A rematch for the North American title is set for Tuesday’s NXT.
During Raw on Monday, Rhea Ripley made her return and addressed the recent struggles within the Judgment Day, first directing her attention towards Damian Priest, who responded by asking where Mysterio’s title was. Ripley revealed that she had obtained a rematch for Dominik Mysterio against Trick Williams on this coming Tuesday’s NXT. She threatened Mysterio, however, by saying that if he didn’t bring the title home, he shouldn’t bother coming home at all.
Ripley had been written out of Raw for the last several weeks after Nia Jax laid her out following a title defense. Since then, Mysterio has had to fend for himself. In a match where Dragon Lee was the special guest referee on Saturday, Williams managed to pin Mysterio and win the North American title for the first time.
Here is the updated lineup for Tuesday’s show:
NXT North American title: Trick Williams defends against Dominik Mysterio
This week’s show was taped Sunday, May 1 from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
NJPW young lion Yuya Uemura and former NXT North American Champion, Leon Ruffin (FKA Leon Ruff) will both make their AEW debuts on the show. Uemura will face Angelico and Ruffin will take on Tony Nese.
Other notable matches scheduled to air include Toni Storm vs. Diamante and Ryan Nemeth vs. John Silver.
Dante Martin, Julia Hart, Team Taz, and the Varsity Blondes will all be in action as well.
Tuesday’s edition of AEW Dark will air at 7 p.m Eastern time on YouTube. The full lineup for the show is as follows:
Angelico vs. Yuya Uemura
Dante Martin vs. Invictus Khash
Julia Hart vs. Jacey Love
Ricky Starks & Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Terry Yaki & Jay Lucas
Ryan Nemeth vs. John Silver
Shawn Spears vs. Lord Crewe
Toni Storm vs. Diamante
Tony Nese w/ “Smart” Mark Sterling vs. Leon Ruffin
The Varsity Blondes (Griff Garrison & Brian Pillman Jr.) w/ Julia Hart vs. The Workhorsemen (Anthony Henry & JD Drake)
Something, who recently left Impact Wrestling, lost to Jay Lethal. Leon Ruff lost to Tony Nese. Additionally, NJPW LA Dojo talent The DKC, Yuya Uemura, Clark Connors, Karl Fredericks, Alex Coughlin, and Kevin Knight appeared throughout the tapings, feuding with QT Marshall and members of his stable The Factory that eventually led to a ten-man tag team match on the tapings.
It was reported back in March that Something had finished with Impact following the company’s Sacrifice event, where he lost an X-Division title match against then-champion Trey Miguel. Ruff, who was signed with WWE and briefly held the NXT North American Championship in 2020, was released from the company in August of last year.
QT Marshall is scheduled to face Karl Fredericks at NJPW Strong’s tapings in Philadelphia on May 15. Something is also scheduled to appear on that card, facing Brody King.
Former NXT star Leon Ruffin is set to make his GCW debut at the Friday, November 12 Evil Deeds event in Detroit. The show will air on FITE TV.
The appearance will mark Ruffin’s return to the indie scene following a whirlwind WWE NXT run.
Ruffin first appeared in NXT as enhancement talent in 2019 and throughout early 2020. WWE announced that he had been signed to a contract and assigned to the Performance Center on October 7, 2020.
Ruffin won the NXT North American Championship in November 2020 while wrestling under the name Leon Ruff. He scored an upset pin over Johnny Gargano to win the title on an episode of NXT television, though the win was treated like a fluke. He would subsequently defeat Gargano by DQ in a rematch, before dropping the title back to Gargano in December 2020 at NXT TakeOver: War Games.
Ruffin was released from his WWE contract on August 6, 2021.
Prior to WWE, Ruffin was a standout for EVOLVE, including holding that promotion’s Tag Team Championship with AR Fox.
205 Live aired this week following another batch of cuts from WWE, leaving 205 Live’s already thin roster even slimmer. Two of the individuals cut (Leon Ruff and Ari Sterling) were featured on tonight’s episode.
