9/20 NXT TV TAPINGS REPORT (Spoilers): Multiple championships contested, Aleister Black investigation development, returns, and more

WARM-UP MATCH

(A) Donovik Dijakovic pinned Dan Matha. Dijakovic won with a big boot.

William Regal entered to announce progress with the Aleister Black investigation, but was interrupted by the Undisputed Era. Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong said Regal should be more concerned with protecting his tag team champions from the “cosplay vikings” the War Raiders. Cole got in Regal’s face and demanded his contractual North American Championship rematch. Regal said it would not be fair to give Cole an immediate rematch due to the interference in the title for title match, and announced that Cole will compete in a triple threat against Ricochet and Pete Dunne for the North American title in two weeks, and in three weeks O’Reilly and Strong would defend their titles against the War Raiders.

(1) Lars Sullivan defeated Victor Orchant via disqualification.Orchant smirked knowingly at the crowd before Sullivan entered. Sullivan hurled Orchant around before ECIII interfered and cleared Sullivan from the ring. Sullivan grinned as he backed up the ramp. ECIII threw his button-up to a fan.

(2) The Mighty defeated Street Profits via pinfall.The Mighty entered with Montez Ford’s cup and chains, mocking the Profits’ dance moves. The Profits entered with none of their usual frills, and took it to their foes quickly and furiously. Ford caught his leg in the ring steps and fell prone to Nick Miller’s onslaught. Shane Thorne caught Ford’s hurt leg in a leverage pinning predicament as Miller held Angelo Dawkins’ away from breaking it up.

(3) Kairi Sane pinned Vanessa Borne.Borne mocked Sane, and stomped on Sane’s hat. Sane achieved victory with an Insane Elbow.

Shayna Baszler confronted Sane and officially invoked the rematch clause. Sane very slickly snagged her own microphone from a member of the ring crew and agreed to have the match at WWE Evolution.

(4) Tommaso Ciampa pinned Otis Dozovic.Dozovic widely overpowered Ciampa for a surprising extent of the proceedings. Ciampa cowered on the outside as Dozovic did the Caterpillar, then Ciampa threw Dozovic down to the steel ramp to gain a brief upper hand. Ciampa tried to walk out but Tucker Knight appeared and corralled him back to the ring. Ciampa shielded himself with official Jessika Carr, but couldn’t get the bulky Dozovic up for a finish. Ciampa finally caught Dozovic in a Hangman DDT for three. Dozovic and Knight embraced in the ring as Ciampa exited, waving bye bye.

(5) Lacey Evans pinned Candice LeRae.LeRae, wearing black cheetah print, entered with a new theme and a greyscale tron graphic. Evans did pushups with LeRae caught in a head scissors hold. LeRae lost her cool when Evans accused her of being “just like [her] husband,” and fell to the Woman’s Right.

(6) The Forgotten Sons defeated Terry Kirsh & Vinny Mixon & Caesar Rise via pinfall.Steve Cutler wore a protective mask. Jaxson Ryker picked up the pinfall after a slingshot powerbomb.

(7) Johnny Gargano submitted Tony Nese.Gargano entered with a spring in his step. He rallied against both a resilient Nese and dueling “Johnny Wrestling”/”Johnny Failure” chants. Nese rolled through a Gargano Escape attempt and chucked Gargano in to the second rope at an awkward angle. Gargano kicked out of a top rope 450. Nese finally tapped to the Gargano Escape. Gargano held up a young fan’s “Johnny Wrestling” sign to the hard cam, and high-fived other kids in the audience.

Kayla Braxton reminded the crowd of the previously announced title matches, and announced Bianca Belair vs. Nikki Cross as well as ECIII vs. Lars Sullivan.

(8) Lars Sullivan pinned ECIII.ECIII came in hot, repeatedly slamming Sullivan against the ring steps. As the two bombarded one another in the ring, Sullivan inadvertently spewed saliva on a young girl in the crowd. Sullivan won with a falling headbutt from the top rope after delivering what might have been considered a Freak Accident to the ring apron.

After making his way to the ring Tommaso Ciampa lauded his new theme, and cut a promo that echoed a recent Shayna Baszler sentiment, calling Velveteen Dream the one obligatory sheep who just has to stray from the flock. Dream interjected, saying the NXT Championship deserves a real experience, not a guilt trip from an angry little bald man. Ciampa said the title belt told him maybe Dream just isn’t “Tough Enough.” Ciampa said Dream needs to “be a man,” and Dream said he’s more man than Ciampa can handle. Nikki Cross entered, and tickled the confused Ciampa and Dream. A certain PW Torch correspondent may have started a “triple threat” chant. Nikki said to Ciampa, “I know what you did, too.” Dream exited while making an “I’m watching you” signal to the champ.

(9) Keith Lee pinned Kona Reeves.The cocky Reeves jawed at the big man but fell to a Jackhammer.

(10) War Raiders defeated Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong via disqualification in a NXT Tag Team Championship match.O’Reilly and Strong isolated Rowe before Hanson got the hot tag and cleared house. Adam Cole ran in but was stopped dead in his tracks and dumped out by Hanson. Hanson dropped Strong on O’Reilly to break up a submission hold. Bobby Fish charged in at a critical moment and vigorously went at the War Raiders with a chair, playing in to the resulting babyface reaction. As off-camera officials routinely instructed the celebrating quartet of Undisputed Era to end the segment, Fish belittled them, then spat on the Raiders as he left.

(11) Shayna Baszler defeated Britt Baker via referee stoppage.Baszler almost immediately stomped on Baker’s shoulder and Baker could not continue. Baszler briefly attacked Baker after the decision.

(12) Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch pinned Tian Bing & Rocky Han.Lorcan pinned Han after an assisted Hangman DDT.

Kayla Braxton announced a “loudest fan” contest for an Undisputed Era t-shirt.

(13) Bianca Belair and Nikki Cross wrestled to a no contest.After the highly competitive match reached a crescendo with a superplex, the lights went out. The opening note of Aleister Black’s theme ominously sounded. When the lights returned, Belair was gone and Black himself was seated in her place. Black and Cross stared at one another for a long time, then Cross whispered something to in Black’s ear. Black vibrated with rage, then stormed up the ramp.

Jeremy Borash awarded the shirt to a young Nikki Cross fan.

(14) Ricochet defeated Adam Cole and Pete Dunne via pinfall in a triple threat match to retain the NXT North American Championship.Dunne and Ricochet continually teamed up on Cole while antagonizing one another. Ricochet went for a springboard moonsault and both Cole and Dunne kicked him in midair. Ricochet hit a double hurricanrana on Cole and Dunne off the top turnbuckle. Cole hit finishers on both Dunne and Ricochet, but Dunne kicked out of the subsequent pinfall attempt. Dunne retaliated with a Bitter End to Cole, but Ricochet broke up the fall with a springboard 450 and pinned Dunne.

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