NXT UK will be airing on the WWE Network later this evening with some top bouts already announced.
The feature bout will see Noam Dar face Zack Gibson. Gibson appeared during last week’s episode and labelled Dar an “embarrassment.” NXT UK General Manager Johnny Saint made the match between the two Superstars for this week. Both men are stalwarts of the UK scene and this could be a barnburner, Noam Dar has been criminally underused since joining WWE and Gibson is one of the best heel characters in the world right now.
‘Flash’ Morgan Webster will be taking on Mark Coffey. Webster broke up an assault from The Coffey Brothers on episode 1 two weeks ago, the brothers were attacking Mark Andrews after he challenged Joe Coffey.
Jordan Devlin will also be in action when he takes on Tucker. This will be Devlin’s debut match for the new WWE Network series. The Irish Superstar has been one of the standout performers on the UK independent circuit this year, having blow away matches for Over The Top (OTT) wrestling as their Champion. Devlin has also been in action for PROGRESS, scoring an incredible bout against Will Ospreay for their ‘Got Got Need’ card earlier this year, a potential Match of the Year candidate.
You can check out the results from weeks 1 and 2 here:
WWE will present 205 Live and NXT tonight on the WWE Network. Matt Riddle will make his NXT debut and there is title implications on the line in tonight’s 205 Live main event.
205 Live Preview 10/31
“Gentleman” Jack Gallagher vs The Brian Kendrick
Gallagher and Drew Gulak threw Brian Kendrick out of their trio earlier this month. Gulak claimed Kendrick had become a weak link. Now, Kendrick gets a shot at revenge against Gallagher tonight.
Tony Nese vs Mustafa Ali (#1 Contenders Match)
Tony Nese defeated Cedric Alexander two nights after Cedric lost the Cruiserweight title to Buddy Murphy at Super Show-Down. Then Nese defeated 4 of the top other cruiserweights in the division in a fatal 5-way match. If he beats Mustafa Ali tonight, he’ll earn a title shot against his training partner, Buddy Murphy.
Mustafa Ali defeated Hideo Itami in a Falls Count Anywhere match to blow-off their rivalry. They had been working a program since the summer.
The winner of this match will be the next to challenge Buddy Murphy for the title.
NXT Preview 10/31
Fallout From Last Week
Johnny Gargano was revealed as Aleister Black’s attacker last week. His actions have been met with admiration from his former tag-team partner and current NXT Champion, Tommaso Ciampa.
William Regal was set to announce who would challenge Ciampa at Takeover: WarGames before the attack was made. It was an announcement that Lars Sullivan and Velveteen Dream had been waiting on. We will see if Regal is able to make an announcement regarding the title match at Takeover tonight.
War Raiders vs Adam Cole & Bobby Fish
The War Raiders were unable to defeat Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly two weeks ago for the tag titles after a returning Bobby Fish caused the distraction. Tonight, the War Raiders get a chance for revenge against the Undisputed Era.
EC3 has also had issues with the Undisputed Era recently. He might be watching this match closely.
Matt Riddle NXT Debut
After being introduced to the NXT live crowd in August, Matt Riddle will make his debut on WWE programming tonight. The King Of Bros’ opponent has yet to be named, likely meaning he’ll face enhancement talent tonight.
The Street Profits vs The Mighty
The new EVOLVE tag-team champions, the Street Profits, will face their longtime tag-team rival in NXT, the Mighty. These two teams are 1-1 against each other on WWE programming. The Street Profits won their first match back in July while the Mighty won the rematch in September.
Nikki Cross In Single’s Action
Nikki shared her secret with Aleister Black two weeks ago. Tonight, she’ll be back in single’s action as she looks to climb back up the rankings of the women’s single’s division in NXT. She’s likely still looking for another rematch against Bianca Belair.
German based promotion wXw has announced that Axel Dieter Jr will be returning for one night only. The former Ringkampf stable member will be joining the 18th Anniversary show on December 22nd in Oberhausen.
Dieter Jr left wXw back in April of 2017. The German Superstar made his way to NXT but as of yet has not been heavily featured on the WWE Network programme. Dieter Jr finally made his NXT debut in August of this year in a losing effort against Keith Lee.
As well as his time in wXw, Dieter Jr had an impressive run for the UK’s PROGRESS promotion. Bouts against The London Riots, The South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper and Travis Banks) and The Hunter Brothers alongside WALTER gained him a strong following. Dieter Jr also faced British Strong Style (Pete Dunne, Trent Seven and Tyler Bate) alongside Timothy Thatcher and WALTER.
Axel’s opponent has not yet been confirmed for the show. A headline grabber against one of his former Ringkampf stablemates could be on the cards. If wXw do decide to go down this route then a match against WALTER or Timothy Thatcher could be a potential match of the year candidate. We’ll update as and when wXw confirm Dieter’s involvement this December.
Shayna Baszler was seen leaving the Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum last night after Evolution. Early speculation is she suffered a sprained ankle. An injury could mean the NXT Women’s Champion might not be able to compete in 18 days at Takeover: WarGames.
Baszler’s injury was addressed today on Wrestling Observer Live.
“Shayna injured her ankle during the match,” Bryan Alvarez said. “And I don’t know the extent of it. She was at the airport this morning on crutches. She is very much downplaying it because she is Shayna Baszler and this is what MMA fighters do. But she is scheduled to be evaluated today and we will find out if it is bad enough to keep her off the Takeover show. We’ll find out but something happened to her ankle in the match last night.”
Shayna Baszler NXT Women’s Champion
Shayna Baszler defeated Kairi Sane last night at Evolution to re-gain the NXT Women’s Championship.
It was the fourth time Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler have met in single’s competition. They are 2-2 against each other.
Kairi Sane defeated Shayna Baszler – Mae Young Classic Final 2017 (September 12th, 2017)
Shayna Bazler defeated Kairi Sane (NXT February 2nd, 2018)
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa appears to be pleased with his former tag-team partner and rival, Johnny Gargano. On NXT this week, it was revealed that Gargano was the man who attacked Aleister Black. The attack took Black out of a scheduled triple threat match for the NXT Championship against himself and Ciampa.
Not long after the episode aired this week, Ciampa released the following statement:
His statement has led some to believe a heel version of the DIY tag-team could be near. Ciampa also posted the following to his Twitter account yesterday:
We noted before how Raw Star Bobby Lashley was working hurt but at the time there weren’t any details available about the type of injury he is dealing with.
Now the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter has revealed that Lashley has actually been dealing with a separated shoulder but still trying to work through the pain.
No word yet on if the injury will cause Bobby to take time off in future but it appears that the former Impact Star will continue to work as long as he can.
NXT Tag Team To Challenge For Indie Title?
EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Chris Dickinson & Jaka recently posted a video where they issued an open challenge to any tag team in the world to come and challenge them for their title at Sunday’s EVOLVE 114 event in Ybor City, Florida.