Why this show even exists, I couldn’t tell you. In the past, it was a kind of purgatory pretending to be NXT’s extra half-hour, where people toiled indefinitely, working out the duration of their contract. Now that Titan has moved away from talent hoarding, this is just thirty minutes of random guys who might or might not be under 205 pounds without any semblance of purpose.
Leon Ruff defeated Grayson Waller
Leon Ruff’s release was revealed less than an hour before this match aired.
In his last match, Ruff was dominated for most of its duration. In the end, he powered through and pulled off an unexpected win.
Waller used his size to gain an early advantage. Waller took his time, dropping Ruff with move after move. After minutes of domination, Waller sent Ruff to the outside, where the command continued.
Ruff connected with a dive as Waller argued with the referee, but Waller regained momentum moments later. Ruff fought free again, only for Waller to dodge a dive before Ruff could connect with anything significant.
Waller connected with his cutter for a convincing near fall. He then lifted Ruff for the Argentine backbreaker, but Ruff reversed, connecting with a surprise crucifix driver. Waller failed to kick out of the pin that followed, leaving Ruff with a surprise victory.
Kushida defeated Ari Sterling
Ari Sterling’s release was also revealed less than an hour before this match aired. Sterling is a highly talented athlete who had yet to wet his feet in WWE.
In his last match, Sterling put on an athletic showcase as he is so prone to do. The match opened with both men on equal footing. Sterling sent Kushida outside, but Kushida dodged the moon sauce. Kushida connected with a dropkick to the knee, opening the limb up for further attack.
Sterling avoided further punishment by gaining control with knee strikes. A flipping leg drop allowed Sterling to take Kushida to the mat. Kushida escaped the body scissors by reapplying pressure to the injured knee.
With both men on the top rope, Sterling connected with a rana. Sterling missed a double foot stomp allowing Kushida to dropkick the once more. Kushida maintained his control and locked in the hoverboard lock, forcing Sterling to tap.
While his time in Titan was short, I’m sure Alex Zayne will make it. He’s too talented not to.
Next week’s episode of NXT will feature Finn Balor’s first appearance since losing the NXT Championship.
WWE has announced that Balor will make his return to NXT next Tuesday. Balor will speak on the show for the first time since Karrion Kross defeated him to win the NXT Championship at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night two earlier this month.
“Viva Mexico! Recharged, refreshed & refocused. Next Tuesday, Finn is back,” Balor wrote on social media.
Prior to losing the title to Kross, Balor had been NXT Champion since September of last year. Balor defeated Adam Cole to win the then-vacant title after Kross had to relinquish the championship due to injury. Kross won the NXT Championship from Keith Lee at TakeOver XXX last August but suffered a separated shoulder during the match.
Two stipulation matches have also been announced for next Tuesday’s NXT. The NXT Women’s Tag Team titles will be on the line as champions Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon face Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell in a street fight. Rivals Leon Ruff and Isaiah “Swerve” Scott will also face off in a falls count anywhere match.
We now know the six wrestlers who will be taking part in the Gauntlet Eliminator match at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
LA Knight, Dexter Lumis, Cameron Grimes, Bronson Reed, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, and Leon Ruff will face off in the Gauntlet Eliminator match at night one of TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. The winner of that match will challenge for Johnny Gargano’s NXT North American Championship at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night two.
An 11-man battle royal on tonight’s NXT determined which six wrestlers would advance to the Gauntlet Eliminator match. Knight won the battle royal and will enter the Gauntlet Eliminator last. Ruff will enter the Gauntlet Eliminator first, followed by Scott, Reed, Grimes, Lumis, and Knight.
The Gauntlet Eliminator match will begin with Ruff and Scott in the ring. Every three minutes, a new entrant will be added. Eliminations can occur via pinfall or submission.
Tonight’s battle royal was originally supposed to feature 12 wrestlers, but there was a storyline where Roderick Strong left the building after losing to Grimes earlier in the night. Jake Atlas, Tyler Rust, Austin Theory, Pete Dunne, and Kushida also took part in tonight’s battle royal and were the first five wrestlers eliminated. Dunne and Kushida will face off in a singles match at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night one.
