Ricochet is no longer scheduled to appear at two upcoming EVOLVE shows. On Wednesday, just days after his opponents were revealed, the promotion announced through their official Twitter account that WWE star would not be working these shows. Instead, fellow NXT star The Velvet Dream will replace him and work against his originally announced opponents.
Breaking News….
Velveteen Dream will replace Ricochet at EVOLVE on March 15th in Melrose, MA and March 16th in Queens, NY.
Ricochet will still be at both events for Meet & Greets.
He will be working events on March 15th in Melrose, MA and March 16th in Queens, NY. Dream will also be available for meet & greets at both events.
At EVOLVE 123, he’ll take on Orange Cassidy in a singles match while at EVOLVE 124, he’s set to team up with The Street Profits to take on Shane Strickland, Eddie Kingston & Joe Gacy in a six-man tag team match.
The promotion is expected to announce more matches for these shows in the coming weeks.
Fellow NXT star Adam Cole was the latest talent to work under the EVOLVE banner as he competed at EVOLVE 121 and 122 against Shane Strickland and Darby Allin.
What are your thoughts on Dream replacing Ricochet at these shows? Do you plan on watching? Round off in the comment section.
Not everyone was happy to see NXT Superstar, Ricochet, make their main roster debut last night on Monday Night RAW.
Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion, TJP, took to his Twitter account in order to vent his frustrations after witnessing Ricochet execute a move TJP claims to have written.
Responding to a clip uploaded by WWE’s Twitter account, TJP said, “Oh cool I think I wrote this”
He would follow up with a series of tweets over the situation before responding to fans who were reaching out with support. It’s worth noting that TJP stressed that he was still “happy” for Ricochet as he “deserves a shot.”
Obviously frustrated, TJP claimed that Ricochet’s spot was the “best shot’ he could have hoped for. He claimed that “they [WWE] just gave the bat I carved myself to someone else for their at-bat.”
No. I won’t. That was my best shot. The rest is out of my hands.
I’m doing my best. I promise you, I am. But they won’t let me off the bench, and they just gave the bat I carved myself to someone else for their at-bat. If I ever get to the plate, I promise you I’m swinging for the sun and 3 stars ???? https://t.co/uiIJzzRkB9
Despite his clear dissapointment, when another fan asked if TJP would be appearing in All Elite Wrestling anytime soon, the 205 Live Superstar said:
“If it were up to me, literally never. I’m doing everything I possibly can to succeed here on the team I always wanted to play for, both on and off camera.”
If it were up to me, literally never. I’m doing everything I possibly can to succeed here on the team I always wanted to play for, both on and off camera. https://t.co/I9aQ3eidv0
Several top WWE NXT stars made their debuts on the flagship show of the company, Monday Night RAW.
As seen on Monday’s episode in Lafayette, LA at the Lafayette Cajundome on the USA Network, Triple H, who oversees NXT, opened the show by doing a promo in the ring about how four NXT talents will make their main roster TV debuts. Those talents are NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa, NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano, Aleister Black, and Ricochet.
Ricochet teamed up with Finn Balor to take on Lio Rush and Bobby Lashley where the faces won. Black took on Elias in a singles match. Gargano and Ciampa beat RAW Tag Team Champions The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder) in a non-title match.
Triple H did not clarify whether or not these talents would be permanent additions to red brand as full-time members or this was just a one-off thing. It was first reported by PWinsider.com that these talents were backstage at the show.
Obviously, if they stay on the main roster, Ciampa and Gargano will need to drop their NXT titles. It should be noted that WWE does hold TV tapings for the yellow brand this Wednesday night in Winter Park, FL at Full Sail University, which could be a further indication as to what their futures hold.
What are your thoughts on WWE calling up Ricochet, Black, Ciampa, and Gargano up to the main roster?
Yet another WWE NXT star is headed to EVOLVE and this time it’s former NXT North American Champion Ricochet.
The promotion, which has a working relationship with the WWE, announced last month that he would be making a return to the company. On Monday night, EVOLVE confirmed that the NXT star would be working events on March 15th in Melrose, MA and March 16th in Queens, NY. Ricochet will also be available for meet & greets at both events.
