NXT this week will be a taped down from Full Sail University in Florida. The main event will feature an NXT Women’s Championship match. Shayna Baszler will defend her title against Dakota Kai.
In recent weeks, Kai has seemed to be quite intimidated by the champion. It will be interesting to see how she reacts to being in the ring with her tonight.
NXT Preview 5/30/18
Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa Segment
Gargano will face Ciampa in a street fight at Takeover: Chicago.
Candice LeRae does not appear to support Gargano’s decision to continue the rivalry, however.
We should get an update on this rivalry tonight.
Bianca Belair Sit Down Interview
Belair is becoming one of the most highly featured members of the NXT women’s division.
She’ll take part in a sit-down interview tonight.
EC3 In Single’s Action
EC3 will be in single’s action tonight.
No opponent has been named for him, however. This will most likely be a squash match.
Aleister Black Appearance
Aleister Black will make an appearance in front of the live crowd at Full Sail tonight.
We don’t know who his opponent will be at Takeover: Chicago but wrestlers such as the Velveteen Dream, Lars Sullivan, and Ricochet appear to be in the mix.
NXT Women’s Championship Match Shayna Baszler (c) vs Dakota Kai
While this might seem like a big opportunity for the challenger, she has been rather intimidated by the champion in recent weeks.
Last week, Dakota appeared determined to conquer her fears and get in the ring with Baszler, however. Behind the scenes, Nikki Cross is said to be driving Kai’s new found confidence.
What will happen when Kai finally gets in the ring to conquer her fears, however, won’t be known until tonight.
Tonight we will find out who goes into Takeover: Chicago as the champion and will likely find out more about who will be the challenger on that show.
A number of main roster stars have made a surprise appearance on various NXT shows in the past couple of weeks and it has left people with many questions.
At first, it was believed that these stars are just having fun in their time off after the busy travel schedule in the last couple of months, though now it appears that their appearances are part of a plan from the company.
According to a report from CageSideSeats, WWE is specifically sending stars who are not being used on the main roster currently in hopes to boost the ticket sales for these events.
This is an interesting news as it most likely means that the surprise appearances won’t end just here and we can expect some more main roster stars to show up at NXT shows in upcoming time.
For those who don’t know, it all started with ‘The Revival’ Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder making a surprise appearance during a house show where they answered a challenge issued by the Undisputed Era.
Since then, stars like Tyler Breeze and Tye Dillinger have returned to the developmental territory for appearances and even Booker T and Bruce Prichard showed up during an event earlier this month.
If these reports are true then it would be interesting to see which other main roster stars appear for the third brand of the company in future and if they end up working there frequently.
23-year-old NXT Superstar, Lio Rush, earned some criticism last year following the release of Australian Superstar, Emma, AKA Tenille Dashwood.
Emma had lost two consecutive losses in a row to Asuka before being released last October. Rush took to Twitter and offered an ill-timed comment on her release:
“I guess these are the things that happen when you’re not TRULY ready for @WWEAsuka” his Tweet read.
Several WWE Superstars were critical of his comments. Peyton Royce and Bray Wyatt both publicly responded to him.
Rush spoke with ESPN recently about how the backlash to his comment affected him.
“It was definitely a difficult situation,” he said. “I’ve worked so hard and spent years trying to brand myself and to show the world that Lio Rush is a top prospect in the professional wrestling world. So it was a bit rough to see so many people turn on me for that, but I’ve owned up to my mistakes.
“I have said my apologies. What else can you do? You live, you make mistakes and you learn,” Rush continued. “I know a big thing that I tweeted out shortly after that — ‘a mistake shouldn’t be your attacker, it should be your teacher.’ I’ve definitely learned from that situation. I definitely have not let that situation change the pacing of me succeeding in anything.”
Rush competes mainly on the NXT live tour. So far, he’s only appeared on NXT programming twice. He’s lost to Lars Sullivan and the Velveteen Dream.
William Regal stated the following in regard to Rush’s comments about Emma last year:
“We all make mistakes. All the people who’ve had “heat” or problems, have I ever joined in with the pack on you? Perhaps a chat and a bit of guidance would be better. Being a Pro comes in many ways in and out of the ring.”
WWE Altered Plans For Takeover Match Because Of MITB Bout
Fans were surprised when WWE announced that Johnny Gargano will face Tommaso Ciampa in a street fight at the upcoming NXT Takeover: Chicago II because it felt like a repetition of their unsanctioned match at Takeover: New Orleans.
Though it appears that the company had a reason to choose this stipulation and according to reports, they were forced to alter the original plans for this bout because of an announced Money In The Bank match.
According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Officials were originally planning a Last Man Standing match between the two stars but they changed their mind after deciding to use the stipulation for the AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura bout.
Gargano is now set to compete with Ciampa once again at the upcoming NXT Takeover: Chicago II event on June 16th.
Alternate Angles Of Strowman vs. Balor
This week’s episode of Raw saw the Monster Among Men Braun Strowman going against the first ever Universal Champion Finn Balor in a one on one match. Their bout was praised by fans and Balor took Strowman to the limit before losing the fight.
After the show, WWE posted the following video on their official YouTube channel, featuring alternate angles of the main event of the Red Branded Show:
Booker T and Bruce Prichard showed up at a recent NXT house show in Houston.
Booker lives in the city and Prichard is from the nearby town of Friendswood, Texas. To start the show, Booker would even perform his first Spinaroonie in 2 years.
NXT split into two different touring groups this weekend. Shows featuring Lio Rush and Buddy Murphy toured throughout the Florida area. Other big names listed on those shows included Bianca Belair, Heavy Machinery, and TM-61.
NXT also presented house shows across Texas this weekend. These shows featured more stars featured on NXT programming each week.
NXT Live
Houston, Texas
Revention Music Center
May 20th, 2018
Kassius Ohno & The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson) defeated Chad Lail, Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake)
Former TNA wrestler “Gunner” has made his second NXT live event appearance with a victory over Kassius Ohno. Under the name Chad Lail, he defeated Ohno at NXT’s Dallas live event this week. This was his first match since a live event match last June, when he lost to No Way Jose.
Below are the full results from the show.
NXT Dallas Live results
– The Revival def. The Forgotten Sons (Wesley Blake & Steve Cutler): Dash and Wilder get the win with the Shatter Machine.
– EC3 def. Fabian Aichner: EC3 gets the pin after hitting the One Percenter.
– Kairi Sane & Nikki Cross def. Reina Gonzalez & Taynara Conti: Gonzalez was described as coming off as green/sloppy in this match.
– Oney Lorcan def. Kona Reeves: Reeve cuts a promo after the match, and Lars Sullivan comes out and beats him down.
– NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong def. The Street Profits
– Chad Lail def. Kassius Ohno: The crowd was said to be really behind Lail, and had several chants for him. Ohno started working heel after the crowd went with Lail and Lail won with a roll-up.
– NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler def. Dakota Kai
– Ricochet def. Velveteen Dream: Described as a great match, which the crowd was hot for.
Not many people can do what Chris Jericho does as the former World Champion not only balances between his Wrestling and Music career but he also finds time for his other projects such as his podcast.
Though it appears that juggling so many roles doesn’t bother the former World Champion much as he has added another regular gig to his work list.
Sirius XM recently sent out a press release, revealing that Chris will be hosting a new hard rock radio show on their Octane channel once every month. Below is an excerpt from the release which features details about the new show dubbed as ‘The Rock Of Jericho’:
“The Rock Of Jericho features a curated hour playlist of Jericho’s favorite hard rock and heavy metal songs. Each show, the iconic wrestler will have special guests, will introduce you to new hard rock and will expose some deep album cuts while also jammin’ the classics! You never know what he’s going to play next!”
“The show debuts 6 pm ET Friday, May 18 before becoming available On Demand!”
Handicap Match And More Announced For NXT Next Week
WWE has announced two matches for next week’s episode of NXT. The first match is between Heavy Machinery and TM61 and it was made official after Otis Dozovic issued a challenge during this week’s show.
