1/31/18 WWE NXT Recap: Cross vs. Evans, TM-61 Returns to Action; Strong vs. Bate Main Event

NXT opens with a recap of NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, and then we see the NXT opening video and go into the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, where Mauro Ranallo and Percy Watson welcome us to the show.

—

Match #1 – Singles Match: Nikki Cross vs. Lacey Evans
Cross takes Evans down immediately and pounds away, but Evans shoves her away and sends her to the outside with a roundhouse kick. Evans follows her out, but Cross takes advantage and beats down Evans against the apron. Cross goes up top, but Evans pulls her back down to the mat. Evans goes for the cover, but Cross kicks out at two. Evans takes her down with a Thesz Press and delivers a series of right hands. Evans delivers a hesitation Bronco Buster in the corner and then goes for a moonsault, but Cross moves out of the way. Cross comes back with a clothesline and then delivers quick rights and lefts. Cross drops Evans with the swinging fisherman’s neck-breaker and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Nikki Cross.

—

We take a look back at the NXT Tag Team Championship match between The Undisputed ERA and The Authors of Pain, in which the ERA retained their titles. We then are reminded that TM-61 will return to the ring tonight and then see that we will see exclusive footage of Tommaso Ciampa’s return at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia.

—

Back from the break, we take a look back at the NXT Women’s Championship match between Ember Moon and Shayna Baszler, in which Moon retained her title. We then see an interview with Baszler. She says Ember didn’t beat her; she barely survived. Baszler asks who the real winner is and who really won. We then see still-shots of Ember Moon entering the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match.

We then take a look back at the Extreme Rules Match between Aleister Black and Adam Cole, which was won by Black. We then see Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish walking backstage after the match. O’Reilly and Fish are going crazy that Cole lost, and Cole calms them down and says SAnitY will get what’s coming to them. We see that Fish and O’Reilly will defend the tag titles against SAnitY on next week’s show.

We see Roderick Strong warming up backstage. He will take on Tyler Bate in the main event, and TM-61 will be in action up next.

—

We take a look back at the match between Kassius Ohno and The Velveteen Dream, which was won by Dream. We then see an interview with Dream after the match. He says everyone knows that the Dream is over.

—

Match #2 – Tag Team Match: TM-61 (Nick Miller and Shane Thorne) vs. The Ealy Brothers (Gabriel and Uriel)
Miller and Uriel start the match. Miller delivers a few chops and tags in Thorne. They take Uriel down and then Thorne connects with a standing moonsault. Uriel rolls to the floor and Thorne takes both of them down on the floor. Thorne tosses Uriel back into the match and tags in Miller. They delivers clotheslines in the corner. Miller delivers forearm shots and Uriel dives into the ropes. Gabriel switches into the match behind the referee’s back and takes Miller down with a boot. Uriel comes back in and they splash Miller in the corner. Gabriel drops Thorne to the floor and Uriel takes Miller down to the mat. Miller fights back and drops Uriel with a clothesline. Thorne sends Gabriel to the floor and delivers an uppercut to Uriel in the corner. Thorne sends Gabriel into Uriel and then delivers a leg lariat to both. Thorne takes Uriel down and tags in Miller, who connects with a moonsault, but Gabriel breaks it up. Thorne sends Gabriel to the floor and then Thorne and Miller deliver Thunder Valley to Uriel and Miller gets the pin fall.
Winners: TM-61.

—

We see Tyler Bate warming up for his match backstage before we head to a break.

—

Back from the break, TM-61 is backstage. Miller says they are so much better than they were before and they are the mighty. Thorne finishes it with “and the mighty don’t kneel.”

We take a look back at the NXT Championship match between Andrade “Cien” Almas and Johnny Gargano, in which Almas retained his title. We then revisit the return of Tommaso Ciampa, who attacked Gargano after the match. We then see Ciampa walking outside and he walks right through the press who were trying to interview him. We then see still-shots of Almas’ entrance into the Royal Rumble Match. We then see an interview with Almas and Zelina Vega. Vega says this was her plan all along, for people to see who the real Andrade is. Almas says this is only the beginning and Vega asks where Johnny Wrestling was during all of this. Almas says he was probably watching on TV before he and Vega leave.

We see that Tyler Bate and Roderick Strong will meet in the main event, which is up next.

—

Maro Ranallo confirms that EC 3 has indeed signed with NXT and then we see still-shots of Adam Cole’s entrance into the Royal Rumble Match.

We then see that Adam Cole will go one-on-one with Killian Dain next week.

—

Match #3 – #1 Contender’s (WWE United Kingdom Championship) Match: Roderick Strong vs. Tyler Bate
Thy lockup and Strong gains the advantage. Bate comes back with a wrist-lock take down and then delivers a dropkick. Bate delivers the airplane spin, but Strong gets free and delivers a back-breaker. Strong goes for the cover, but Bate kicks out at two. Strong delivers a chop and then another back-breaker. Strong goes for another cover, but Bate kicks out at two. Bate tries to fight back, but Strong kicks him in the face. Strong applies a front face-lock, but Bate fights free with body shots and then a headbutt. Strong keeps control and delivers another back-breaker and then throws Bate into the turnbuckles. Strong goes for the cover, but Bate kicks out at two as we head to a break.
Back from the break, Strong is still in control. Strong applies a bow-and-arrow submission, but Bate works his way free. Bate delivers a jaw-breaker and a throat punch. Bate delivers a few uppercuts and then a boot to the face. Bate delivers an uppercut in the corner and then a knee lift to the face. Bate delivers a knee to Strong’s neck and then delivers a German suplex. Bate goes for the cover, but Strong kicks out at two. Strong comes back with elbow shots, but Bate delivers the exploder suplex. Bate delivers a standing shooting star press and goes for the cover, but Strong kicks out at two. Bate goes up top, but Strong cuts him off and goes up top as well. Strong goes for a superplex, but Bate fights him off. Strong pulls Bate down and delivers a back-breaker. Strong goes for the cover, but Bate kicks out at two.
Bate comes back with a hurricanrana and then delivers a combo kick. Bate counters a back-breaker with a back slide and gets a two count. Bate comes off the ropes and drops Strong with a lariat and goes for the cover, but Strong kicks out at two and both men are down. Bate goes for the Tyler Driver 97, but he cannot lift Strong up. Bate goes for a roll-up, but Strong kicks out at two. Strong delivers two knee shots and then spikes Bate to the mat. Strong delivers the End of Heartache and gets the pin fall.
Winner and Number One Contender for the WWE United Kingdom Championship: Roderick Strong.