At EVOLVE 123, he’ll take on Orange Cassidy in a singles match while at EVOLVE 124, he’s set to team up with The Street Profits to take on Shane Strickland, Eddie Kingston & Joe Gacy in a six-man tag team match.
It's official! Ricochet vs. Orange Cassidy in a match you'd never thought you'd see in 2019 is happening on March 15th at #EVOLVE123 in Melrose, MA!
Ricochet will also be available for a Meet & Greet!
Ricochet worked for the parent company of the promotion, WWN, from 2010 – 2017 including holding titles in Dragon Gate USA.
Fellow NXT star Adam Cole was the latest talent to work under the EVOLVE banner as he competed at EVOLVE 121 and 122 against Shane Strickland and Darby Allin.
It should be noted that Balor teamed up with Finn Balor to take on Lio Riuh and Bobby Lashley where the faces won on Monday’s episode of RAW in Lafayette, LA at the Lafayette Cajundome on the USA Network.
What are your thoughts on Ricochet’s opponents at these shows? Do you plan on watching? Round off in the comment section.
Posted February 18th, 2019 in News. Tagged: Ricochet.
WWE Halftime Heat took place on February 3 on the night of the Super Bowl LIII at the WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The event was brought back in commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of WWE’s inaugural Super Bowl counterprogramming.
The card included a six-man tag team match between the team of Aleister Black, Ricochet and Velveteen Dream against the team of Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa.
The show was available everywhere, from WWE.com to YouTube to Facebook and Twitter.
Shawn Michaels was also the guest commentator for the show.
The match went back and forth but the villainous team looked strong with the upper hand, with giving Meet in the Middle finishers and what-not.
Gargano and Cole both ate the Black Mass from Aleister Black after a series of superkicks being given out to each other from all the wrestlers.
In the end, Adam Cole took a Dream Valley Driver and a 450 splash from Ricochet, and the match ended when Dream pinned Cole after using the Purple Rainmaker.
WINNERS: Velveteen Dream, Ricochet, and Aleister Black
You can check out the highlight clips from the show below:
NXT Superstar Ricochet recently spoke to the UK’s Mirror on a variety of subjects. The ‘One and Only’ spoke about his high flying style, perfecting moves and more. Here’s some of the highlights:
Ricochet was asked if his high flying, risk taking style has taken a toll on his body. The NXT Superstar replied “Oh I’m broken! [laughs]. But I think the love of it overtakes the struggles that we have to go through, and not just me, because a lot of the guys here have been doing it for like 12, 15-plus years. There’s wear and tear on every single one of us.”
The NXT Superstar also discussed his time on the independents, saying “For 14 years before coming here, I just never took care of my body.” Ricochet elaborated further, stating “since I’ve been here in NXT, they’re so keen on us taking care of ourselves, and that’s why there’s such a great medical staff to say ‘you should take care of this, or that.’
Ricochet also discussed some of the incredible moves he performs in ring. When asked how long it takes to perfect a new move he replied “I don’t do any new moves! I just do the same stuff that I’ve been doing for 15 years but have kind of perfected. I just kind of try to find different ways.”
Yet another WWE NXT star is headed to EVOLVE, which has a working relationship with the WWE. This time its former NXT North American Champion Ricochet.
EVOLVE made the news official in a recent post on their official Twitter account where it was noted that he would be appearing at events on March 15th in Melrose, MA and March 16th in Queens, NY. Ricochet will wrestle and be available for meet & greets at both events. As of this writing, his opponents at these shows have yet to be announced but are expected to be in the coming weeks.
BREAKING NEWS….
Ricochet returns to EVOLVE on March 15th in Melrose, MA and March 16th in Queens, NY! Tickets at https://t.co/85RwPfUwQ8.
WWE NXT North American Champion Ricochet will no longer stay at the top of the tier of the men’s division in NXT.
He lost his NXT North American Title to Johnny Gargano in a suburb contest that took place at the first special of the yellow brand, NXT TakeOver: Phoenix event, on Saturday night at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona on WWE’s streaming service.
Ricochet, who was only the second champion in the history of the title, continues to shine through as one star that continues to impress fans each and every time that he gets into the ring. He’s someone to keep an eye on as he develops in the developmental system for the company.