Also after Lars Sullivan attacked both The Velveteen Dream and Ricochet during their singles match, it was revealed that Lars will face both these stars in a handicap match next week:
Tommaso Ciampa came out to Johnny Gargano’s music to start off this week’s episode of NXT. The crowd booed in anger as Ciampa waved on the entrance ramp. Ciampa said that everyone keeps saying that Gargano won and he beat me. Ciampa claimed that Gargano may have won the battle, but he will always win the war. He added that is why he is here and Gargano is at home in a neck brace that he put him in.
The crowd chanted “you suck!” as Ciampa entered the ring. He stated that he has broken Gargano’s heart, mind, spirit and his body. Ciampa stated that Gargano is gone and that he wins. The crowd chanted “you tapped out!” and then Candice LeRae came down to the ring as the crowd chanted “Candice Wrestling!”.
LeRae said that just used to think she knew Tommaso, but doesn’t recognize what he has become. Candice stated that she couldn’t understand why Ciampa was so obsessed with ruining their lives and said that the only thing that was broken here was Ciampa. Candice added that she is done shedding tears for Ciampa and that he is a monster that she will never forgive.
Candice said that her husband’s future is uncertain, Ciampa will know that Johnny Gargano was better than him. The crowd then chanted “Johnny’s better!” as Ciampa shook his head out of anger in the ring. Ciampa said maybe that he was better than, but Candice knows that the boy she calls a husband isn’t half the man that he is. That is why he sent his cute blonde wife out here, instead of coming down to the ring himself and confronting him. Ciampa added that Candice has always been more of a man than Gargano.
The crowd chanted “mess him up Candice!” and Ciampa dared her to mess him up. Tommaso claimed that he was thinking at their wedding how on earth could this woman possibly be marrying such a big…
Ciampa was interrupted by a slap to the face by Candice. Ciampa smirked and waved at Candice before rolling out of the ring. LeRae exited the ring as Ciampa said “I win!” outside the ring. The crowd once again chanted “you suck!” as Ciampa made his way to the back.
Lacey Evans Dominated & Kairi Sane Got Some Revenge
Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter
Brandi Lauren faced Lacey Evans tonight on NXT. Evans quickly took control of the match and stomped on Lauren in the corner. Evans followed it up with a Bronco Buster and then stood on Lauren’s neck. Evans hopped to the ring apron and connected with a slingshot Elbow Drop. Lacey casually walked over Brandi and climbed up to the second rope. Evans then connected with a great Moonsault and hit the Women’s Right for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Kairi Sane attacked Evans on the ring apron and hit a flying forearm to the face. Sane brought Evans down to the ring and scaled to the top turnbuckle. Kairi set up for the Insane Elbow, but Lacey rolled out of the ring and retreated up the entrance ramp.
Dakota Kai was interviewed at the WWE Performance Center. Nikki Cross showed up with a cell phone and asked when Kai was going to face Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship. Cross grabbed Kai by the hair and shouted “face your fear and fight!”. Cross then laughed in Kai’s face before walking away.
Ricochet battled Velveteen Dream tonight on NXT. The two Superstars locked up to start off the match. Dream dragged Ricochet to the canvas and danced while doing so. Ricochet hopped up and knocked Dream to the mat and danced as well. Dream applied a Headlock and brought Dream to the mat. Ricochet countered but Dream quickly got him back in the Headlock.
Ricochet escaped and elbowed Dream in the back of the head. Ricochet applied a Headlock of his own, but Dream threw Ricochet to the ropes. Dream and Ricochet had an awesome of exchange that ended with Dream throwing Ricochet out of the ring. Ricochet battled back and hit a Dropkick that sent Dream to the floor. Ricochoet backflipped to the center of the ring as Dream slithered into the ring at the same time.
The two Superstars had a brief stare down before Dream sent Ricochet to the corner. The two then ran into each other and both Superstars fell down. Ricochet threw Dream to the corner and started throwing some punches. Lars Sullivan attacked both Ricochet and Dream and the match ended in a DQ. Sullivan planted them both with the Freak Accident and then stood tall in the ring as the crowd booed. Sullivan shouted that he will be the new NXT Champion and raised his fists in the ring as his theme hit.
Later on the show, Dream and Ricochet were shown by NXT GM William Regal’s office. They both said they wanted Lars Sullivan and entered Regal’s office. It was announced before the main event that Dream & Ricochet will face Lars Sullivan in a Handicap Match next week.
Kona Reeves faced Raul Mendoza tonight on NXT. Reeves handed his jacket off to an employee and told him to not scuff his jacket. The crowd chanted “Kona sucks!” as Reeves shouted that he is the finest. Reeves started off the match in control and worked on Raul’s right arm.
Mendoza battled back with an elbow to the face, but Reeves quickly applied a Headlock. Mendoza broke free but was knocked on his ass by a massive shoulder tackle by Reeves. Kona bounced Raul’s face off the turnbuckle and unloaded a few giant stomps on his midsection in the corner.
Reeves connected with a Suplex and then dropped a fist to the face. Kona followed it up with a reverse Elbow Drop off the second rope and then followed it up with another elbow to the face. Reeves dragged Raul’s face on the canvas and then locked in the Cobra Clutch in the middle of the ring. Mendoza countered into a Jawbreaker and then hit a boot to the face.
Raul connected with an Enziguri that knocked Reeves to the corner. Mendoza hit a flying forearm and hopped to the ring apron. Mendoza leaped off the top rope but got a boot to the face for his troubles. Reeves shouted “that’s why I am the finest” and connected with the Hawaiian Drop for the pinfall victory.
Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch Defeated Undisputed Era
Photo Credit: @WWENXT on TwitterDanny Burch, Oney Lorcan & Pete Dunne faced Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) in tonight’s main event.
Dunne and Strong started off the match, but Strong immediately tagged Kyle O’Reilly and exited the ring. Danny Burch tagged in and locked up with O’Reilly. Kyle locked in a Knee Bar but Burch quickly grabbed the bottom rope to break the hold. The two Superstars locked up again and Burch applied a Headlock and dragged O’Reilly to the canvas.
O’Reilly escaped and Burch told him to bring it on. O’Reilly stayed on the mat and dared Burch to come down to him. O’Reilly booted Burch in the back of the leg and then Adam Cole tagged in. Cole knocked Burch to the canvas and called him a joke. Cole connected with an elbow to the face and followed it up with a knee to the midsection. Cole shouted “is that all you got?” as he stomped on Burch in the corner.
O’Reilly tagged back in and connected with a few knee strikes for a two count. Strong tagged in and hit a Backbreaker for another two count. Strong taunted Dunne and then stomped on Burch’s left arm. Strong once again taunted Dunne and then Burch backed into the corner and Dunne tagged in.
Pete Dunne unloaded with a few jabs to Strong and applied a Hammerlock and took Strong down to the mat. Dunne bent back Strong’s fingers as Roddy screamed in pain. Chaos broke out as everyone ran into the ring. Burch, Lorcan and Dunne then bent back Cole, O’Reilly and Strong’s fingers. Undisputed Era rolled out of the ring to regroup.
Strong capitalized on Cole and O’Reilly distracting Dunne by attacking him in the corner. Cole tagged in and stomped on Dunne before O’Reilly tagged back in. O’Reilly connected with a few boots to the ribs before Strong got back into the match. Strong applied the Coba Clutch in the middle of the ring.
Dunne battled back to his feet but Strong connected with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Strong hit a Dropkick to the back and then tagged Adam Cole back into the match. Cole kneed Dunne in the back a few times and then clubbed him across the face. Cole booted Dunne in the face and dragged him back to the corner.
O’Reilly tagged in and started working on Dunne’s arm. Kyle followed it up with a sliding knee to the ribs and tagged Strong back in. Strong applied an Arm Bar as Lorcan and Burch pleaded for a tag in the corner. Dunne battled out of the corner with a series of forearms. Dunne leaped across the ring to tag in Oney Lorcan.
Oney unloaded a bunch of chops to Undisputed Era. Lorcan blasted O’Reilly with an uppercut and then planted Strong with a Suplex. Lorcan hit Cole with a Blockbuster and tagged Burch back in. Lorcan flipped on Cole outside the ring as Burch leveled Strong with a Clothesline for a two count.