Night one of TakeOver: Stand & Deliver is taking place on Wednesday, April 7. It will air live on the USA Network and will also be simulcast live on Peacock in the United States and on the WWE Network everywhere else. Night two is taking place on Thursday, April 8 and will be live on Peacock in the United States and live on the WWE Network everywhere else.
Here are the updated cards for TakeOver: Stand & Deliver:
TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night one —
NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai defends against Raquel Gonzalez
NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER defends against Tommaso Ciampa
Triple threat match for the vacant NXT Tag Team titles: MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) vs, The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) vs. Legado Del Fantasma (Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde)
Gauntlet Eliminator match to determine NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano’s challenger for TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night two (Leon Ruff, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Bronson Reed, Cameron Grimes, Dexter Lumis, and LA Knight are the Gauntlet Eliminator participants)
Pete Dunne vs. Kushida
TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night two —
NXT Champion Finn Balor defends against Karrion Kross
Unsanctioned match: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly
Ladder match to determine undisputed NXT Cruiserweight Champion: Jordan Devlin vs. Santos Escobar
NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano defends against the winner of the Gauntlet Eliminator match from night one
NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon defend against Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell
The quarterfinals of the men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will kick off on NXT next week.
WWE has announced that the next round of the men’s Dusty Classic will begin with MSK vs. Drake Maverick & Killian Dain and The Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Kushida & Leon Ruff taking place on NXT next Wednesday. Kushida & Ruff advanced in the tournament by defeating NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory in a first round match on NXT tonight.
MSK and The Grizzled Young Veterans both won first round matches on last week’s NXT, while Maverick & Dain advanced by winning a first round match on last Friday’s 205 Live. MSK made their debut by defeating Isaiah “Swerve” Scott & Jake Atlas, The Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Ever-Rise, and Maverick & Dain defeated Curt Stallion & August Grey.
MSK were formerly known as The Rascalz. Dezmond Xavier’s new in-ring name is Wes Lee and Zachary Wentz is now Nash Carter.
There’s still one first round match remaining in the men’s Dusty Classic. Tony Nese & Ariya Daivari vs. Ashante “Thee” Adonis & Desmond Troy had been announced for this week’s 205 Live, but it was said that Adonis isn’t cleared to compete in the match after losing to Karrion Kross on NXT tonight. Kross also put Troy in the Kross Jacket after that match.
The Nese & Daivari vs. Adonis & Troy winner was set to face Undisputed Era’s Adam Cole & Roderick Strong in the quarterfinals. WWE uploaded a post-NXT video tonight where — after their Fight Pit match against each other — Tommaso Ciampa told Timothy Thatcher that he’s heard there’s an opening in the Dusty Classic
Cole & Strong, Kushida & Ruff, and The Grizzled Young Veterans have advanced to the quarterfinals from the left side of the bracket. MSK, Maverick & Dain, Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado, and Legado Del Fantasma’s Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde have advanced from the right side of the bracket. The team that wins the tournament will get the Dusty Cup and a shot at Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch’s NXT Tag Team titles.
Next Wednesday’s NXT will also feature NXT Champion Finn Balor & Kyle O’Reilly facing Lorcan & Burch in a non-title match and NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar defending his title against Curt Stallion.
Two teams have been added to the field for the 2021 men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
WWE has announced that Kushida & Leon Ruff and The Bollywood Boyz will be taking part in this year’s men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Here’s the updated list of teams:
Undisputed Era (Adam Cole & Roderick Strong)
Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel)
Breezango (Tyler Breeze & Fandango)
Curt Stallion & August Grey
Killian Dain & Drake Maverick
Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner)
The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake)
Legado Del Fantasma (Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde)
NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott & Jake Atlas
Kushida & Leon Ruff
The Bollywood Boyz (Samir & Sunil Singh)
Kushida & Ruff first teamed together when they lost to Gargano & Theory on NXT last month. On this week’s New Year’s Evil episode of NXT, Kushida & Shotzi Blackheart defeated Gargano & Candice LeRae in a mixed tag team match.