They put on one heck of a match that delivered and will be fun to see where it goes from here. We should get an idea of just that once WWE holds the next set of TV tapings, which goes down on Wednesday, January 30th in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. Whether Ricochet gets a rematch before WrestleMania 35 weekend remains to be seen.
What are your thoughts on Gargano winning the title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
While it was an obvious direction for the North American title, WWE waited this long to make the match between Ricochet and Johnny Gargano official for the upcoming NXT Takeover: Phoenix event.
It all started when Tommaso Ciampa helped Gargano in beating Aleister Black in a cage match a few weeks back. After this, the NXT Champion suggested that his former partner deserved a shot at Ricochet’s title.
It became clear that this match is in the mix when Johnny himself later demanded the same and now the company has made it official with a press release on WWE.com:
“At TakeOver: Phoenix, these two NXT Superstars will put it all on the line when they tangle for the NXT North American Title. For Ricochet, the plan is to walk out of TakeOver: Phoenix and remain the one and only NXT North American Champion. For Johnny Wrestling, it’s all about two things: wins and championships.”
With this match, the total number of officially announced bouts for the upcoming Takeover event has become 4. You can check out the full match card for the show below:
NXT Takeover: Phoenix Updated Match Card
Aleister Black vs. Tommaso Ciampa (c) for the NXT championship
Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Bianca Belair for the NXT Women’s title
Johnny Gargano vs. Ricochet (c) for the North American championship
War Raiders vs. Undisputed ERA (c) for the NXT Tag titles
Takeover: Phoenix takes place the day before Royal Rumble on Saturday, January 26th from the Talking Stick Resort Arena.
There was an interesting main event on this week’s episode of NXT on WWE’s streaming service, WWE Network, which was taped on Wednesday, November 28, 2018, from Winter Park, FL at Full Sail University.
Ricochet defeated Tyler Breeze to retain his NXT North American Title after issuing an open challenge. Over the course of this year, Breeze has worked a few NXT live events and with WWE officials not doing anything with him on television right now, it could lead to more appearances for him down the line.
Following the match, WWE’s Youtube channel released this interview with the rising prospect where he praised the current RAW superstar when he stated that he thinks Breeze is one of the best in the ring today. You can see it here:
Match Set For Next Week’s WWE NXT Episode
A big match has been set for next week’s episode of NXT as it will see the in-ring television debuts as Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke, who are one-half of “The Four Horsewomen of MMA.” They are slated to take on Dakota Kai and Io Shirai in a tag team match. In recent months, they have been helping NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler in her feud against Kairi Sane.
The WWE Network will air 205 Live and NXT in primetime tonight. The cruiserweight division gets going at 7 PM featuring matches taped yesterday in Las Vegas. NXT was filmed in Full Sail University on November 28th.
NXT 12/12 Preview
Ricochet Defends North American Title Against Mystery Opponent
Ricochet told NXT GM, William Regal, he wants to defend his North American title the next time he was in Full Sail and that’s exactly what will happen tonight. Regal has yet to announce to Ricochet or the NXT Universe who Ricochet’s opponent tonight will be, however.
EC3 vs Bobby Fish
When Bobby Fish returned to action in late October, he took a chair to EC3 and put him out of action for several weeks. Now EC3 has a chance for revenge against Fish but he should probably be looking over his shoulder for the other members of the Undisputed Era.
Aleister Black vs Johnny Gargano Segment
Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano will go one-on-one inside a steel cage next week. This week, the two will build towards the match with a segment. Tommaso Ciampa might be watching this part of the show closely.
Mia Yim vs Reina Gonzalez
The winner of this match will punch their ticket to a 4-way match to determine a #1 contender for Shayna Baszler’s title. Lacey Evans and Bianca Belair have already been confirmed for the match.
Danny Buch & Oney Lorcan vs The Mighty
Burch and Lorcan came out the victors in their last tilt with the Mighty. The Australian tag-team then attacked them after the bell, however, leading to tonight’s rematch.
205 Live 12/12 Preview
Cedric Alexander vs Tony Nese
Before he challenges Buddy Murphy in an attempt to regain the Cruiserweight Championship at TLC, Alexander will take on the champion’s training partner, Tony Nese, tonight.
Buddy Murphy vs Noam Dar
The champion will also be in action tonight. Before he defends his title against the former champion on Sunday, Buddy Murphy will take on Noam Dar tonight.