Dunne hit a massive right hand to Cole that knocked him back out of the ring. Strong threw Lorcan into Dunne that knocked him out of the ring. Strong then hit a Backbreaker to Burch and tagged O’Reilly in. Kyle hit a boot to the face for a two count. Burch connected with a right hand and then threw Cole and Strong out of the ring. Burch then locked in the Crossface in the middle of the ring. Lorcan applied the single-legged Crab to Strong. Dunne got Cole in a Wrist Lock, but Strong booted Lorcan into Dunne, who then fell onto Burch to break up the Crossface.
Dunne Suplexed Cole to the outside, but Adam somehow hit a Neckbreaker to Dunne onto the top rope and both Superstars fell out of the ring. Lorcan planted Strong and Lorcan with a double Blockbuster. Danny Burch then planted O’Reilly with a DDT as Lorcan held him up for the pinfall victory. Dunne, Burch and Lorcan then celebrated in the ring after their victory. This match was outstanding.
Tonight’s episode of NXT will feature two huge matches, one squash match, and the continuation of one of WWE’s most intense storylines.
In 6-man tag-team action, the Undisputed Era will go up against stars of the United Kingdom division, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, and Danny Burch. Arguably two of the best wrestlers on the roster, Ricochet, and the Velveteen Dream, will go at it in single’s action as well tonight.
Tomasso Ciampa is scheduled to be back on the show tonight and we will also see the Hawaiian Kona Reeves back in action as well.
NXT Preview (5/16/18)
Ricochet vs the Velveteen Dream
Two of the best on the NXT roster will face off in 1-on-1 action tonight.
Velveteen Dream took exception to Ricochet’s recent promo stating he was gunning for the NXT title. The Dream believes Ricochet is looking to step-over other stars, such as him.
What’s Next For Tommaso Ciampa?
In one of WWE’s most intense storylines currently running, Ciampa will be back on NXT tonight.
Last week, Ciampa was victorious in the main event over Johnny Gargano’s friend and traveling buddy, Kassius Ohno.
Ciampa will be back on the show tonight but it is currently unclear what the next chapter holds for the Blackheart.
Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, & Danny Burch vs Roderick Strong, Adam Cole, and Kyle O’Reilly (Undisputed Era)
WWE United Kingdom Champion, Pete Dunne, might be a loner but he will join forces with Lorcan and Burch as they unite over common enemies.
Dunne was looking to exact revenge on Strong for turning on him in the Dusty Rhodes Classic recently. As Strong has the UE behind him, however, Dunne was outnumbered. Now with Burch and Lorcan backing him up, the sides are even tonight.
Kona Reeves Back in Action
For the second time since receiving a gimmick makeover, Kona Reeves will be back in single’s action tonight.
No opponent has been announced for the Hawaiian, which likely means tonight will be a squash match showcase for Reeves.
NXT held two nights of television tapings earlier this week from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. Those shows will take us through next month’s NXT Takeover: Chicago II show.
NXT held another round of TV tapings on Thursday night from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. The matches taped for these shows will take us through NXT Takeover: Chicago during WWE Money in the Bank weekend.
– Kona Reeves defeated Raul Mendoza.
– Adam Cole retained the NXT North American Championship against Lio Rush.
– NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler comes came out and said she can beat any woman in NXT. Nikki Cross comes out and they brawled.
– TM61 defeated two enhancement wrestlers. They cut a promo after the match.
– Tommaso Ciampa came out and cut a promo, which led to a brawl with Johnny Gargano. Ciampa got busted open.
– Jack Gallagher defeated Drew Gulak to qualify for the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament.
– War Raiders destroyed two enhancement wrestlers. After the match, they called out TM61.
– EC3 defeated Kassius Ohno.
– Heavy Machinery & Yanbo Wang defeated the Forgotten Sons (Chad Lail, Steve Cutler, & Wesley Blake).
– Ricochet defeated Donovan Dijak.
– Velveteen Dream and Ricochet had a promo battle.
– Bianca BelAir defeated Aliyah.
– NXT Champion Aleister Black came out and cut a promo on Lars Sullivan, his opponent at the next NXT Takeover event. Sullivan came out and laid out the champ.
– WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne retained against Kyle O’Reilly. After the match, Dunne, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch brawled with Undisputed Era.
NXT held the latest round of TV tapings on Wednesday night from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. Thanks to Jacob Cohen for these results:
– Lio Rush defeats Marcel Barthel
– Ciampa comes out to Gargano’s theme. Ciampa says Gargano may have won the battle but Ciampa will always win the war. Gargano is at home watching the show in a neck brace. Candice comes out, she doesn’t recognize what Ciampa has become, doesn’t understand why he is obsessed with ruining their lives, the only thing that is broken is Ciampa. Ciampa is a monster and Candice will never forgive him, he will always know that Gargano is better. Gargano isn’t half the man that Ciampa is, Candice is more of a man than Gargano is. Candice slaps Ciampa and Ciampa leaves.
– Lacey Evans defeats Brandi Lauren. Kairi Sane attacks Lacey as some retribution.
– Lars Sullivan comes in and lays out Ricochet & Velveteen Dream (No Contest)
– Kona Reeves defeats Raul Mendoza.
– Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch, & Pete Dunne vs The Undisputed Era. Danny Burch pins Kyle O’Reilly to win the match for his team.
– TM61 defeat Heavy Machinery with feet on the ropes.
– Lacey Evans defeats Kairi Sane.
– Gargano & Candice out, he teases retirement but he takes off the neck brace and calls out Ciampa, Candice doesn’t seem happy about it. Ciampa out, he says if Gargano is still in the ring when he gets there Ciampa will finish this. Ref break it up before it happens. Ciampa says Gargano should listen to his wife and leave, Gargano gets on the apron, Ciampa knocks him off right on to Candice. Medics are tending to Candice.
– Vanessa Bourne defeats Steffanie Newell
– Velveteen Dream has turned on Ricochet and leaves Lars to finish him off
– Lars Sullivan pins Ricochet.
– Kassius Ohno defeats Chad Lail (TNA’s Gunner).
– War Raiders defeat two local wrestlers.
– EC3 vs Fabian Aichner. Gargano comes out mid match and announces he has signed a contract to face Ciampa in a street fight in Chicago. EC3 pins Aichner.
– Kairi Sane defeats Lacey Evans
– Aleister Black out, winning the title has been life changing. Lars Sullivan out and the match is made official: Aleister Black vs Lars Sullivan for the NXT Title in Chicago.
– Shayna Baszler retains against Dakota Kai. Nikki Cross attacks Shayna after the match.
Ricochet came down to the ring to start off this week’s episode of NXT. Ricochet said that everywhere he has been around the world he always wanted to make sure that everyone remembered him. It was his mission to make sure that everyone was talking about him after WrestleMania weekend. Ricochet stated that he was determined to take over NXT. Ricochet said that the one thing on his mind, said that it wasn’t socks, it was the NXT Championship. Ricochet wasn’t wearing socks during the segment and the NXT crowd chanted “socks!” throughout the promo.
Velveteen Dream interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp. Dream asked Ricochet what gives him the authority to come down here and ask for NXT titles opportunities. Dream added “you are talking about taking over, babe, I need you to take a step back”. Velveteen said that there is one man, one experience and you are looking at him. Dream posed and twirled around in the ring as the crowd chanted his name.
Dream said that Ricochet can jump around in the ring to make a name for himself, but no matter how you flip or flop, you better land in the back of the line behind the Dream. Ricochet chuckled and said that he understands that he is the new guy around here but he knows all about Velveteen Dream. Ricochet added how Velveteen made the entire NXT Universe say your name. Ricochet then said that Dream even got the NXT Champion to say his name, granted it was after he kicked him in the head.
Ricochet stated that Dream was good, but he wasn’t as good as him. Ricochet claimed that he has come to NXT to steal Dream’s show and his spotlight. Dream said that he thought that was funny and added that Ricochet can try his best. Velveteen stated that anything Ricochet can do, the Dream can do better. Ricochet said “prove it!” and dropped the microphone.