The Bollywood Boyz are facing Stallion & Grey in a non-tournament match on 205 Live tonight.
The men’s Dusty Classic will kick off with Undisputed Era vs. Breezango and The Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Ever-Rise taking place on NXT next Wednesday (January 13). The team that wins the tournament will receive the Dusty Cup and a shot at Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch’s NXT Tag Team titles.
WWE has also announced that a women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will be held soon.
Johnny Gargano broke his title defense curse on the final NXT episode of 2020.
Gargano was finally able to retain a championship as he defeated Leon Ruff in last night’s main event. For the finish, Ruff got sent face-first into the top turnbuckle and Gargano then hit One Final Beat to retain the NXT North American title.
Last night’s show also featured the announcement of the 2020 NXT year-end awards and the final build to next Wednesday’s New Year’s Evil episode. Ahead of their rematch at New Year’s Evil, Finn Balor and Kyle O’Reilly’s NXT Championship match from TakeOver 31 won NXT Match of the Year. Io Shirai won NXT Overall Competitor of the Year and NXT Female Competitor of the Year, while Adam Cole won NXT Male Competitor of the Year.
The Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado) made an appearance on last night’s show. They interrupted a promo by Legado Del Fantasma and then defeated Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde in a tag team match. It was later announced that Metalik will challenge for Santos Escobar’s NXT Cruiserweight Championship at New Year’s Evil.
NXT closes out 2020 tonight with a North American title match, Roderick Strong vs. Pete Dunne, and the announcement of the 2020 year-end awards.
Johnny Gargano will once again attempt to break his title defense curse as he defends the NXT North American Championship against Leon Ruff tonight. The match was announced after Ruff got a surprise win against Timothy Thatcher last week.
Dunne attacked Strong at ringside during last week’s Adam Cole vs. Velveteen Dream main event. He laid out Strong by hitting the Bitter End on the apron.
Last Wednesday, WWE opened up fan voting to help determine the winners of Breakout Star of the Year, Rivalry of the Year, Tag Team of the Year, Male Competitor of the Year, Female Competitor of the Year, Event of the Year, Future Star, and Match of the Year. NXT and NXT UK are both represented in the nominees.
Plus, Bronson Reed vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott will kick off tonight’s show, Mercedes Martinez will return to action after attacking NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai last week, Breezango take on The Grizzled Young Veterans, and there will be a special look at the history between Rhea Ripley and Raquel Gonzalez ahead of their Last Woman Standing match at New Year’s Evil next Wednesday.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
**********
The show opened with a graphic honoring the memory of Jon Huber.
Kicking off the episode is a singles match.
Bronson Reed defeate Isaiah “Swerve” Scott
Reed pinned Scott clean after a splash off the top rope they’re calling “The Tsunami.”
Scott in the early moments tried to use his quickness, but Reed mowed him over. Reed leapt off the apron with a flying shoulder tackle on the floor. Scott turned the tide moments later, and he did a crotch chop like it was 1997.
Scott targeted a knee, and he got a near fall after a flatliner. He began to work the leg, but Reed was able to counter with sit-down splash. Reed made a comeback, and he chokeslammed Scott for a near fall.
Reed soon ended the bout with a flying splash off the top, and he covered Scott for the pinfall.
NXT Breakout Star of the Year — Shotzi Blackheart
NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano was leading The Way into the building. They were cocky, until Gargano saw a black cat crossing his path. He feared that was bad luck.
The Vets tried working over Breeze, untill Fandango tagged in. Breezango then with some double-team offense. Gibson still almost stole a pin on Breeze.
Fandango jumped off part a lighting grid into a flying body press before the show cut to a commercial break. The Vets got heat on Fandango after the break as they worked him over.
Breeze in off a hot tag, but is smashed by the Vets. Fandango tried to make a save, but he was shoved into the ring steps. That furthered injured the leg the heels had worked over.
