NXT 11/18 opens up as Wade Barrett and Vic Joseph welcome us back to the Capitol Wrestling Center in sunny Orlando. In the ring, Johnny Gargano recaps for us how he lost the North American Championship to Leon Ruff last week. He blames the whole thing on fellow former champ, Damian Priest, saying Ruff is a joke and all just a pawn in Priest’s games. The new champ is out to prove him wrong in giving Johnny a rematch
Johnny Gargano vs Leon Ruff (c) for the North American Championship
Big boot. Clothesline. Powerbomb. Throwing a cruiserweight like a lawn dart into a solid structure. If I added “hair flip” maybe I’d be describing vintage Kevin Nash. But no. This matchup gives Johnny Wrestling a rare opportunity to play “the big hoss.” Leon Ruff gets to speedball around the ring, attempting the jumping crucifix that won him the title, lightning fast dropkicks, flipping out of suplex attempts, and even uncorking with lefts and rights to big audience reactions. After to trips to Snake Eyes City for Ruff, Damian Priest comes out to ringside to mess with Johnny’s head some more. It gives Leon the same chance he had last week but Johnny is one week wiser.
A senton misses and Johnny hits One Final Beat! Priest makes the save by pulling Ruff out of the ring. It’s tough love at best or maybe just confirmation of Johnny’s “pawn” talk when Damian looks Ruff in the eye and tells him “Sorry, kid,” before dropping him with a right hand to stifle Gargano’s opportunity. For some reason, Gargano has forgotten every single match ending in DQ that he’s ever seen and expects to be granted the title, pitching a fit when he doesn’t.
Winner by DQ and still North American champion: Leon Ruff
Cameron Grimes. Cameron Grimes. Ol’ Cameron is still hung up on Dexter Lumis but, now that he knows how to defeat the power of the creepy stare, he loves his chances in tonight’s blindfold match.
Cameron Grimes vs Dexter Lumis in a Blindfold Match
Black hoods are place over both men’s heads. Immediately Grimes begins making aggressive diving tackles on nothing but air. Frantically and comically, Grimes claws around the ring ropes. He’s already disoriented until he gets his hands on and starts pummeling… the referee?! The ref gets stomped out and Cameron Grimes is elated for moment but then he takes the hood off and sees what he’s done. Turning towards the ring, he sees Dexter Lumis as a sitting duck for a Cave In.
Nope!
Lumis makes like Master Po from Kung Fu and expertly dodges him with the blindfold still on. Lumis drops Grimes twice and then both hoods are off. Grimes is battered at ringside against the barricades until he climbs over them and escapes through the crowd.
Result: No Contest… or something?
William Regal is admonishing Damian Priest for getting involved in the match, especially for punching Leon Ruff. Priest says that he got carried away having too much fun. He asks Regal if he’s really that upset since it is Johnny Gargano they’re talking about. You know who is really upset? Leon Ruff is. He says that he’s being treated like a joke. He says that, if he can’t defend the title, he shouldn’t have it. Ruff asks Regal if he wants to strip Ruff of the title and the GM proudly says no. Ruff gives Priest a slap before walking off and Regal gives Priest a “That’s what you get.”
A vignette shows Shotzi Blackheart building… something, quite possibly a new tank to replace the one Candice LaRae drove over. She talks about how people tear you down but you have to build back up. December 6th, War Games 2020 is on!
Candice LaRae & Indi Hartwell vs Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro
Indi Hartwell is here to bring the average height over 5’1” but doesn’t play the bully much against Kayden Carter, getting grounded quickly. KCx2 spend a lot of time tagging in and out and not allowing Indi a chance to get going. Carter looks like she has Candice’s number with a modified Flatliner/Sister Abigail type move but misses a bootwash against the ropes. Brainbuster by Candice sets up The Wicked Stepsister and a big boot from Indi on Catanzaro keeps her from interrupting it.
Winners: Candice LaRae & Indi Hartwell
Arturo Ruas vs Kushida
A hype bump for Arturo Ruas played before the match to remind us of his extensive martial arts background. Kushida is outsized but is happy to exchange in technical grappling with Ruas to mixed result at best. Striking-wise, Ruas has an answer for Kushida there, too. Ruas keeps going back to the standing Kimura hold but Kushida manages to save himself each time. Kushida gets his breath back with a dropkick party but can’t get the tap with his own Kimura. Ruas transitions to a leglock but Kushida bridges into it and gets the pin. Ruas is disappointed but it is what it is.
Winner: Kushida
Ember Moon and Toni Storm have had enough of Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez using the number game against the women’s field in NXT. Captain Kick and Big Tex get stopped tonight… then they can start worrying about position for NXT Women’s Title shots.
Both NXT Women’s Champion, Io Shirai, and challenger, Rhea Ripley, have arrived at the arena and all eyes are ging to be on their match later tonight. The NXT Superstars all give their picks as Io retaining her title. However, the picks for Rhea winning come from producers, Road Dogg, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H. Maybe that’s a coincidence. Maybe there are no coincidences.
Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez vs Ember Moon & Toni Storm
Raquel and Dakota are vicious but Toni and Ember (or “Team Thiccness” as my wife dubbed them) have got the ability to hang with anyone, separate or together. This is a hard-hitting affair and they tell a really thorough story here. The formula for the faces is pretty clear that Toni can power through Dakota while Ember is a quick little thing that can keep Raquel spinning in circles. The ending is surprising in time and manner when an inside cradle from a reeling Toni Storm picks up the win.
Winners: Ember Moon & Toni Storm
Candice LaRae and Indi Hartwell block the winners’ path to the back. They help Kai and Gonzalez with their sore loser beatdown, including one-arm powerbombs from Raquel. It looks like Candice may have her team for War Games.
A white SUV pulls up to the arena and The Brand has arrived. Pat McAfee. Pete Dunne. NXT tag champs, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch. They know that NXT Champion, Finn Balor, will address the audience here tonight. They’d love to hear what he has to say.
August Grey vs Timothy Thatcher
Former student vs former teacher as That 80s Guy wants to show how much “Thatch-as-Thatch-can” he’s learned. Grey starts out on fire, dropping Thatcher with multiple hard hands. Throughout the match August is on turbo but a methodical mix of catch holds and uppercuts keep bringing it around to Thatcher. A neck crank in the middle of the ring ends today’s lesson.
Winner: Timothy Thatcher
Thatcher attacks his fallen foe afterwards. That brings out The Black Heart of NXT. Tomasso Ciampa stares him down. Thatcher gives him the ring. Backstage, Ciampa is asked what was it all about? Simple. Tomasso wants to fight Thatcher.
Damien Priest starts coming to the ring but a wild Johnny Gargano attacks! They beat the hell out of each other until Priest gets ahead and tosses Gargano into the ring. He brings a steel chair with him and things don’t look good for Johnny. But that’s Leon Ruff gets involved he takes it to both of them and does alright … until it pisses them off. The two rivals try to send the new champ packing but he manages to do it on his own terms and backs up the ramp with his title held high and all smiles.
The announcers hype Survivor Series, focusing on The Undertaker’s “Final Farewell.”
William Regal knocks on Boa’s door, telling him that he needs to get himself to the Performance Center. He’s not coming out to go to the PC and Xia Li isn’t there with him. What is going on? Xia will come back to NXT but so will “he.”
Regal catches to Leon Ruff and wants to know what he thinks he’s doing. Ruff says Damian Priest and Johnny Gargano have everyone thinking he’s a joke. Wanna hear the punchline? He’ll take them both on!
Io Shirai (c) vs Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women’s Championship
This starts out with a little mouthing off and shoving. It becomes apparent early on that Xia may have called out the challenger but her goal here should be survival. Lots takes place in the little window of our commercial break but the Amazonian Aussie womanhandles the heck out of The Genius of the Sky for several minutes. Io’s big break comes just before another picture-in-picture session when she manages to injure Rhea’s arm and goes to work on lessening that power advantage.
It’s short-lived however. Rhea gets a hold of Io’s legs and takes her on the cloverleaf ride for a good long time. The champ manages to grit it out, lasting as long as it takes to get to the ropes. Turnabout is fair play. Rhea has to reach for the ropes when she gets caught in an armbar. Back on their feet, Rhea is in charge again. She’s there to fight and loving it. The two play turnbuckle games in the corner. Powerbomb blocked. Moonsault avoided. Riptide reversed into a DDT! Io manages to hit a sunset flip power bomb through the announce table on Rhea! Moonsault. Over.
Winner and still champion: Io Shirai
Champion and challenger embrace after the match. It looks like one of them lost something more than a match here tonight.
Finn Balor walks in past them and congratulates Io. He says that he’s got two plates in his jaw that proves he’s a bad son of a bitch. Pat McAfee walks in with his guys and says that might be true but it’s their show now. Dain & Drake? Dead. Breezango? Dead. Undisputed Era? Dead. Dean Wormer? DEAD! He wants the champ to hand over the belt or end up like the rest. Nope. Finn has made some strange bedfellows. Undisputed Era is back! It’s a brawl as we go off the air.
Five Takeaways from NXT 11/18
- The post-match interaction between Io and Rhea was very emotional. It looked like when somebody gets medically retired. I’d imagine that getting called up to RAW looks similar, though.
- This intrigue with Xia Li and Boa and “him” is a neat departure for her. I’m very curious as to who they have coming in to be the big reveal here and where they think it can go.
- It looks like Candice, Indi, Dakota, and Raquel on one team for War Games. Shotzi can take Carter & Catanzaro, Toni Storm, and Ember Moon. But that leaves the teams uneven? Same goes for The McAfee Boys and Undisputed Era if Finn is on board that night.
- Leon Ruff just hit a switch tonight and I hope nobody missed it. He went from being a character to being a personality. I think a triple threat at War Games could make a star.
- I love Cameron Grimes. I love comedic Cameron Grimes. I think he could be more,
though. I think that of Dexter Lumis, too. I like this but I want it to be over.