Dream took off his necklace and pretended like he was going to attack Ricochet. Dream dropped on the canvas and smiled at Ricochet. Velveteen then slithered out of the ring and retreated up the entrance ramp with a smile on his face as Ricochet stood tall in the ring. Dream and Ricochet continued trash talking as Ricochet’s music hit.
EC3 battled Raul Mendoza tonight on NXT. Mendoza locked in a side Headlock to start off the match. Mendoza followed it up with a Hurricanra, but EC3 shrugged it off and sent Raul to the corner. Raul connected with a springboard Dropkick for a one count. EC3 bounced Mendoza’s head off the turnbuckle and stomped him down in the corner.
EC3 leveled Mendoza with a Clothesline. Mendoza battled back with a kick to the side of the head and then charged at EC3 in the corner. EC3 was ready for it and launched Mendoza into the turnbuckle. EC3 followed it up with a knee to the face and then hit his One Percenter finisher for the pinfall victory.
After the win, EC3 was interviewed on the entrance ramp. EC3 said that the only thing that you will see out of him going forward is victory after victory until he rebrands NXT to NX3. He said that the he is the top one percent of this industry and posed on the ramp.
Dakota Kai faced Vanessa Borne tonight on NXT. Kai hit a Dropkick to start off the match, but Borne battled back and beatdown Dakota in the corner. Borne clubbed Kai across the back and then shouted at the NXT crowd to cheer for her. They responded with a loud boo as Borne planted Kai with a Neckbreaker for a two count.
Kai connected with a few boots to the face and then hit a running knee to the face in the corner. Dakota then planted Borne for the pinfall victory. After the match, Shayna Bazler came down to the entrance ramp and Kai had a terrified look on her face. Baszler got into the ring and Kai backed to the corner. Shayna then locked in the Kirifuda Clutch on Vanessa Borne in the ring. Kai took the opportunity to run away as Baszler stared at her as she walked up the entrance ramp.
Dakota was then interviewed backstage and she was still terrified. Shayna Baszler then got in her face and demanded that Dakota do something about. Dakota cowered in fear and Baszler said “that is what I thought” and walked away. Nikki Cross was then shown laughing her ass off next to Kai.
Heavy Machinery (Tucker Knight & Otis Dozovic) battled War Raiders (Hanson & Rowe) tonight on NXT. Dozovic and Rowe started off trading punches to the face. Hanson and Knight then got into the ring and traded punches as well. Rowe knocked Knight to the mat and then kneed Otis in the face. Hanson tagged in and connected with a Splash in the corner. Rowe lifted Hanson up onto his shoulders and threw him onto Dozovic in the corner.
Hanson tagged back in and Otis planted him with in impressive overhead Suplex. Tucker and Rowe tagged in. Knight punched Rowe in the face a couple of times and decked him with a Dropkick and then a Hip Toss. Hanson ran into the ring and leaped through the ropes to take out Otis on the outside. Rowe tagged in as Hanson lifted Knight up in the air. Rowe leaped off the top rope and connected with Fallout on Knight for the pinfall victory.
Tommaso Ciampa faced Kassius Ohno in the main event of this week’s NXT. Ciampa was greeted with chants of “a**hole!” and “you suck!” as he entered the ring. Ohno wasted no time coming down to the ring and delivered a beatdown to Ciampa to start off the match. Ohno dropped him with a Suplex and followed it up with a Senton and Ciampa rolled to the ring apron.
Ciampa tripped up Ohno on the apron and connected with a running knee to the face. Tommaso reigned down a bunch of stomps to Ohno’s head as Mauro Ranallo shouted that Ciampa was a sick individual. Ciampa hit a Dropkick and started raking at Kassius’ face. Ciampa applied a Chin Lock in the midde of the ring as the crowd chanted for Ohno.
Kassius battled to his feet and jabbed Ciampa in the jaw. Ohno then hit a massive boot the face and beatdown Ciampa in the corner. Ohno drove his elbow into Ciampa’s face and then dropped a knee on his midsection. Ohno took down his knee pad and dropped his exposed knee onto Ciampa’s face. Ohno perched Ciampa up on the top rope and slapped the taste out of his mouth.
Ohno locked in the Cravate in the middle of the ring and then planted him with a Powerbomb. Kassius shouted “is it worth it?” as he booted Ciampa in the face. Tommaso hid behind the referee and then hit Ohno with a cheap shot. Ciampa took off his wrist tape and went after Ohno. The referee took the tape from Tommaso, but Ciampa used the distraction to rake at Ohno’s eyes. Ciampa then hit a running knee to the back of Ohno’s head for a two count.
Ciampa shoved his boot in Ohno’s face, but Kassius grabbed and battled back to his feet. Ciampa connected with a Clothesline and then hit his finisher for the pinfall victory. Mauro Ranallo shouted “oh noooo!” and “damn it!” after Tommaso won the match. Ciampa raised his hands in the ring as the crowd chanted “you suck!”. After the match, Ciampa took off his knee brace and attacked Ohno with it. Ciampa shouted “I broke Johnny’s body, I broke Candice’s heart and Gargano’s fairy tale is over”. Ciampa then posed on the entrance ramp as NXT went off the air.
NXT this week will air a taped show from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. The main event for the show is scheduled to be a singles match featuring Tommaso Ciampa versus Kassius Ohno.
NXT Preview (5/9/18)
Kassius Ohno vs Tommaso Ciampa
The story here is that Ohno used to travel with team DIY and was with Johnny Gargano when he was loaded into the ambulance following the latest attack by Ciampa.
Ohno has said that Ciampa needs to be made to feel the same helplessness that Gargano would have during that attack. He also thinks he’s just the person to give Ciampa that kind of beating.
As for Ciampa, he has continued to antagonize the NXT fans for several weeks now. Ever the heel, Ciampa reportedly blocked WWE’s Twitter account after it wished him a happy birthday.
Heavy Machinery vs the War Raiders
The War Raiders are in action this week as they will take on a fellow superheavyweight team in Heavy Machinery.
Tucker Knight of Heavy Machinery recently made his main roster debut as an entrant in the Greatest Royal Rumble. His partner, Otis Dozovic, was not entered into the match.
With the Authors of Pain and Sanity now on the main roster, there are opportunities for new teams in the division. The War Raiders can start to move up the rankings fast with a win over Heavy Machinery tonight.
EC3 vs Raul Mendoza
EC3 wrestled in the North American Championship ladder match at Takeover but tonight will be his first single’s match in NXT since 2013.
His last single’s match in NXT was a loss to Big E Langston. EC3 wrestled the match under the name Derrick Bateman.
Vignettes featuring EC3 have been airing on NXT for weeks and tonight he will have a chance to show the Full Sail crowd what he can do.
Adam Cole recently stopped by the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast for an in-depth interview. During his appearance on the show, The Undisputed Era member spoke about surprising fans earlier this year as the number 23 entrant in the 30-man Royal Rumble match at the WWE Royal Rumble 2018 pay-per-view one night after losing to Aleister Black at the NXT TakeOver: PhiladelphiaWWE Network special.
Cole’s appearance in the Royal Rumble match marked the first time he worked on the main WWE roster on a high-profile show. The reigning NXT North American Champion performed well in the match, getting the crowd on their feet in spots before ultimately being eliminated by Rey Mysterio.
Being from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which is near the site of the Royal Rumble match in Philadelphia that he made his main roster debut in, made the evening a special moment for the pro wrestling veteran.
“I found out last minute about the Royal Rumble,” Cole revealed during his appearance on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast. “Second of all, the first pro wrestling show that I ever went to was in that building [Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia], the first WrestleMania I ever watched was in Philly [WrestleMania XV], I trained to be a pro wrestler in Philadelphia … so many things mean that much to me coming out of Philadelphia, and to be able to make my Royal Rumble debut in Philadelphia it’s like, okay, great career Adam. That’s it.”
Adam Cole Soaks In Love From The Fans
Also during the interview, Cole spoke about taking a moment to enjoy the experience when his music hit the speakers and the WWE Universe in attendance reacted.
