8/29/18 WWE NXT Coverage

Aug 29, 2018 - by Michael Riba

NXT opens with Cathy Kelley and William Regal outside his office. He says tonight, he is officially starting the investigation into who attacked Aleister Black. The opening credits then roll, and Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, and Percy Watson welcome us to the show.

Johnny Gargano limps out on a crutch. Gargano says the NXT Universe has always had his back, but he doesn’t deserve that. He says he broke a promise since he did not win the NXT Championship in Brooklyn. He says he didn’t fix anything that he said he would. He says he does not know where he goes from here because he lost more than a match in Brooklyn, he lost himself. He says he doesn’t know what to do anymore because he became something that he is not proud of in Brooklyn. He says he became Tommaso Ciampa and that Ciampa is in his head and he can’t get him out. He says he doesn’t know what the fans want, but he has to be better for everyone. William Regal’s music hits and the General Manager makes his way to the ring. Regal asks Gargano if he attacked Aleister Black. Gargano says Regal has known him for a long time and tells Regal to tell him. Regal says his opinion doesn’t matter and tells Gargano that he needs an answer. Gargano says Regal will know the answer if he looks into his eyes. The Velveteen Dream’s music hits and he comes to the stage. Dream says he is not in the mood tonight and is tired of listening to Gargano sing the same, old song. Dream says this is not about Gargano and definitely not about Black. He says it is about the experience that stole Brooklyn and had the world buzzing. Dream says tonight should be about him, not Johnny Failure. Gargano says he only has a crutch to keep the weight off his knee, but he is good to go. Regal steps in between them and says they will fight next week. Regal tells Gargano to go backstage and Dream to go to his office.

We are reminded of tonight’s main event, a Champions vs. Champions Match featuring Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong taking on Pete Dunne and Ricochet. We also see that EC3 will go one-on-one with Raul Mendoza, while Dakota Kai will take on Aliyah after the break.

We see The Undisputed ERA gearing up for the main event backstage.

Match #1 – Singles Match: Dakota Kai vs. Aliyah
Aliyah takes Kai down with a side-headlock takedown. Kai counters into a head-scissors hold, but Aliyah gets free. Kai delivers a quick dropkick and goes for the cover, but Aliyah kicks out at one. Aliyah comes back and drops Kai with a shoulder tackle and then holds onto the ropes as Kai comes back with a dropkick attempt. Aliyah drops a knee into Kai’s back and then locks in a Camel Clutch. Aliyah stomps onto Kai’s back and goes for the cover, but Kai kicks out at two. Aliyah tosses Kai into the corner and delivers a back elbow. Aliyah connects with a Thesz Press and a series of right hands. Aliyah goes for the cover, but Kai kicks out at two. Aliyah applies a body-scissors hold down on the mat, but Kai gets free and backs Aliyah into the corner. Kai delivers an arm-drag and then delivers a kick to Aliyah. Kai kicks Aliyah in the face and goes for the cover, but Aliyah kicks out at two. Aliyah comes back and slams Kai to the mat, but Kai eventually her up. Kai delivers the Code Red and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Dakota Kai.

Backstage, we see Regal and Dream in his office. Regal dismisses Dream and says that’s all for now. Regal brings in The Forgotten Sons, Wesley Blake, Steve Cutler, and Jaxson Ryker. He asks them where they were on the night of the attack, and they say that they finally have his attention. They deny the attack and say the cameras show them arriving, parking their truck, and heading to Regal’s office. Regal dismisses them and says they can have a match on next week’s show.

We see that EC3 will take on Raul Mendoza after the break, but backstage we see EC3 down on the floor with Lars Sullivan walking away from the scene.

Back from the break, Nikki Cross is in Regal’s office. Regal says Cross was on the roof and was an eye witness to Black’s attack. Cross says she saw all of it and it was beautiful. She says she knows who did it and then answers Regal’s phone even though it didn’t ring. She says she knows a secret and Bianca Belair walks in. Belair says she doesn’t have time for this and tells Regal to put his attention where it belongs. She says she is healthy and proved it last week. Belair says she deserves a title match and Cross perks up and says she wants to play with Belair. Belair leaves as Cross waves and tells her bye. Cross asks Regal if he has any more questions, and he says he has a lot of them.

Match #2 – Singles Match: Raul Mendoza vs. Lars Sullivan
Before the match, Sullivan says he attacked EC3 because EC3 blamed Sullivan for attacking Aleister Black.
Mendoza goes on the attack early, but Sullivan counters with a headbutt. Sullivan delivers cross-face shots and then slams him down to the mat. Sullivan delivers the Freak Accident and leaves Mendoza lying, as the bell never officially rang.