Interestingly, Angelo Dawkins who is one-half of the NXT Tag Team Street Profits made the following tweet indicating that they may appear at the show to answer this challenge:
It’s well known that WWE and EVOLVE have a working relationship. Many NXT stars have previously made appearances for the promotion. So it wouldn’t be a big surprise if the duo actually shows up at the upcoming event.
Undisputed Era Brutally Attacked EC3 After He Defeated Adam Cole
Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, Bobby Fish) came down to the ring to kick off this week’s episode of NXT. Cole said Bobby Fish is back and Undisputed Era is at 100%. Cole warned the NXT locker room and boasted about Undisputed Era demolishing War Raiders on last week’s show.
Cole stated that they are going to get people to fear NXT. He added that Ricochet has his North American Championship and demanded another rematch. EC3 interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp with a microphone in his hand.
EC3 told Adam Cole that he does not deserve a rematch for the North American Championship. EC3 added that it doesn’t matter that Undisputed Era is 100% because he is the top 1%. Cole demanded that a referee get out here right now so he can teach EC3 a lesson.
Cole then battled EC3 with the rest of Undisputed Era ringside for the match. Cole bounced EC3’s face off the turnbuckle and stomped on him several times in the corner. EC3 turned the tables and hit Cole with a chop and then bounced Cole’s face off the top turnbuckle.
EC3 connected with another chop and then followed it up with a Body Slam. EC3 connected with an Elbow Drop and then Clotheslined him out of the ring. Undisputed Era distracted EC3 and Cole tried to capitalize with a boot. EC3 caught him and slammed Cole face first to the ring apron.
Back in the ring, Adam Cole connected with a Superkick out of nowhere and sent EC3 back to the corner of the ring. Cole hit a Neckbreaker and beat down EC3 in the corner once again. Cole followed it up with another Neckbreaker and went for the cover but EC3 kicked out at one. Cole applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring as the crowd got behind EC3.
EC3 escaped but Cole hit him with a running kick to the face for another one count. EC3 battled back with a couple of chops and then went for a Splash but Cole got out of the way and hit another Neckbreaker for a near fall. Cole then went back to the Headlock in the middle of the ring as Bobby Fish shouted at the referee to ask EC3 if he wanted to quit.
EC3 countered into an awesome Suplex and both Superstars fell to the canvas. The crowd chanted “EC3!” as he connected with a flurry of jabs. EC3 followed it up with a flying forearm and then a German Suplex. EC3 dodged a kick from Cole and planted him with a Powerbomb for a two count.
Undisputed Era hopped up on the ring apron for a distraction and Cole capitalized with a Superkick. EC3 shrugged it off and leveled Cole with a massive Clothesline. EC3 knocked Undisputed Era off the apron and then rolled up Cole for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Strong and O’Reilly attacked EC3 on the entrance ramp. Cole and Fish joined them in beating EC3 down at the top of the ramp. Cole hit EC3 with a Shining Wizard and shouted that NXT belongs to Undisputed Era. Bobby Fish then grabbed a steel chair and bashed EC3 on his knee with it.
Later on the show, NXT GM William Regal informed Adam Cole and Bobby Fish that they will be facing War Raiders on next week’s show.
Aliyah faced Mia Yim tonight on NXT. The crowd chanted “Mia’s gonna kill you!” as the two Superstars locked up in the middle of the ring. Mia started off the match with a couple of Arm Drags and then a Dropkick that sent Aliyah tumbling out of the ring.
Aliyah battled back and hit Mia with a Clothesline and then a couple of Leg Drops for a two count. Aliyah applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring as the crowd got behind Yim. Mia broke free but Aliyah connected with a series of punches for a two count. Aliyah beatdown Yim in the corner of the ring and followed it up with a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count.
Mia hit Aliyah with a boot to the face and then a Clothesline. Yim followed it up with a Facewash kick in the corner and then a Cannonball. Mia then booted Aliyah in the face for the pinfall victory.
Justin Xavier faced Kassius Ohno tonight on NXT. Ohno and Xavier locked up to start off the match. Ohno mocked Xavier and got an elbow to the face. Ohno responded with a massive kick to Xavier’s face and then another one. Ohno followed it up with a Leg Drop and shouted: “this isn’t what I asked for Regal!”. Ohno followed it up with two Sentons in a row and a rolling elbow for the victory.
After the match, Nikki Cross came down to the entrance ramp with a smile on her face. Nikki told Ohno “he’s coming!” and then laughed before going backstage.
NXT GM William Regal came down to the ring at the end of this week’s episode of NXT. Regal said that we are four weeks away from NXT TakeOver: War Games and was going to announce who will face Tommaso Ciampa for the NXT Championship.
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa interrupted and joined Regal in the ring. Ciampa told Regal to wipe the smug look off his face and stop staring at his title. Tommaso told Regal to make his announcement and then Velveteen Dream joined the party.
Dream told Regal that he wants him to say his name and then entered the ring. Lars Sullivan came down to the entrance ramp with a microphone and stated that everyone was standing in “Lars Sullivan territory”. Lars told Dream to move because the NXT Championship belongs to him.
Velveteen Dream told Lars to wear some pants and Sullivan grabbed him by the throat. Nikki Cross showed up again and shouted “he is coming!” and Aleister Black was shown beating the hell out of everyone in sight backstage.
Black marched down to the ring and hit Sullivan with Black Mass. Aleister shouted “where is he?!” at Regal and then turned around into a Superkick from Johnny Gargano. Johnny said “I’m right here” and stood over Black as NXT went off the air.
WWE debuted the NXT UK brand show on the Network this past Wednesday. This was a long awaited step in the evolution of NXT in terms of global presence for the ‘developmental’ brand.
NXT UK may not be the only branch of NXT in the European territory. According to the Wrestling Observer WWE are looking at expanding into Germany with a specific NXT Germany brand being considered. The Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) brand are reportedly in the fold in a relationship akin to that of PROGRESS and NXT UK.
WWE are holding a four-day tryout in Cologne next month. WWE Performance Center coach and British legend Robbie Brookside was recently seen at a wXw event reportedly scouting talent. This was all believed to be part of WWE’s planned extension into Germany, whether this means that they will be getting an NXT brand? This remains to be seen.
Opinion: It would be interesting for WWE to introduce a specific German NXT programme. The UK division took a long time to establish and bring to the Network and whilst Europe is a big market it is arguably not big enough to have TWO brands. Could WWE introduce an NXT Europe brand in the near future? This would be far more of a likely and intriguing prospect.
WWE has released three NXT Superstars from their development deals without an official announcement, according to the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
The stars that have been released include Tian Bing, Jason Cheng, and Gabriel Ealy. It’s worth mentioning that Gabriel’s twin brother Uriel Ealy was released from his development contract back in June this year as well.