“I definitely made sure that I enjoyed that for what it was,” said Cole. “My favorite part was when the music hit and the people reacted and then when I came out they reacted because I was there, and then I stood there. I made sure to enjoy it as much as I could. I had the same feeling for when I debuted at NXT: TakeOver Brooklyn III when I ran in and attacked Drew McIntyre. I remember thinking, ‘God, I hope they care.’ ‘God, I hope they react in any capacity.’ This was the end of the event so I was just hoping they were really interested in what was going on. Both times they haven’t let me down. Both times have been great.”
Check out the complete Adam Cole interview from the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast at NotSam.com.
What did you think of Adam Cole’s surprise entrance in the 2018 Royal Rumble match? Sound off in the Comments section below.
NXT kicked off this week with Undisputed Era cutting a backstage promo. Cole boasted about defeating Oney Lorcan last week to retain his NXT North American Championship. Kyle O’Reilly added that Danny Burch got what he deserved for getting involved last week. Roderick Strong vowed to beatdown Pete Dunne tonight in their match. Strong betrayed Pete Dunne at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans and joined Undisputed Era.
Mae Young Classic winner Kairi Sane battled Shazza McKenzie tonight on NXT. The two Superstars shook hands before they locked up. Sane went for a roll-up but Shazza kicked out at two. Kairi connected with a Hurricanrana and followed it up with a couple of chops. Sane connected with a Spear and then a sliding forearm in the corner. Sane followed it up with a flying elbow off the top and then a Tokyo Slam. Kairi climbed up to the top and hit the Insane Elbow for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Lacey Evans marched down to the ring with a microphone in her hand. Evans said that a true lady with class always has the courage to admit that they were wrong. Lacey apologized to Sane and stated that she does belong here in NXT. Lacey extended her hand and asked Kairi to accept her apology. The crowd chanted “no!” as Lacey Evans struck Sane in the face with the microphone.
Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) battled TM61 (Shane Thorne & Nick Miller) tonight on NXT. Ford and Nick Miller started off the match in the ring. Ford kicked Miller in the face and tagged in Angelo Dawkins. Angelo knocked Miller to the canvas with a shoulder tackle. Ford followed it up with a double Dropkick that knocked TM61 out of the ring.
Miller got back into the ring and was greeted with a Bulldog from Dawkins. Shane Thorne tagged in and connected with a Senton before tagging Miller back in. Thorne hit a standing Moonsault and Miller went for the cover, but Dawkins was able to kick out at the last second. Miller applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring as dueling chants of “lets go Dawkins!” and “TM61” broke out. Dawkins broke out of the hold and both Superstars connected with a Clothesline at the same time.
Thorne and Ford tagged in and Montez knocked Miller of the ring apron. Ford dropped Thorne with an elbow to the face and then booted Nick Miller in the face. Thorne rolled up Ford and put his feet on the ropes for leverage. Nick Miller also grabbed Thorne’s feet and the referee didn’t catch it and TM61 stole the victory.
Patrick Scott battled the returning Kona Reeves tonight on NXT. Reeves connected with a knee to the ribs and then beatdown Scott in the corner. Kona decked Scott with an elbow to the face and then beatdown Scott once again in the corner. Reeves hit a Gutwrench Suplex and then shouted that he was the finest while hitting an Elbow Drop off the second rope. Kona then hit a Hawaiian Drop for the pinfall victory.
Bianca Belair Picked Up An Impressive Victory Over Candice LeRae
Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter
Candice LeRae was interviewed backstage during tonight’s episode of NXT in regards to Tommaso Ciampa attacking her husband, Jonny Gargano last week. Gargano was sent to the hospital after the attack and LeRae got emotional during the interview.
LeRae and Bianca Belair had a match later on NXT. Belair threw LeRae to the canvas to start off the match and then applied a Headlock. Biance let go and decked Candice with a shoulder tackle. Candice battled back with a Hurranrana for a one count. LeRae went for a Crossbody off the second rope, but Belair caught her and planted her with a Body Slam for a two count.
Bianca showed off her strength and deadlifted Candice from the ground to above her head. Belair threw Candice into the turnbuckle and then lifted her up in the Torture Rack. LeRae battled back once again and connected with a Dropkick off the top rope. LeRae went for the Tornado DDT, but Belair blocked it and launched LeRae across the ring. Biance hit the Alley Oop for the pinfall victory.
Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch Got The Better Of The Undisputed Era
Pete Dunne battled Roderick Strong in the main event of this week’s episode of NXT. Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly of Undisputed Era accompanied Strong down to the ring. Pete Dunne attacked Strong right when the bell rang and beat him down in the corner. Dunne booted Strong in the arm and Roderick rolled out of the ring. Dunne connected with an elbow to the face off the ring apron and brought Strong back into the ring.
Strong planted Dunne with a Backbreaker, but Dunne battled back and connected with a forearm to the back of Roderick’s head. Strong rolled out of the ring once again and Dunne tried to leap onto him. Roderick was ready and connected with a Dropkick while Dunne was in midair. Strong lifted Dunne up and dropped him back-first on the ring apron. Strong hit Dunne with a chop that echoed throughout the arena.
Back in the ring, Strong punched Dunne in the face a couple of times and followed it up with a kick to the midsection for a two count. Strong stood over Dunne and taunted him for stomping on his knees a couple times. Strong hit another Backbreaker for a two count. Dunne planted Strong with a Suplex in the middle of the ring.
Strong and Dunne exchanged strikes, Dunne got the upper-hand and hit an Enziguri in the corner. Dunne dropped a boot on Strong’s arm off the second rope. Strong threw Dunne out of the ring and then kneed him in the face as he tried to get back into the ring. Strong connected with a third Backbreaker for another two count.
Dunne hit another Enziguri, but Strong battled back with a chop to the chest. Dunne dragged Roderick to the canvas and locked in a Sleeper Hold. Dunne transitioned into an Arm Bar, but Strong was able to get his boot on the bottom rope to break the hold. Dunne scaled the turnbuckle, but Strong got back up and booted Dunne in the face. Roderick connected with an Olympic Slam off the second rope for a two count. Strong shouted at Dunne to stay down as he made his way back to his feet.
Strong elbowed Dunne in the face a couple of times and went for another one, but Dunne caught him and bent his fingers back. Dunne planted Strong with a German Suplex and then kicked him in the face. Dunne followed it up with a Bitter End and went for the cover. Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly got into the ring and attacked Pete Dunne before the the referee counted to three. Pete Dunne won the match via DQ.
Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan sprinted down to the ring and fought Undisputed Era off. Dunne launched Strong out of the ring and stood tall with Burch and Lorcan. Undisupted Era retreated up the entrance ramp while Strong raised his NXT Tag Team Championship belt as NXT went off the air.
Tonight’s episode of NXT will be a taped show from Winter Park, Florida. 4 matches have been announced for the episode.
NXT May 2nd, 2018
Pete Dunne vs Roderick Strong
Roderick Strong turned on Pete Dunne in the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Classic. In the process, Strong aligned with the Undisputed Era to turn the trio into a stable of 4.
Tonight, Dunne has a chance to get even with his former partner as the two collide inside the ring. It’s likely Strong will have his Undisputed Era teammates nearby, however.
Kona Reeves Returns to the Ring
Vignettes featuring a new and improved version of Kona Reeves have taken place over the last few weeks. Tonight he makes his return to the ring.
The 25-year-old Hawaiian was trained by Afa at the Wild Samoan Pro Wrestling Training Center. He was signed to WWE in 2014.
The last time Reeves wrestled on NXT was over a year ago in a loss to Hideo Itami. He’s had 7 matches on NXT television, lost 6 of them and went to a no-contest.
The Street Profits vs TM61
The last time we saw the Street Profits in action they lost a 2nd round match of the Dusty Rhodes Classic to the Authors of Pain.
The team had qualified for the 2nd round of the tournament by defeating Heavy Machinery.
TM-61 were also eliminated by the Authors of Pain in the Dusty Rhodes Classic but they went out in the 1st round.
Both teams will be looking to get into the thick of the title chase in NXT’s tag-team division with a win here.
Bianca Belair vs Candice LeRae
Both of these two are undefeated in single’s matches on NXT television. Candice LeRae is 1-0, and Bianca Belair is 4-0.
Yet another wrestler from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Candice LeRae is looking to win her 2nd straight NXT single’s match. She defeated Zelina Vega on the April 11th edition of NXT.