A main roster member made a surprise appearance at the NXT TV tapings from Full Sail University this Wednesday night.
Ricochet was set to defend his NXT North American Championship that night as it was announced that he would be challenged by a mystery opponent on the show.
Tyler Breeze returned to NXT and took on Ricochet in a title match in a losing effort.
Breeze has also made some appearances on NXT house shows before but this is the first time that he has appeared on NXT television in three years.
Breeze joined WWE’s developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) where he performed under the ring name Mike Dalton.
He would later work in NXT after the rebranding of FCW, and would début his heel selfie-taking pretty boy persona under the Tyler Breeze name. He made his main roster début in October of 2015.
Breeze’s partner Fandango of “Breezango” is injured and that has left Breeze out of the tag team division.
Currently directionless on the main roster, Tyler Breeze could have a fresh start once again on NXT as a singles wrestler.
After his WarGames match at last night’s NXT TakeOver: Wargames pay-per-view event, NXT North American Champion Ricochet took to Twitter to express his belief that NXT is the number one brand in all of sports entertainment and wrestling according to him.
He wrote, “It gets thrown around a lot, but I firmly believe that @WWENXT is the #1 in sports entertainment/wrestling whatever you like to call it. Top to bottom, everyone always delivers.
Luke Harper has been in the WWE since around 2012 and has held a SmackDown Tag Team and NXT Tag Team title in the company. Apart from the tag titles, the only singles title he has held has been the Intercontinental Championship. The 38 year-old reflected on his reign as the IC Champion from four years ago as he won the title from Dolph Ziggler on Raw.
He tweeted the following:
“4 Years ago today I reversed a @heelziggler attempt at a Bella Buster and became @wwe Intercontinental Champion. It didn’t last long but man was it special. It also led to one of my greatest matches ever at TLC that year.”
4 Years ago today I reversed a @heelziggler attempt at a Bella Buster and became @wwe Intercontinental Champion. It didn't last long but man was it special. It also led to one of my greatest matches ever at TLC that year. pic.twitter.com/PjM2xGsu8i
WWE NXT North American Champion Ricochet spoke with the Miami Herald for a new interview to promote the NXT events in South Florida this weekend. During the interview, he was asked about Roman Reigns’ leukemia announcement, which he stated that Reigns is a superhero as he is the standard of what a person should be. He brought up how Reigns went out there every single night and he puts his body on the line.
“It’s sad to hear, it’s sad to see whenever someone like that has to not just relinquish the title, but stop doing something that they love. But, I know if anybody is gonna get through this, it’s gonna be him. He’s such a strong person, such a strong dude. I know he’s gonna kick this thing’s but and come back stronger than ever.”
At the WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 event in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center at the Center on the WWE Network last August, Ricochet beat Adam Cole to win the title. This marked Ricochet’s first title win under the banner of the WWE and only the second North American Champion in history.
When asked about, it stated that it was truly amazing as he never really thought that he would be in this position at all. “I never really thought that I would be here, because when I first started, even my size and my stature, I never thought that I would be in this position. And the fact that I am, it really goes to show you that, really, anything is possible.”
The WWE is slated to make a return to world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, in New York City on Wednesday, December 26th, 2018 for a live event.
On Thursday, WWE NXT General Manager William Regal made a big announcement regarding the latest match that has been revealed for this show at the historic building. Johnny Gargano, UK Champion Pete Dunne, NXT North American Champion Ricochet, Aleister Black and Velveteen Dream vs. The Undisputed Era and Tommaso Ciampa is booked to take place.
This event was originally advertised to feature the superstars from the blue brand, SmackDown Live. However, the company has decided to make it a RAW event.
Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman in a Steel Cage match is expected to headline the show. The line-up now features:
(Steel Cage Match) Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman
RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Mickie James
RAW Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose
Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, Ricochet, Aleister Black & Velveteen Dream vs. The Undisputed Era & Tommaso Ciampa
Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Bobby Lashley, Elias, Jinder Mahal, Alexa Bliss, and Bayley are also advertised for this show. The WWE will be announcing more matches for this live event in the coming months.
– Not only did Ricochet celebrate his 30th birthday at last night’s NXT live event in Saint Charles, Missouri, he also debuted new ring gear. Instead of wearing long tights, the NXT North American Champion competed in traditional wrestling trunks.
