 21st. Same exact match, just a few tweaks. Nikki wins with the Swinging Fisherman Neckbreaker
February 28th Episode:
* The Velveteen Dream defeated Tyler Bate. This was a fun match. Dream fights out of the airplane spin. Tyler hits the clothesline after bouncing off the ropes. Dream with a huge spinebuster for 2. Tyler and Dream trade shots on the top turnbuckle, when Dream tosses him onto the top rope and hits the Purple Rainmaker for the win
* Shayna Baszler defeated Kairi Sane. Shayna lays in with knees and kicks. Shayna works over the arm. Shayna with a modified gutwrench suplex for a 2 count. Kairi gets a roll up for 2. Shayna misses a knee in the corner. Kairi hits a spear. Kairi with the baseball slide forearm. Kairi goes up for the InSane Elbow, but Shayna kicks her in the head and pulls her off the top rope and into her choke hold for the submission. Shayna jaw jacks with the announce table after the win
* NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega come out for a promo. Zelina calls Andrade the greatest NXT Champion in history, or Mr. 4-0 and runs down Gargano for losing again and again. Zelina says who cares about earning respect, and unlike most women, she doesn’t feed off her man’s success, she creates it. Andrade says Johnny tried again and again but lost. Andrade says he made him Johnny Jobless. Zelina asks what they call Andrade and he says “NXT Champion.” Aleister Black’s music hits as Andrade is on stage, and Black hits the ring. Before he can talk, Killian Dian’s music hits and he and Aleister square off. Killian hits a running crossbody and leaves him laying
March 7th Episode:
* Ricochet defeated Fabian Aichner. Insane pop for Ricochet. Good back and forth. Fabian gets in control after a flashy start by Ricochet. Ricochet with a running shooting star for a 2 count. “Ricochet” chants start up. Ricochet hits the 630 for the win.
* NXT General Manager William Regal comes out and announces that tonight we will be seeing “the first three rounds” of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. And the first round begins now
* The Authors of Pain defeated TM61 in a first round match of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. TM61 take control early. Shane hits a dive outside onto both of AoP. AoP regain control and start destroying Nick. Nick with a hot tag to Shane. Shane hits a cannonball. Nick breaks up a pin attempt after a powerbomb neckbreaker combo. Nick hits a moonsault but the pin is broken up. Shane gets powerbombed on the apron and Nick gets hit with The Last Chapter for the pin. AoP was announced as advancing to the semifinals, so it’s an 8-team tourney, and should end tonight
* Bianca Belair defeated a local enhancement talent. Quick squash, nothing of note. Once again, no hair whip
* Tommaso Ciampa walks out with his crutch and no music to massive boos. Every time he tries to start his promo, he is met with thunderous boos. He gets frustrated and throws the mic down twice. Ciampa leaves the ring and rips a Johnny Gargano fan’s Johnny Wrestling sign up and destroys it with his crutch before storming out. Ciampa poses on stage and soaks in the boos
* Aleister Black defeated Killian Dain. Aleister with a moonsault to the outside. Killian takes control and dominates much of the match. Every time Aleister fights back Killian overpowers him. Aleister reverses the Ulster Plantation into a rollup, Killian kicks out, but catches a Black Mass for the pin
March 14th Episode:
* The Street Profits defeated Heavy Machinery in a first round match of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Otis Dozovic wants a sip of what’s in Montez Ford’s cup and Montez obliges. Otis chugs the cup, tosses it in the air and attacks Montez. They put Angelo Dawkins in a Final Cut position and use Montez as a battering ram to his crotch. Montez breaks up a Compactor attempt, Angelo hits a DDT on Otis and Montez hits a frogsplash on Otis for the win. Street Profits advance to the semifinals
* Johnny Gargano signs were just passed out to the audience by NXT crew
* Tommaso Ciampa comes out sans crutch. He still gets booed out of the building every time he tries to start his promo. Crowd holding the Johnny signs and chanting at Ciampa. Crowd pops when he drops the mic and goes to leave. Ciampa again leaves with no words
* Dakota Kai defeated Lacey Evans. This was a quick match. Dakota wins with a rollup. After the match, Shayna Baszler comes out, but NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon runs out before Shayna can attack. Ember says Shayna started it, but she’s going to finish it at Takeover: New Orleans. They brawl and Shayna knocks Ember with a forearm shot. Ember hits a boot and goes for the Eclipse, but Shayna kicks her. Shayna starts to lock in a kimura, but Dakota jumps on the apron and hits a boot to Shayna. Ember hits the Eclipse to leave Shayna laying.
* It should be noted that we’re really not sure where they are in the tapings, they’ve been filming randomly and with odd breaks
* SAnitY (Alexander Wolfe & Eric Young) defeated Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss in a first round Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic match. Not much here. Miscommunications between Moss & Sabbatelli. Young hits his elbow drop but Moss breaks it up. Nikki jumps on Moss. EY hits the elevated neckbreaker on Tino to pick up the win. SAnitY advances to the semifinals
* WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne defeated Adam Cole via DQ to retain. This was a good match. Pete has control early. Dunne hits the flipout suplex on the apron. Cole gets the upperhand as Undisputed Era distract Dunne at ringside. Pete hits a powerbomb for a nearfall. They trade enziguris and kicks until Cole kicks Pete out of the air as he flips off the turnbuckle. Pete ducks the shining wizard and hits a suplex. Pete goes for the Bitter End but Undisputed Era jump on the apron. Pete takes both out both. Cole hits a knee brainbuster for a nearfall. Pete goes for Bitter End when the Undisputed Era attack for the DQ. Roderick Strong runs down for the save and they clear the ring
* NXT General Manager William Regal out. Contract signing for the NXT Title match at “Takeover: New Orleans” — Andrade “Cien” Almas defending against Aleister Black. Andrade is introduced, but Zelina Vega says Andrade is not here tonight and if he was here, he would destroy Aleister tonight. Aleister is ignoring Zelina and looking under the table. Aleister moves the table, sits down, and tells Zelina now they are on the same level. Zelina says Andrade is going to destroy him at New Orleans. Aleister says she’s concerned that Andrade will come up, like her, a little short. Zelina slaps him. Aleister stands up, signs the contract, and leaves the ring. He says he’s glad Zelina came out alone, because he didn’t. Out comes Candice LeRae who attacks Zelina all over ringside and lays her out in the ring. Regal comes back out and thanks us and that’s it for the tapings