Tian Bing was signed by the company back in 2016. The Chinese star was brought into the promotion with a lot of hype and it’s a surprise that he was released so quietly.
Bing did appear in this week’s episode of NXT where he teamed up with Rocky to face Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. Bing’s team lost this bout.
He was signed by WWE when they went to China looking for their next big star from the region. Tian Bing competed in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33 and it was probably the biggest match of his career.
Jason Cheng who also goes by the name Cheng Yuxiang was signed with 6 other Chinese recruits 2 years ago. He competed in several NXT episodes and Live Events but rarely won.
Gabriel Ealy who was signed alongside his twin brother Uriel Ealy competed in a team called the Ealy Brothers but their team also did not achieve much during their time in the company.
Undisputed Era (Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly) defended their NXT Tag Team Championships against War Raiders (Hanson & Rowe) to kick off this week’s episode of NXT.
Rowe and Strong started off the match by locking up in the middle of the ring. Roderick drove Rowe to the corner and bounced his head off the turnbuckle. O’Reilly tagged in and Rowe immediately greeted him with a Clothesline. Rowe then dragged Kyle to the corner and tagged in Hanson
Hanson leveled O’Reilly with a shoulder tackle and then Strong tagged back into the match. Hanson connected with a double Clothesline and knocked Strong and O’Reilly out of the ring. Strong got back into the ring and hit Rowe with a chop to his chest. Rowe connected with a shoulder tackle and O’Reilly tagged back into the match. Rowe showed off his power and slammed O’Reilly to the canvas.
Hanson tagged back in and Rowe Body Slammed him on top of O’Reilly. War Raiders then picked up Strong and launched him onto O’Reilly. The NXT crowd started to chant “War!” as Rowe beat the hell out of Undisputed Era outside the ring. Strong connected with a cheap shot to Rowe’s knee and O’Reilly took advantage by stomping on the knee back in the ring.
Strong tagged back in and hit Rowe with a Backbreaker for a near fall. O’Reilly got back in and continued to attack Rowe’s injured knee. Strong tagged in and hit Rowe with a Dropkick for another two count. Kyle quickly tagged back in and booted Rowe in the corner of the ring.
Roderick got back in and Rowe finally was able to get in a kick and then an elbow to Strong’s face. O’Reilly tagged in and prevented Rowe from tagging out and continue to attack Rowe’s knee. Strong got back in and bashed away at Rowe’s knee in the center of the ring as the crowd got behind Rowe.
Rowe almost got the tag but O’Reilly once again prevented it. Rowe fired himself up and slammed O’Reilly to the mat. Hanson and Strong tagged in and Hanson planted Roderick with a Side Slam. Hanson followed it up with a Splash and then a boot to Strong’s face. Hanson launched O’Reilly out of the ring and turned Strong inside out with a massive Clothesline.
Hanson followed it up with a Bronco Buster and went for the cover but Strong kicked out at two. Rowe tagged in and hit O’Reilly with a running knee. Rowe then planted Strong with a massive Powerbomb and went for the cover but O’Reilly broke it up at the last second. Hanson tagged back in as Rowe knocked O’Reilly out of the ring.
Rowe lifted Strong up and Hanson hit him with an insane springboard Clothesline. Adam Cole interfered but Hanson launched him out of the ring before the referee could call for a DQ. Strong kneed Hanson in the face and then planted Rowe with an Olympic Slam for a two count.
O’Reilly tagged in and Rowe hit him with a headbutt. O’Reilly went for a Knee Bar and then transitioned into an Ankle Lock. Hanson grabbed Strong and slammed him on top of O’Reilly to break up the hold. Hanson then tagged into the match and traded jabs with O’Reilly. Hanson hit O’Reilly with a Powerslam and then took out Strong with a Suicide Dive outside the ring.
Hanson made his way up to the top rope as Rowe held up O’Reilly. Hanson connected with a Leg Drop off the top rope and went for the cover. Bobby Fish sprinted to the ring and beat the hell out of the War Raiders with a steel chair as the referee called for the bell. Strong then took Rowe’s head off with a running kick and Undisputed Era celebrated in the ring.
Shayna Baszler faced Britt Baker tonight on NXT. Baszler quickly brought Baker down to the mat and stomped on Baker’s left arm. Shayna started bending Britt’s arm back as she screamed in pain. Baszler stomped on Britt’s elbow and the referee called for the bell. Baker screamed in pain as Shayna posed in the ring. Basler then kneed Baker in the face before exiting the ring.
Tian Bing & Rocky battled Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch on this week’s show. Lorcan and Tian Bing started off the match by locking up in the middle of the ring. Bing got the upper hand and applied a Headlock. Lorcan escaped but Bing leveled him with a shoulder tackle and locked in an Arm Bar.
Rocky tagged in and applied a Full Nelson on Oney in the middle of the ring. Lorcan broke free and hit Rocky with a Clothesline. Burch tagged in and hit an Enziguri. Burch followed it up with a Dropkick off the second rope and tagged Lorcan back. Lorcan held Rocky up and Burch connected with a DDT for the pinfall victory.
Bianca Belair faced Nikki Cross in the main event of this week’s episode of NXT. Before the match, NXT GM William Regal was interviewed backstage. Regal said that Aleister Black is coming back soon and that he plans on talking to Nikki Cross after her match tonight to find out what she knows about the attack.
Cross sprinted across the ring and hit Belair with a Crossbody to start off the match. The action quickly spilled out of the ring as Bianca bounced Cross’ face off the ring apron. Nikki launched Belair into the steel steps and then got up with a grin on her face.
Back in the ring, Nikki went for the cover but Bianca kicked out at two. Cross hit Belair with a Dropkick and then a punch to the face. Nikki went for another Crossbody but Belair caught her and hit a Fallaway Slam for a near fall.
Dueling “EST” and “Nikki Cross” chants broke out as Belair applied a Headlock in the center of the ring. Nikki escaped but Belair hit her with a Dropkick that sent Cross to the corner of the ring. Belair connected with a standing Moonsault and went for the cover but Nikki was able to kick out at two.
Nikki rolled up Belair for a two count and then Belair knocked her back down with a shoulder tackle. Bianca climbed to the top rope but Cross caught her in the tree of woe. Nikki stomped on Belair several times and Bianca finally fell back to the mat. Cross followed it up with a Splash and then a running Bulldog.
Nikki made her way up to the top rope and connected with a Crossbody for a two count. Belair hit Nikki with an awesome forearm to the face and both Superstars fell to the canvas. Belair got up and hit Cross with a Spear for a two count. Bianca followed it up with a giant Powerbomb and went for the cover but Nikki somehow was able to kick out at two.
Belair shouted at Cross to stay down but Cross got up with a smile on her face. Belair slapped her in the face and then perched her up on the top rope. Belair lifted Cross above her shoulders but Nikki escaped and applied a Sleeper Hold. Cross transitioned into an inverted DDT for another near fall.
