411’s WWE NXT Report 2.21.18

The show opens with a great video package that starts with clips of Andrade Almas’ start in NXT. We see his struggles until Zelina Vega arrived and gave him purpose. It leads to clips of the incredible match from TakeOver: Philadelphia and then the challenge laid out a few weeks ago to set up tonight’s main event.

William Regal has a special announcement to make tonight.

No Way Jose vs. The Velveteen Dream

Dream taunts Jose with some dancing to start. A knee to the gut and uppercut from Dream follows. He lays into him with shots in the corner. Dream hits a back elbow but leaps off the top into a double chop. Back body drop from Jose, who then dances. He sends a charging Dream over the top. Jose basement dropkicks him off the apron and adds a plancha. After a break, Dream delivers a hot shot and swinging neckbreaker. He climbs to the top, but leaps into Jose’s feet. Jose rolls him up for two. Jose tosses Dream across the ring and follows with corner strikes. Another toss. A third sends Dream into the turnbuckles. Dream counters the popup punch with a dropkick and hits the rolling DVD. Purple Rainmaker ends it.

Winner: The Velveteen Dream in 3:30

Velveteen Dream gets on the microphone and calls himself the Male Competitor, Overall Competitor, and Match of the Year winner. Alesiter Black, Asuka, Tyler Bate? No one cares. He says his name is on the tip of everyone’s tongue and if you can’t see that, he has no time for you.

Andrade Almas gets hyped up by Zelina Vega backstage.

William Regal is backstage to give his special announcement. He announces that in two weeks, the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic begins. The winners will face the Tag Team Champions at TakeOver: New Orleans.

Nikki Cross vs. Vanessa Borne

Huge chants for Nikki. She explodes with forearms and stomps in the corner. She hops on Borne’s back with a choke of sorts. Borne snapemares her over, blocks a kick and hits a 360 side slam for a near fall. Nikki smiles as Borne stomps on her. Borne hits a floatover snap suplex for two. Nikki continues to smile at Borne’s offense. Nikki fires up and hits a cross body, adding some head smashes. Running forearms and a corner avalanche. A cross body off the top is added. The Purge finishes this.

Winner: Nikki Cross in 2:54

The Aleister Black/Killian Dain confrontation from last week is shown.

Backstage, Johnny Gargano prepares with Candice LeRae.

Shane Thorne tweeted that TM61 will win the Dusty Tag Team Classic.

We see a recap of the Shayna Baszler/Ember Moon/Kairi Sane stuff from last week.

NXT Championship vs. Career: Andrade Almas [c] w/ Zelina Vega vs. Johnny Gargano w/ Candice LeRae

They lock up and Almas tries several quick pin attempts. He wants the Hammerlock DDT but Gargano ducks outside heading into commercial. Returning, they lock up again and Almas hits a vicious back elbow. Gargano leaps over him in the corner, sends him in and connects on an enziguri. He adds a clothesline and a leg lariat. Gargano clotheslines Almas over and out. Vega steps in the way of a Gargano tope suicida, so LeRae enters the ring and takes Vega out with one of her own. Gargano comes off the apron with a somersault that knocks out Almas, while Candice fights Vega to the back. Almas cuts off the slingshot DDT and hits a neckbreaker/club combo on the apron for two.Chops by Johnny. Almas lands on the apron and catches Johnny with a rope hung armbar. Almas drives Gargano into the corner with a hammerlock, then stomps on that body part. Almas sends him to the corner and adds another backbreaker/club combo for two. After a break, Gargano gets free of Almas and hits the roll through kick. Gargano gets his boot up on an incoming Almas and snaps off a rana. He ends up hitting the slingshot spear for two. He wins a strike exchange with a kick to the knee, but Almas comes back with a deadlift buckle bomb. Running meteora in the corner for two. Gargano avoids teh Hammerlock DDT, sending Almas to the corner to break it. However, Almas manages to throw him shoulder first into the ring post again. Gargano stops his momentum with a superkick on the apron. They trade blows again, before Almas avoids an apron DVD. Gargano tries the slingshot spear, but Almas catches him into a Fujiwara armbar. Almas transitions to the Gargano Escape! Johnny knows a counter, turning it into a pin for two. Gargano tries the Hammerlock DDT, but Almas counters to a small package. Gargano turns that into his own small package for two. Almas catches a charging Gargano with a hip toss into the corner. With Johnny’s face on the turnbuckle, Almas hits a reverse Meteora for a near fall. Almas sets up for the hanging Hammerlock DDT, but Johnny uses headbutts to get free. Almas takes out his leg and climbs up. Johnny gets free and launches Almas off the top to the outside. It’s a scary fall. Johnny adds a tope suicida DDT and another slingshot DDT once inside, but it’s only a near fall. From their knees, they trade forearms. Almas hits a chop and Johnny nails a superkick. He wants a victory roll, but Almas escapes. Johnny ducks a back elbow, which catches the referee. Gargano Escape gets applied, but Almas doesn’t tap. Tommaso Ciampa enters the ring and cracks his crutch over Gargano’s back. He backs into the crowd and watches as Almas delivers the Hammerlock DDT and retains.

Winner and Still NXT Champion: Andrade Almas in 15:14

Vega returns to celebrate with Almas, who waves goodbye to Gargano. I’m pretty sure there’s a crying kid in the crowd. Johnny Gargano sadly sits in the middle of the ring while the fans chant “Thank You Johnny.” Candice LeRare joins him in the ring to sit and comfort him. The fans chant “No” as the stipulation is announced again. They wave goodbye to the fans and leave together as the crowd keeps chanting “thank you.”

The final shot is of Tommaso Ciampa slowly waving goodbye.