Top 3 Performers of NXT (March 27, 2019)
This week's WWE NXT saw the final of the fourth ever Dusty Rhodes Classic between the Forgotten Sons and the tag team of Ricochet and Aleister Black. The episode saw a face-off between Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole in the lead up to their 2 out of 3 falls match for the NXT title.
Adam Cole started the episode; Cole won the fatal five-way match on the previous week's episode of NXT to challenge Gargano for the vacant title. If Cole is successful at Takeover: New York, he will be NXT's first Triple Crown champion as he was already the first NXT North American titleholder, as well as having held the NXT Tag Team titles as a part of Undisputed Era.
Johnny Gargano would join Adam Cole in the ring, at Cole's invitation. The crowd duelled chants of "Johnny Wrestling" and "Adam Cole", which went on for several minutes uninterrupted.
Cole would go against the crowd, saying he didn't need the crowd's support, while Johnny Gargano said that he loved the fan support. Cole took down Gargano, bringing up the fact that despite Gargano loving being called "Johnny Takeover", he hasn't had the greatest of records in NXT's event.
While Gargano spoke passionately about his struggle to get signed at NXT, and his struggle to get to the top of NXT. In comparison to Adam Cole, who debuted at Takeover: Brooklyn the previous year and was signed as a big scoop. As Cole walked back up the ramp, he stopped to deliver a final message, basically promising Gargano that he wouldn't be coming to Takeover: Brooklyn alone. As he said this Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish, and Roderick Strong came from behind the curtain to stand at the top of the ramp.
The first in-ring action of the episode saw Aliyah and Vanessa Bourne face off against Lacey Lane and Kacy Catanzaro. Catanzaro came into the WWE with huge fanfare having dominated previously on American Ninja Warrior, and has been featured predominantly appearing at the Royal Rumble and in several videos on WWE Performance Centre's youtube channel following her relationship with fellow NXT Superstar Ricochet. Lacey Lane started in the ring with Vanessa Bourne. Lacey showed that Kacy was not the only athletic member of her tag team.
The match was going well but they would be joined by the team of Jessamyn Duke, Marina Shafir, and the NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler. Baszler locked Catanzaro in the Kirafuda Clutch, but the smaller superstar flipped her way out of Shayna's clutches. She almost seemed like she was going to get out safely before Baszler caught her again and knocked her out. Baszler would have words with NXT Commentator Percy Watson on her way out and demanded respect as the champion.
The next match of the night saw Matt Riddle warming up for his North American title match at Takeover: Brooklyn, with a match against Kona Reeves. The Self-Proclaimed "Finest" Wrestler hasn't been seen in the ring for action for quite some time. Riddle gained the advantage, hitting Reeves with a Deadlift Gutwrench Suplex. Riddle was then distracted as his Takeover: Brooklyn opponent, the Velveteen Dream, was pushed on to the top of the ramp while his music played.
The distraction allowed for Reeves to gain the advantage, hitting Riddle with a Back Suplex. Riddle fought back and would lock Reeves in the Bro-mission. Reeves would quickly tap out giving Matt Riddle the submission victory. Riddle would then make his way to the top of the ramp and confronted the Velveteen Dream, promising the Dream that he would see him in New York.
The main event of the evening was the final of the Dusty Rhodes Classic between Black and Ricochet against the Forgotten Sons team of Wesley Blake and Steven Cutler. The Forgotten Sons spent much time on the outside of the ring, often trying to regroup and escape from Ricochet and Aleister Black. The Forgotten Sons would eventually gain the upper hand and isolate Ricochet in the ring, as well as targetting the high flyers lower back. Black and Ricochet almost had the win after the duo hit a Face Buster and Big Boot, only for Cutler to push Ricochet onto Aleister.
Later in the fight, the Forgotten Son's enforcer Jaxson Ryker would push Black's foot off the rope during a pin attempt. The referee saw this and would send Ryker away from ringside, much to the chagrin of the Forgotten Sons. Black would then slip out of Blake's attempt to hit him with a Razor's Edge. Black would then hit Blake with a Black Mass and Ricochet would follow it up with a 630 Senton for the win. Ricochet and Black were presented with the Dusty Rhodes Classic trophy and will face War Raiders at Takeover: Brooklyn for the NXT Tag Team titles.