Cross made her way to the top rope and leaped towards Belair but Bianca greeted her with a loud hair whip. Belair climbed up to the top rope but Cross got up and joined her up there. Nikki hit a few punches and connected with a Superplex. The lights went out in the arena and Aleister Black’s music hit.
When the lights came on, Aleister Black was sitting in the ring as Nikki Cross was just getting up. The crowd chanted “holy sh*t!” as Cross rolled around with a smile on her face. Aleister told Nikki to come towards and Nikki crawled towards him. Black demanded that Nikki tell him who attacked her and Cross whispered something into Aleister’s ear. Black got pissed off as Nikki crawled out of the ring. NXT went off the air with Aleister Black enraged in the ring.
WWE will present 4 previously unaired television programs today. At 3 PM est, the NXT UK brand will debut on the network. At 7 PM est, the WWE Network will air 205 Live, NXT, and the next episode of the Mae Young Classic.
Here are the matches and segments airing on the Network today:
NXT UK Brand:
United Kingdom Championship
Pete Dunne (c) vs Noam Dar
The United Kingdom title will be defended tonight on NXT UK. Pete Dunne will look to keep his 500 day plus title reign going when he faces Noam Dar.
Toni Storm vs Nina Samuels
The NXT UK brand’s women’s division kicks off with two stars destined to become a bit part of the brand.
Mark Andrews vs Joe Coffey
Joe and Mark Coffey cost Andrews a match during the second UK title tournament and now he’s out for revenge.
Dave Mastiff vs Sid Scala
Big Dave Mastiff looks to make an impact tonight when he takes on Sid Scala.
205 Live:
Akira Tozawa vs Drew Gulak
Drew Gulak recently kicked Brian Kendrick out of his small faction. Tonight he’ll take on a former Cruiserweight Champion in Tozawa. Gulak’s other ally, Jack Gallagher, lost to Tozawa in single’s action recently as well.
Why Did Mike Kanellis Attack Lince Dorado?
Mike and Maria Kanellis showed up on 205 Live last week and cost Dorado a match against Lio Rush. We’ll hear why Mike and Maria did what they did this week.
NXT:
NXT Tag Team Championships
The Undisputed Era (c) vs War Raiders
Hanson and Rowe will have a chance to win NXT gold tonight when they take on Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong.
Nikki Cross vs Bianca Belair
The last time these two met it was a double count-out after a tense match-up. Cross had been lobbying William Regal for a rematch and she gets her wish tonight.
Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan In Tag Action
Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan will team up tonight. Their opponents haven’t been announced.
Shayna Baszler In Single’s Action
Shayna Baszler will also be in single’s action tonight. Her opponent has not been named either.
Mae Young Classic:
4 quarter-final matches will take place tonight. Each winning Superstar will earn entry into the tournament’s semi-finals.
The NXT UK brand spent this weekend filming episodes for their new weekly show on the WWE Network. The brand debuts their first weekly show this Wednesday at 3 PM EST. During the tapings, Triple H and NXT UK General Manager Johnny Saint unveiled the new NXT UK Tag Team Championships.
Triple H recently spoke to the media in the UK about his goals for the brand.
“My goal long-term would be to make a career choice for people who want to have a career option, for people where they didn’t have to necessarily ever make it to RAW or Smackdown, if you want to look at it from that sense, and be able to have a very viable and lucrative career.”
He also spoke regarding an NXT territory system potentially resembling the old system before wrestling promotions went national.
“Whether you could be a part of the NXT system globally and over the course of a 10-year career, 15-year career go through multiple territories and get the wide range of experience and have a very meaningful career.”
At long last WWE’s UK division has an airdate and scheduled timeslot on the WWE Network. The NXT UK brand will air their first weekly episode in just 6 days on October 17th.
The show will air 8 PM BST or 3 PM EST. WWE announced the news this morning through their WWE UK Twitter account:
BREAKING: #NXTUK, a new weekly episodic series featuring the greatest male and female competitors from the UK, will stream on @WWENetwork on Wednesdays beginning 17th October at 8pm BST. pic.twitter.com/L8wVJquMdF
“BREAKING: #NXTUK, a new weekly episodic series featuring the greatest male and female competitors from the UK, will stream on @WWENetwork on Wednesdays beginning 17th October at 8pm BST.”
NXT UK Division
The NXT UK division will film two nights of tapings this weekend. It has been a long road to get to where the division is now.
Launch of WWE’s UK division came back in 2016, at a press conference from the O2 Arena. Triple H announced a single-elimination tournament to crown the first-ever WWE UK Champion. The tournament was won by Tyler Bate. He would later drop the title to current champion, Pete Dunne, however.
UK wrestling legend, Johnny Saint, was named the General Manager of the band back in June.
“The U.K. has an amazing talent base and incredibly passionate fans that are deserving of their own showcase,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. “This is the next step in our ongoing strategy to create localized content and further develop our brand globally.”
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa came down to the ring to start off this week’s episode of NXT. Ciampa referred to himself as the greatest sports entertainer of all time and also claimed that his entrance theme was all the best ever.
Tommaso brought up Velveteen Dream and how he craves attention. The crowd broke out in a very loud “Velveteen!” chant as Tommaso stated that Dream has gone about getting his attention the wrong way.
Velveteen Dream interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp. Velveteen laughed at Ciampa calling himself the greatest sports entertainer of all time. Dream added that he doesn’t appreciate Ciampa’s threats and then hopped up on the ring apron.
Dream said that Tommaso was an angry little bald man hiding behind his insecurities. Ciampa replied that he is an angry little bald man with a shiny belt. Ciampa claimed that Dream accused him of attacking Aleister Black because he just wants attention and asked Dream to admit it. Ciampa joked that Dream just isn’t “Tough Enough”.
Velveteen Dream laughed and made his way into the ring. Dream claimed that he was more man than Ciampa can handle. Velveteen asked Ciampa for a moment with him and the NXT Championship.
Nikki Cross interrupted and came down to the ring. Nikki laughed her way down the entrance ramp and then started slapping her jacket on the canvas as the crowd chanted “Triple Threat!”. The crowd then chanted “Nikki knows a secret!” as Nikki bopped around the ring, Cross then told Velveteen that she knows what he doesn’t and then pretended to have a conversation with Ciampa’s title.
Tommaso got annoyed and Cross slapped the microphone out of his hand. Nikki then laid down on the mat and shouted into the microphone that she knows what they don’t. Cross scrambled towards Dream and Velveteen comically rolled out of the ring. Tommaso tried to pick up the microphone and Nikki booted it out of the ring. Nikki left as Ciampa’s music played to end the segment.
Keith Lee faced Kona Reeves tonight on NXT. Reeves taunted Lee before the match as the crowd chanted “Kona’s trash!”. Lee shoved Reeves to the corner and slapped Kona across the chest. Keith followed it up with a Dropkick and then launched Reeves out of the ring with ease.
