3/28/18 WWE NXT Recap: Dusty Classic Semi-Finals; Sullivan Returns; EC3 and Ricochet Debut; New Championship Introduced

We see footage of Tommaso Ciampa arriving to the arena earlier today. He ignores all of the reporters and then William Regal walks up. Ciampa says Johnny Gargano has shown up everywhere he is and wants to know what he has to do to get rid of Gargano. Regal says at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, he has to beat Gargano in an Unsanctioned Match. Regal says if Gargano wins he gets his job back, but if Ciampa wins Gargano is banished forever.

We see the opening credits and then go into the arena where Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, and Percy Watson welcome us to the show. Regal’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring. Regal says he wants NXT to continue to be the best and at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, the NXT North American Championship will be introduced. He is interrupted by EC3. EC3 says he is going to bask in this moment because he deserves it. He says he is honored that Regal created a championship for him on his very first day. Regal says nobody is handed anything in NXT, but he can compete for the title at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans in a Six-Man Ladder Match. EC3 says it doesn’t matter how many guys he’s against, he will show the entire world why he is the top one percent of the industry.

We see that Aleister Black will return on tonight’s episode. We then join Charly Caruso, who runs down the remainder of the 2018 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament. We see that The Street Profits will take on The Authors of Pain tonight, as well as SAnitY vs. Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong.

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Back from the break, we see that “Lord of Flies” by Cane Hill will be one of the official theme songs for NXT TakeOver: New Orleans.

We see an interview with TM-61 from earlier today. They say they had their big comeback planned, but they couldn’t get past The Authors of Pain. They say they need a change of attitude and can’t keep going back to the drawing board. The interview stops when we see Shayna Baszler and Ember Moon brawling in the Performance Center. We are then reminded that Moon will defend the NXT Women’s Championship against Baszler at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. We then see Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega arriving to the arena.

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Match #1 – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament Semi-Final Match: The Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) vs. The Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar) (w/Paul Ellering)
Ford and Rezar start the match and Rezar pie-faces Ford and yells at him. Dawkins tags in, but Rezar backs him into the corner. Rezar drives his knee into Dawkins and then tags in Akam. Akam delivers body shots and then drives her knee into Dawkins. Akam beats him down in the corner, but Dawkins comes back with a dropkick. Dawkins drops Akam with an uppercut and then sends Rezar to the floor. Dawkins drops Akam with a pop-up spine-buster and Ford gets fired up at ringside. Ford gets in Ellering’s face and offers him his drink. Ellering slaps the cup to the floor and Ford gets angry. Akam and Rezar the Last Chapter on Dawkins and Akam gets the pin fall.
Winners: The Authors of Pain.
After the match, we see that the Finals of the Dusty Classic will take place on next week’s show. They will take on the winners of the SAnitY vs. Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong match that will take place later tonight.

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We see Cathy Kelley with William Regal. He says he has finalized the second competitor for the Ladder Match, and that is Adam Cole. Velveteen Dream walks up and says the North American Championship is groundbreaking, but the crowd just can’t get behind it without him being in the match. Regal says he agrees with Dream and makes him the third competitor. Dream says Regal just set the stage.

We see that Lars Sullivan returns to action after the break.

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Match #2 – Singles Match: Lars Sullivan vs. John Silver
Sullivan slams Silver to the mat and beats him down. Sullivan slams Silver into the corner and then into the opposite corner. Sullivan smashes him in the corner and then takes him down with a power slam. Sullivan goes up top and delivers a diving headbutt. Sullivan hits the Freak Accident and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Lars Sullivan.

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Back from the break, we see that “It Follows” by Cane Hill is one of the official theme songs for NXT TakeOver: New Orleans.

We see Cathy Kelley backstage and she sees William Regal again. Lars Sullivan walks up and Regal names him as the fourth competitor in the Ladder Match. He says he will being the title to himself with not only his hands, but with a ladder as well. Sullivan says before TakeOver: New Orleans, he wants Killian Dain. Regal informs him that Dain is in the Ladder Match as well, but Sullivan can have him one-on-one next week. Sullivan laughs and says, “Good.”

We see Almas attacking Aleister Black in the parking lot as Black was trying to enter the building. Almas beats down Black and brings him into the arena. Almas tosses Black into the ring and lays him out with a chair. Almas and Zelina Vega stand tall at the top of the ramp while referees check on Black in the ring.

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Match #3 – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament Semi-Final Match: SAnitY (Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe) vs. Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne
Strong and Wolfe start the match and Strong gets the early advantage. Strong goes for a kick to the face, but Wolfe catches him and slams him to the mat. Dunne and Young get into the ring, but the referee gets them out of the ring and then they both legally tag in. Young and Dunne battle into the corner and Dunne begins to manipulate Young’s fingers. Young gets free and sends Dunne to the corner, but Dunne comes back and kicks Young down to the mat. Wolfe and Strong get into the ring, but the referee sends them back out before the five count. Dunne takes Young down to the mat, but Young comes back with a forearm shot to the jaw. Wolfe tags in and he and Young double team Dunne. Wolfe beats Dunne down to the mat as we head to a break.
Back from the break, Young is the legal man and goes for the cover on Dunne, but Dunne kicks out at two. Strong tags in and backs Young into the corner. Strong drives his shoulder into Young a few times and then delviers a chop. Strong and Dunne double team Young as Dunne tags in. Dunne applies a modified arm-bar down on the mat and then stomps down onto Young’s arm. Dunne applies a body scissors and a double wrist-lock, but Young slams him down to the mat to break the hold. Strong and Wolfe tag in and Wolfe suplexes Strong to the mat after an elbow shot. Wolfe delivers a Death Valley Driver and goes for the cover, but Strong kicks out at two. Young gets into the ring and he and Wolfe slam Strong to the mat. Young goes for the cover, but Dunne breaks it up. Wolfe delivers a forearm to Dunne and comes off the top, but Dunne delivers a right hand.
Young drops Dunne with a neck-breaker and then goes up top, but Strong cuts him off. Strong goes for the superplex, but Young fights him off and slams him to the mat. Young delivers the elbow drop and goes for the cover, but Strong kicks out at two. Strong kicks Young in the chest and then delivers a back-breaker. Strong goes for the cover, but Wolfe breaks it up. Dunne gets into the ring and kicks Wolfe in the head. Strong delivers End of Heartache to Wolfe and drives a knee into Young’s face. Dunne tags in and they slam Young to the mat and Dunne gets the pin fall.
Winners: Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong.

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Cathy Kelley meets with William Regal one more time and asks who the sixth Ladder Match competitor is. He says she is in luck, because he just finalized who it is. Ricochet walks out of Regal’s office and says he will see us at TakeOver as NXT comes to a close.