– Nia Jax is wrestling at a house show tonight for the first time since her return from a reported leg injury on Raw on September 17. The former Raw Women’s Champion revealed on social media that she’s working this weekend’s tour starting with tonight’s show in Syracuse, New York.
Oh heyyyyyy….guess who is back at it this weekend ???
Fri 10/12 Syracuse, NY Sat 10/13 Binghamton, NY Sun 10/14 Allentown, PA RAW IS WAR 10/15 Philadelphia, PA Who’s coming? ????? pic.twitter.com/sDDUQydT9D
Jax last wrestled at a house show on July 22 in Pikeville, Kentucky, losing to then-Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss in a Triple Threat Match that also included Natalya.
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?
The WWE Network will air 3-hours of newly released pretaped wrestling shows tonight. Starting at 7 PM, 205 Live (not live), NXT, and the Mae Young Classic will air back-to-back-to-back. 205 Live was taped before Smackdown aired last night in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
205 Live Preview 9/19
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander (c) vs Drew Gulak
Only one match is scheduled for tonight’s 205 Live. Cedric Alexander will look to defend his Cruiserweight Championship for a 4th consecutive time. The winner of tonight’s match will go on to face Buddy Murphy in Melbourne, Australia at Super Show-Down.
Gulak has been running rampant in the cruiserweight division since Summerslam in an attempt to get a title rematch. His efforts pay off tonight but ending Alexander’s title reign will be no small task.
NXT Preview 9/19
NXT North American Champion vs WWE United Kingdom Champion Ricochet (c) vs Pete Dunne (c)
It will be champion vs champion tonight when Ricochet clashes with Pete Dunne. The two men have been on the same side in a rivalry with the Undisputed Era but both want a crack at the others title. Both championships will be on the line tonight. The Undisputed Era might be watching this match closely as well.
Dakota Kai and Deonna Purrazzo vs. Lacey Evans and Aliyah
This match came together as a result of an altercation the 4 competitors had recently at the WWE Performance Center. Kai defeated Aliyah in single’s action recently. On NXT last week, we saw Aliyah and Kai arguing in the back. Eventually, Lacey Evans got involved in defense of Aliyah and Deonna Purrazzo then sided with Kai, leading to tonight’s tag-team match.
Jaxson Ryker In Single’s Action
Ryker’s partners in the Forgotten Sons, Wesley Blake & Steve Cutler, made their debut two weeks ago on NXT programming. The faction has been competing on NXT live events for some time, however. This week it’s time for Jaxson Ryker to debut in the men’s single’s division.
The man known as Gunner in TNA will look to make an impact tonight.
Search For Aleister Black’s Attacker Continues
William Regal will continue his investigation into who attacked Aleister Black tonight. There is speculation Regal even conducted his investigation at PWG BOLA 2018 this weekend.
I’d like to thank every one of the staff and competitors at PWG for their hospitality the last two nights.
Anything can happen in WWE, and tonight (Thurs. September 6, 2018) was a perfect example.
SmackDown Live star Luke Harper appeared at the NXT live event in Buffalo, New York. He challenged NXT North American Champion Ricochet for his title. Check out a video of Harper making his surprise entrance here:
Harper needs to keep busy after his tag team partner, Erick Rowan, suffered an injury that will keep him shelved for some time. The pair were forced to drop the SDL Tag Team Titles to The New Day a few weeks ago due to Harper’s injury.
As for Ricochet, he’s enjoying his reign as NXT North American Champion. He defeated Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 to capture the title in an amazing bout. He’s definitely someone to keep your eye on when he eventually comes to the main roster.
Discussion: What do you think of main roster talents making surprise appearances at NXT shows? Let us know in the comments section below!
The new NXT North American Champion was a guest on E&C Pod Of Awesomeness. Ricochet addressed many topics during the interview, even on his first encounter with Rey Mysterio and how emotional he got after their bout on Lucha Underground.
Konnan Starting Heat
Ricochet recalls first meeting Rey Mysterio and how Konnan was there as well trying to make a wedge between the two high flyers.
