We open to Ricochet’s entrance music and he’s coming to the ring to talk.

Everywhere he’s gone around the world, people talk about him. People remember him. Ricochet intends to take over the brand that redefines sports entertainment. Each time he steps into the ring, he proves that he is the one and only Ricochet.

The only thing on his mind is not socks, it’s the nXt Championship.

Suddenly, Velveteen Dream’s music hits and Dream meanders on to the stage with a mic. Dream has been trolling Ricochet on social media, apparently.

Dream repeats “no” many times. He asks who gave Ricochet authority to walk down to the ring and start talking. Who asks for an nXt title opportunity? Talking about taking over. I need you to take a step back.
Dream references the “one and only” moniker. Fans begin chanting it. Dream enters the ring and says there is one man, one experience and you’re looking at him. No matter how you flip or flop, you’re going to the back of the line before Dream, when it comes to the title.

They continue to banter back and forth.

Second Segment

Singles Match: Raul Mendoza vs. EC3

It’s EC3’s first TV match on nXt. Crowd is hyped for him.
Mendoza’s side headlock is broken by EC3. A few counter attempts and a side hurricanrana by Mendoza. He catches EC3 with an elbow in the corner, followed by a missile dropkick. 1 count.

EC3 regains the advantage shortly thereafter. Off the ropes, big clothesline by EC3. Into the corner, EC3 continues to lay in the offense. Snapmare. Rolling neck snap.

EC3 drops Mendoza over his shoulders, face-first on the turnbuckle. Running knee lift and he lifts Mendoza over the shoulders, spins him 90 degrees and hits him with a type of cutter. It’s called the One Percenter.

Winner: EC3 via pinfall in 3 minutes

Post-match, Cathy Kelley interviews EC3 ringside. He says so what about her remarks regarding the ladder match at Takeover: New Orleans. EC3 says the only thing you’ll see moving forward is victory after victory, until nXt is rebranded nX3. EC3 is the top 1 percent of this industry

One cool point for EC3 who defeated Mendoza quite handily. He’s already got his eyes set on the nXt title and you can’blame him for that.

Up Next: Dakota Kai vs. Vanessa Borne

Third Segment

Backstage at the Performance Centre, Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan approach UK Champion Pete Dunne about what happened last week. They say there’s 3 of us and 3 of them. What do you say? Dunne shrugs and goes into a locker room.

Singles Match: Dakota Kai vs. Vanessa Borne

Kai is the first New Zealander to crack the nXt lineup.
Off the opening lockup, Kai hits a dropkick on Borne. She misses a corner attack and Borne makes her pay, slamming her head to the mat. Pinfall attempt. 1 count.

She asks the crowd to cheer for her and continues to kick Kai in the mid-section. Neckbreaker for a 2 count. She applies a modified stretch submission on Kai. Kai struggles in it for a minute, but she comes back with energy. Vicious kick to the face of Borne in the corner. She follows it up with a knee to the face. Borne bends over in the middle of the ring, as Kai runs off the ropes and hits her with a unique offensive manoeuvre. That’ll do it. 1-2-3.

Winner: Dakota Kai via pinfall in 4 minutes

Post-match, as Kai’s hand is held up by the referee, nXt Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler’s music hits. Kai looks worried as Baszler saunters down the ramp. She walks up the ring steps and into the ring. Kai backs up into the corner and she’s scared. Baszler grins, walks away and taps out Borne.
Kai looks on, afraid, and stumbles back up the ramp, knowing that Baszler is sending her a message through this attack on Borne.

One cool point for Kai who demonstrated a genuine range of emotions when confronted by Borne, in her match, and Baszler in the afternoon. Intrigued to see if she can be built up enough for fans to invest or become sympathetic for her cause.

Up Next: War Raiders vs. Heavy Machinery, then Kassius Ohno will face Tommaso Ciampa.

Fourth Segment

Moments ago, Cathy Kelley catches Dakota Kai through the curtain and asks why she’s so afraid. Kai’s not sure and she says she wanted to run away. Baszler walks through next and antagonizes Kai to hit her, to do something. Kai won’t do anything. Suddenly, she hears laughter. It’s Nikki Cross, hanging on to one of the steel girders backstage. Interesting.

Tag Team Match: War Raiders vs. Heavy Machinery

Watson says it’s time to get serious for Heavy Machinery.

Dozovic and Rowe trade punches. Knight and Hanson enter, and do the same, unleashing punches and kicks. Double team with Hanson connecting with a body avalanche on Knight in the corner. Hanson’s thrown by Rowe into Dozovic in the corner. They’re isolating him well. Finally, Dozovic is able to connect with an astounding back suplex. He crawls over to Knight for the tag.

Dozovic makes it to Knight for the hot tag. Monster hip toss by Knight on Rowe. Hanson dives to the outside and nails Dozovic. Rowe lifts Knight up in front of himself. Hanson perches up on the top turnbuckle and flies with a top rope leg drop. 1-2-3.

Winners: War Raiders via pinfall in 4 minutes

One cool point for War Raiders but I give it begrudgingly because these teams would have benefitted from a longer match. I don’t understand Heavy Machinery getting manhandled the way they did.

Last week, Street Profits lost their tag match but they’re busy training for the next one. They hype one another up, yell into the camera and proclaim that they’re ready

Final Segment

Singles Match: Kassius Ohno vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Ciampa comes down to the ring with no theme music and a black eye from past altercations. Ohno’s all business and we’re off to the races.

They quickly go to the outside. Ohno delivers a big boot to Ciampa that sends him struggling alongside the barrier. 2.5 count. They roll in and roll back out. Ciampa to the outside and Ohno connects, through the ropes, with a baseball slide kick. He retrieves him and they roll in again.

Beauty suplex by Ohno on Ciampa. Leaping senton! Ciampa recovers quickly and he begins with the side headlock oh Ohno. Fans bring up Gargano at home, watching this in progress. Big boot out from the corner by Ohno after the reversal. Ohno tries to choke Ciampa a few times with his foot.

Ohno lowers his right kneepad and prepares to get Ciampa. Ohno drops the exposed knee on Ciampa’s head. Ciampa fights back with a high kick. Ohno slaps him in return as Ciampa sits on the top turnbuckle. Ohno lifts Ciampa up and just squeezes his neck in the centre of the ring. Ohno drives Ciampa down to the mat for a 2 count.
Ohno kicks Ciampa hard in the head twice. Ciampa retreats behind the referee and then launches himself at Ohno with punches and forearms. He takes the advantage for a spell, especially when Ohno misses a diving splash. Ciampa leaves Ohno on the mat and tries to step on his face. Ohno grabs his foot. The two trade kicks and punches. Ohno goes for the discus elbow, but Ciampa connects with a spinning clothesline. Spinning neckbreaker! 1-2-3.

Winner: Tommaso Ciampa via pinfall in 8 minutes

Ranallo is pissed when Ciampa wins. Fans boo, too and chant “You suck”.
Ciampa takes off his knee brace and chokes Ohno with it. Unsettling close to the show with no talking, just fans booing Ciampa as he leaves the ring and walks up the ramp.

One cool point for Ciampa for enduring a hard-hitting offense like Ohno’s. That said, Ohno wasn’t as intense as he was in his last few matches. Ciampa took advantage of Ohno’s mistakes and he looks to be positioned in that upper echelon of stars on the main roster. Depending on how long Gargano’s out, we might see Ciampa threaten Black for the nXt Championship before Takeover: Chicago.

Peace!!
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