Lee tried to bring Reeves back into the ring but Kona used the ring apron as a distraction and blasted Lee in the face. Kona took control of the match and hit an Elbow Drop off the second rope. Reeves applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring as the crowd got behind Lee.
Keith escaped but Reeves knocked him back down to the canvas. Kona punched Lee in the face several times but all it did was piss Keith off. Lee connected with a shoulder tackle and then a Supernova for the pinfall victory.
Ricochet defended his North American Championship against Adam Cole and Pete Dunne in a Triple Threat match in the main event of this week’s episode of NXT.
Ricochet and Dunne beat the hell out of Adam Cole in the corner of the ring to start off the match. Cole battled back and shoved Ricochet into Dunne. Pete rolled out of the ring as Cole and Ricochet traded shots. Cole connected with a boot to the midsection but Ricochet hit a Hurricanrana out of nowhere.
Cole launched Ricochet out of the ring as Dunne climbed back inside. Dunne leveled Cole with an awesome Clothesline as Ricochet got back inside the ring. Dunne and Ricochet circled each other and then locked up in the middle of the ring. Dunne dragged Ricochet to the canvas but Ricochet hopped back up. Dunne and Ricochet proceeded to have an awesome exchange in which they dodged each other’s moves.
Dunne and Ricochet then teamed up on Cole again and booted him out of the ring. Ricochet extended his hand to Dunne but Pete opted to punch Ricochet in the face instead of shaking his hand. Dunne went to work on Ricochet’s fingers but Ricochet countered with an Arm Drag.
Cole bashed Ricochet in the face and then stomped on both of them before posing in the ring. Cole threw Ricochet out of the ring and hit Dunne with a Neckbreaker for a near fall. Ricochet got back up on the apron but Cole quickly sent him back to the floor outside the ring. Cole hit Dunne with a boot to the face and went for the cover but Dunne kicked out at two.
Pete Dunne hit Cole with an Enziguri but Ricochet leaped into frame and hit an awesome springboard Headscissors on Dunne. Ricochet hit Cole with a flying uppercut for another near fall. Dunne hit Ricochet in the face with an elbow and then did the same to Cole. Dunne then applied a single legged crab to both Cole and Ricochet at the same time in the middle of the ring.
Ricochet escaped but Cole quickly hit him with a Backstabber for a two count and then knocked Dunne back down to the mat. All three Superstars started trading punches to the face from their knees and then got back to their feet. Cole hit Dunne with an Enziguri that sent him out of the ring and followed it up with a running knee to Ricochet’s face for a two count.
Everyone started trading kicks and Ricochet ended the exchange with a Shooting Star Press. Ricochet went for a springboard Moonsault but Cole and Dunne connected with a double Superkick to Ricochet’s face while he was upside down in midair. Cole and Dunne then traded punches to the face from their knees again as Ricochet slowly got back up.
Dunne stomped on Cole’s hand and then booted him out of the ring. Cole and Dunne then battled on the ring apron and Cole planted Dunne face first. Cole went for a Superkick but Dunne got out of the way and then stomped on Cole’s elbow against the steps. Cole took out Ricochet with a Superkick and turned around into a Moonsault from Dunne.
Back in the ring, Dunne hit Ricochet with an X-Plex and went for the cover but Cole leaped into the ring to break it up at the last moment. Dunne made his way up to the top rope and Cole greeted him with a punch to the face. Cole and Dunne then battled on the top rope before Ricochet joined the party. Ricochet hit a double Frankensteiner that sent Cole and Dunne flying across the ring. Ricochet connected with a Flatliner on Dunne and went for the cover but Pete somehow kicked out at two as the crowd chanted “fight forever!”.
Ricochet brought Dunne to the corner of the ring and then climbed up to the top rope. Cole sprinted across the ring and crotched Ricochet on the top turnbuckle. Dunne bent back Cole’s fingers but Cole countered into a roll-up and used the ropes for leverage. Dunne kicked out and hit Cole with the Bitter End. Ricochet went for a Shooting Star Press off the top rope but Dunne caught him in a Triangle submission. Cole hit Ricochet with a Superkick and then delivered the Last Shot to Dunne and went for the cover but Dunne kicked out at two as the crowd shouted: “this is awesome!”.
Dunne hit Cole with a ridiculous Clothesline and then hit him with the Bitter End once again. Dunne went for the cover but Ricochet came out of nowhere with a springboard 450 Splash for the pinfall victory. Ricochet is still the NXT North American Champion.
The following promo for Shayna Baszler aired during tonight’s broadcast. Shayna Baszler will look to recapture the NXT Women’s Championship at WWE Evolution later this month.
The WWE Network will present 3 previously unaired shows tonight. 205 Live, NXT, and the Mae Young Classic will all air tonight beginning at 7 PM EST.
NXT Preview 10/10
NXT North American Championship Ricochet (c) vs Adam Cole vs Pete Dunne
The NXT North American Championship is on the line tonight in a triple threat match. Arguably 3 of the top wrestlers on the roster will compete in this match.
This match was scheduled by William Regal after a title vs title match between Dunne and Ricochet was interrupted by the Undisputed Era.
Keith Lee vs Kona Reeves
Kona Reeves only enjoys the finest things in life. Keith Lee tried to introduce himself to Reeves a few weeks back but the Hawaiian Superstar took offense to Lee approaching him. Lee then made fun of Reeves’ win/loss record leading to this match tonight.
Velveteen Dream Responds To Tommaso Ciampa
Velveteen Dream indicated to William Regal a few weeks back that Tommaso Ciampa is likely who attacked Aleister Black. Ciampa took offense to this and cut a promo on Velveteen last week. This week, Dream will respond to Ciampa’s promo from last week.
Does Nikki Cross Know Who Attacked Aleister Black?
Nikki Cross has been claiming she knows who attacked Aleister Black. William Regal doesn’t believe her, however. Cross has been angling for a rematch with Bianca Belair as well. WWE is advertising we will find out just what Cross knows regarding the attack tonight.
205 Live Preview 10/10
Lio Rush Open Challenge
Lio Rush is on fire these days. Not only is he the new hype man for Bobby Lashley, but he is also undefeated on 205 Live. Tonight, he plans on issuing an open challenge to anyone in the back.
Buddy Murphy is the new WWE Cruiserweight Champion and his reign begins tonight on 205 Live. After winning the title from Cedric Alexander in front of his hometown Melbourne fans, what does the champ have in store for tonight?
As we approach arguably the most important period of free agency in wrestling since the Monday Night Wars, one free agent claims to have signed with NXT.
On the latest episode of Being the Elite, the faction reiterated they would stay together in 2019. One member then spoke up and claimed he was heading to NXT, however. That man was “Fat-A$$ Masa”.
