The January 8, 2020 edition of WWE NXT aired on the USA Network from Full Sail University.
– This week’s broadcast opens up with a video package looking at the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team tournament.
– NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley comes out to the ring to kick off the show, as Mauro Ranallo welcomes us to the arena. Rhea gets on the mic and talks about the memories she has created so far here. Suddenly Toni Storm comes out to interrupt. Toni says she’s proud of Rhea’s NXT Title win, but she remembers beating Rhea twice. Toni says she’s going to become UK Women’s Champion again, and then at World’s Collide she’ll become a double champion. Rhea says she wouldn’t mind beating Toni, so she accepts Toni’s challenge. Current UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray interrupts now. She says nobody believes Toni will take her Title on Sunday, and Toni won’t make it to Worlds Collide. Io Shirai then interrupts. Io points at Rhea’s NXT Title and says that’s hers. Bianca Belair interrupts next. Bianca gets on the mic and says she’s definitely better than everyone else in the ring right now. Candice Lerae interrupts next and gets in the ring. Before she can say anything, Rhea stops her and says she already knows what she wants, to fight. Rhea says she wants to fight too, and she throws a punch at Bianca, and everyone in the ring starts brawling. Rhea and Toni end up clearing the ring. A referee comes out and declares that William Regal just booked these women in a six-woman tag match, and it starts right now. Candice immediately hits a suicide dive on the women at ringside, then we go to commercial.
– Rhea Ripley, Candice Lerae & Toni Storm vs. Bianca Belair, Kay Lee Ray & Io Shirai: Kay Lee hits a big kick on Candice in the opening moments for a two count. Io tags in to continue the offense on Candice. Io hits a facebuster, then Kay Lee tags in and puts Candice in a shoulder lock. Candice tries to fight up, but Bianca tags in for the double team. Bianca pummels on Candice on the mat now, and trades tags with Kay Lee. Kay Lee slaps Candice across the chest loudly, then tags out again. Bianca is legal again and she hits a suplex on Candice for a two count. Bianca misses a shot and Candice dumps her out to ringside. Bianca gets back in before Candice can tag out, and she elbows Candice in the face. Kay Lee tags back in and hits a Swanton Bomb on Candice, but Toni breaks up the pin. The aprons clear now as everyone runs in. Toni Storm finally gets the tag and she starts cleaning house. Toni hits a German suplex, but then Kay Lee Ray fires back with a superkick. Io tags in and hits a running knee strike, then a Tiger backbreaker. Shirai goes up top, but Bianca tags herself in. Bianca and Shirai start arguing, and Shirai leaves. This leads to Rhea hitting a bunch of strikes on Bianca, followed by the Rip Tide for the three count.
Winners: Rhea Ripley, Candice Lerae & Toni Storm
– The winners have a brief stare-down at the end of the match, but they end up raising each other’s arms in the ring.
– We go to the broadcast table, and Mauro sends us to a video package looking at Tommaso Ciampa and the NXT Title.
– Keith Lee is backstage cutting a promo about proving himself. He says he’s going to pounce whoever gets in his way in 2020.
– Cutler & Blake (of the The Forgotten Sons) vs. Aichner & Barthel (of Imperium) : This is the first match in the Dusty Rhodes Classic tag team tournament. Ryker is at ringside. The Sons look good in the opening moments of this one. Blake hits a big DDT on Barthel and Barthel is down. Cutler and Aichner both tag in and start going at it and trading a ton of strikes. Cutler drops Aichner and applies a Boston Crab. Aichner escapes and Barthel tags in for the double team on Cutler. Aichner and Barthel trade frequent tags now to keep control. Aichner gets dropped outside, and The Sons double team Barthel with a superkick/suplex combo. Aichner breaks up the pin attempt, and Imperium start fighting back now. Cutler gets dumped outside, then Imperium hits the European Bomb on Blake for the three count. Imperium now advances in the Dusty Rhodes Classic tournament.
Winners: Aichner & Barthel (of Imperium)
– Matt Riddle is backstage for an interview. He talks about linking up with Pete Dunne to form their new tag team “The Bro-serweights.”
– Joaquin Wilde vs. Austin Theory: The opening bell sounds and they immediately lock up and start trading holds on the mat. They fight up and Wilde hits a hurricanrana, but then he misses a shot and falls neck-first into the top rope. Austin fires back with a running clothesline, then a slingshot stomp over the top rope. Austin follows up with a Fisherman’s suplex for a two count. Wilde fights back with a forearm shot to the face, then a series of clotheslines. Wilde hits a hurricanrana, then Austin fires back with a dropkick. Austin puts Wilde on his shoulders and hits the TKO for the three count.
Winner: Austin Theory
– The Undisputed Era is shown backstage warming up and getting ready to come out to the ring.
– Damian Priest is shown in his dressing room with telling his master plan to some of his lady friends. He says his name will be famous forever.
– We see some shots of Dusty Rhodes and the Tag Team Classic trophy to hype up the next tournament match.
– Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly (of The Undisputed Era) vs. Mark Coffey & Wolfgang: This is another first round match in the Dusty Rhodes Classic. The opening bell sounds and there’s lots of back and forth action in the opening moments of this one with all four men in the ring. The Era members start getting the upper hand and they double team Wolfgang. Wolfgang finally fights off Fish, then O’Reilly tags in and Wolfgang gives him a side walk slam. Wolfgang looks for the tag but O’Reilly holds on to his leg so he can’t reach. Fish tries to pull Coffey off the apron, but Coffey drops him. Coffey finally gets the hot tag and he drops O’Reilly with a big lariat. Fish runs in but Coffey drops him, then he goes back to work on O’Reilly with a side suplex. All four men are in the ring now trading punches. Coffey ends up taking out Cole and Strong at ringside. This leads to Cole distracting Wolfgang through the ropes, and then Fish & O’Reilly double team Wolfgang for the three count. Fish and O’Reilly advance to the semi-finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
Winners: Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly (of The Undisputed Era)
– Johnny Gargano comes out to the ring and gets on the mic. Gargano starts cutting a promo on Finn Balor to a mixed reaction from the crowd. He talks about coming back from Finn’s past, and he’s going to prove that not everyone around NXT is soft like Balor said. Gargano says he remembers when Balor immediately dropped his NXT flag when he got the phone call from RAW. Gargano says he got the same call, but instead he stayed in NXT, because he actually loves this place. He says that NXT reached new heights after Balor left, and Balor can’t stand it. Balor interrupts and tells Gargano he’s cutting a nice promo, but NXT is Balor’s chessboard, and he was right that Gargano is soft. Balor says he could wipe the smile off Gargano’s face right now, but he won’t, and he leaves.
– We see Cameron Grimes backstage talking to himself about becoming number one contender.
– Mauro promotes the Red Cross fundraising efforts for the wildfire destruction in Australia: www.RedCross.org.au
– Mia Yim vs. Kayden Carter: The opening bell sounds and both women start off trading strikes. Carter looks good in the opening moments of this one, with lots of offense. Yim starts fighting back and tries to keep Carter grounded, but Carter fights up and hits a superkick. Carter goes up top and leaps, but Yim catches her in mid-air and hits a Codebreaker for the three count.
Winner: Mia Yim
– After the match, Chelsea green attacks both women from behind. She leaves and meets Robert Stone on the ramp. Stone gets on the mic and says the Robert Stone brand is just getting started, and he has officially brought in the hottest free agent around: Chelsea Green. They leave together.
– Dominik Dijakovic is shown backstage warming up.
– Mauro sends us to another promo video about Tommaso Ciamp and his quest to get the NXT Title back.
– Keith Lee vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Damian Priest vs. Dominik Dijakovic: Grimes starts off talking trash to his three opponents, and then he throws a punch at Lee, but Lee throws him into the corner, and this one turns into a brawl now. All four men start going at it, and Dominik and Keith both drop Grimes and Priest. Lee and Dijakovic start going at it now and trading counters. Grimes and Priest get back in the mix now and they drop Lee and Dominik. Priest and Grimes start going at it now, and Priest drops him. Priest controls the pace now as he takes turn hitting Dominik and Keith. Dominik throws Priest into Lee, but Lee catches him. Lee uses Priest as a battering ram to drop both Grimes and Dijakovic. The fight spills out to ringside, and Dijakovic and Grimes briefly team up against Lee to take him down to a knee on the floor. Lee fights up and throws Grimes down, then elbows Dijakovic in the face. Priest distracts Lee, then Grimes blindsides Lee with a cheap shot. Priest hits a suicide dive off the top rope now onto his three opponents at ringside. Priest and Lee go at it in the ring now, and they fight up the turnbuckle. Lee hits a big superplex off the top, then Dijakovic gets back in the ring to break up the pin. Grimes comes in and starts going at it with Dijakovic now, trading strikes to the face. Grimes hits a big German suplex on Dijakovic, and all four men are down in the ring now. Priest and Grimes go at it in the corner, and Grimes hits a Frankensteiner that sends Grimes flying into Lee. Lee catches Grimes, and this turns into a double team with Dijakovic. Lee then hits the Pounce on Dijakovic and sends him flying out of the ring. Priest runs over from behind and hits The Reckoning on Lee, but Dijakovic breaks up the pin. Priest and Dijakovic trade kicks and knee strikes until both men go down. Lee gets back up and hits a double chokeslam on both Priest and Dijakovic. Lee looks for a dive to the outside, but Grimes intercepts him and turns it into a slam for a two count. Dijakovic kicks Priest off the apron, then Grimes hits a moonsault off the top onto Priest at ringside. Grimes gets back on the apron and hits a dropkick on Dijakovic now, and Dijakovic falls out to the floor. Grimes goes up top, with his sights set on Lee on the mat. Grimes goes flying, but Lee knocks him out of mid-air. Grimes tries to fight back, but he misses a shot and Lee hits the Spirit Bomb for the three count. Keith Lee is now the #1 contender for the North American Title.
Winner: Keith Lee
– Lee now has a shot at Roderick Strong’s North American Title in two weeks live on NXT on the USA Network. Mauro sends us off as Lee celebrates his win in the ring.
