On Friday night, the Yellow Brand held its latest batch of television tapings, and this time they recorded the episodes at the legendary Center Stage in Atlanta. Please be aware that everything you read in the subsequent paragraphs is an actual, massive, legitimate spoiler for what will happen over the next several weeks of NXT television. You may read on only at your own risk. But if you’re the sort of person who just simply cannot wait until it happens on WWE Network to find out what happens next, congratulations! This post is for you!
Based on what happened in this batch of tapings, there will likely only be one more taping before NXT TakeOver: New Orleans on WrestleMania 34 weekend.
Results from the February 2, 2018 tapings:
1. Nikki Cross defeated Vanessa Borne. Cross won by pinfall after hitting the swinging fisherman neckbreaker. This may have been a re-tape from the previous night.
2. Velveteen Dream defeated Tyler Bate. Dream hit the Purple Rainmaker elbow drop and got the pin.
3. Shayna Baszler defeated Kairi Sane. Sane went for the elbow drop, but Baszler kicked her in the head, pulled her off the top rope and locked in the chokehold for the submission victory.
— Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega came out for a promo. Vega called Almas the greatest NXT Champion, and they mocked Johnny Gargano. Aleister Black’s music hit and he came out to cut a promo, but Killian Dain’s music cut him off. Dain hit Black with a running crossbody and left him lying.
4. Ricochet defeated Fabian Aichner. This was Ricochet’s NXT debut. He won via pinfall after hitting the 630 splash.
5. Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match: The Authors of Pain defeated TM61. Shane Thorne got powerbombed onto the ring apron and Nick Miller was pinned after being hit with the Last Chapter.
6. Bianca Belair defeated local talent. Biana won with her fallaway powerbomb.
— Tommaso Ciampa came out for a promo, walking on a crutch, but the crowd booed him every time he tried to speak. He eventually threw down the microphone and left, but paused to tear up a fan’s Johnny Gargano sign.
7. Aleister Black defeated Killian Dain. Black hit the Black Mass and got the pin.
8. Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match: Street Profits defeated Heavy Machinery. Angelo Dawkins hit a DDT on Otis Dozovic, and Monte Ford followed up with a frog splash to get the pin and advance.
— Tommaso Ciampa came out without a crutch and again tried to speak, but was booed down by the fans before throwing the microphone down and leaving.
9. Dakota Kai defeated Lacey Evans. Kai won with a rollup.
— After the match, Baszler came out to wreak havoc, but was cut off by Ember Moon. Moon said Baszler started this, but she’s going to finish it at TakeOver: New Orleans. The two fought, and Baszler was about to lock in a kimura when Kai interfered. Moon hit an Eclipse on Baszler to end it.
10. Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match: SAnitY (Alexander Wolfe and Eric Young) defeated Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss. Young hit his wheelbarrow neckbreaker finisher on Sabbatelli to get the pin and advance.
11. WWE United Kingdom Championship Match: Pete Dunne (c) defeated Adam Cole. Dunne went for the Bitter End, but the rest of Undisputed Era ran in to cause the DQ. Roderick Strong made the save with a chair to clean house.
— William Regal came out to facilitate a contract signing between Andrade “Cien” Almas and Aleister Black for an NXT Championship match at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. Almas did not show up, and instead Vega did the signing on his behalf. She slapped Black, and he said he’s happy she came alone, because he didn’t Candice LeRae ran in and attacked Vega, laying her out with a tornado bulldog.