— "FAT ASS" MASA ??BEING THE ELITE ??AEW ??????????? (@Masa_Anchan1971) October 10, 2018
This is just part of Being the Elite, however. Masa hasn’t actually signed with NXT.
Where Will The Elite Sign?
Between now and 2019, there will be much speculation about where the group could land. On the surface, there are actually only a few available options for them. Let us review:
WWE/NXT – likely to be the largest offered contract but comes with little creative freedom. They would be able to join back up with Masa, however.
ROH/NJPW – Arguably the front-runner to end up with the team once again is a combination of ROH and NJPW.
Impact Wrestling – This group has more money than what is being let on. Whether they see bringing in all 5 guys on monster contracts as a good investment for them at this point in their development is another story, however. In all likelihood, Impact would be better off partnering with other groups such as MLW and Lucha Underground to put in a joint offer to the group. Impact also has deals with promotions in Australia, Europe, Canada, and Mexico where the Elite could also wrestle from time to time.
ROH/NJPW and Impact/MLW/Lucha Underground – There is a chance that every non-WWE territory who wants the faction will team up to offer them a deal to prevent them from going to WWE or any other non-talent-sharing territory.
Other international territories could be in play as well.
It has been a banner year financially for WWE. The new TV deals the promotion signed along with a lucrative deal with Saudi Arabia have broken new ground for the company. With the new deals comes increased revenue to invest. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, that revenue is going to be invested in international territories, NXT, and new Performance Centers.
“WWE is looking at expanding talent and the NXT side with all the added revenue coming in from the new deals,” Dave Meltzer wrote. “Among the ideas are more international Performance Centers and international territories, which means being even more aggressive in locking down people who they spot having marketable potential.”
WWE To Present More NXT
There has also been talk of increasing NXT to 2-hours every week as well as increasing the time of Takeover specials.
“There are those in the company pushing for the idea of the NXT TV show going two hours because they have so much talent, and to also increase the time of their Takeover shows.”
Johnny Gargano recently mentioned more NXT wrestlers are starting to feel as though they’d rather stick it out with the brand than go to the main roster.
“Everyone’s dream – and mine too – is to wrestle at WrestleMania, but right now NXT is such a special place. You have guys like me who have been wrestling around the world for ten years whose goal was to get here, and now we are all here tighter. We are focused on building something wrestling fans can be proud of, and we are building it together.”
Candice LeRae faced Lacey Evans on this week’s episode of NXT. LeRae and Evans had an altercation outside the arena during last week’s episode. The two Superstars locked up to start off the match.
Neither LeRae or Evans could get the upper hand until Candice connected with a Facebuster for a two count. Lacey battled back and sent LeRae into the turnbuckle. Evans followed it up with a Bronco Buster to Candice and then taunted her by doing pushups.
LeRae connected with an Enziguri to Evans’ face and then hit another Facebuster off the second rope for a near fall. Evans avoided the Unprettier and shouted that Candice was a loser just like her husband.
Candice got pissed off and beat the hell out of Lacey in the corner of the ring. The referee was forced to pull Candice off of Evans and then Lacey capitalized on the distraction and hit LeRae with the Woman’s Right for the pinfall victory.
Jason Ryker, Steve Cutler, and Wesley Blake dominated Torry Kirsh, Cesar Rise, and Vinny Mixon on this week’s episode of NXT. Ryker connected with a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory.
Johnny Gargano battled Tony Nese on this week’s show. Nese controlled the match early and hit Johnny with a shoulder tackle. Gargano shrugged it off and planted Nese with a Hurricanrana out of nowhere.
Nese bounced right up and turned Gargano inside out with a Clothesline and then stomped on Johnny in the corner of the ring. Johnny knocked Nese out of the ring and immediately hit him with a Suicide Dive through the ropes.
Back in the ring, Nese planted Gargano with a Gutbuster and then went after his ribs. Johnny battled back with a DDT and then the Slingshot Spear for a two count. Johnny then went to apply the Gargano Escape but Nese was able to counter into a Powerbomb. Nese then hit a 450 Splash for another near fall.
Tony Nese then connected with a German Suplex that sent Gargano flying into the corner of the ring. Nese sprinted towards Gargano but Johnny was ready and hit him in the face with a Superkick. Johnny then applied the Gargano Escape for the submission victory.
Lars Sullivan squared off against EC3 in the main event of this week’s episode of NXT. EC3 didn’t bother making his entrance and elected to storm down to the ring instead. EC3 attacked Lars before the match started and slammed him to the mat.
The ref called for the bell and EC3 was in control early. EC3 bashed Sullivan into the steel steps a few times and then connected with an Elbow Drop in the ring for a near fall. Sullivan was then able to battle back and send EC3 to the corner of the ring.
Lars hit EC3 with a couple of massive Splashes but EC3 decked him with a Dropkick to take the momentum back. Lars quickly took back control with a devastating Clothesline. EC3 showed off his own power and hit Lars with an impressive German Suplex and followed it up with a Crossbody off the top rope for another near fall.
Sullivan connected with another ridiculous Clothesline and then set up EC3 for the Freak Accident. EC3 escaped and both Superstars tumbled out of the ring after EC3 connected with a Clothesline. EC3 geared himself up but walked right into a Freak Accident from Sullivan on the ring apron. Lars then brought EC3 back to the middle of the ring and pinned him for the victory.
WWE is back with 3-hours of previously unaired programming tonight. 205 Live, NXT, and the Mae Young Classic will take up primetime on the Network tonight.
NXT 10/3 Preview
EC3 vs Lars Sulivan
Two top-ranked wrestlers in the men’s single’s division clash tonight.
EC3 alleged that Lars Sullivan was the person responsible for the attack on Aleister Black, leading to Lars wanting revenge on the top 1-percenter tonight.
Velveteen Dream made comments to William Regal that NXT Champion, Tommaso Ciampa, may have been responsible for the attack on Aleister Black. Otiz Dozovic and Candice LeRae have implied the same thing.
Tonight, Ciampa addresses the allegations tonight.
Johnny Gargano vs Tony Nese
Ciampa’s former tag-team partner, Johnny Gargano, will look to get back in the winner’s column tonight against 205 Live’s Tony Nese. Gargano hasn’t wrestled on NXT programming for over a month (in TV time).
Gargano has said he’s done with complaining and now just wants to get back to competing, which is what he’ll try and do tonight.
Candice LeRae vs Lacey Evans
A big match atop the NXT Women’s division this week as Candace LeRae takes on Lacey Evans.
Evans has been critical of LeRae for not acting like a “real lady” as of late. LeRae said she wants to separate her personal life from her professional one and not focus on her husband, Johnny Gargano’s, career. Evans seems to take offense to this and will bring her 1950s pin-up girl style into action tonight.