As for Belair, she is a resident of Knox County, Tennessee and may have voted for Kane recently.
Martin Stone, better known to NXT fans as Danny Burch, has signed a full-time contract with WWE. He lost his last match for Beyond Wrestling over the weekend to Josh Briggs.
We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the fields and in the streets. We shall fight on the hills We shall never surrender pic.twitter.com/WJCJXdZuDv
Burch had previously been signed to WWE from 2011 to 2014. He was used primarily as enhancement talent on NXT. Burch was released from his WWE contract in 2014 but would be back with the company the following year. He would wrestle as enhancement talent for another 3 years in NXT before reportedly signing a full-time WWE contract yesterday.
Danny Burch in WWE
One possible reason WWE has re-signed Burch to an exclusive deal is the upcoming World of Sport television tapings planned for mid-May. If Burch was a free agent, he would be free to wrestle on the World of Sport television tapings. While Burch is likely available for non-WWE shows in Europe provided they are not televised, his new deal likely prevents him from appearing for World of Sport.
Burch has wrestled 25 WWE televised matches in his career. Aside from his loss in the opening round of the United Kingdom Championship tournament, all of Burch’s televised matches have taken place on NXT. He currently has a 1-24 record. His one win came against his frequent tag-team partner, Oney Lorcan. Most recently, Burch and Oney were eliminated by Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong in the 1st round of the 2018 Dusty Rhodes Classic.
In 2014, Burch competed on the TNA British Bootcamp show. While he was successful on the show, he would not earn a spot on the Impact Wrestling roster through the show. The wrestler now known as Tanga Loa was victorious on the One Night Only: Gut Check PPV and earned a spot on an episode of Impact as a result.
Burch made his pro-wrestling debut in 2003 after having been trained by the Dropkixx Academy as well as the Frontier Wrestling Alliance.
WWE wants to take over the world. As the largest and most profitable professional wrestling organization, WWE has already expanded their brand on a global level with live events and talent being recruited from all corners of the map.
Now WWE is expanding even further by using their model for NXT in new locations around the globe.
Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who championed and helped built NXT into a feeder system for the main WWE roster, revealed plans for even more expansion to help cultivate and foster talent from countries all over the world.
“With ‘RAW’ and ‘Smackdown Live’ calling up all of my NXT superstars, I quickly realized NXT needed a feeder system of its own,” Levesque explained when speaking at the WWE 2018 Business Partner Summit. “We had to re-imagine once again how and where we were recruiting. Not only in the United States but outside as well.”
The plan to expand falls under what Triple H calls ‘global localization’ — a term he’s actually trademarking — where WWE will establish performance centers and NXT style brands in local markets around the world.
The first example of this kind of expansion was with WWE launching the United Kingdom tournament that crowned a champion last year with another version of that same event taking place again in June.
“We’ve got to find a way to transform the current pathway into a super highway” ~ Triple H
Now WWE plans to expand that same kind of footprint in new markets around the globe including the possibility of setting up a performance center and an NXT type brand with their new partners in Saudi Arabia after inking a 10 year deal there just recently.
“We’ve got to find a way to transform the current pathway into a super highway,” Levesque explained. “We’re going to do it through what I call ‘global localization’. Where we’re going into individual markets around the world, we will create scaled versions of the template we’ve created.
“Organizing tryouts, recruiting talent, establishing performance centers and building on the ground NXT style brands.”
The global expansion will look to build home grown talent from markets in Europe, Asia, and numerous other places around the world.
As Triple H revealed during his chat with those in attendance, 80-percent of the current WWE roster came from NXT, which serves as all the proof he needs to show that this expansion is not only good for the organization, it’s absolutely necessary to continue building the brand on a global scale.
There’s no word yet when WWE plans to launch these new performances centers and NXT type brands, but obviously plans are already underway with the return of the U.K. tournament in June.
What are your thoughts on an NXT style expansion on a global scale for WWE? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
Undisputed Era kicked off this week’s show. Cole, Fish, O’Reilly and Roderick Strong came down to the ring. Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly had the NXT Tag Team Championship belts around their waists as Adam Cole post with the NXT North American Championship on the ring apron.
Strong said that he is not the type of guy to pat himself on the back, which led to Cole, Fish and O’Reilly patting Strong on his back. Roderick said that he made the decision to join Undisputed Era because Pete Dunne only cares about his United Kingdom Championship. Kyle O’Reilly said times are changing and that they are leaving everyone in the dust.
Adam Cole grabbed the microphone and said that he is going to defent the NXT North American Championship against Oney Lorcan right now. Cole said that he wanted to do this on his own and then chuckled while saying “lets be real, I don’t really need any help beating Oney Lorcan”.
Roderick Strong Helped Adam Cole Retain The NXT North American Championship
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Adam Cole defended his NXT North American Championship against Oney Lorcan tonight. Lorcan controlled the match early and targeted Cole’s taped up ribs. Lorcan applied the Abdominal Stretch for a moment, but Cole was able to escape and roll out of the ring to regroup.
Cole blocked a Suplex attempt by Lorcan on the ring apron and then booted him in the side of the head. Cole brought Lorcan to the corner and stomped on him several times. Cole connected with a flurry of punches and then got up and held his injured ribs. Cole drove his knee into Lorcan’s back and applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring.
Lorcan broke free and connected with a couple of jabs to Cole’s midsection. Oney delivered a chop to Cole’s chest and then kneed him in the ribs. Oney followed it up with a running Blockbuster for a two count. Oney dropped Cole’s midsection across the top rope and Cole fell to the floor outside the ring.
Oney Lorcan climbed up the turnbuckle and Undisputed Era rushed the ring with a medical trainer. The referee was distracted as the trainer attended to Adam Cole. Roderick Strong connected with a Back Body Drop to Lorcan on the ring apron and then threw him in the ring. Adam Cole was then magically healed and got into the ring and hit the Last Shot on Lorcan for the victory.
After the match, Undisputed Era continued to beatdown Oney Lorcan. Danny Burch came down to the ring to save his tag partner, but Undisputed Era took him out as well.
Sabbatelli Turned His Back On Moss, Heavy Machinery Challenged War Raiders
Heavy Machinery battled Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss tonight on NXT. Tucker Knight and Riddick Moss started off the match. Knight leveled Moss with a shoulder tackle. Sabbatelli ran into the ring, but he was greeted with a shoulder tackle from Otis Dozovic.
Dozovic threw Tino out of the ring as Tucker Knight connected with a Back Body Drop to Moss in the ring. Otis tagged in and connected with the Compacter on Moss & Sabbatelli. Heavy Machinery then stood on Moss and Sabbatelli’s chests and posed as the crowd cheered.
Moss battled back and slammed Otis to the canvas. Moss connected with a punch to the face and Sabbatelli tagged in. Moss connected with a Splash in the corner before heading to the ring apron. Tinp connected with a couple of jabs in the corner and then Moss tagged back in.
Moss charged at Dozovic in the corner, but Otis got out of the way and Moss slammed into Tino on the apron. Tucker Knight tagged in and delivered a boot to Moss’ face in the corner. Riddick Moss tried to tag in Tino Sabbatelli, but Tino leaped off the apron and turned his back on his tag partner. Heavy Machinery then connected with the Compacter on Riddick Moss for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Heavy Machinery grabbed a couple microphones and challenged War Raiders to a match.
Dakota Kai Didn’t Want To Talk About Shayna Baszler
Dakota Kai was asked about the incident last week where Shayna Baszler bullied her backstage. Kai refused to answer and said that she would prefer to not talk about it. Baszler interrupted and shouted at Kai to look at her. Shayna said that a women’s division run by Baszler is Kai’s worst nightmare and walked away. Dakota Kai looked petrified as the segment ended.
Tommaso Ciampa Attacked Gargano, Aleister Black Dismantled SAnitY
Johnny Gargano was set to face Aleister Black for the NXT Championship tonight. During Gargano’s entrance, Tommaso Ciampa attacked him from behind. Ciampa tried to slam Gargano through a table, but Gargano fought back and knocked him to the floor. Gargano leaped off the table and landed on Ciampa. Johnny slammed Ciampa’s face off the entrance ramp and the battle continued up the ramp. Ciampa hit Johnny with a low-blow as the crowd mocked Tommaso by chanting “you tapped out!”. Ciampa then hit a running knee to the face as Gargano was up against a screen on the ramp.
