WEEKLY OVERVIEW – NXT (thru 1/23): Top stories of week, major show lineups, live event results, schedule of live events, noteworthy social media posts, more

The following is the latest in a new series of weekly in-depth articles exclusive to PWTorch which will help put in perspective major wrestling promotions with a weekly overview, looking at news and roster developments, results, future line-ups, social media activity, key interviews, plus a timely commentary at the end. We will be featuring similar features on other promotions each week and each will be updated weekly.

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•Top Stories of the Week

Four more wrestlers have been added to NXT’s incoming class and will report to the Performance Center sometime in February. Rachel Ellering (daughter of Paul Ellering), Karen Q, and the Canadian Tag Team 3.0 (Scott “Jagged” Parker and Shane Matthews) will be join another stacked class. Parker and Matthews should look familiar, they were squashed on Monday Night Raw earlier last year by The Authors of Pain.
Two tag team matches have been advertised for Wednesday’s post TakeOver TV taping. Io Shiari and Kairi Sane will take ok Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke and The Street Profits and the Forgotten Sons will add the first chapter to their upcoming rivalry. I’m guessing this is the first of a couple shows they’ll tape from Phoenix.
NXT TakeOver Phoenix takes place on Saturday night and the card, as always, is completely stacked. All four titles will be defended as well as the culmination of the Matt Riddle/Kassius Ohno feud.

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•NXT Live Event Results

January 17 Venice Fla.

Humberto Carrillo and Raul Mendoza beat Luke Menzies and Mansoor Al-Shehail
Kona Reeves beat Denzel Dejournette
Reina Gonzalez beat Taynara Conti
Brenna Williams beat Shane Thorne
Matt Riddle beat Riddick Moss
War Raiders beat Saurav Gurjar and Rinku Singh
Bianca Belair beat NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler by DQ
NXT North American Champion Ricochet and Velveteen Dream and Keith Lee beat The Undisputed Era (O’Reilly, Strong, Fish)

(Results courtesy of f4wonline.com)

January 18 Tampa, Fla.

Velveteen Dream beat Rick Bugez
Punishment Martinez beat Brennan Williams
Dominick Dijakovic beat Kona Reeves
Kairi Sane and Io Shirai beat Aliyah and Vanessa Borne, Mia Yim and Xia Li, and Marina Shafir and NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler in a fatal four way
Adam Cole beat Mansoor Al-Shehail
NXT North American Champion Ricochet and Kacy Catanzaro beat Rhea Ripley and Shane Thorne
Jeet Rama beat Riddick Moss
NXT Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Era (Strong, Fish) beat Humberto Carrillo and Raul Mendoza to retain titles

(Results courtesy of f4wonline.com)

January 19 Citrus Springs, Fla. (One night tournament)

Stacey Ervin Jr. beat Denzel Dejournette
Saurav Gurjar beat Daniel Vidot
Mansoor Al-Shehail beat Rocky
Boa beat Rick Bugez
Bianca Belair and Kairi Sane beat Marina Shafir and NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler
Stacey Ervin Jr. beat Saurav Gurjar
Mansoor Al-Shehail beat Boa
Velveteen Dream beat Marcel Barthel
Stacey Ervin Jr. beat Mansoor Al-Shehail to win the night’s tournament

(Results Courtesy of f4wonline.com)

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•Upcoming Major Show Line-up: NXT TakeOver Phoenix

NXT Takeover Phoenix
January 26, 2019
Phoenix, AZ (Talking Stick Resort Arena)

Confirmed Lineup:

Tomaso Ciampa (Champion) vs. Aleister Black
Undisputed Era (Champions) vs. War Raiders
Ricochet (Champion) vs. Johnny Gargano
Shayna Baszler (Champion) vs. Bianca Beair
Matt Riddle vs. Kassius Ohno

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•Upcoming Events

Thursday Jan. 24 – Viejas Arena (San Diego, Cal.)
Friday Jan 25 – Riverside Municipal Auditorium (Riverside, Cal.)
SATURDAY JAN 26. – WWE NXT TAKEOVER PHOENIX – TALKING STICK RESORT ARENA (Phoenix, Arizona)
Thursday Jan. 31 – Highlands Today Center (Sebring, Fla.)
Friday Feb. 1 – Orlando Live Events (Casselberry, Fla.)
Saturday Feb. 2 – Lakeland Armory (Lakeland, Fla.)
Thursday Feb. 7 – The Reserve Pavilion at Hilton Ocala (Ocala, Fla.)
Thursday Feb. 7 – RWJ Barnabas Arena (Toms River, New Jersey)
Friday Feb. 8 – St. Petersburg Armory (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
Friday Feb. 8 – Mid-Hudson Civic Center (Poughkeepsie, New York)
Saturday Feb. 9 – Lowell Memorial Auditorium (Lowell, MA)
Saturday Feb. 9 – Sanford Civic Center (Sanford, Fla.)
Sunday Feb. 10 – Ryan Center (Kingston, Rhode Island)
Thursday Feb. 14 – Bartow Armory (Bartow, Fla.)
Friday Feb. 15 – Cocoa Armory (Cocoa, Fla.)
Saturday Feb. 16 – Mark Lance Armory (St. Augustine, Fla.)
Friday Feb. 22 – Havert L. Fenn Center (Fort Pierce, Fla.)
Thursday Feb. 28 – Express Live! (Columbus, Ohio) – JUST ADDED
Friday Mar. 1 – The Stage AE (Pittsburgh, Penn.) – JUST ADDED
Saturday Mar. 2 – Maxwell Snyder Armory (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Saturday Mar. 2 – Agora Theatre (Cleveland, Ohio) – JUST ADDED
Sunday Mar. 3 – Royal Oak Music Center (Detroit, Mich.) – JUST ADDED
Thursday Mar. 7 – Minnireg Hall (Largo, Fla.)
Saturday Mar. 9 – Crystal River Armory (Crystal River, Fla.)
Saturday Mar. 9 – Dade City Armory (Dade City, Fla.)