We are reminded of tonight’s main event, O’Reilly and Strong vs. Ricochet and Dunne. We see that Keith Lee will be in action up next.

We see a video hype package for NXT UK, which is coming soon to the WWE Network.

We see a promo from Tommaso Ciampa. He says when he went away a year ago, he made a promise that he would be the most dangerous SOB that NXT has ever seen, and he accomplished that. He says he ended the Gargano fairy tale and captured the NXT Championship. He says he is the greatest sports entertainer of all time and the title is his proof of that. He says it takes a certain kind of man to climb his way to the top of the mountain, but it takes an entirely different kind of man to live up there. He says he is the main event and NXT is his home. He says this is just the beginning and no one will survive what’s coming next.

Match #3 – Singles Match: Keith Lee vs. Luke Menzies
Menzies goes on the attack, but Lee comes off the ropes and drops Menzies with a hurricanrana. Menzies comes back with a few kicks and clubs to the back, but Lee comes back with body shots. Lee drops Menzies with a left hand, but Menzies comes back with strikes of his own. Menzies delivers an uppercut, but Lee comes off the ropes and delivers the Pounce. Lee smashes Menzies in the corner and then delivers Grizzly Magnum in the corner. Lee connects with the Spirit Bomb and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Keith Lee.

We see Ricochet and Pete Dunne walking backstage. The main event is up next.

We see that Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan will return to action in two weeks and that Kairi Sane will return to NXT next week. We are reminded of next week’s main event between Johnny Gargano and The Velveteen Dream.

Match #4 – Tag Team Match: Ricochet and Pete Dunne vs. Adam Cole and Roderick Strong (w/Kyle O’Reilly)
Right before the match, Cole and O’Reilly switch roles. Cole and Dunne start the match and Cole applies a side-headlock. Dunne sens him off the ropes and delivers a big clothesline. Dunne begins joint manipulation and Ricochet tags in. Strong tags in as well. Ricochet delivers right hands to Strong and delivers a hurricanrana and a dropkick. Cole distracts Ricochet and Strong slams him into the turnbuckle. Cole tags in and Ricochet fights off the double team by Cole and Strong. Ricochet sends Strong to the floor and then he and Cole exchange shots. Ricochet uppercuts Strong, but Cole delivers a superkick. Strong tags in and delivers a back-breaker to Ricochet. Strong stomps on Ricochet in the corner and then delivers a chop. Ricochet fights back, but Strong drops him with a drop toe hold. Cole tags in and kicks Ricochet in the face. Cole delivers a neck-breaker and Strong tags back in.
Strong kicks Ricochet in the midsection and tags Cole back in. Cole delivers a double axe-handle and goes for the cover, but Ricochet kicks out at two. Cole delivers a knee strike and tags in Strong. Strong knees Ricochet in the face and goes for the cover, but Ricochet kicks out again. Strong applies a modified Cobra Clutch and then delivers a dropkick. Cole tags back in and drives his knee into Ricochet’s back. Cole applies a front face-lock and then Strong tags back in. Strong applies a rear naked choke, but Ricochet fights back. Cole tags in and Ricochet fights he and Strong off and tags in Dunne. Dunne delivers a back body drop to Strong and then an enzuiguri to follow. Dunne clocks Cole with a right hand and then suplexes Cole onto Strong. Dunne goes for the cover, but Strong kicks out at two. Ricochet drops Cole with a twisting suplex and Strong delivers a few kicks to Dunne. Strong goes for the Strong Hold, but Dunne gets free and delivers a power bomb. Dunne goes for the cover, but Cole breaks it up.
Cole tosses Ricochet to the floor and goes after Dunne, but Ricochet comes back with an elbow shot from the top. Strong takes out Ricochet and Dunne takes out Strong. Dunne moonsaults to the floor and takes out Strong and Cole. Ricochet goes for a suicide dive, but Strong and Cole pulls Dunne in the way. Cole delivers the Last Shot to Dunne and gets the pin fall.
Winners: Adam Cole and Roderick Strong.
-After the match, Strong tosses Ricochet back into the ring and Cole delivers a neck-breaker over his knee. War Raider’s music hits and Hanson and Rowe charge the ring. The ERA escapes before the Raiders can get to them. Raiders and ERA stare each other down as the show comes to a close.

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