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NXT TV REPORT
OCTOBER 10, 2018
TAPED IN ORLANDO, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
REPORT BY JUSTIN JAMES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
[Q1] Pre-credits package reminds us of the Triple Threat match for the NXT North America Championship featuring Ricochet, NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne, and Adam Cole.
Tommaso Ciampa kicks the show off, bragging about his entrance music. He says the sheep are silenced, but every flock has a sheep that wants to stand out, in this case Velveteen Dream. Big chant for Dream. As he rants about Dream, Dream’s music hits. Ciampa is annoyed. Dream calls Ciampa amusing, and doubts that Ciampa is the “greatest sports entertainer of all time.” Dream doesn’t like Ciampa’s threats. Dream says that Ciampa must think he is a bad man, but the title needs a “true experience” not to be carried by an an angry, bald, insecure man. “Velveteen” chants trample Ciampa’s attempt to talk. Ciampa knows that he has what Dream wants, the main event, the spotlight, the NXT Title. Ciampa says that he doesn’t think that Dream beleives that Ciampa attacked Aleister Black, he’s just trying to talk his way into a championship match. Ciampa listens to the belt and says that the title says that Dream might not be “tough enough.” Dream smirks at the dig at his history, and enters the ring. Dream says he is tough enough, man enough, and actually, “more man than you can handle” and says he needs a moment with “you and the championship.”
Nikki Cross’s music hits, and she comes out in a rather calm fashion. Cross suddenly enters the ring, and the crowd chants “Triple Threat!” She tries to messes with Ciampa and Dream a bit. She tells Dream she knows what he did. She slaps the microphone out of Ciampa’s hand. She lays on the mat to talk into the mic and tells Ciampa she knows what he did too. Dream bails out of the ring. Cross kicks the mic away from Ciampa tries to pick it up. She keeps saying “I know!” and backs out of the ring and up the ramp.
Adam Cole is shown outside stretching.
[Q2] Pete Dunne is backstage wrapping his wrists.
Kieth Lee is out for his scheduled squash against Kona Reeves. He sniffs the air. He has upped the ante on his entrance, coming off as even more smug and arrogant. Kona Reeves now has his hair in a bun and a gold entrance jacket.
(1) KEITH LEE vs. KONA REEVES
Lee grins at the fan support. Reeves jaws at him and says that the fans don’t know what Lee is and who he really is. Reeves calls himself NXT’s Finest and poses. Lee laughs at him. Reeves puts Lee inthe corner on the tie up then cheap shots Lee. Lee grabs Reeves, puts him in the corner and smashes him with a variety of strikes. Lee with a dropkick to the running Reeves, then back drops him over the ropes. Reeves uses the ring skirt as a distraction to surprise Lee, then he knocks Lee down and rains blows on him. Reeves to the second rope for a leaping back elbow. Lee sells a chinlock then forces his way out. Reeves grabs the face and hits an elbow. Reeves’ taunting fires Lee up, who suddenly shrugs off the offense, and lands a shoulder block, then a fireman’s carry into a slam (Supernova) for the win.
WINNER: Keith Lee in 3:58. Lee spent most of the match being overpowered by Reeves who has been defined as a jobber, then giving him the Cena treatment, with the single move win.
Video package on Shayna Baszler. She talks about having the quickest route to an NXT championship in history. She owns the loss in Brooklyn as being her fault for being overly confident. She says she is angry that people think that Kairi Sane’s skill beat her instead of it being her mistake.
Outside interview with NXT Women’s Champion Kairi Sane. She says she is excited to face Baszler at WWE Evolution. Sane says that Baszler can train all she wants, Sane will beat her again.
In William Regal’s office, he is asked about the progress of his investigation. Regal won’t comment, but mentions that Cross keeps saying she knows something. Kassius Ohno asks if Regal has thought about their last conversation. Regal says he still knows Ohno didn’t attack Black. Ohno says he is well aware that Regal doesn’t think he is a threat. Ohno says that he was actually talking about wanting to know when Matt Riddle was going to be here, and insinuates that Riddle attacked Black. Regal goes into his office. Cross comes out and tells Ohno that she knows what he did.
Next week, War Raiders have an NXT Tag Team Title shot against Undisputed Era.
[Q3] Video package on War Raiders making their way to a tag team championship match.
Announcers claim that it will be a “double main event” next week since we will also see Cross facing Bianca Belair, in what is assumed to be an unofficial #1 contender match to the NXT Women’s Championship.
