1/18/17 NXT Recap: Nikki Cross, Roderick Strong in Action; TM-61 vs. The Revival; Nakamura/Roode Contract Signing

NXT opens with a video preview for the NXT TakeOver: San Antonio contract signing with the NXT Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura, and the number one contender, Bobby Roode. We then see the usual NXT opening video and then head into the NXT Arena at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, where Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, and Percy Watson welcome us to the show.

Match #1: Nikki Cross (w/Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe) vs. Kennedy Lewis
Cross rushes Lewis and backs her into the corner and then turns her around and slams her face-first into the turnbuckle. Lewis tries to fight back, but Cross takes her down with a Thesz Press and unloads right hands. Cross rakes at the face and eyes of Lewis and then takes her down with a spinning neck-breaker and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Nikki Cross.
After the match, Nikki goes crazy, but Young holds her back as they walk up the ramp. We see that Asuka will defend the NXT Women’s Championship in a Fatal-Four Way Match against Nikki Cross, Billie Kay, and Peyton Royce at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio.

We are informed that “Intro 2” by N.F. will be one of the theme songs for NXT TakeOver: San Antonio. We then go backstage with No Way Jose. He says it’s a new year, but it’s the same him, the same No Way Jose. Kona Reeves walks up and says No Way Jose doesn’t know anything about friendship because he chose to save Rich Swann from SAnitY instead of him. Jose challenges him to a match later tonight. We then see that Tye Dillinger will address the NXT Universe about his future later tonight as well. We are reminded of the contract signing between Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode, which will take place later tonight.

We join The Revival backstage. Wilder says 2016 was the year of The Revival and 2017 will be no different. Dawson says #DIY are simply in possession of their titles. He says the title match at TakeOver: San Antonio should be a triple threat, but TM-61 interrupts and say that The Revival just wants hand outs and doesn’t want to fight. Dawson says TM-61 are the bottom feeders of the NXT Tag Team Division and challenges them to a match. Dawson says they will cripple TM-61 before he and Wilder leave. We see that Roderick Strong will take on Steve Cutler after the break.

Match #2: Roderick Strong vs. Steve Cutler
Cutler goes behind Strong, but Strong counters with a wrist-lock take down to ground Cutler. Cutler gets to his feet and backs Strong into the corner and delivers a right hand. Cutler sends Strong off the ropes, but Strong counters with a dropkick. Strong stomps away on Cutler and then delivers a chop in the corner. Strong delivers a couple lefts in the corner, but Cutler fights back with a forearm shiver in the corner. Cutler sends Strong off the ropes, but Strong goes over Cutler and kicks him in the midsection. Cutler comes right back and drapes Strong over the top rope and then stomps down on him in the middle of the ring. Cutler slams Strong into the corner and then smacks him across the face. Cutler stomps Strong down to the mat and goes for the cover, but Strong kicks out at two. Cutler applies a rear-chin-lock on Strong, but Strong fights to his feet and backs Cutler into the ropes. Strong slams Cutler down to the mat and then connects with an enzuiguri. Strong drops Cutler with a big clothesline and then slams him down to the mat. Strong connects with a running knee and then slams Cutler face first onto the mat. Strong connects with the Sick Kick and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Roderick Strong.
After the match, Strong says he doesn’t care what Andrade Cien Almas said last week when Almas said he was coming after Strong. Strong says he only cares about one thing: the NXT Championship.

We see Ember Moon backstage. She says Billie, Peyton, and Nikki have a shot at the Women’s Championship, but she is going to do her own thing when that battlefield clears. Liv Morgan interrupts and says she wants the same thing as Ember and challenges her to a match, which Ember accepts. Ember says after she eclipses Liv, she is going after the NXT Women’s Championship. We see that Tye Dilliger will address his future after the break.

We hear that “This Light I Hold” by Memphis May Fire will be one of the official theme songs for NXT TakeOver: San Antonio.

