WWE NXT Spotlight: 10/10/18 (Dunne vs. Cole vs. Ricochet) By Kurt Zamora
Welcome one and all to what should be an outstanding installment of the NXT Spotlight here at TJRWrestling. It’s ironic that this show falls on 10/10, because if our main event delivers, then it will get a 10 out of 10 on the rating boards. This is a Takeover main event worthy match. We still need to find out who attacked Aleister Black as well, so hopefully there will be more development there tonight as well. Let’s get to the action!
Dream or Nightmare?
Our NXT champion starts the show with his new entrance and theme music he debuted recently. Find someone that looks at you the way Ciampa looks at the title. Ciampa grabs a mic and says that the greatest sports entertainer of all time has the greatest entrance music of all time. The icing on the cake is that the music has brough silence to the sheep. In every flock, there’s always one that tries to break away from the pack, one that needs to be different. In this case, that one is Velveteen Dream. Dream has the champ’s attention but he went about it the wrong way. He stuck his nose in things that are none of his business. With that, Dream’s music hits. Dream says that all of this is amusing to him. Especially the part about being the greatest sports entertainer of all time. Dream doesn’t appreciate Ciampa’s threats. Ciampa speaks like that cause he believes he’s a bad man. Dream believes that the title deserves a true Experience. Not a guilt trip from an angry bald man, hiding from his insecurities. Ciampa says he may be an angry, bald man, but he’s got a shiny title belt. He gets it though, the Dream wants what the champ has. He wants the main event, the spotlight, and the NXT title. Ciampa doesn’t think that even Dream believes the accusations of Ciampa attacking Black. Dream just wants attention. Ciampa dares Dream to be a man and admit it. The title speaks to Ciampa and Ciampa says that the title feels Dream just isn’t “tough enough”. That got a massive reaction from the crowd.
Dream enters the ring after that comment and says that not only is he tough enough, he’s man enough. He’s more man than Ciampa can handle. If he really wants to find that out, just give the Dream a moment with him and the NXT championship. With that comment, Nikki Cross’ music hits and she makes her way to ringside. She gets in the ring and does Nikki Cross things, like bouncing along with a, “Nikki knows a secret” chant. She acts like she’s listening to the title and Ciampa pulls away and goes to speak, but Nikki knocks the mic out of his hands. She tells both men that she knows what they did. Ciampa goes to pick up the mic but Nikki kicks it away and just repeatedly says, “I know” as she leaves along with Dream, leaving Ciampa holding his title.
K-Tank’s Take: In a promo with arguably the two most entertaining promo men in NXT, Nikki Cross just stole the segment. Everything she did was simply fantastic. It’s setting up that either Ciampa or Dream attacked Black, but I think I have a different idea. I think Nikki is going to have a new man that she’s going to lead that will be the one that took out Black. I know it would upset a lot of people to turn her heel when she’s so popular right now, but it fits her persona so well. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a new person either. I could be completely off base, but I just feel the end result of Black’s attacker is going to be someone we never saw coming.
Keith Lee vs. Kona Reeves
Kona starts with a lot of trash talking, to which Keith just laughs at. They tie up and go to the corner, but Kona doesn’t give a clean break. Kona continues the trash talking, so Keith just pulls him into the corner and gives Kona a massive double open handed chop. Kona goes to the ropes, Keith with a leapfrog, drop down, dropkick sequence. Then he belly to belly suplexes Kona over the top rope to the floor. Keith goes to pull Kona back in but Kona with a cheap shot. Kona back in the ring, comes off the ropes and hits a big boot. Kona mounts Keith and lands some punches before going to the second rope and hitting his trust fall elbow drop. Kona tries to wear down Keith and then land some right hands, but Keith has finally had enough of it. Kona goes off the ropes and Keith comes at him with the Pounce. Keith immediately gets Kona up for his DVD into a powerslam, with Mauro said is called the Super Nova, and that gets the 3 count.
Winner: Keith Lee
K-Tank’s Take: Always great to see Keith get a decisive win. I wish he would’ve gotten more offense to show off what he can do, but I feel like I’ll always say that. I’d love to see Keith get a storyline soon.
We go to some hype videos for the NXT Women’s Title Match at Evolution between Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane.
After that, we catch up with William Regal, who is asked about the investigation to Aleister Black’s attacker. Regal says he won’t reveal his list of suspects, but he has questions that need answers. Kassius Ohno shows up, to which Regal says that Ohno has been cleared of all suspicions. Ohno says he knows Regal doesn’t think he’s a threat. Last time they met though, he told Regal to let him know when the shiny new toy shows up. Where is he though? He says Regal is absolutely blind. He doesn’t know about Ohno, he doesn’t know Black’s attacker, and maybe the “bromance” he has with this new toy has left him blind to see that he’s the one who did it. Regal excuses himself into his office, and then Nikki Cross shows up again and tells Ohno that she knows what he did.
Next week will be a double main event according to Mauro, as we’ll have the Nikki Cross vs. Bianca Belair rematch, and then the NXT Tag Title match between War Raiders and Undisputed Era. We get a video package to hype up the feud that has been building between these two teams.
