NXT TakeOver: Orlando is less than two weeks away, taking place just one night before WrestleMania. We saw an NXT Championship match last week, where Bobby Roode successfully defended the title against the returning Kassius Ohno and he will take the gold into TakeOver to face Shinsuke Nakamura. Tonight, we have six-man tag team action when Roderick Strong, Tye Dillinger, and No Way Jose team up to face SAnitY.
Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Oney Lorcan
A couple weeks ago, Andrade “Cien” Almas picked up a pretty dominant victory over former Cruiserweight Classic competitor Hoho Lun. Almas would bully Lun the following week, and Oney Lorcan stood up to “El Idolo.” Both men are very talented in the ring and the last time they squared off in Tokyo, it was Almas that came out on top.
Lorcan gives his hardest hitting performance to date, but it was not enough to put Almas away. Almas hits Lorcan with vicious elbows in the bottom turnbuckle, and he finishes the match with running knees and an armlock DDT. Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas
Promos
Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa take us on their journey to TakeOver: Orlando, where they compete in a triple threat match against The Revival and The Authors of Pain for the NXT Tag Team Championships. They remember their first time teaming together in the first Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and since then they have been inseparable. According to #DIY, what puts them ahead of the competition is that they are truly the only team that has a passion for wrestling, instead of just being in it for the money.
The Revival also cut a promo to hype their Tag Team Championship match, saying that they are the best tag team of all time (including The Rockers, The Hart Foundation, and so on). Their success backs up their arguments, and they claim that no team has made such a name for themselves against the odds they faced (American Alpha might argue with that).
Asuka vs. Irrelevant Female Wrestler
The Empress of Tomorrow defends her NXT Women’s Championship in 10 days against Ember Moon, and she has a warm up match against someone whose name was barely mentioned. Asuka toys with her opponent, hitting her with a German suplex, a vicious hip attack, and wicked kicks. She could have pinned her opponent, but she instead picks her back up and forces her to tap out to the Asuka Lock. This was a clear message towards Ember Moon. Winner (via submission): Asuka
After the match, Asuka grabs a microphone and cuts a promo in Japanese.
Video Package
Afterward, we get a lengthy video package that chronicles the journeys of Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode to their NXT Championship match. Both Roode and Nakamura arrived in NXT around the same time, and it was “only fate” that they would meet up for the championship at TakeOver: San Antonio.
Announcements
Heavy Machinery, the team of Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight, return to NXT next week. They competed in the second Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic with no success, but they look to overcome that loss in their return.
Kassius Ohno was being interviewed after his championship match loss last week when he was interrupted by The Drifter, Elias Samson. Samson does not believe that Ohno belongs in NXT, and Ohno proposes a challenge. Next week, Ohno will face Samson in a Loser Leaves NXT match. The implications of that match are pretty self-explanatory.
We get another brief video package hyping the eventual debut of Aleister Black, formerly known as Tommy End. TakeOver: Orlando is right around the corner, and Black will make his debut against the man who defeated Oney Lorcan earlier tonight, Andrade “Cien” Almas.
SAnitY (w/Nikki Cross) vs. Roderick Strong, Tye Dillinger, & No Way Jose
Over the past several weeks, SAnitY has attacked all three of their opponents with the numbers game to their advantage. While this is a 3-on-3 tag team match, Nikki Cross can help SAnitY out at ringside.
All six men fight in the ring at the same time, and the referee calls for the bell in a no contest. Nikki Cross tries to prevent Dillinger from attacking Eric Young, but Ruby Riot (formerly known as Heidi Lovelace) makes her debut appearance to dispel of the only female SAnitY member. After she helps even the odds, we end the show with SAnitY in retreat. Result: No Contest
