12/14/16 NXT Recap: Nakamura vs. Joe One Final Time, #1 Contender’s Tournament Begins

NXT opens with footage of Samoa Joe defeating Shinsuke Nakamura for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, and then Shinsuke Nakamura defeating Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship in Osaka, Japan a couple of weeks later. We see that we will see the final match between the two men from a house show in Melbourne, Australia on tonight’s show, and it will open the show.

Match #1: NXT Championship Steel Cage Match: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Samoa Joe
Nakamura takes Joe down with a single-leg take down, but Joe is able to get free and pins Nakamura against the ropes. Joe reverses and pins Nakamura against the ropes. Nakamura counters Joe this time and pins him against the ropes again. Joe gets free and goes for a clothesline, but Nakamura ducks under and taunts Joe. Nakamura takes Joe down with a knee shot to the face and then delivers Good Vibrations in the corner. Nakamura grabs Joe and brings him to the middle of the ring, but Joe counters and slams Nakamura into the cage. Joe delivers a series of right hands to Nakamura and then splashes him against the cage as we head to a break.
We’re back and Joe is still in control of the match and has Nakamura grounded. Nakamura comes back with a left hand and then delivers a series of knees to the side of Joe’s head. Nakamura applies a front face-lock, but Joe escapes. Nakamura goes for the exploder suplex, but Joe blocks it. Nakamura slams Joe into the cage and then delivers a German suplex. Nakamura goes for Kinshasa, but Joe counters with a power slam. Joe goes for the cover, but Nakamura kicks out at two. Joe and Nakamura exchange right hands and then Joe locks in the Coquina Clutch. Nakamura backs Joe into the cage and then breaks the hold as both men are down on the mat. Nakamura rolls into a cover, but Joe kicks out at two. Nakamura gets to his feet and tries to escape the cage, but Joe catches him and climbs up with him. Joe goes for the from the ropes, but Nakamura cuts him off. Nakamura slams Joe’s face into the cage and then powerbombs Joe down to the mat. Nakamura gets on the ropes and then hits the Kinshasa from the top rope and both men are down again. Nakamura walks toward the door and the referee opens it, but Nakamura slams it shut and hits Joe with another Kinshasa. Nakamura gets to his feet, as does Joe, and Nakamura hits him with a third Kinshasa and gets the pin fall.
Winner and still NXT Champion: Shinsuke Nakamura.

We see that a new #1 Contender for the NXT Championship will be determined over the next two weeks. The first qualifying match will be Tye Dillinger vs. Eric Young, and it is up next.

We take a look back to three weeks ago on NXT and see the team of Ember Moon, Aliyah, and Liv Morgan defeated Daria Berenato, Billie Kay, and Peyton Royce. We see Billie and Peyton backstage and they say they didn’t lose in Toronto, Daria did. Billie says they are still on track to run the women’s division and they don’t associate with losers. Daria walks up and says she doesn’t want to be a part of their future plans, but does want to hurt one of them next week and tells them to figure it out.

Match #2: #1 Contender’s (NXT Championship) Qualifying Match: Tye Dillinger vs. Eric Young (w/Nikki Cross and Alexander Wolfe)
They tie up and Young backs Dillinger into the corner. Young delivers a few right hands, but Dillinger reverses and delivers some lefts of his own. Young flings Dillinger into the corner again, but Dillinger comes right back with a clothesline. Dillinger gets Young to the corner and delivers ten left hand shots and then ten stomps down on the mat. Dillinger knocks Wolfe off the apron and then sets up for the Tye-breaker, but Nikki Cross jumps on his back and the referee calls for the bell.
Winner via disqualification: Tye Dillinger.
After the match, Young takes Dillinger down from behind, but Dillinger turns it around and sends Young and Nikki out to the floor and knocks Wolfe off the apron again. Big Damo jumps Dillinger from behind and leaves him lying in the ring. Big Damo walks through SAnitY, who are all sitting on the entrance ramp, and then stops to look at them and gives them a nod before leaving.

We see that the next qualifying match will feature Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. No Way Jose.