Triple Threat North American Title Match
Ricochet (c) vs. Pete Dunne vs. Adam Cole
21 minutes left in the show as the bell rings, so hold on tight and get ready for this ride. Dunne and Ricochet start teaming up on Cole early, but that teamwork doesn’t last long. Cole ends up hitting Ricochet into Dunne, who goes to the floor. Ricochet with a handstand headscissors takedown and then a dropkick to Cole. He then fakes a dive to the floor on Dunne. Cole recovers though and throws Ricochet to the floor as Dunne comes in the ring. Criss cross in the ring and Dunne lays out Cole with a clothesline. Cole rolls out and Ricochet back in. Fantastic chain wrestling by both of these men that ends in a stalemate. Cole tries to sneak in but Dunne sees him. Drop toe hold and then Dunne hooks on the surfboard. Ricochet decides to dropkick Cole in the face. Ricochet goes to shake Dunne’s hand after that double team, but Dunne just rocks him with a forearm smash. Dunne starts what he does best with the joint manipulation on Ricochet. He hammerlocks the arm of Ricochet and stomps hard on the elbow. Ricochet comes back though with some great chain wrestling of his own and locks on a cloverleaf submission until Cole comes back in and stomps away at both men. He dumps Ricochet to the floor and goes after Dunne with a neckbreaker. First cover of the match gets a two count.
Cole with some elbow drops, and then Ricochet tries to springboard back in, but Cole pushes the ropes and Ricochet goes back to the floor hard. Dunne is back up with kicks to the thigh of Cole, but Cole comes back with a superkick that gets a two count. Dunne fights up and slaps Cole across the face and then hits a step up enziguri. He can’t capitalize though cause Ricochet comes off the top rope with a springboard hurricanrana. He lands an enziguri to Cole and then a golden triangle moonsault to the floor on Dunne. In one motion he hops up to the apron and lands a springboard back elbow to Cole for a two count. Amazing. Dunne back in the ring and takes out both opponents. Step up enziguri to Ricochet. Cole tries a German suplex but Dunne lands on his feet and kicks him in the back of the head. He piles Cole on top of Ricochet and does a double single leg crab. Ricochet escapes first and then comes behind Dunne with an Octopus hold. Cole escapes and comes behind Ricochet with a backstabber. All three men start trading blows from their knees as they work their way back to their feet. Haymakers being thrown by everyone. Enziguri by Cole to Dunne and then a leg lariat from Cole to Ricochet for a two count. Ricochet jumps to the second rope and fakes a jump. Dunne comes back and takes out Cole. Ricochet then lands a standing shooting star press on Dunne.
Ricochet goes for a lionsault on both men but both Dunne and Cole catch him in mid air with a superkick. A la the great spot from Takeover Brooklyn. Cole and Dunne face to face now and start throwing punches. Dunne traps both of Cole’s hands and then stomps on them. Big kick to the side of Cole’s head. They go to the apron and Cole drops Dunne with a DDT. Dunne ends up against the steel steps and Cole tries to superkick him there, but Dunne moves. He grabs Cole’s arm and bends the elbow to stomp on it on the top step. Ricochet with a 619 to Dunne. He goes for a Asai moonsault to Cole, Cole moves and lands a superkick, but Dunne comes off the second rope with a moonsault of his own to Cole. He gets Ricochet back in the ring, lands the X Plex, but Cole somehow comes back in and breaks up the pin. Dunne is first one up and goes to the top rope, but Cole cuts him off. Cole goes on the ropes too, but Ricochet cuts both off. All three men are on the top rope and HOLY SHIT, a double hurricanrana on both men from Ricochet. WOW. Ricochet comes right back with a reverse hurricanrana to Dunne, followed by a leaping Flatliner, but Dunne still manages to kick out. Ricochet sets Dunne up for the 630, but Cole cuts him off. Dunne grabs Cole’s fingers but Cole escapes and rolls Dunne up with his feet on the rope. Dunne kicks out. Dunne hits the Bitter End on Cole, Ricochet jumps off the top with a shooting star press, but Dunne catches him with a triangle choke! Ricochet tries a deadlift powerbomb but Dunne grabs the fingers and pulls them apart. Cole with a Last Shot on Ricochet and then a Brainbuster over the knee on Dunne, but Dunne kicks out!! Simply amazing. That was a tremendous near fall. Cole goes for a Last Shot on Dunne but Dunne turns him inside out with a lariat. Dunne then lands the Bitter End on Cole, but as he goes for the pin, Ricochet springboards off the top rope with a 450 splash on Dunne and with that cover, Ricochet gets the win!
Winner: Ricochet retains
K-Tank’s Take: Yep, that was advertised. I don’t think I’d score it as high as Ricochet vs. Dunne, but it’s not graded very much lower. I gave Ricochet vs. Dunne 4.75 stars and said it was the best NXT TV match ever. I would give this 4.5 stars, just because triple threat matches are so hard sometimes. They pulled off a lot of the transitions flawlessly though. Ricochet’s fluidity is something I’ve never seen before in wrestling. He’s so seemless. I’m just glad this had a clean finish. Dunne doesn’t look bad at all with taking the pin because he legit had the match won just seconds before losing it. That is such an impressive finish to a match.
That’s it for this week! The hits just keep on rolling next week, so until next time… don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, but if you do, name it after me!