Star ratings, prelims and comments by Dave Meltzer
1. Bobby Roode & Chad Gable vs. Rezar & Scott Dawson for the Raw tag title. The idea of this was Dash Wilder on social media teased quitting. He hadn’t, and they didn’t acknowledge that during the match either. And the next day he was back anyway. They I guess wanted to tease him as quitting and then he’d show up the next day. It was a short basic match with the crowd filing in. Gable pinned Dawson after a moonsault block. 6:34 **
2. Rusev vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the U.S. title. They teased Rusev doing a tope but Nakamura got in the ring and kicked him. Nakamura did a triangle but Rusev powered him into a suplex. Nakamura undid a turnbuckle. Lana got on the apron and yelled at the ref “he’s cheating.” Rusev went after Nakamura, who moved. Rusev knocked Lana off the apron. She was selling her ankle. He was worried about her and distracted. Nakamura hit the Kinshasa from behind for the pin. 10:12 **3/4
Fallout from TakeOver Phoenix highlighted episode #490 of NXT. Besides backstage interviews and wrap-around segments, the show also featured matches taped at the Talking Stick Resort Arena prior to the main card this past Saturday.
Similar to other post-TakeOver shows, much of the episode consisted of recaps from the supercard over the weekend. Post-match interviews from Johnny Gargano and Bianca Belair were the only notable footage not seen during TakeOver aside from the Halftime Heat angle.
An angle done after TakeOver went off the air led to the announcement of a special all-star six-man tag team match. Ricochet, Aleister Black & Velveteen Dream against Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano & Adam Cole headlines Halftime Heat this Sunday. During halftime of the Super Bowl, the WWE live special airs on WWE Network, YouTube, and across social media among other platforms.
Sane pinned Shafir after delivering a flying elbow drop. Sky Pirates shined at the outset. Shirai had Shafir reeling at the outset. Duke taunted Sane with a test of strength — displaying the height difference as Duke towered over Sane. They traded strikes from the mount as Sane fired up on Duke.
Shirai hit Duke with double knees in a corner, and Duke powdered outside. Duke & Shafir used dirty tactics to set up the heat spot on Shirai. The heels cut off Shirai from her corner. In my favorite part of the match, Nigel McGunness dropped a reference to Volk Han. Google him, kids.
Sane ran wild following a hot tag, and then went into her finish. A sliding elbow in a corner set up Sane climbing the turnbuckle.
Meanwhile, Shirai cut off Duke before Shirai dived outside the ring. Sane leapt off the top rope with a flying elbow drop. She hooked Shafir’s leg for a three count. The Sky Pirates launched into a celebration.
The Forgotten Sons (Wesley Blake & Steve Cutler w/ Jaxson Ryker) defeated The Street Profit (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins)
Cutler pinned Ford upon delivery of Memory Remains. Street Profits ran roughshod early on until Ford was cut off and double-teamed for the heat. The crowd chanted “we forgot you” as the Sons worked over Ford. A backdrop sent Blake out of the ring while Cutler missed a splash. Ford then leaped across to make a hot tag.
The Street Profits run wild as they clean house. Ford jumped high over the ropes with a tope con giro. They looked to be headed for victory when they are thwarted by dastardly interference, as Ryker clotheslined Ford on the floor. That set up Ford for the double-team finisher and the pinfall.
The newly-crowned NXT North American Champion — Johnny Gargano — makes an appearance in the Full Sail Arena on the next episode of NXT. Until then, NXT all-stars collide in a six-man tag team match as part of “Halftime Heat” this Sunday. There is apparently also a football game being played before and after the wrestling match. As it should be. God bless America.
WWE is advertising an NXT Championship rematch for TakeOver: Phoenix.
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa defending his title against Aleister Black has been announced for TakeOver: Phoenix. This will be Black’s rematch for the title after dropping it to Ciampa in July. Ciampa vs. Black vs. Johnny Gargano had originally been scheduled for TakeOver: Brooklyn in August, but Black was forced out of the match due to injury.
An in-ring promo segment continuing that three-way feud aired on tonight’s episode of NXT. Black confronted Ciampa and said he was invoking his rematch clause for a title match at TakeOver: Phoenix. Gargano then came out and told Black that he was getting ahead of himself and things between Black and Gargano aren’t over yet.
The segment led to Ciampa goading Black and Gargano into agreeing to face each other in a steel cage match. Black also laid out Ciampa with Black Mass.
WWE then had William Regal send out a tweet announcing the Ciampa vs. Black title match for TakeOver: Phoenix and Black and Gargano’s steel cage match for the December 19 episode of NXT: “@WWEAleister will face @ProjectCiampa at #NXTTakeOver Phoenix for the #NXTChampionship! And to square things away, @JohnnyGargano and @WWEAleister will get their matters settled in a #SteelCage Match in two weeks!”
Whether or not the storyline will result in Gargano being added to the TakeOver title match remains to be seen.
Ciampa vs. Black is the first match to be publicly announced for TakeOver: Phoenix, though a fatal four-way match to determine the challenger for Shayna Baszler’s NXT Women’s Championship took place at the last set of NXT television tapings. That four-way match will air on December 26.
TakeOver: Phoenix is taking place at the Talking Stick Resort Arena on January 26, 2019, which is the Saturday of Royal Rumble weekend.
Editor’s note: This article references results from NXT television episodes that have yet to air.
The first match is set for NXT’s Royal Rumble weekend TakeOver special.
Bianca Belair defeated Lacey Evans, Io Shirai, and Mia Yim in a fatal four-way number one contender’s match at tonight’s NXT television tapings and will challenge for Shayna Baszler’s NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver: Phoenix. Belair pinned Evans to win tonight’s match.
Baszler vs. Belair will be Belair’s first match on a TakeOver special. Belair’s character on NXT TV is that she’s undefeated.
Baszler is a two-time NXT Women’s Champion. She regained the title from Kairi Sane at last month’s WWE Evolution pay-per-view and then retained against Sane in a two-out-of-three falls match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames II during Survivor Series weekend.
The Talking Stick Resort Arena will host NXT TakeOver: Phoenix on January 26, 2019. The Royal Rumble is taking place at Chase Field in Phoenix on January 27.