Tommaso refused to stop his attack and then slammed Gargano through a table next to the ramp. Ciampa sat next to Gargano for a moment before finally climbing back onto the stage. Candice LeRae showed up as referees shouted that Gargano needs medical help. Ciampa stood over Gargano on the entrance ramp as the crowd booed. Johnny was loaded onto a stretcher as the crowd chanted “Johnny Wrestling!”.
Gargano was loaded onto a stretcher and wheeled backstage. Johnny was shown being stretchered towards an ambulance. Aleister Black appeared and took a look at Gargano before walking away. Ciampa was then shown on top of a truck watching Gargano being taken away in an ambulance.
Aleister Black came down to the ring and grabbed a microphone. Black said that Ciampa eliminated his competition… but was quickly interrupted by SAnitY.
Young, Dain and Wolfe came down the entrance ramp and joined Black in the ring. Young said that Gargano provided hope, but chaos took away that hope tonight. Young added that out of the chaos, they will find SAnitY. Black cut him off and asked Young if he was looking for the NXT Championship. Young shook his head and Black said “lets do this!”.
Eric Young elbowed Black in the face and applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Aleister battled back and knocked Young out of the ring. Eric got back into the ring and elbowed Black in the face. Black responded with a couple of knee strikes and then a boot to the side of the head. Wolfe hopped up on the ring apron and distracted Black. Young started choking Black by the turnbuckle and then slammed him to the canvas for a two count.
Young connected with a Back Body Drop for another two count. Young quickly applied a Chin Lock as the crowd clapped to get behind Aleister Black. Aleister powered to his feet and broke the hold. Black connected with a kick to the face and went for a roll-up for a two count. Aleister followed it up with a knee strike to the face and both Superstars fell to the mat.
Black connected with a springboard Moonsault for a two count. Young slung Black to the corner and charged at him. Black dodged him and locked in an Octopus Hold in the middle of the ring. Young countered and planted Black with a Death Valley Bomb for a two count. Young climbed up the turnbuckle but Black blasted him in the face. Both Superstars battled on the top rope. Young knocked Black to the canvas and then walked into a Black Mass for the victory.
After the amtch, Black connected with a Black Mass to Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe. Black raised the title in the ring as SAnitY was on the mat. It was announced during WWE’s Superstar Shake-Up that SAnitY will be joining SmackDown’s roster.
NXT will air a taped show from Full Sail University tonight.
The featured segment for the episode is advertised to be a face-to-face showdown between NXT Champion, Aleister Black, and Johnny Gargano. Adam Cole will also look to defend his newly won North American Championship tonight as well.
Matches and Segments for Tonight’s NXT
Johnny Gargano and Aleister Black Face-to-Face Segment
Last week, Gargano said now that his rivalry with Tommaso Ciampa has been settled, he is free to once again pursue the NXT Championship.
Aleister Black accepted Gargano’s challenge for a title match last week. Gargano will be Black’s first challenger since winning the title at Takeover: New Orleans.
North American Championship Adam Cole (c) vs Oney Lorgan
Adam Cole won the North American Championship in an epic ladder match at Takeover: New Orleans. Now, his first title defence will be against the gritty European, Oney Lorcan.
It’s possible we see a bit of a North America vs Europe thing start to play out regarding the two continental themed titles in NXT.
Undisputed Era Segment
In addition to Adam Cole defending his North American title tonight, the other members of the Undisputed Era are expected to make an appearance.
Roderick Strong recently became the newest member of the group. Strong turned on his partner, Pete Dunne, during the Dusty Rhodes Classic, allowing the Undisputed Era to retain the titles (using the Freebird rule to cover for Bobby Fish’s injury).
Now that they are a 4-person unit, Undisputed Era’s rise to the top of NXT might be unstoppable. Future storylines involving this faction should move forward tonight.
Heavy Machinery vs Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli
These two teams have met 3x so far in 2018. Each team has won once and the 3rd match went to a no-contest.
The NXT tag division has been thrown for a loop a bit recently. The departure of the Authors of Pain was followed by the debut of the War Raiders.
If either of these two teams want to stay in the mix of the NXT tag division, they will have to win tonight.
Ricochet began wrestling house show and dark matches for NXT back in February. He then participated in the amazing ladder match at Takeover: New Orleans as his first-ever televised match with the promotion. It hasn’t taken long for Ricochet’s talents to be noticed by one of the all-time greats.
Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, whose movie “Rampage” is currently in theatres, had this to say regarding NXT’s newest superstar recently:
He’s the man! Love the stuff King is doing and will no doubt be the leader in ushering in a new era of our wrestling business. Future champ.
It’s not the first time the box office megastar has heaped praise on Ricochet. Back in the summer of 2016, The Rock posted a message on Instagram calling Ricochet “incredibly gifted” and warning him to stay away from backstage politics.
Ricochet’s Career Up To Now
The 29-year-old Ricochet has long been on WWE’s radar. A lengthy contract term with Lucha Underground, however, prevented him from signing with the company until recently.
Trevor Mann began his pro-wrestling career by moving up the independent rankings quickly. He made his debut as a teenager for Chikara and a couple of years later moved on to compete with Evolve and Dragon Gate as well. In 2010, Ricochet began competed for Pro Wrestling Guerilla too.
He made his first appearance in New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2013. In his time with the promotion, he won the Best of the Super Juniors tournament (2014), the Super Junior Tag Tournament (w/ Matt Sydal in 2015), and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag-Team titles on 3 occasions (2x with Sydal and once with Ryusuke Taguchi). Surprisingly, he never won the company’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.
In 2014, Ricochet signed with Lucha Underground. At the time, the company was signing performers to 7-season long contracts, though they have since gone back on these types of commitments. His Lucha Underground contract prevented him from appearing on television for other promotions. He was even prevented from appearing on the first NJPW show in Long Beach last summer.
Ricochet was officially declared a free agent after Lucha Underground’s 3rd season finished airing. During his time with Lucha Underground, he became the promotion’s first-ever World Champion. As the character, Prince Puma, he was to be the promotion’s first top babyface performer.
Kacy Catanzaro made her debut at an NXT house show in Sanford, Florida last night. She lost to another female prospect, Reina Gonzalez.
From 2014-2016, Catanzaro competed on the 6th, 7th, and 9th seasons of NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior”. She eventually earned a reputation as the greatest female competitor in the show’s history.
Before the American Ninja Warrior, Catanzaro was a Division I gymnist with the University of Towson, Maryland. She received a tryout with WWE at the Performance Center in January of 2017. WWE announced she had signed with the company during the Mae Young Classic last summer.
Here are the full results from last night’s NXT house show in Sanford, Florida:
Reina Gonzales defeated Kacy Catanzaro
Lio Rush w/Babatunde Aiyegbusi defeated Kona Reeves
Dakota Kai & Steffanie Newell defeated Aliyah & Kavita Devi
Adrian Jaoude, Cezar Bononi, & Taynara Conti defeated Big Boa, Rocky, & Xia Li
Ember Moon defeated Vanessa Borne
the Authors of Pain defeated TM-61
** Babatunde Aiyegbusi is a 6ft10 355lbs former football player who signed with WWE in 2016. He appears to be managing the much smaller Lio Rush.
Kacy Catanzaro in NXT Women’s Division
With the recent call-ups of the Iiconics and Ember Moon, it has left a hole in NXT women’s roster. It was also only back in November when 5 other NXT women (Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, Liv Morgan, Mandy Rose, & Sonya Deville) were called up as well. This leaves the door open for Performance Center trainees, like Catanzaro, to get an opportunity.
Currently the female performers who are used on NXT television are:
NXT Women’s Champion: Shayna Baszler
Kairi Sane
Nikki Cross
Candice LeRae
Dakota Kai
Bianca Belair
Aliyah
Lacey Evans
Vanessa Borne
There are also several female performers who work on the NXT house show circuit but do not appear on NXT televsion.