“I remember the first time really meeting him, I walked into the room, and Konnan’s like, ‘oh, here he is! This is the guy saying he’s better than you.’ And I was like, ‘what are you doing? Like, why would you say that?’ Because I didn’t know Rey. I didn’t know how cool he was. I was like, ‘why would you say that? He probably hates me now?’ But that’s just Konnan.” Ricochet noted, “but Rey is the coolest guy in the whole world and I’m his biggest fan.”
Goals For NXT
While still a newcomer for the developmental territory, Ricochet mentioned that he intends to make NXT bigger than it is now.
“It’s my goal to, like… I don’t know how long I’m going to be here,” Ricochet continued, “like, if I’m here two or three years, that’s perfectly okay with me because I really honestly enjoy it here, so my goal is to make it as big as possible.”
Another goal of the famed high flyer is to get better on the mic. The Rock was one of Ricochet’s inspiration to get better at speaking as he mentioned that in The Rock’s debut back in’96 he wasn’t the famed charismatic speaker that he is today.
“I always say, ‘look at ’96, The Rock’s debut at the Survivor Series and I think he did a promo afterward, and it was, like, not good. And you look at him later on and he’s the best to do it ever,’ so, like, it’s all about, yeah, growth.”
You can listen to the interview in its entirety below:
NXT is back inside Full Sail University tonight. The brand presents its first show from the television tapings which took place after Takeover: Brooklyn IV.
4 matches have been confirmed for tonight along with an update from William Regal on the investigation into Aleister Black’s attacker.
NXT Preview 8/29
Non-Title Ricochet & Pete Dunne vs Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly (Undisputed Era)
Ricochet and Dunne are not allies but they will have to work on the same page tonight. The two unlikely partners were involved in a backstage altercation with the Undisputed Era last week, however, leading to this match tonight.
Dunne seems more interested in challenging for Ricochet’s NXT North American Championship than he is gaining a tag partner. This could create an interesting dynamic in tonight’s main event. Should the NXT NA Champion and the WWE UK Champion be victorious tonight they’d likely find themselves in line for a future title shot against the NXT tag champs.
EC3 vs Raul Mendoza
EC3 will be looking to get back in the win column tonight. He suffered a loss to Velveteen Dream at Takeover: Brooklyn IV.
EC3 said his rivalry with Dream isn’t over until he wins. He made the comments backstage following his loss at Takeover. If that is the case, EC3 might want to send a message to his rival tonight.
The NXT Women’s division will see former title-challenger, Dakota Kai, go one-on-one with Aliyah on tonight’s show.
The New Zealander Kai looks as though she will also compete in the NXT UK Women’s division as well. She took part in the NXT UK tapings recently. Kai’s last single’s match on NXT North American programming saw her drop a match to Lacey Evans. Kai has actually dropped 3 of her last 4 matches on the brand, losing to Baszler, Bianca Belair, and Lacey Evans. Her only victory during that period was over Santana Garrett.
As for Aliyah, 2018 has not been kind to her. She’s had 4 matches on NXT programming this year and she’s lost all of them. Lacey Evans, Ember Moon, Bianca Belair, and Kairi Sane have all scored wins over her in 2018.
Keith Lee In Single’s Action
Keith Lee will step back into an NXT ring tonight. He was victorious in his first match over Marcel Barthel last month. Since that match, Lee has won 5 straight on NXT house shows.
William Regal Updates The Investigation Into The Attack on Aleister Black
NXT General Manager, William Regal, has promised to update fans tonight on the investigation into who attacked Aleister Black.
Last week, EC3 speculated Lars Sullivan might have been Black’s attacker. Several surveillance videos have been released recently but who attacked the former champion is still unclear.
There is a new WWE NXT North American Champion and that’s Ricochet. As seen at Saturday’s (August 18, 2018) WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 event in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center at the Center on the WWE Network, Ricochet beat Adam Cole to win the title.
This marks Ricochet’s first title win under the banner of the WWE and only the second North American Champion in history. If you recall, WWE introduced the title in March on an episode of NXT where Cole would later beat EC3, Killian Dain, Ricochet, Lars Sullivan, and Velveteen Dream at the NXT TakeOver: New Orleans event on April 7th during WrestleMania 34 weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana.
WWE holds NXT TV tapings this Thursday night in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University where WWE will have the fallout from this event as well as this match, so stayed tuned for that.