The Forgotten Sons in Trios Action
Jaxson Ryker, Wesley Blake, and Steve Cutler will be in trios action today. The Forgotten Sons will look to continue their NXT unbeaten streak since debuting on the brand in early September.
Their opponents have yet to be announced, which likely means they are enhancement talent.
205 Live 10/3 Preview
Akira Tozawa vs Gentleman Jack Gallagher
The stable of Drew Gulak, Brian Kendrick, and Jack Gallagher have been making life difficult for many as of late on 205 Live. Kendrick also returned to action last week and attempted to take out Tozawa.
Tozawa will have to worry about Gulak and Kendrick but he’ll have a chance to get revenge on Gallagher tonight.
TJP vs Kalisto
2 weeks ago, TJP ripped off Lince Dorado’s mask during a match. In Lucha rules, TJP would have been DQ’ed but in 205 Live the move helped him pick up the win.
Despite wrestling as a luchador himself for a period, TJP dishonored the tradition of masks in Mexican wrestling. The Lucha House Party will seek revenge for that tonight.
Mia Yim made her NXT live event this weekend. As advertised, the Mae Young Classic competitor wrestled at Saturday’s NXT live event from Fort Pierce, Florida. In her first match for NXT, Mia Yim defeated Aliyah in singles action.
Mia Yim has wrestled on and off for Impact Wrestling between 2013-2017. She was expected to sign with WWE after last year’s Mae Young Classic tournament, but was sidelined with a leg injury. During a recent interview with TVInsider, Mia revealed the hardest part of her recovery was the mental aspect.
“The hardest part of the recovery was the mental,” Yim said. “Going to physical therapy, learning how to walk again and run again, rolling around in the ring — it was all easy compared to the mental part.”
She recently signed a developmental deal with WWE and has been training at the Performance Center. Here are some photos from her NXT debut from this weekend:
Cesaro and Chris Hero used to collectively be known as “the Kings of Wrestling.” Last night, Cesaro showed up at an NXT house show and the team reunited if only for a moment.
Kassius Ohno was wrestling Adam Cole when the Undisputed Era ran in. Cesaro showed up to help his old tag-team partner against the faction.
NXT’s house show last night was in Casselberry, Florida
Cesaro & Kassius Ohno – The Kings of Wrestling
Kassius Ohno and Cesaro were a tag-team from 2005-2011. They are 2x former Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions, former CZW tag champs, Chikara tag champs, and JCW tag-team champs. Additionally, Cesaro won the PWG Championship while a member of the team.
The team briefly reunited when they were both in NXT together in 2012.
NXT House Show
September 28th, 2018
Engelwood Neighborhood Center
Jessie Elaban won an NXT UK Women’s #1 Contender Battle Royal
Tony Nese defeated Stacey Ervin Jr.
Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan defeated Rinku Singh and Saurav Gurjar
Cezar Bononi defeated Boa
Lars Sullivan defeated Keith Lee
The Street Profits defeated The Forgotten Sons
NXT UK Women’s Championship
Rhea Ripley (c) defeated Jessie Elaban
WWE recently confirmed the signing of Mae Young Classic competitor, Mia Yim. They have now announced the former Knockouts Champion will make her NXT debut on the house show circuit this weekend. She’ll debut on September 29th at NXT’s house show in Ft Pierce.
The NXT Twitter account was the first to break the news:
Speculation regarding Yim’s signing began last week when the 29-year-old appeared in a video filmed at the WWE Performance Center. It was later reported she had indeed signed with the company and reported to the Performance Center on September 16th, 2018.
Mia Yim WWE
Many expected Yim to sign with WWE after last year’s tournament but a leg injury set her back. Yim spoke to TV Insider in August about overcoming her injury last year and moving forward with her career.
“The hardest part of the recovery was the mental,” Yim said. “Going to physical therapy, learning how to walk again and run again, rolling around in the ring — it was all easy compared to the mental part.”
Yim also spoke about the competition in this year’s Mae Young Classic:
“There are a lot of good girls in this year’s competition. I’m actually happy for that people may think they know what to expect, considering what I did last year. I learned so much new stuff… I don’t want to be specific with it. I’m hoping people underestimate me and have an expectation of me from last year, so I can surprise them that much more.”
NXT GM William Regal kicked off this week’s episode of NXT. Regal came down to the ring and said that he is getting closer to finding out who attacked Aleister Black. Undisputed Era rudely interrupted and made their way to the entrance ramp.
Adam Cole complained about Regal not doing his job and pretending to be Sherlock Holmes every week. Cole noted that the attack on Black is Regal’s fault and that is in the past. Roderick Strong complained about War Raiders attacking them every week and demanded that Regal do something about it.
Regal stated that he finds it interesting that Undisputed Era interrupted while he was talking about the investigation. Undisputed Era got in the ring and got in Regal’s face. Cole claimed that Regal was trying to change the subject.
Cole then went on a rant about Ricochet avoiding him and Regal giving Pete Dunne a championship opportunity. Adam then demanded that he get his championship rematch right now. Regal scolded Cole for interfering in their match last week and told Cole that he will not be getting his title rematch.
Regal added that Cole will get an opportunity in two weeks in a Triple Threat match for the NXT North American Championship in two weeks. Regal then announced that Undisputed Era will defend their NXT Tag Team Championships against War Raiders in three weeks. The crowd chanted “thank you Regal!” as the segment concluded.
Sullivan faced a Victor Orchant on this week’s episode of NXT and absolutely destroyed him. EC3 attacked Sullivan during the match and Clotheslined him out of the ring. Sullivan grabbed EC3 by the neck but EC3 fought him off and blasted Lars off the apron. EC3 dared Sullivan to get into the ring with him but Lars smiled and then retreated up the entrance ramp.
The Mighty faced Street Profits tonight on NXT. Before the match, Angelo Dawkins blasted Thorne in the face. Dawkins and Miller started off the match and Angelo beat the hell out of Miller in the corner of the ring. Thorne tagged in and Dawkins planted him with a Bulldog.
Montez Ford tagged in and flipped onto Thorne outside the ring. Ford brought Shane back into the ring and went for a cover but Thorne kicked out at two. Dawkins tagged in and Thorne battled back with a Dropkick. Thorne brought Dawkins to the corner of the ring and stomped on him a few times before tagging in Nick Miller.
Miller continued to beatdown Dawkins in the corner of the ring. Dawkins battled back and then leaped across the ring to tag in Ford. Montez Clotheslined Thorne out of the ring and followed it up with an Enziguri to Miller. Miller launched Ford into the ring post and then Thorne Dropkicked the steel steps into Ford’s knee.
Back in the ring, Miller targetted Ford’s knee with his attack and stomped in on it several times. Shane Thorne tagged in and continued to target Ford’s injured knee. Miller tagged in and connected with a Russian Leg Sweep and then a Clothesline for a near fall.