Tye Dillinger’s music hits and the “Perfect Ten” makes his way to the ring. Dillinger says he ended 2016 with a big question. The crowd chants “Royal Rumble” and “Number Ten.” He says that is a big question, but a bigger question is “What is next for Tye Dillinger?” He says he was so close in the Fatal Four-Way Match, but there are only so many times you can let down the same people that have had your back for 15 years. He says he doesn’t know if he has it anymore and he doesn’t know if he belongs in NXT anymore. He says Mr. Regal and the fans believe in him and he was so close in the Fatal Four-Way. SAnitY’s music hits to interrupt. Eric Young says Dillinger never had it. Young says Dillinger can have it with some guidance. Young says Dillinger has to pick the right friends and Alexander Wolfe offers Dillinger the jacket that once belonged to Sawyer Fulton. Dillinger grabs the jacket and throws it on the ground. Young says the right decision and sometimes feel wrong at the start. He says the right choice can be unclear. Young says 2016 was supposed to be his year and he tried to do it everyone else’s way. Young says he will do it his way, SAnitY’s ways now. Young says 2017 can be everything that Dillinger wants it to be, but he has to choose to make it perfect. Young extends the jacket to Dillinger again and Dillinger takes it from him. Young says he wants Dillinger to be really clear and to really understand that he is not asking. Dillinger drops the jacket and comes to blows with Young. Dillinger clotheslines Wolfe out of the ring and delivers a back body drop to Young. Dillinger goes for the Tye-breaker, but Big Damo spears Dillinger. Damo picks Dillinger up and power slams him down to the mat. Young picks up the jacket and extends it to Damo. Damo throws it over his shoulder and SAnitY stands over Dillinger in the ring.

We are reminded once more of the contract signing between Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode later tonight, but TM-61 will battle The Revival up next.

We see that Tye Dillinger will go one-on-one with Eric Young at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio.

Match #3: TM-61 (Shane Thorne and Nick Miller) vs. The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder)
All four men brawl from the bell and Wilder and Miller tumble to the floor. Wilder slams Miller into the steps as Thorne and Dawson battle in the ring. Dawson takes out the knee of Thorne and then delivers right hands in the ring. Dawson delivers a scoop slam and tags in Wilder. Wilder delivers a leg drop to Thorne and goes for the cover, but Thorne kicks out at two. Wilder slams Thorne into the corner and tags in Dawson. Wilder slams Thorne into Dawson’s boot and then Dawson throws Thorne down to the mat and delivers a few stomps. Dawson delivers a chop and then a big right hand. Dawson delivers a clubbing shot to Thorne’s back and then a right hand to the midsection. Dawson delivers a chop and then a big uppercut. Dawson delivers a leg drop and then picks Thorne up for another uppercut. Thorne fights back and takes Dawson down with a back-slide, but Dawson kicks out at two. Wilder tags in and they take Throne out with a Shatter Machine, but Miller tagged in. Miller takes Wilder down with a back suplex and then sends him into the corner. Miller charges, but Wilder counters and takes Miller down with a spine-buster. Dawson tags in and Thorne grabs the leg of Wilder as Miller rolls up Dawson and gets the pin fall.
Winners: TM-61.
After the match, The Revival double team Miller and take him down with the Shatter Machine. Thorne crawls back into the ring and Wilder kicks him in the face. The Revival take Thorne out with the back-breaker/elbow drop combination and then work over his knee with the knee-bar submission/top-rope stomp combination.

We see that the contract signing between Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode is up next as we head to a break.

We see that Andrade “Cien” Almas will go one-on-one with Roderick Strong at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio, and that Ember Moon will go one-on-one with Liv Morgan next week on NXT.

We see NXT General Manager, William Regal, in the ring. He introduces Bobby Roode first and then Shinsuke Nakamura. Regal goes to speak, but Rooder interrupts him. Roode says this won’t be like all the other contract signings, because there will be no violence here tonight. Roode says the match at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio is the biggest money match in NXT history. Roode says he followed Nakamura’s career in Japan and feels that Nakamura was never worth his time. Roode says he gave Nakamura his ticket from MXT TakeOver: Dallas and then tells Nakamura that he watched his debut from the front row. Roode says Nakamura has beaten Finn Balor and Samoa Joe and is a two-time NXT Champion. Roode says Nakamura calls himself the “King of Strong Style,” but the truth is that Nakamura has no style. Roode mocks Nakamura’s mannerisms and asks him who he is. Nakamura says he knew their paths would cross and calls Roode a Japanese dog. Nakamura says Roode won’t change anything in NXT as long as Nakamura is the champion. Roode says everyone fears change and we aren’t in the “Land of Zero Talent” of Japan anymore. Roode says he is the It Factor of sports entertainment and calls Nakamura a joke. Roode says the guys in the back and the people in the crowd are leaving their pathetic lifestyles behind to be more like Bobby Roode. Roode says the final change will happen at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio where he will take the NXT Championship and put it around his waist where it belongs. Roode says when he wins the NXT Championship, it will finally be… glo— Nakamura puts a hand up to cut Roode off. Nakamura says Roode looks break, but will not be taking the NXT Championship. Nakamura says he is going to kick Roode’s head off in San Antonio. They stare down and Nakamura says, “It will be….” an then holds his arms up in the air. Nakamura and Roode get nose-to-nose and stare each other down once more. Roode leaves the ring as Nakamura raises the title in the air as NXT comes to a close.