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Velveteen Dream, Ricochet, and Aleister Black had a pretty impressive weekend. Not only did all three men come out on top at Halftime Heat during the Super Bowl, but Velveteen Dream also won the Worlds Collide Tournament, giving him a shot at any NXT Championship of his choosing. When would he cash in on that opportunity, and which champion would he face?
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Also tonight, Johnny Gargano made his return to NXT after winning the North American Championship from Ricochet at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix. What would Gargano have to say to the NXT faithful at Full Sail University, and would Ricochet confront him?
All this and more on tonight's episode of NXT!
Johnny Gargano opened the show, walking down to the ring as the new North American Champion. Gargano said he thought "Johnny Champion," which the crowd had been chanting, had a good ring to it. Gargano said he and the entire NXT Universe were validated when he won the championship, and that Johnny Wrestling is now back.
That's when NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa interrupted the celebration. Ciampa said that Gargano listened to him, and because of that, is now holding his first singles title in the company. He said that they both own the world, and it was everything that they ever wanted. The final shot at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix, Ciampa said, proved that this was their moment, together.
DIY chants erupted from the Full Sail crowd, but Gargano said there is no "our moment." The North American Champion said the only reason he came out at Phoenix was to show the world that he would never need Tommaso Ciampa. Velveteen Dream then came out to confront both Ciampa and Gargano.
Dream said tonight is about the man who stole the show at Phoenix simply by showing up, and that because he won the Worlds Collide Tournament, he earned a championship opportunity.
Dream stared down Ciampa before telling him to back off, saying that he didn't appreciate the champ's lust for him. Dream pointed to goldie, saying he didn't want it, then got in the ring to confront Gargano.
Face to face with the new North American Champion, Dream challenged Gargano. Gargano told Dream that while the Vainglorious One was sitting in the crowd, Johnny Wrestling won the North American Championship, wrestled in a Match of the Year contender, and represented NXT at the Royal Rumble.
Dream asked when they're facing each other one-on-one, will he be facing "Johnny Champion or Johnny Jackass?" After some more trash talk, Gargano left the ring and backed up the ramp. Ciampa looked at him in disappointment and walked away.
Gargano will defend his NXT North American Championship against Velveteen Dream in two weeks.
After the commercial break, it was announced that we'd get a six-man tag team match, with the Bianca Belair and the Sky Pirates taking on NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler and the rest of the Four Horsewomen. Also, 205 Live Superstar Drew Gulak would appear later on tonight, hoping to fix NXT for the better.
Jaxson Ryker w/Cutler & Blake vs Mansoor
Ryker looked to continue the momentum of the Forgotten Sons, who defeated the Street Profits on last week's NXT.
Ryker quickly took over, repeatedly driving his knee into Mansoor's face before placing him in the Tree of Woe. Ryker then clubbed a defenseless Mansoor in the chest.
Mansoor attempted to fight back, but a top rope cross body splash was countered by a spear. Ryker then picked him up and sent him crashing down with a sit-out spinebuster.
Results: Jaxson Ryker defeated Mansoor.
After the match, Ryker brought Mansoor back in for another spinebuster while the Forgotten Sons cheered him on before finally pulling him off.
Cathy Kelly attempted to get an interview with Ricochet but was stopped by Adam Cole and the Undisputed Era. Cole said that Ricochet is at the back of the line for the North American Championship.
Ricochet reminded him that he was the one to dethrone Cole, then challenged the leader of UE to a match next week. Cole accepted. Ricochet said the next time he sees an opportunity he's going to reclaim the North American Championship.
Drew Gulak vs Eric Bugenhagen
Drew Gulak has spent the majority of his WWE career on turning 205 Live into a "No-Fly Zone." Gulak's goal is to remake the company in his image, and that includes NXT. Tonight, he got that opportunity.
Bugenhagen rocked out to his own theme, playing air drums and guitar to an excited Full Sail Crowd, who begged for an encore.
Gulak stared on in disgust and charged in, but was dropped by the amateur wrestler. Bugenhagen hit a high note but was interrupted by a running dropkick.
Gulak kicked him repeatedly and dropped him on the ropes. A snap suplex nearly got him a win early. Bugenhagen escaped a headlock, sending Gulak into the corner, where he beat down the cruiserweight.
Bugenhagen then locked Gulak up in an Octopus Stretch and played him like an air guitar. Gulak escaped, sending him onto his head with multiple varied suplexes.
Gulak ended the match with the Gu-Lock dragon sleeper.
Results: Drew Gulak defeated Eric Bugenhagen via pinfall.
Gulak took to the mic, exclaiming that he expected the best and was given Ben Stiller from Dodgeball. He said he didn't come here for any "poseypickers," demanding competition. Matt Riddle answered the challenge.
