NXT 11/11 opens up with U-S-A chants follow a Veteran’s Day video tribute as Johnny Gargano’s “Wheel of Challengers” opens the show. Johnny says he’s “cursed” after losing the North American title and NXT title on first defenses. He spins the wheel (which reacts in an obviously dubious manner. Damian Priest? No. Bronson Reed? No. It’s… Leon Ruff?
Johnny Gargano (c) vs Leon Ruff for the North American Title
Lock up? Gargano pulls up short, causing the over-excited Ruff to fall flat forward. The mugging starts but Ruff turns it around with a clever little jump sequence. Damian Priest is in the front row, distracting Gargano a bit. Snake eyes to the second turnbuckle after taunting Priest at ringside. He taunts a bit too long, though. Leon Ruff ducks a superkick and hits a leaping crucifix pin!
Winner and (yes) new NXT North American Champion… Leon Ruff!
All of backstage is applauding Leon Ruff but Damian Priest warns him that “Little Johnny” is going to come back there and kick his ass for it. He offers use of his car to Ruff and sends him on his way. Gargano comes back blaming Priest and trying to convince William Regal that there was no contract so the title change should be void.
Santos Escobar (c) vs Jake Atlas for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship
Atlas confronted Escobar earlier in the day, using a billy club to drop his backup, claiming that he has nowhere to hide. During the match, Atlas is fast and uncharacteristically furious, forcing Escobar to bring in the submission game. When that only has mixed results, Mendoza and Wilde try to make use of the steel pipe but Atlas fights them off before hitting a springboard blockbuster on the champ. Legado de Fantasma manages to trip Atlas up but that gets them sent home by the ref. Champion hits a top turnbuckle hurricanrana and a frog splash on the challenger but only gets two. Atlas gets fired up to brawl, including a perfect roundhouse kick to the head, but can’t put away Escobar either. Shoved from on high before he can hit his cartwheel DDT, Atlas is in trouble outside and nearly gets counted out. No quit in this kid. He goes for the cartwheel DDT again but gets caught! Butterfly face-breaker by Escobar to retain.
Winner and still champion… Santos Escobar!
Dexter Lumis is showing off his artistry skills, making a caricature on the whiteboard of Cameron Grimes running from a zombie referee to mock their Halloween Havoc match.
Shotzi Blackheart says that she and Candice LaRae are far from “even” after the poison pixie ran over Shotzi’s go-tank with a jacked up Hummer.
Raquel Gonzalez vs Xia Li
Boa comes to the ring and explains that Xia isn’t in the building and can’t compete. Raquel is upset after being both called out and stood up. She takes it out on Boa, sending him flying into the plexiglass barricades like Mark Messier before a big boot and bigger one-arm powerbomb (to a grown ass man at least her size.) Boa’s left in the ring and a white dragon animation starts flying around the arena’s LED boards. A mysterious figure arrives with a slip of paper which Boa solemnly accepts.
Winner… Scratch
August Grey (formerly “Retro AG” Anthony Green) is interviewed backstage about his recent attack on Timothy Thatcher but he gets about five words out before Thatcher decides that turnabout is fair play, choking him in a standing guillotine and throwing Grey into Dexter Lumis’ drawing. Thatcher tells Lumis that he has no quarrel with him. Lumis levels a look that says that the feeling is not mutual.
Toni Storm vs Candice LaRae
The match goes pretty… not slow… more like “methodically.” Toni uses her size and laRae counters with aggression. Storm is in trouble until she dodges a moonsault and nails a headbutt that would make any Aussie parent proud. Sliding clotheslines and a picture perfect Perfectplex can’t keep LaRae down and then Toni misses a top rope leg drop. LaRae gets her feet on the rope for the 1-2-3 (and a “That’s bullshit!” from my wife.)
Winner… Candice LaRae
After the match, Toni exacts her revenge but the Ghostface-masked Phantom of the Garganos shows up to attack Toni from behind. Shotzi rushes the ring but it’s still two on one. Tandem stomp on Shotzi as the mystery woman is revealed as Indi Hartwell.
Breezango are fired up and ready to recapture their tag titles. Titles that they say they’ve worked too hard for to lose because of Pat McAfee.