Match #3: #1 Contender’s (NXT Championship) Qualifying Match: No Way Jose vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas
They tie up and Almas applies a side-headlock. Joe gets free and goes behind Almas and send shim to the corner. Almas catches himself and lands on his feet. Jose dances and sends Almas to the ropes, but Almas catches himself and poses. Jose takes Almas down with a flapjack and then delivers an airplane spin. Jose delivers a senton and then a leg drop. Jose goes for the cover, but Almas kicks out at one. Jose tries to send Almas into the corner, but Almas holds onto the ropes. Almas takes Jose to the corner and then chokes him over the top rope. Almas delivers a few kicks and then a sliding big boot to the side of Jose’s head. Almas goes for the cover, but Jose kicks out at two. Almas applied a headlock down on the mat, but Jose gets free and drops Almas with a big right hand. Jose slams Almas down to the mat and then winds up for the discus clothesline. Almas ducks, but Jose tosses him into the air and delivers an uppercut. Jose goes for the cover, but Almas kicks out at two. Jose goes for the TKO, but Almas escapes and deliver a big boot to Jose. Almas drops Jose with a DDT and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas.

We see that the next #1 Contender’s qualifying match will feature Elias Samson vs. Roderick Strong.

Match #4: #1 Contender’s (NXT Championship) Qualifying Match: Elias Samson vs. Roderick Strong
Samson slams Strong down to the mat and then runs the ropes, but Strong leapfrogs and then kicks Samson in the face. Strong goes for a quick cover, but Samson quickly kicks out. Samson comes back and sends Strong throat-first into the top rope. Samson stomps away on Strong in the corner and then hangs him in the tree of woe. Samson stomps away on Strong again and then pulls Strong toward the turnbuckle by the neck. Samson delivers a knee shot to Strong’s head and then gets back into the ring. Samson decks Strong with a right hand and then applies a chin-lock down on the mat. Strong gets free and kicks Samson in the face and then delivers a dropkick. Strong delivers a knee and a forearm in the corner and then delivers a gut-buster. Strong delivers another dropkick to Samson and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Roderick Strong.

We see that the final #1 Contender’s qualifying match will feature Oney Lorcan vs. Bobby Roode.

We see that Daria Berenato will go one-on-one with Billie Kay next week.

Match #5: #1 Contender’s (NXT Championship) Qualifying Match: Oney Lorcan vs. Bobby Roode
They tie up and Roode applies a side-headlock. Lorcan gets free, but Roode applies a wrist-lock. Lorcan reverses with his own wrist-lock and goes behind Roode. Roode counters and takes Lorcan down to the mat and then smacks the back of Lorcan’s head. Roode taunts Lorcan, but Lorcan comes right back with a series of uppercuts. Lorcan slams Roode down to the mat and goes for the cover, but Roode kicks out at two. Lorcan delivers a side slam and goes for another cover, but Roode kicks out again. Lorcan places Roode on the top rope and climbs up after him. Lorcan sets up for a suplex, but Roode delivers a series of elbows and Lorcan falls throat-first onto the top rope. Roode stomps away on Lorcan in the corner and then slams him into the ring apron. Roode wraps the ring skirt around Lorcan’s head and delivers an elbow shot. Lorcan tries to fight back, but Roode delivers a clubbing shot to Lorcan’s back. Lorcan counters with a back-slide, but Roode kicks out. Lorcan delivers a few uppercuts and a big chop. Lorcan takes Roode down with some forearm shivers and then a clothesline in the corner. Lorcan charges, but Roode moves out of the way. Lorcan delivers another uppercut and then hits the Blockbuster neck-breaker. Lorcan goes for the cover, but Roode kicks out at two. Roode sends Lorcan into the corner, but Lorcan counters with an elbow. Roode grabs Lorcan and delivers the Glorious spine-buster and then drops him with the Glorious DDT and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Bobby Roode.

After the match, we see the final graphic for next week’s #1 Contender’s Fatal Four-Way Elimination Match, which will feature Tye Dillinger, Andrade “Cien” Almas, Roderick Strong, and Bobby Roode.

NXT comes to a close with Roode backing up the ramp and posing for the crowd.