5 Surprises from NXT (October 2nd, 2019): Former Universal Champion comes home; Pete Dunne finds new rival
NXT came out swinging for the fences tonight. With a card full of matches, any of which could've main evented the weekly show by themselves, and some shocking returns, the Black & Gold Brand kicked off its new era on the USA Network with two hours of perfection.
Three championship matches, including an absolute banger of an opener between Matt Riddle and NXT Champion Adam Cole gave viewers on the USA Network enough of a reason to return the week after. Not to mention some new feuds the WWE set up tonight.
It's hard to narrow this down to just five, considering the sheer amount of times I went "Holy ****" tonight. That being said, let's kick this off with something that excited fans of the Bruiserweight.
#5 Damian Priest marks Pete Dunne
There aren't many men in the wrestling world that aren't intimidated by the former United Kingdom Champion. Pete Dunne has made a name for himself snapping fingers and records while under the NXT brand.
His feuds with Tyler Bate, the Undisputed Era, Walter, and Velveteen Dream have left quite an impression on the WWE Universe. However, the amount of punishment people go through when dealing with the Bruiserweight is, to put it frankly, horrifying.
Several times now, Pete Dunne has forced Superstars to tap out simply by snapping their fingers, a sight that has left many fans and performers gagging. With offence like that, you'd have to be crazy or a glutton for punishment to want to battle the master of joint manipulation...
Enter the Archer of Infamy. Damien Priest has knocked off some of the best performers that NXT has to offer in his short run in the company, even the likes of Keith Lee. Tonight, he set his sights on Pete Dunne, attacking the young star after a highly competitive brawl with Danny Burch.
Priest drove Dunne's face into the mat with the Reckoning, making it clear that his path to Infamy runs through the Bruiserweight.