Timothy Thatcher vs Dexter Lumis
Dexter is in street clothes and immediately takes it to Thatcher with a Lou Thesz press and measured punches. Thatcher goes after Lumis’ vulnerable left ankle but Lumis gets out by way of power or grit. A spinebuster shakes up Thatcher but Lumis starts to favor his right arm. The submission specialist locks onto that like a missile. Thatcher turns a kimura into a full hammerlock, keeping Lumis on the ground. Lumis hulks up with a backdrop suplex, a leg drop, and straight right hands. Lumis goes up top. Thatcher tries to stop him but nearly gets silenced. Thatcher is tossed to the mat and Lumis nearly misses him with a Swanton but manages to still get him. Cameron Grimes gets up on the apron and Dexter Lumis goes from a moment away from Silence to getting pretzeled with a double arm bar pin.
Winner… Timothy Thatcher
Cameron Grimes blindsides Lumis … literally. He throws a burlap sack over Lumis’ head and attacks from all angles before hitting the Cave-In on a seated Lumis.
Johnny Gargano is outside William Regal’s office to calmly discuss what happened. He doesn’t stay calm after Regal tells him that the decision stands and Leon Ruff is still the North American champ. Johnny is so upset that he admits to rigging the wheel to no avail.
Tommasso Ciampa talks about toughness. In his 16 years, having worked with Harley Race and Killer Kowalski, he noticed that they never talked about how tough they were. Nowadays, everyone talks about how tough they are, barking so they won’t have to bite. Ciampa is going to change this 2020 culture.
Rhea Ripley takes us back to Wrestlemania. No stadium. No crowd. No win against Charlotte Flair. Io Shirai has moved into that top spot and isn’t afraid of “The Nightmare.” Next week, we find out who has prepared best.
Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, and NXT Tag Team Champions, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch are in the house. Last week, Pete Dunne channeled Joe Pesci in Raging Bull by crushing Killian Dain’s head in a car door. This week, Pat McAfee sings his praises for it.
Cameron Grimes is pretty pleased with himself for figuring out the secret to Dexter Lumis: cover up the eyes and the creepy stare can do no harm.
Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch vs Breezango for the NXT Tag Team Championship
The bald brawlers rush the challengers immediately and the action goes to ringside quickly. Burch gets slingshotted into the plexiglass and Lorcan gets backdropped onto the arena floor. McAfee leaves the announce desk to coach Burch on a Boston Crab. Tyler Breeze escapes anyway and Fandango is on fire from the hot tag. McAfee distracts the ref as Fandango attempts a powerbomb on Lorcan but it backfires. Drake Maverick runs down to the ring and gives Lorcan a kick to the face unseen by the official! McAfee tries to confront him but gets a running senton for his trouble. Top rope leg drop by Fandango for two. Pete Dunne crushes Maverick and knocks Tyler Breeze off the apron. Burch is the legal man unbeknownst to Fandango. Spike DDT for the win.
Winners and still NXT Tag Team Champions… Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch
Drake Maverick tries to dive on The Brand but gets stomped out for it. Tyler Breeze is stretched out off of the announce desk for a McAfee punt as we go off the air.
Top Five Takeaways from NXT 11/11
- Pat McAfee and pals are doing a great job of riling up the fan base. Even the whole “best four man group in history” bit is hitting despite how obvious it is meant to be. The kick to Tyler Breeze and the unresolved drama with Maverick and Dain will play out at War Games or they’ll move on to someone who better fits the bill.
- Jake Atlas is really impressing. They keep giving him more ring time and he keeps making it worthwhile. This aggressive streak does a good job of double duty: It gives him some characterization and it colors him against type as a white meat babyface.
- I don’t know what’s going on with Xia Li but it’s intriguing. So long as Bruce Pritchard stays clear of putting it together, it could be a big step up for her.
- I don’t know which was the bigger letdown this week. The reveal that it was Indi Hartwell under the Ghostface mask or Dexter Lumis eating it twice on one show.
- Io Shirai has been doing a great job but Rhea Ripley needs to win next week. Maybe it’s more accurate to say that it’s needed for rhea Ripley to win next week?
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