(2) NXT North American Champion RICOCHET vs. ADAM COLE vs. NXT UK Champion PETE DUNNE – NXT North American Championship Triple Threat Match
Classic Triple Threat show down. Ricochet and Dunne both lunge at Cole, stop, look at each other, then take on Cole. Dunne and Ricochet fight for the honor of beating Cole up, so he shoves Ricochet into Dunne, knocking Dunne out of the ring to take a WWE Triple Threat Nap on the outside. Ricochet’s speed gets the better of Cole. Dunne tries to come into the ring but Ricochet scares him away. Cole ambushes Ricochet, sends him outside and Dunne enters. They hit the ropes, Dunne takes Cole down, Cole leaves the ring to be replaced by Ricochet. They lock up, Dunne torques Ricochet to the mat and wants to work the fingers, but Ricochet regains his feet. Some good matwork here. Cole rushes them as they eye each other, Dunne sidesteps and puts Cole on the mat, Ricochet looks on as Dunne tortures Cole then adds a low dropkick for good measure. Cole is sent out again. Ricochet offers a handshake, takes a big elbow to the face and Dunne does his famous shrug. Dunne gets his chance to turn Ricochets’ fingers into pretzels, then transitions to a hammerlock and stomps the arms. Richochet suddenly out-wrestlers Dunne, but Cole re-enters the ring to stomp away on Ricochet and Dunne. Cole poses and celebrates himself, and sends Ricochet out of the ring. Neckbreaker for two.
[Q4] Ricochet tries to re-enter the ring with a springboard move, but Cole jostles the ropes. Dunne is back to life, but more offense from Cole gets another two count. Ricochet suddenly nails Dunne with a springboard head scissors, keeps Dunne out of the ring, spingboard European uppercut to Cole for two. Dunne clobbers Ricochet with a brutal right, then Cole, but Ricochet is there. They trans attacks. Cole German suplexes Dunne, who lands on his feet, then knocks Ricochet down, and puts a single leg crab on Cole and Ricochet at the same time. Ricochet slips out, Dunne works Cole, Ricochet puts Dunne in an octopus, Cole hits a backstabber on Ricochet for two. Crazy sequence there. Rapid pace here, a running, jumping knee from Cole to Ricochet nets two. Ricochet wants a move out of the corner, thinks better, enziguris all around. Ricochet tries a Lionsault, Cole and Dunne kick him out of the air at the same time.
Match resets with everyone on the mat. Cole and Dunne go at it from their knees. Dunne with a sequence of headbutts to stop them. Dunne holds Cole’s hands down, then steps on them, stomps them, Yes! kick to the head. Cole to the apron. Dunne follows, but Cole has a DDT on the apron. Cole is on the ramp trying to get his fingers working again. Cole wants to superkick Dunne’s head into the ring steps, Dunne dodges, and hits the Dunne Stomp on the steps. Ricochet with a 619 to Dunne, superkick to Cole, Dunne moonsaults Cole, then throws Ricochet in the ring, X-Plex, Cole breaks the cover up.
Dunne thinks, then decides to head to the top, Cole meets him there. Ricochet meets them there too. All three are on the ropes in the corner, avalanche Frankensteiner from Ricochet to Dune and Cole, then a reverse rana to Dunne, flatliner for a nearfall. Ricochet to the top looking for the 630, but Cole knocks him down. Cole with a rollup to Dunne with feet on the ropes. Dunne hits the Bitter End to Cole, Ricochet with the 630 to Dunne, Dunne traps him in a triangle, Ricochet deadlifts Dunne for a powerbomb, Dunne yanks the fingers to escape. Cole with the Last Shot on Ricochet, then his inside out shoulderbreaker to Dunne for a very close nearfall. Ricochet is outside, Dunne is on the mat, Cole hits the ropes, Dunne springs to life, clothesline, Bitter End, springboard 450 from Ricochet to Dunne breaks up the cover, and lets him pin Dunne.
WINNER: Ricochet at 18:30. Another fantastic match from Dunne and Ricochet. Cole was definitely not subtraction by addition, adding a new dimension in the match. Notably, Pete Dunne is the first person to have a pin on Pete Dunne since Tyler Bate defeated Dunne in the inaugural UK Championship Tournament. I suspect that fact will be coming up soon.
FINAL THOUGHTS: NXT lately has been doing episodes with a roughly 20 minute main event and only one or two other matches. I like this format a lot, though it will run through the list of dream matches pretty quickly at this rate. It needs to be a bit more uncommon. Outstanding main event as the talent in the ring would have you expect.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 10/3 NXT TV REPORT: EC3 vs. Lars Sullivan, Candice LaRae vs. Lacey Evans, Gargano vs. Tony Nese, plus Forgotten Sons, Cole-Ricochet-Dunne hype
No Lacey Evans? BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!