Shane Thorne then applied the Figure Four in the center of the ring. Ford screamed in pain but was able to break the hold with a massive chop to Miller’s chest. Thorne quickly tagged in and went after Ford in the corner of the ring. Thorne rolled up Ford for the victory while Miller prevented Dawkins from breaking it up on the ring apron.
Kairi Sane Will Face Baszler Once Again At WWE Evolution
NXT Women’s Champion Kairi Sane faced Vanessa Borne on this week’s episode of NXT. Borne stole Sane’s pirate hat before the match and booted it across the ring. Sane got pissed off and got right in Vanessa’s face. Kairi took Borne down to the mat and delivered a kick to her lower back.
Borne shrugged it off and planted Sane with a Suplex for a near fall. Vanessa applied a Headlock to Sane in the middle of the ring as the crowd chanted “Kairi!”. Sane broke free with a few shots to Vanessa’s ribs. Sane followed it up with a massive DDT and then pounded on the mat to fire herself up.
The crowd clapped as Sane connected with two Clotheslines and then the Interceptor Spear. Sane marched around the ring before delivering the sliding elbow. Kairi made her way to the top rope and hit the Insane Elbow for the pinfall victory.
Shayna Baszler then came down to the ring as Kairi stood with the NXT Women’s Championship. Sane raised the title as Baszler entered the ring with a microphone in her hand. Shayna claimed that she is going to be taking Kairi’s title soon. Baszler admitted that the loss to Sane in Brooklyn hurt her and that she wasn’t going to take that out on Sane right now.
Baszler announced that she will be invoking her rematch clause and will take back her title. Kairi then challenged Baszler to the match at WWE Evolution. Baszler nodded her head and went to walk away. Kairi then vowed to beat Baszler again at the PPV and raised the title in Baszler’s face to end the promo.
Tommaso Ciampa Escaped With A Victory Over Otis Dozovic
Otis Dozovic squared off against NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa in the main event of this week’s show. Otis started off the bout in control and launched Ciampa out of the ring. Back in the ring, Ciampa went for a Crossbody off the top rope but Otis caught him and dropped him with a Body Slam.
Dozovic brought Ciampa back to the outside and hit him with a chop to the chest while Tommaso was up against the barricade. Otis taunted Ciampa in the ring and then stood on Tommaso’s back while he tried to get back inside.
Otis then bounced Ciampa’s head off the ring apron. Ciampa hit Otis with a cheap shot and then hurried back to the ring. Ciampa demanded that the referee start counting but brutally attacked Otis when he started to get back up with a flurry of forearms to the back of his head.
Ciampa then hit Otis with a knee to the face and brought him back into the ring. Ciampa delivered another running knee strike and went for the cover but Otis somehow kicked out at two. Ciampa followed it up with a Neckbreaker and then locked in a Sleeper Hold.
Otis used his body weight to his advantage and fell back onto Ciampa to break the hold. Dozovic hit a few shots to Ciampa’s face and then hurled him across the ring. Otis then hit a gigantic shoulder tackle for a near fall. Ciampa rolled out of the ring and grabbed his title.
Tommaso retreated up the entrance ramp but Tucker Knight emerged on the top of the ramp. Otis then hit Ciampa with a Clothesline and then brought him back into the ring. Dozovic launched Ciampa across the ring once again and then chased him around the ring.
Dozovic caught up to Ciampa and planted him with a Belly to Belly Suplex on the floor outside the ring. Back in the ring, Otis connected with an Elbow Drop for a near fall. Ciampa hit Otis with another cheap shot but Dozovic shrugged it off and planted Tommaso with a Powerbomb for a near fall.
Otis made his way to the top rope but Ciampa escaped to the ring apron. Tommaso then hit Otis with a DDT on the apron and then another one inside the ring for the pinfall victory.
Kona Reeves and Keith Lee also had an altercation backstage during this week’s show.
Nikki Cross informed NXT GM William Regal that she knows who attacked Aleister Black in the parking lot. She later interrupted Undisputed Era during an interview.
Johnny Gargano will return to action next week to face Tony Nese. Gargano was interviewed backstage during the show and said that he wanted to get back to the person he used to be. Lacey Evans then confronted Candice LeRae in the parking lot.
NXT’s newest “big thing”, Matt Riddle, has let fans know he’s interested in a potential match with Cesaro. He made the comments on ESPN West Palm’s The Main Event recently.
“In my opinion, if I was going to pick main roster guys, I’ve always had a hunch out for Cesaro,” Riddle said. “I just feel like if we were able to just go at it, make it a fight, I think it would be pretty sensational.”
Matt Riddle On Potential Opponents In WWE
Riddle also mentioned several names on the NXT roster he would also like to face.
“They’ve got so many talented individuals,” Riddle said. “I’ve worked with the majority of them. In NXT, I have probably worked with every top guy from Ricochet to Roderick (Strong), to Kyle (O’Reilly), Adam Cole. The only guys I haven’t really worked with are Velveteen Dream and Lars [Sullivan], some of the other guys that are homegrown.”
Riddle also mentioned the unique shorts he wore during his NXT debut recently. According to Riddle, the small and colorful shorts were actually his wife’s. His normal ring gear has sponsors logos and Riddle didn’t think WWE or NXT would approve.
“I have other gear I wore while I was on the indies and I have a couple sponsors on there and I didn’t want to wear the sponsors in matches,” Riddle continued. “Especially if WWE didn’t sign off on it and NXT didn’t sign off. I didn’t think it was fair for me to wear sponsored clothing while performing under their umbrella without their permission. I just decided to wear little shorts, which were actually my wife’s shorts.
Former NXT North American Champion, Adam Cole, was a guest on the most recent edition of Edge and Christian’s podcast. He mentioned he plans on being NXT Champion within the next 3 months and spoke about why it was the right time for him to sign with WWE.
“When I started coming in for dark matches, they told me I was doing a good job but nothing was really materializing,” Cole said on his beginnings in ROH. “I said, ‘Okay, this isn’t working.’”
Cole realized he wasn’t going to be able to rely on good in-ring work alone. He continued to say it was his promos which got him hired by Ring of Honor.
“I sent Adam Pierce, who at the time was booking ROH, a promo and he really liked it,” he continued. “He booked me for a pre-show promo in the ring as opposed to a match. Jim Cornette happened to be walking by and he really liked the promo. That’s how I ended up getting hired.”
Adam Cole On Signing With WWE
When Cole signed with WWE in 2017, he was a key member of Bullet Club and wrestling in ROH main events. Still, WWE is where Cole has always wanted to go.
“Obviously breaking into wrestling my goal was always to work for WWE,” Cole continued. “I grew up a giant fan and when I broke in I fell in love with wrestling as a whole. I loved my time on the independents but the end game for sure was ending at WWE. It was a good time for me to go, I was hitting a stride in Ring Of Honor so I thought this is a good chance. I had known there was some interest so when my contract expired we came to an agreement for me to start at NXT.”