Outnumbered two-to-one, Breeze soon took a Ticket To Mayhem. Gibson then covered him to score the pinfall.
Ever-Rise after the match acted like they wanted to storm the ring, but they were geeks. Referee Aja Smith was holding them back until she got tired of their crap. She left, and no one was left to hold them back. They quickly begged off.
During the match, the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic was announced as returning in two weeks!
NXT Tag Team of the Year — Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish)
Xia Li & Boa return next week.
Mercedes Martinez defeated Valentina Feroz
Martinez pinned Feroz in a showcase match. Martinez looked like a badass. Probably because she is one.
Martinez ragdolled Feroz, and she dominated the match. She talked trash, and she slapped her around. Martinez concluded with an Air Raid Crash, and then she scored the pinfall.
NXT Female Competitor of the Year — Io Shirai
NXT Make Competitor of the Year — Adam Cole
Next up is a grude match.
Pete Dunne defeated Roderick Strong
Dunne pinned Strong clean after a great bout.
They began with fisticuffs like a grudge match is supposed to start. No lock-ups. They locked horns instead. The bout was intense when it began.
Dunne began to work over Strong, but Strong fought back. He suplexed Dunne over a barricade before the show cut to commercial. Dunne during the break blocked a superplex, and he leapt off the middle rope with a double stomp on Strong’s hands.
Dunne continued to work over Strong after the break. Strong soon made a comeback, and he rallied into a flurry of offense. However, Strong missed a wrecking ball dropkick, and Dunne posted him into the ring steps. Nevertheless, Strong countered a Bitter End. Strong then gave Dunne a full nelson slam on the apron.
The fight returned to the ring, and Strong tried to continue his rally. Dunne caught him in a triangle. Strong powered out with a deadlift powerbomb Dunne for a near fall.
Dunne tried again for the triangle. There was a struggle as Strong tried to pull away. Dunne snapped Strong’s fingers, and Dunne followed with The Bitter End for a pinfall.
NXT Match of the Year — Finn Balor vs. Kyle O’Reilly from TakeOver 31 on October 4th
William Regal was going to present the awards to the two winners, but NXT Champion Finn Balor had other ideas. He took the award plaque and said he would present it to O’Reilly. Balor then went to the ring.
Balor began to cut a promo when Kyle O’Reilly interrupted him. O’Reilly came out to confront Cole face-to-face in the ring.
O’Reilly went to pick up his plaque. Balor told him he deserved it, but Balor said he himself did not need it. Balor had the championship instead. He also doesn’t need a trophy to remind him of their match. Balor has three steal plates in his jaw that remind him every single day. Balor went on to say the only thing that trophy is good for is gather dust.
O’Reilly said the trophy did mean something to him. It is proof he is a top guy in NXT, but he is not going to carry it around. It is participation award, and O’Reilly said he has been participating for 15 years. He is done with that. O’Reilly wants the title.
O’Reilly went on to cut a fiery promo vowing to take home the NXT Championship. Balor replied he was going to make O’Reilly suffer. O’Reilly broke his jaw last time, so next time Balor is going to make him pay. Balor said something that was bleeped.
They were suddenly interrupted by Scarlett & Karrion Kross. Scarlett said the tittle belongs to them. No matter who wins, the winner’s fate is sealed. Kross warned that doomsday is here.
Damian Priest confronted Kross on the stage. Priest got in his face and said this how you step to a man, and then Priest clobbered Kross. A brawl erupted on the stage. The brawling continued around the set, and they did the Mankind-HBK spot from Mind Games. They crashed through a table before the show faded to a commercial.
After the break was a featurette documenting the feud between Rhea Ripley and Raquel Gonzalez.
El Legado Del Fantasma came to the ring for a promo. NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar said they had a great year. He called Undisputed Era winning tag team of the year a sham. He went on to say no can touch him as Cruiserweight Champion. In 2021 the success will continue.