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•Latest TV Highlights: 1/23 NXT TV Report

Velveteen Dream in ring promo (1:30 – 7:28)

Interrupted by Adam Cole and Bobby Fish (4:00)

Shayna Baszler/Bianca Belair video package (7:59 – 11:12)
(1) Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch beat Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel by pinfall (16:39 – 21:27)
Tommaso Ciampa/Aleister Black video package (23:45 – 27:40)
(2) Io Shirai and Kairi Sane beat Tanea Brooks and Amber Nova by pinfall (30:31 – 33:40)
(3) Velveteen Dream beat Bobby Fish by pinfall (39:06 – 47:31)
Ricochet in ring promo (51:13 – 58:53)

Interrupted by Johnny Gargano
Interrupted by Tommaso Ciampa
Interrupted by Alesiter Balck

(Check out PWTorch’s full TV Report HERE.)

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•NXT in the Media

The King of Bros Matt Riddle continues to be one of the more available superstars on the WWE roster. He recently discussed his feelings on Dana White, the current state of NXT, and much more on the State of Combat Podcast. When the Bro speaks, it’s worth a listen. LINK
As he always does the week before a TakeOver event, NXT mastermind Triple H did his conference call this week with the media. He gives some insight on his own personal recovery from a torn pectoral muscle, the success of NXT UK’s first Takeover, and all things NXT. Here is the youtube link to the entire conference call: LINK

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•Latest NXT Podcast – “PWT Talks NXT” PWTorch Livecast

In this episode, Kelly Wells, Justin James, and Tom Stoup make TakeOver predictions, discuss whether another Riddle-Ohno match is a necessary way to go, twenty minutes’ worth of action in a five-minute tag match, and more.

-On Tune In Radio HERE
-On Apple Podcasts HERE
-Or search “PWTorch” or “Pro Wrestling Torch” on your podcast app of choice

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•Top NXT Tweets of the Week

Ciampa Tweet of the Week

The best part about this photo?

The name plates on the Title.

This photo was taken the night I became the NXT Champion… the night I became the first man in NXT to pin Aleister Black. And those name plates serve as a constant reminder.

Big Daddy Ciampa owns Aleister Black. pic.twitter.com/CqPa7ZWSDw

— BLACKHEART (@ProjectCiampa) January 21, 2019

Velveteen had a big twitter week. First he calls out Cena.

https://twitter.com/VelveteenWWE/status/1086625069290405888

Then this. What does it all mean? Does it mean anything? No. Clue.

https://twitter.com/VelveteenWWE/status/1087402577304657920

Been there, bro.

When your friend wants you to go out and party but you have work the next day, but real talk this wasn’t cool of you Ohno and I’m gonna make you pay what you owe bro #bro #ob #stallion #wwenxt #wwenetwork #nxt #raw #originalbro pic.twitter.com/m52KyG39Hu

— matthew riddle (@SuperKingofBros) January 21, 2019

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•Thoughts and Comments

I’m guessing one or both women’s tag teams (Shirai/Sane and Shafir/Duke) fighting next week on NXT will find their way onto the main roster women’s tag division at some point. If Rousey could pull off a heel turn and align with Baszler/Shafir/Duke on the main roster…it could be awesome.
Fabian Aichner continues to impress with every opportunity he gets. He was far and away the standout performer in this week’s tag match with Lorcan and Burch.
Cole and Fish got into it a little this week, and it was the first time we’ve seen any type of conflict between Undisputed Era members. Sign of things to come? I would think so.
Predictions for Saturday:

Johnny Gargano over Ricochet for the North American Championship

Something tells me Ciampa gets involved and helps him win.

Matt Riddle over Kassius Ohno

Dijakovic attacks Riddle after the match and sets up an awesome feud.

Bianca Belair over Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship

Main roster is calling Baszler and the E-S-T is R-E-A-D-Y.

War Raiders over the Undisputed Era for the NXT Tag Team Championship

More cracks begin to show in The Undisputed Era’s armor.

Tommaso Ciampa over Aleister Black

Goldie isn’t going anywhere. It’s Ciampa’s world, we’re all just living in it.

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