7/25/18 WWE NXT Recap: Adam Cole, Lacey Evans in Action; Black vs. Ciampa Title Match Main Event

Jul 25, 2018 - by Michael Riba

NXT opens with a recap of Aleister Black and Tommaso Ciampa’s journey to their main event title match on tonight’s episode. The opening credits roll and then Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, and Percy Watson welcome us to the show.

Match #1 – Adam Cole vs. Sean Maluta
They lock up and Cole backs Maluta into the corner. Cole smacks Maluta across the face and then takes him down to the mat. Cole toys around with Maluta. but Maluta comes back with a quick back-slide for a two count. Maluta delivers a neck-breaker and goes up top, but Cole recovers and pulls Maluta down to the mat. Cole delivers a series of right hands and forearm drops to Maluta and then kicks him in the ribs. Cole takes Maluta to the corner, but Maluta counters with a headbutt. Maluta jumps from the top, but Cole counters with a superkick. Cole delivers the Last Shot and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Adam Cole.
-After the match, Cole says he is the most buzz-worthy Superstar on any brand because of what he gets done in the ring. He says he defends the NXT North American Championship all over the world. He says he gave Maluta an opportunity to jump-start his career, but he is interrupted by Ricochet. Ricochet says he owes Cole an apology because he said Cole runs from all of his competition, but he didn’t run tonight. Ricochet says Cole has had a taste of global success, but since he has become the NXT North American Champion, he has shockingly done nothing and is a coward. Ricochet says Cole is so good and can change his mind. Ricochet challenges Cole to a match for the title at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4. Cole says he is so good, which is why he is not going to diminish himself by fighting Ricochet in Brooklyn and leaves the ring. Ricochet tells Cole to go ahead and leave just like the coward he thought he was. Cole runs back to ringside, but Ricochet springboards off the ropes and Cole stops. Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong join Cole on the entrance ramp, but War Raiders’s music hits and Hanson and Rowe come out. The Undisputed ERA get off the ramp, but Moustache Mountain block their way. They chance ERA to another part of the crowd, where they finally escape.

We see footage from earlier in the day with William Regal presiding over the contract signing for the NXT Women’s Championship Match between Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane, which will take place at TakeOver: Brooklyn 4. Baszler says it is not a rematch of the Mae Young Classic Finale, because she has beaten Sane since then and is not the same as she was back then. Sane signs the contract and says they both know that she can beat Baszler. Baszler says Sane is nothing but a phony and everything about her is pathetic. Sane says, again, that she will beat Baszler in Brooklyn. Baszler signs the contract and says she will still be the NXT Women’s Champion after Brooklyn.

We see Tommaso Ciampa getting ready for the main event backstage and we see that Lacey Evans will be in action after the break.

We take a look back to the NXT special in London from last month, specifically Velveteen Dream walking out on EC3 in their tag team match against Aleister Black and Ricochet. We then see that EC3 will go one-on-one with Kona Reeves on next week’s episode.

Match #2 – Singles Match: Tenilla Price vs. Lacey Evans
They lock up and Evans backs Price into the corner. Evans grinds her forearm into Price’s face and then tosses her across the ring. Evans delivers the Bronco Buster in the corner and then applies a modified scissors submission in the ropes. Evans ties Price’s hair around the top rope and kicks her in the ribs. Evans delivers forearm shots and then trips Price up. Evans delivers a slingshot elbow drop and then a swinging neck-breaker. Evans goes for a splash, but Price gets her knees up to block. Price goes for a springboard in the corner, but Evans catches her with the Woman’s Right and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Lacey Evans.

Bianca Belair is backstage for an interview. Belair says she doesn’t have to explain herself to anybody, because she is hurt. She says she is undefeated, so she shouldn’t have to prove herself against anybody. She says when she comes back, she will get what she deserves.

We see Aleister Black warming up backstage. The main event is up next.

Back from the break, we see Shayna Baszler backstage. Candice LeRae walks up to her and says Baszler needs to talk to her face instead of behind her back and issues a challenge. LeRae is pulled away before Baszler can answer.