Escobar was interuppted by Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik from Lucha House Party. The two teams brawled with each other, which led to an impromptu match.
The technicos got to shine, but the rudos soon got heat on Dorado. Metalik cleaned house after hot tag. Dorado with a flying body press, but a pinning attempt was broken up.
Metalik with a hurricanrana off the apron sends Wilde to the floor. Dorado gives Mendoza a poison rana. Metalik then walked the top rope, and he leapt into a flying elbow drop. Metalik then covered Mendoza for the pinfall.
NXT Future Star of the Year — Austin Theory
The Way was with Theory to present him with his plaque. Theory slipped up and said the word “curse” in front of Gargano, and Gargano flipped out. He threw Theory’s bottle of protein powder across the room. It shattered a mirror. More bad luck for Johnny Wrestling. He felt doomed as he went to the ring, but then he walked under a ladder as he stormed off.
NXT Rivalry of the Year — Adam Cole vs. Pat McAfee
Overall Competitor of the Year — Io Shirai
And now for the main event of the evening…
NXT Champion Johnny Gargano defeated Leon Ruff to retain his title
Gargano pinned Ruff to win the match and end the curse.
Ruff with counters and reversals had Gargano on the ropes in the early portion of the match. The story being that the curse was weighing on Gargano’s mind.
After being thrown outside, Ruff was reeling when Gargano tried to throw him into the barricades. Ruff instead leapt onto the chainlink barricade like a spider. He jumped from the barricade to the ring steps, and then back to the barricade like Spider-Man. He then kicked Gargano in the face, and jumped into a hurricanrana on the floor.
Theory at ringside caused a distraction, and Gargano cut off Ruff. Gargano with tope suicida, and then he sent Ruff crashing into the ring steps. The show then cut to its final commercial break.
Gargano was in control throughout the break. Ruff tried to fire up after the show returned from the break, but Gargano dashed the hope spot. Ruff soon countered Gargano, and he hit Gargano with a kick.
Ruff rallied into a comeback. He fired up on Gargano, and Ruff delivered a hanging neckbreaker. A moment later he followed with a German suplex. Ruff with a cannonball in a corner for a near fall. However, Ruff ran into a superkick.
Gargano threw Ruff into the corner like a lawn dart, and then another superkick for a near fall. They traded counters. Gargano with a lariat and a powerbomb. Ruff kicked out, but he became caught in the Gargano Escape. Ruff crawled over to get a rope break.
Ruff flew off the apron to nail Gargano with a flying cutter on the floor. Following up with a frog splash, Ruff went for a cover. Gargano managed to kicked out. They were fighting on the turnbuckle, when Gargano dropped Ruff into a snake eyes of sorts.
Gargano executed One Final Beat, and he covered Ruff for the pinfall. The curse is broken. Gargano retains.
Two matches have been announced for the final NXT episode of 2020.
WWE has announced that Johnny Gargano will defend his North American Championship against Leon Ruff on NXT next Wednesday (December 30). Roderick Strong vs. Pete Dunne is also set for the episode.
With help from Austin Theory, Gargano regained the North American Championship by defeating Ruff and Damian Priest in a triple threat match at TakeOver: WarGames earlier this month. Gargano had lost the title to Ruff in November. In storyline, Gargano was trying to break his title defense curse by facing Ruff. Ruff got the win after a distraction by Priest.
Next week’s Gargano vs. Ruff match will be the first title defense of Gargano’s current North American title reign. He’s a three-time North American Champion.
Ruff got another surprise win on NXT tonight when he pinned Timothy Thatcher with a cradle as Thatcher was going for a submission. Thatcher had promised to take liberties with Ruff and told Tommaso Ciampa to come and fight him. Thatcher attacked Ruff after the match until Ciampa made the save.
Gargano & Theory defeated Ruff & Kushida in a tag team match on last week’s NXT. Theory pinned Ruff in that match. The Way (Gargano, Candice LeRae, Indi Hartwell, and Theory) didn’t appear in person on this week’s show, but they were featured in multiple “A Very Gargano Christmas” segments.
