WWE NXT
Episode 492
#WWENXT
Original Air Date: February 13, 2018
Event Date: January 30, 2019
(available on the WWE Network)
City: Winter Park, FL
Venue: Full Sail University
Commentary: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson
Ring Announcer: Kayla Braxton
This episode is dedicated to the memory of Pedro Morales (1942-2019)
Intro Video
“Resistance” by Powerflo
Match 1
Dominik Dijakovic vs Shane Thorne
(referee: Eddie Orengo)
Result: Dominik Dijakovic wins via pinfall after Feast Your Eyes
Time: 4:21
Match Thoughts
Shane Thorne started strong and seemed to have control of a good portion of the match, but Dijakovic’s size and agility (i.e. dives) quickly turned the match in Dijakovic’s favor. This was a pretty good match, even if it was fairly short.
Backstage
Adam Cole is tired of hearing people say that the Undisputed Era has had a bad start to 2019. O’Reilly says 2019 is the year when they finish what they started by collecting all the gold. Fish says UE takes what’s theirs. Strong is excited about the possibility of singles gold. Tonight, Cole plans to show Ricochet and the world that 2019 will be the year of the Undisputed Era.
Backstage
Last week after Io Shirai pinned Shayna Baszler, Shirai said she is coming for the NXT Women’s Title. Kairi Sane started to speak when Bianca Belair interrupted her. Belair tells Shirai and Sane to get to the back of the line because Belair is still undefeated (even though she isn’t).
Ring Area
Humberto Carrillo and Stacey Erwin Jr. are in the ring for a tag match when Kassius Ohno comes out to the stage. Ohno saw the crowd from the back and he had to come out and say something. The Full Sail crowd makes Ohno sick. Ohno also says that he’s leaving and will go somewhere where he will be seen as the best ever.
Keith Lee walks up behind Ohno and hits Ohno with a rolling elbow. Lee gloats over Ohno. Lee isn’t sad to see Ohno leave.
Match 2
Humberto Carrillo & Stacey Ervin Jr. vs The Street Profits
(referee: Darryl Sharma)
Result: Montez Ford pins Stacey Ervin Jr. after a super blockbuster
Time: 6:15
Match Thoughts
Good match. Humberto Carrillo got the majority of the offense for his team, so it was difficult to see exactly what Ervin brings to the ring. Ervin did get dropped right on the back of his head and neck by Ford at one point which was kind of scary. He seemed fine though, and the match continued to a nice finish.
Ring Area
After the match, The Street Profits say they want some gold. They say their tenure in NXT has been a roller coaster, but they’ve had fun. Also, they are always ready to go to war. They start to call out the War Raiders, but Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner come out instead.
Barthel says no one deserves a shot at the War Raiders than himself and Aichner. He tells the Street Profits to stand aside. After Barthel and Aichner enter the ring, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch quickly head to the ring themselves. All six men argue until the War Raiders come out to the stage.
The War Raiders say there is a lot of talking, but not a lot of fighting. If anyone wants the titles, they should make a move. As the War Raiders walk to the ring, Roderick Strong, Bobby Fish, and Kyle O’Reilly attack them from behind. The Undisputed Era push the War Raiders into the ring, and UE leaves as a brawl breaks out. The brawl is ended when the War Raiders clear the ring.
Video
A video package for Johnny Gargano shows how Gargano finally achieved his goal of championship gold.
Match 3
Taynara Conti vs Aliyah
(referee: DA Brewer)
Result: Aliyah wins via submission with Total Aliyanation (double wristlock with kicks)
Time: 2:51
Match Thoughts
This was okay. I think Aliyah still has a way to go, but maybe she just needs more than one match every few months. I liked Conti in this match, though it seemed like this whole match was just a way to introduce Aliyah and Vanessa Borne as a team (Borne came down to ringside and interfered near the end of the match).
Ring Area
After the match, Vanessa Borne enters the ring and raises Aliyah’s hand. Right after that, Shayna Baszler heads to the ring. Aliyah and Borne try to leave, but Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke cut them off on the ramp. Duke, Shafir, and Baszler attack Borne, Aliyah, and Conti. After the quick attack, Baszler warns everyone not to piss her, Shafir, and Duke off.
Video
A video package showing Velveteen Dream’s victory in Worlds Collide and his challenge to Johnny Gargano.
Match 4
Ricochet vs Adam Cole
(referee: Drake Wuertz)
Result: Ricochet wins via pinfall after Vertigo
Time: 14:23
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Early in the match, Ricochet got his leg caught in the ropes, and that caused an injury which would be Cole’s focus for the rest of the match. Ricochet’s knee caused him to adjust how he wrestles (for the most part), and that made this match interesting. I was a little disappointed with the finish and how it went down, but it was still a very good story for the match.
Ring Area
Immediately after the match, Fish, Strong, and O’Reilly run to the ring and attack Ricochet. ALeister Black runs to the ring, but he is quickly overwhelmed by the Undisputed Era. The show ends with the Undisputed Era standing tall.
Show Impressions
This was a fine show. The main event was easily the best match of the night. The other matches weren’t bad, but they felt like they were more about story than about the action. This episode felt like a good middle-of-the-show segment from NXT’s tapings. It’s leading to bigger things and continues stories without really adding a whole lot to them.
Match of the Night
Ricochet vs Adam Cole
I wish having a faction didn’t mean that you lose a lot without your teammates, but this was still a very good match.
Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/wwenxt/2019-02-13