Match #3 – NXT Championship Match: Aleister Black (c) vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Ciampa takes Black to the mat and they exchange holds on the mat for a bit. Black locks in a front face-lock, but Ciampa fights back to his feet. Black sends Ciampa off the ropes, but Ciampa drops him with a shoulder tackle. Black goes for an arm-drag, but Ciampa counters into a roll-up for a two count. Black goes behind, but Ciampa turns it into a wrist-lock. Black counters into a side headlock, but Ciampa sends him off the ropes. Black comes back with a small package roll-up, but Ciampa kicks out at two. Black drops Ciampa with an arm-drag and locks in an arm-bar submission. Ciampa gets free and dodges a kick from Black by rolling to the floor. Black goes after him, but Ciampa rolls back into the ring and kicks Black away. Black comes back and grabs Ciampa’s ankle and slams him to the floor. Black delivers a few strikes and tosses Ciampa back into the ring.
Ciampa comes back with ax-handle shots and takes Black to the corner. Ciampa sends Black to the corner, but Black counters with a kick to the chest. Black delivers another kick that sends Ciampa to the apron. Ciampa drops to the floor as Black runs the ropes. Black then springboards and sits in the ring as Ciampa stares at him from the outside. Ciampa gets back in the ring, but Black grabs him. Ciampa backs Black against the ropes and delivers a right hand to the midsection. Black comes back with a kick and goes for a suplex, but Ciampa runs him throat-first into the ropes. Black comes back with a kick, but Ciampa sends him to the outside and then slams him into the apron and the steel steps. Ciampa sits down on the steps and mocks Black, who is down on the floor. Ciampa tosses Black back into the ring and dropkicks him in the ribs. Ciampa goes for the cover, but Black kicks out at two.
Ciampa drives his knee into Black’s ribs and then locks in a rear chin-lock. Black fights to his feet, but Ciampa delivers a back-breaker to ground him again. Ciampa drops a knee on Black’s chest and then applies an abdominal stretch. Ciampa drives a few knees and goes for a suplex, but Black lands on his feet. Black goes for a suplex of his own, but his back gives out. Ciampa takes advantage and locks in the Texas Cloverleaf submission. Black makes it to the ropes to break the hold and then rolls to the apron. Ciampa follows him to the apron and they exchange forearm shots. Black delivers kicks to Ciampa’s chest that send him back into the ring. Black goes up top, but Ciampa cuts him off. Ciampa grabs Black, but Black counters and kicks Ciampa down to the mat. Ciampa kicks Black in the midsection and goes for a power bomb, but Black counters into a roll-up for a two count.
They charge at each other and bang heads and both men are down. They battle to their feet and exchange forearms. Black connects with a few kicks and trips Ciampa up. Black delivers an elbow shot and kicks up. Black connects with body strikes and kicks Black in the back of the head. Black connects with a springboard and goes for the cover, but Ciampa kicks out at two. Ciampa comes back and sends Black to the apron. Ciampa goes for the draped DDT, but Black counters with knee strikes. Black gets back into the ring and delivers more knee strikes and a back elbow. Black goes for the cover, but Ciampa kicks out at two. Black puts Ciampa in the corner and delivers a series of kicks to his chest. Black kicks Ciampa in the face against the ropes and Ciampa rolls to the apron.
Black grabs him and goes for the draped DDT, but Ciampa gets free and pulls Black to the outside. Ciampa slams Black into the ring apron and then takes Black down in the ring. Ciampa goes for the cover, but Black kicks out at two. Ciampa goes for the knee strike, but Black blocks it. Ciampa takes him down with a hard clothesline and goes for the cover, but Black kicks out at two. Ciampa lowers his knee pad and goes for the knee strike, but Black counters with a knee strike of his own. Black goes for the cover, but Ciampa kicks out at two. Black sets Ciampa up for the Black Mass, but Ciampa catches him with a roll-up and grabs the tights and gets a two count. Black comes back with a Meteora from the top and delivers a German suplex and gets a two count.
Ciampa rolls to the floor and Black goes to the apron. Black attempts a springboard moonsault, but Ciampa shoves Black into a camera man. The referee checks on the camera man and Ciampa rolls Black back into the ring and hits him with the crutch. Ciampa goes for the cover, but Black kicks out at two. Black comes back and sends Ciampa to the outside and then takes him out with a suicide dive. Black tosses Ciampa back into the ring, but Ciampa catches him with the draped DDT. Ciampa goes for the cover, but Black kicks out at two. Ciampa rips up some of the padding at ringside and drags Black to edge of the ring. Ciampa sets up for the draped DDT, but the referee tells Ciampa he will be disqualified. The referee gets hit and Black connects with Black Mass and goes for the cover, but the referee is down on the floor.
Ciampa comes back and rakes Black’s eyes and grabs the NXT Championship belt. Johnny Gargano rushes the ring and superkicks Ciampa. He tries to get the title from Ciampa, but he hits Black with it by accident. Ciampa lifts Black up and drives him into the mat and gets the pin fall.
Winner and new NXT Champion: Tommaso Ciampa.
-After the match, Ciampa tells the referee to put the belt around his waist and raise his hand again. Ciampa waves goodbye to Black, who is still down in the ring. Ciampa then raises the title in the air and tells the referee to raise his arm again as NXT comes to a close.

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