After losing to Kyle O’Reilly last week in a match to decide NXT Champion Finn Balor’s challenger for New Year’s Evil, Dunne attacked Strong at ringside during the Adam Cole vs. Velveteen Dream main event on tonight’s NXT. Dunne laid out Strong by hitting the Bitter End on the apron.
Next week’s NXT will also include the announcement of the 2020 NXT year-end awards. Plus, the episode will feature the final build to NXT New Year’s Evil. New Year’s Evil is taking place on Wednesday, January 6.
WWE has made their first match announcement for next week’s episode of NXT.
Leon Ruff & Kushida will team against NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory on NXT next Wednesday. It was originally said that Ruff would be teaming with Damian Priest next week, but there was an angle on tonight’s NXT where Priest was attacked by the returning Karrion Kross and put through a table.
Ruff’s North American Championship reign came to an end when Gargano defeated Ruff and Priest in a triple threat match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames this past Sunday. Priest looked to be on the verge of winning near the end of the match, but Theory interfered while wearing a Ghostface costume and hit Priest with a lead pipe. After Gargano pinned Ruff to win the North American Championship, Theory unmasked to reveal that the Ghostface was him.
In a segment on tonight’s NXT, Gargano, Candice LeRae, Indi Hartwell, and Theory celebrated Gargano and LeRae’s wins from TakeOver: WarGames. Priest went to come out to the ring but was attacked by Kross. Priest had insulted Kross earlier in the show by asking Scarlett if she usually tells Kross to wait in the car while she handles his business. Priest told Scarlett that if Kross wanted to come back and pick a fight, all he had to do was step to Priest like a man.
Gargano and Theory later interrupted an interview with Ruff and taunted him, telling him there’s no way Priest will be ready for their match next Wednesday. Gargano challenged Ruff to face them in a handicap match next week. Kushida then came up to Ruff and offered to team with him in next week’s match.
Johnny Gargano is now a three-time NXT North American Champion.
The unexpected title reign of Leon Ruff came to an end as Gargano defeated Ruff and Damian Priest in a triple threat match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames tonight. Gargano hit One Final Beat and pinned Ruff after getting help from the returning Austin Theory.
Several people wearing Ghostface costumes from the movie “Scream” got involved in tonight’s match and tried to help Gargano. Two groups of people in Ghostface costumes were taken out by Priest hitting dives to the outside. But as Priest was going for The Reckoning on Gargano at the end of the match, another person in a Ghostface costume appeared and hit Priest with a lead pipe. It was revealed to be Theory when he unmasked after Gargano’s win. Theory said it was him all along and celebrated with Gargano after the match.
Gargano had won the North American Championship from Priest at NXT Halloween Havoc this October after interference by someone wearing a Ghostface costume. Gargano tried to break his title defense curse by facing Ruff two weeks after Halloween Havoc, but Ruff won the title after Priest distracted Gargano. Ruff then retained the North American Championship in a rematch against Gargano after Priest punched Ruff so the match would end in a disqualification and Gargano wouldn’t win the title back. Ruff got mad at Priest for treating him like a joke and has been feuding with Gargano and Priest since.
This was the first time Theory has appeared since an angle on the October 21 episode of NXT where Theory said he was quitting after losing two matches to Bronson Reed.
Gargano is the only wrestler who has held the North American Championship multiple times.
Smith is a referee in NXT. She’s a former independent wrestler who joined WWE earlier this year as the first Black full-time female referee in company history.
Ruff formerly wrestled for EVOLVE and was officially announced as a new WWE signee last month. He had made several appearances on WWE television in the months before his signing was announced.
Ruff is currently the NXT North American Champion. In a shocking title change, he won the North American Championship from Johnny Gargano on NXT three weeks ago. Ruff got help from Damian Priest to win the title and has since been involved in a program with Gargano and Priest.
Ruff will make his NXT TakeOver debut as he defends the North American Championship against Gargano and Priest in a triple threat match at TakeOver: WarGames on Sunday (December 6).