Johnny Gargano kicked off this week’s episode of NXT. Candice Lerae joined Gargano as he made his way to the ring. The NXT crowd chanted “Johnny Wrestling!” as Gargano jogged around the ring with a big smile on his face. The chants transitioned to “welcome back!” as Gargano grabbed a microphone.
Gargano said that he dreamt of this moment before NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. He added that it is really good to be home and for too long he was defined by two words, Tommaso Ciampa. Ciampa was his best friend and he betrayed him and cost him his career. However, after 37 minutes of the most intense minutes in the ring, he is proud to say that he has his life back and is back where he belongs.
Johnny stated that these past few months have been the toughest of his career, but thanked the crowd for shoving signs in Ciampa’s face and chanting his name. Gargano thanked the crowd for always having his back. He then thanked his wife and told her he loved her.
Gargano said that Johnny Wrestling and Candice Wrestling have one last piece of unfinished business. Candice grabbed the microphone and announced that she will be facing Zelina Vega tonight. Gargano warned Almas that if he got involved, he was going to drop him like his name was Tommaso Ciampa. Johnny noted that Aleister Black is the new NXT Champion and that he wants to be the first to challenge for the title.
Ricochet faced Fabian Aichner tonight on NXT. Aichner started off the match in control and planted Ricochet with a Gutbuster. Fabian stomped on Ricochet in the corner and stopped to taunt the crowd. Aichner connected with a tilt-a-whirl Backbreaker for a two count.
Aichner hit Ricochet with an uppercut in the corner, but Ricochet responded with a Dropkick and both Superstars fell to the canvas. Ricochet and Aichner got up and traded shots in the middle of the ring. Ricochet got the better of the exchange and connected with a springboard uppercut. Ricochet followed it up with a standing Shooting Star Press for a two count.
Ricochet climbed to the top, but Aichner got back up and crotched Ricochet on turnbuckle. Ricochet blasted Fabian with a right hand and Aichner crashed to the mat. Ricochet then connected with a ridiculous 630 Senton for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Ricochet said it feels great to pick up a win at Full Sail. He brought up Bayley, Sami Zayn and Seth Rollins and stated that he watched them make a name for themselves in NXT. Ricochet added that it was his turn now to make a name for himself and to prove to the NXT Universe that there is one and only Ricochet.
War Raiders made their in-ring debut in NXT tonight. Hanson and Rowe faced off against JC and Chris (jobbers). Rowe started off by connected with a running knee to the face to one of the jobbers. The other jobber tagged in and got launched across the ring via a Hip Toss. Hanson tagged in and dropped a knee on the jobbers midsection. A fan shouted “somebody stop the damn match!” as War Raiders connected with the Fallout for the easy victory.
Shayna Baszler Bossed Around The Women’s Locker Room
Shayna Baszler was shown in the women’s locker room. She claimed that the locker room was hers now and ripped Ember Moon’s name tag off. Dakota Kai got up to get some water and Baszler got in her face and started shouting at her. Kai exited the room and Baszler told the rest of the locker room to get in line behind her or they will get run over.
Lars Sullivan Defeated Killian Dain In A No DQ Match
Lars Sullivan and Killian Dain battled in a No DQ match tonight on NXT. Sullivan drove Dain to the corner, Dain battled out and Clotheslined Lars out of the ring. Sullivan dragged Dain to the outside and started trading shots with him. Dain whipped Lars into the steel steps and then made his way back into the ring. Killian bounced off the ropes and went for a Suicide Dive but Sullivan caught him and bashed him into the ring post.
Sullivan then planted Dain with a massive Suplex to the floor outside the ring. Lars brought Dain back into the ring and started clubbing him across the face. Sullivan showed off his power and planted Dain with a German Suplex. Killian rolled out of the ring as Lars climbed to the top rope. Sullivan hit a Flying Clothesline and landed hard on the entrance ramp on his way down.
Back in the ring, Lars connected with a diving headbutt off the second rope for a two count. Lars threw three chairs into the ring and then bashed him in the ribs with one of them. Dain exploded out of the corner with a Dropkick and both giants fell to the canvas. The crowd chanted “Killian” as Dain connected with an forearm to the face.
Dain and Sullivan traded shots for a moment, but Dain slammed Sullivan to the canvas and followed it up with a Senton. Killian then hit the Vader Bomb for a two count. Dain brought a table into the ring and set it up in the corner. Killian smashed Sullivan in the back with a chair and tried to throw Lars towards the table but Sullivan blocked it.
Lars slammed Dain to the mat and placed a chair across his chest. Sullivan scaled the ropes and went for a headbutt, but Dain got out of the way and Lars landed on the chair. Dain charged at Lars but Sullivan caught him with a Powerslam for a one count. Dain then connected with the Divide through the table in the corner as the crowd chanted “NXT!”.
Dain put a chair on Sullivan and stomped on him in the corner. Blood dripped from Dain’s mouth as he made his way up the turnbuckle. Sullivan got up with the chair and Dain punched it into his face. Dain leaped off the top, but Sullivan was ready and blasted him with the chair in the ribs. Sullivan followed it up with the Freak Accident onto the steel chair for the pinfall victory.
LeRae Submitted Vega & Black Accepted Gargano’s Challenge
Candice LeRae faced Zelina Vega in the main event of this week’s episode of NXT. Vega started trash-talking and Candice quickly shoved her to the mat. LeRae connected with a Gutbuster and climbed to the top rope. Andrade “Cien” Almas hopped on the ring apron and Vega capitalized on the distraction and threw Lerae to the mat.
Johnny Gargano then showed up at ringside as Vega applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring. LeRae broke the hold, but Vega connected with a kick to the face in the corner. Zelina followed it up with the Meteora for a two count. LeRae started screaming in anger and beat the hell out of Vega in the corner.
Candice climbed to the top rope and hit a Dropkick for a two count. LeRae locked in the Gargano Escape on Vega in the middle of the ring. Almas jumped into the ring and Johnny locked in the Gargano Escape on him as well. Vega tapped out and LeRae won the match.
After the match, Gargano said that was awesome and that Almas & Vega are in the past. Gargano then challenged Black for the NXT Championship and Aleister’s music hit. Black came down to the entrance ramp as the crowd chanted his name. Black said “you want it, then next week, you shall have it”.
NXT tonight will be a taped show from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. Several matches and segments have been confirmed for tonight’s episode.
2 singles matches have been confirmed for tonight. Zelina Vega will take on Candice LeRae in a match which has been building for months. Lars Sullivan will take on Killian Dain in a NO DQ match tonight. Dain and Sullivan met last month in a match which was ruled a no-contest. Johnny Gargano will also make his return to NXT tonight after having defeated Tommaso Ciampa at Takeover.
Ricochet is also scheduled to be a part of tonight’s episode as he makes his Full Sail University debut.
NXT Preview (April 18th, 2018)
Johnny Gargano Returns
Fresh off defeating his rival/former partner, Tommaso Ciampa, at Takeover: New Orleans, Johnny Gargano is once again in NXT.
Tonight will be Gargano’s first appearance in Full Sail after being reinstated.
No DQ Match Lars Sullivan vs Killian Dain
Lars Sullivan recently returned from injury and Killian Dain was recently announced as moving up to Smackdown. They will meet tonight in a NO DQ match between two of NXT’s most powerful SuperStars.
These two last wrestled each other in single’s action on the March 7th edition of NXT. That match was declared a no-contest.
Both were inovlved in the NXT North American Championship ladder match in New Orleans.
Ricochet in Single’s Action
The high-flying Ricochet was also involved in the ladder match at Takeover: New Orleans.
Tonight, Ricochet makes his debut in front of the NXT fans at Full Sail University.
Candice LeRae vs Zelina Vega
Vega may have moved to Smackdown along with former NXT Champion, Andrade “Cien” Almas, but she has a single’s match with Candice LeRae tonight on NXT.
These two have had a budding rivalry ever since Johnny Gargano challenged Almas for the NXT Championship back at Takeover: Philadelphia.
War Raiders Wreak Havoc
The War Raiders (War Machine) are both scheduled appear on NXT television tonight as well.