Riddle said that everyone in NXT sets the bar for the WWE and the professional wrestling world. The King of Bros then told Gulak to leave NXT before he came down to the ring and made him tap.
Gulak told him to try it.
Drew Gulak vs Matt Riddle
Gulak and Riddle attempted to wrestle each other to the mat, and Gulak was able to prevent Riddle from locking in an armbar in an early attempt. Both men rolled around the ring, attempting to lock each other in a submission.
Riddle went for the armbar again, but Gulak again escaped, holding Riddle in a half-nelson choke. Both men seemed evenly matched.
Gulak brought Riddle down to the mat, keeping him on the mat with a headlock. Riddle escaped and leveled him with a kick followed by a running senton splash. Gulak was caught with a running elbow in the corner, but countered a second one with a dropkick, planting both feet on the face of Riddle. A second one nearly sent Riddle to the outside.
Gulak locked Riddle up in an arm-trapped headlock, but Riddle managed to get him and Gulak back to their feet.
He sent Gulak into the ropes but was knocked down by a shoulder tackle. Gulak worked over Riddle's arms and hands, and Riddle seemed to take some serious damage from Gulak's grappling ability.
Finally escaping, Riddle dropped Gulak with a suplex, then repeatedly kicked Riddle across the chest. Gulak caught the final kick, whipping him to the mat with a Dragon Screw. Riddle fought off Gulak, sending him into the ropes and opted to go for a sleeper hold. Gulak broke out, bringing Riddle to the mat for a Fujiwara armbar.
Riddle broke out, and both men traded chops and fists. Gulak avoided a kick for a schoolboy. Riddle countered into a powerbomb, then caught Gulak on the jaw with a running knee strike. Riddle pelted Gulak with elbows repeatedly, like he did to Kassius Ohno at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix, then locked in the Bromission.
Results: Matt Riddle defeated Drew Gulak via submission.
Gulak shook Riddle's hand in respect, before leaving him to celebrate his hard-fought victory.
Io Shirai, Kairi Sane, and Bianca Belair vs Shayna Baszler, Marian Shafir, and Jessamyn Duke
Though Bianca Belair failed to capture the NXT Women's Championship from Shayna Baszler, she proved that she deserved to be there, regardless of what Sam Roberts thought.
The Sky Pirates have had Duke and Shafir's number lately, but maybe the experience and dominance of Shayna Baszler would give them enough to finally pick up a win over Sane and Shirai.
Belair and Baszler started off, with Baszler working over Belair's arm. Belair overpowered the champion, wrenching her arm. Before she could get fired up, Baszler tagged in Shafir. A dropkick from Belair forced her to tag in Duke, who was dropped with a Double Chicken Wing Facebuster.
Belair tagged in Sane, picking her up and dropping her with an elbow drop onto Duke. Duke kicked out. Duke then drove Sane into the corner, allowing Shafir to tag in. Shafir and Sane traded chops, but the former champion brought her into her corner with her storm of strikes.
Shirai came in without tagging Sane, and the two beat down Shafir, but she was forced to leave the ring. Sane went up for the InSane Elbow, but Shafir distracted her, allowing Shafir to drop her to the mat. Bazsler then tagged in, and toyed with Sane, leaving her mere feet away from her corner.
Duke came in and continued to punish Sane, kicking her in the chest and gut while keeping her in front of Belair and Shirai. Shafir tagged in, mirroring her partners' plan. Finally, the NXT Women's Champion returned to the ring to torture Sane some more with a high angle single leg Boston Crab.
Baszler tagged out, bringing Shafir in, who choked Sane with a dragon sleeper. Sane escaped with a jawbreaker and went for the tag, but Duke blocked it. Sane sent her outside and tried her best to get to her corner. Baszler sent Duke back in to tag herself in.
She couldn't prevent the tag, though, and Shirai finally came in, driving both Baszler and Shafir into opposite corners before running into them knee first. A tiger feint kick and a springboard meteora set Sane up, who dropped the InSane Elbow on Baszler. She nearly had the match, but Duke broke up the pin.
Sane went to tag Shirai, but Belair stole it, sending both Duke and Shafir off the apron before dropping Baszler with the K.O.D. Again, Duke and Shafir broke up the pin. They were sent over the ropes by Shirai, and a dive from Sane left them down and out. Shirai tagged herself in while Belair was distracted, hitting a gorgeous moonsault for the win.
Results: Io Shirai, Kairi Sane, and Bianca Belair defeated Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, and Marina Shafir.
Belair looked unenthusiastic after the match, as she hoped to pin Baszler to earn another championship opportunity. Shirai motioned for the championship as Baszler looked on.
