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NXT Recap: Two Men Enter The Fight Pit, Two Bros Leave

Published Thu, 21 Jan 2021 08:05:59 -0600

Howdy folks! The Chadster is here once again to celebrate the gift of NXT with all of you. The Chadster can feel this is the week that NXT wins in the ratings. It's got to happen! Oooh, The Chadster can't wait!

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NXT Review – January 20th, 2021

There's a fight pit set up in the Capitol Wrestling Center tonight! Yes, the CAPITOL Wrestling Center. Not, as Jude Terror has been calling it, the COVID Wrestling Center. Thank goodness The Chadster took over this column.

Guess what: the pandemic is over because Beth Phoenix is at the commentary table in person again! Yay! Score another one for Joe Biden!

KUSHIDA and Leon Ruff vs. Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory

The Chadster would just like to take a moment here to also apologize to Leon Ruff. Before The Chadster wrested this column from his filthy hands, Jude Terror spent weeks insisting that Leon Ruff should adopt a dog-themed gimmick as a play on his last name, "Ruff." Frankly, The Chadster is embarrassed by such crude humor and would like to promise there will be no humor of any sort in The Chadster's columns. KUSHIDA pins Theory for the win.

Winners: Leon Ruff and Kushida
The Chadster's Rating: ****1/2

Pete Dunne cuts a promo on Finn Balor. He questions Balor's loyalty to the European wrestling scene and he's sick of being compared to Balor. He wants Balor to pass the torch.

Vic Joseph assures us that Kyle O'Reilly is medically cleared tonight.

Malcolm Bivens is in the middle of talking up Tyler Rust to McKenzie Mitchell when Rust comes out of William Regal's office and says he got himself a match with Bronson Reed. Bivens is displeased.

Karrion Kross vs. Ashante Adonis

It's a total squash match. Kross murders Adonis and pins him in a minute.

Winner: Karrion Kross
The Chadster's Rating: ****

For good measure, Kross chokes out Desmond Troy after the match.

We get to know MSK via a video package. The Chadster is so glad they ditched all the personality these guys had in Impact. Being guys who always aspired to be WWE Superstars is a way better gimmick than high-flying stoners.

Mercedes Martinez and Toni Storm cut a promo working together as a team for the Dusty Rhodes Classic.

Lucha House Party vs. Imperium

Okay, time for another of The Chadster's apologies here. This one is for Lince Dorado, who Jude Terror is always calling a "furry." The Chadster just wants to say that there's absolutely zero evidence that Lince Dorado leads a furry lifestyle. Yes, he wears some fur on his mask, and yes, his name translates to The Golden Lynx, but that is all circumstantial and it could all just be a fashion choice, okay!

Winners: Lucha House Party
The Chadster's Rating: ****1/4

Alexander Wolfe comes out to pose with Imperium after the match.

Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa weigh-in for the fight pit match. Ciampa is 201 pounds. Thatcher is 225. Thatcher shoves Ciampa.

Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter vs. Mercedes Martinez and Toni Storm

William Regal introduces Beth Phoenix, who introduces the Dusty Rhodes Classic women's tournament and shows off the trophy. She talks about the history of women in NXT.

In the first match of the Women's Dusty Rhodes Classic, Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter take on Mercedez Martinez and Toni Storm. IT's a great match, which Kacy wins with a splash on Toni Storm.

Winners: Lucha House Party
The Chadster's Rating: ****1/2

Finn Balor wants a match with Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan so that he can take them out before going after Pete Dunne. William Regal says he can have one if he gets a partner and hints it could be an "enemy."

Bronson Reed talks with Isaiah Scott backstage.

Tomasso Ciampa receives instructions from a referee for the Fight Pit match.

McKenzie Mitchell reports that Ashante Adonis was injured in his match with Karrion Kross earlier, which means he can't compete in the Dusty Rhodes Classic match on Friday on 205 Live. Catanzaro and Carter interrupt this report to cut a promo about winning their match earlier and going all the way in the tournament. How rude!

Tyler Rust vs. Bronson Reed

Before the next match, we see the scene from before the commercial, but this time we can hear what Swerve says. He tells Reed to stay out of his business in the future. Tyler Rust gets that match he wanted with Bronson Reed, but he should have been careful what he wished for. Reed gets the pin easily enough.

Winner: Bronson Reed
The Chadster's Rating: ****

During that match, Toni Storm and Io Shirai were seen brawling backstage. Bivens encourages Rust after the match.

McKenzie Mitchell asks Finn Balor about his partner. He says someone owes him a favor. After a commercial, he visits Kyle O'Reilly in the locker room and asks him to be his tag team partner. O'Reilly accepts.

Promo: Legado del Fantasma

In the ring, Santos Escobar cuts a promo about how great he is and how Mendoza and Wilde will win the Dusty Rhodes classic. Lucha House Party run out and get in a brawl, which they are losing when Curt Stallion makes the save and Legado del Fantasma are ejected from the ring.

McKenzie Mitchell interviews Killian Dane and Drake Maverick. Maverick cuts a promo about beating MSK next week and going all the way in the tournament. Dane compliments him on the promo and leaves.

Curt Stallion is about to cut a promo when Santos Escobar interrupts and challenges him to a match next week, and he'll put his title on the line.

Fight Pit: Timothy Thatcher vs. Tomasso Ciampa

Wow, The Chadster doesn't usually go for matches that take place outside of the ring and don't follow traditional rules, but even The Chadster has to admit this one was pretty good. They fight on the top of the fight pit at first before it spills down into the pit itself. It's a brutal fight and Thatcher ends up making Ciampa submit with a devastating stretch muffler against the cage.

Winner: Bronson Reed
The Chadster's Rating: ****3/4

Thatcher and Ciampa appear to have earned each other's respect during that match.

Tough night for NXT not getting any five-star matches, but The Chadster can still honestly say this was the best episode of NXT of all time, in The Chadster's opinion! Now let's hope it results in ratings.

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