In regards to the next NXT TakeOver event, fans will have to wait for NXT TakeOver: Los Angeles during Survivor Series weekend as that show is slated to go down on Saturday, November 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center.
What are your thoughts on this title change? Sound off in the comment section.
Ricochet has reflected on his journey to the WWE and the biggest concern that he had once he decided that he would join the company.
The WWE NXT star spoke with CBS Sports to promote the upcoming NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 event that takes place this Saturday (August 18, 2018) in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center on the WWE Network where he’ll challenge Adam Cole for the North American Championship.
Concern Joining WWE
“My biggest concern [in joining WWE] was character development and all that stuff because that’s something I never got to do. I was always the ‘dream match’ guy. I was never really put in any stories. So that was the biggest concern, and how I can adjust to that,” Ricochet explained.
The highly talented star noted that there’s also a misconception from fans who say that he shouldn’t join WWE because they will water him down and not let him be himself. He thinks that belief is ridiculous because Triple H and Shawn Michaels and all those guys are more than happy to let him be himself and allow him to do his thing. “That was not a big worry of mine, per se, but I remember a lot of people saying that. Since I’ve been here, everyone’s been so cool. It’s been awesome.”
Wrestling Styles
Ricochet also talked about different wrestling styles as he noted that every country that he worked in before he came to the United States had different styles and ways of doing things. He thinks that as long as there’s effort then it’s right and people are paying to see you then it’s good.
“May not be for everyone, but that’s OK. In the match I saw, two fellas who looked like fighters [had] an excellent, hard competed match in a different style. Win-win!” Our staff has released their predictions for the NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 show, which you can read here.
The show will go down from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Ricochet was recently a guest on Edge and Christian’s podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness. He was able to share some of his thoughts on his NXT TakeOver opponent during the show.
Intimidation On The Mic
Ricoceht divulged that he is a bit intimidated by Cole’s skills on the microphone. “The One And Only” said working with those better than him on the mic has helped him improve in that department of the game himself:
“Oh man, [Cole] is so good on the mic. It’s crazy. It’s intimidating,” Ricochet said. “Even with [Velveteen] Dream because Dream is very comfortable on the mic as well, so like both of those situations I felt like this was, like, good for me because, again, it’s either make it or break it.
“Do you know what I mean? So I had this pressure on me and I was like, ‘I’m going to go out there and do my best I can to kill it.’ I guess, especially because I’ve known Adam for so long and we’ve become pretty good friends or whatever, like, I’m comfortable in there.
“There’s not like the weird awkwardness where I’m uncomfortable speaking to him, I guess. I don’t know. So yeah, especially with him being so good on the mic, I definitely have to step up and show them that I might not beat him verbally, but, like, I can for sure keep up with him.”
Listen to Ricochet on E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness by clicking this link here.
Discussion: What do you make of Ricochet’s comments? Do you think he’ll best Cole tomorrow night? Let us know in the comments!
WWE NXT Superstar Ricochet recently did an interview with TV Insider to talk about several professional wrestling topics. During their conversations, Ricochet talked about finally getting to WWE after having worked for several promotions beforehand.
Ricochet has worked for the likes of Chikara, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Dragon Gate, New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Lucha Underground. Ricochet said working in WWE has been exciting since day one:
“WWE has been exciting since day one. Right now, it has been figuring out who I am going to be and what I’m going to be about. From the talent to the coaches to the medical staff to everyone in the locker room, it’s been amazing.”
He also talked about all the guidance he has received working at the WWE’s Performance Center:
“They’ve all helped me a lot and shown me how to look at wrestling totally different, in the best way possible,” he said. “Just about the timing, having positioning. Top to-bottom, in the ring and out of the ring, I’m looking at it in a whole new space of mind. I think it’s for the better.”
Keeping The “Ricochet” Ring Name
Ricochet then talked about getting to keep his “Ricochet” ring name in WWE after spending the past 15 years building it up:
“It was cool because the last 15 years of my life has been about trying to build up a name. When I got to WWE, there was some rumblings about changing it. I was okay with that because it has worked in the past, and I had a few choices lined up.
“But when they said I was able to keep it, it meant the world to me because it was definitely a name I put my blood, sweat and tears in building. I built my own name. All the hard work built up to this.”