Tonight’s episode of WWE NXT was building all night towards the anticipated main event between Blackheart Tommaso Ciampa and Dolph Ziggler, which Ziggler stacked in his favor by banning Bron Breakker from coming to the ring to interrupt his match. After the introductions were made, they locked up immediately, with Ciampa taking control of Ziggler’s arm and wrist and punching him on the back of the head. They went to lock up again and Ziggler got the best of this one with a pin attempt but Ciampa kicked out.
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They locked up again and traded shoves and evaded each other’s moves to a standstill. Ziggler hit Ciampa in the face and went for a pin but Ciampa kicked out. Then he hit a neck breaker and locked in a hold while sticking his fingers in Ciampa’s eyes.
A quick stomp followed and then Ziggler hit some punches. Ziggler put more pressure on Ciampa’s shoulder, arm, and wrist, but Ciampa got up and hit a massive chop on Ziggler. Ciampa then hit another one and then hit back-to-back clotheslines.
He then hit another clothesline and built up some momentum and followed it up with a chop to the chest. A punch to the head followed and then he lowered the knee pad but Ziggler dodged and went for the Zig-Zag but Ciampa dodged it and hit a knee strike that sent Ziggler to the floor.
Ziggler would recover and get back in the driver’s seat, grounding Ciampa and halting his momentum with holds to wear Ciampa down. Ciampa threw some punches as did Ziggler, and then Ciampa hit a chop. Ciampa caught Ziggler and sent him careening towards the corner. Then he knocked Ziggler’s head off in the corner and went for a pin but Ziggler kicked out.
They traded punches again but Ciampa hit a flurry of them and then went for a knee strike but Ziggler countered. Then Ziggler hit a huge dropkick and slammed Ciampa’s head down on the mat but Ciampa kicked out of the pin.
Ziggler then went for a superkick but Ciampa got enough of his kick to set up for a powerbomb, but Ziggler kicked out. Then Ciampa set up for the knee strike and he connected, but Ziggler got his foot up on the bottom rope to break the pin.
Ciampa then put Ziggler’s leg on the bottom rope and slammed his knee down on it, causing Ziggler to roll to the floor. Ziggler pushed Ciampa into the post and then hit the Zig-Zag. Both stars got in the ring to break the count and when they got up Ziggler went for a move but Ciampa countered. Ziggler then locked in a submission but Ciampa got to his feet and slammed Ziggler down onto his back, but Ziggler kicked out right before three.
They traded punches on the side of the ring but Ciampa hit several and then a kick to Ziggler’s head. He then picked Ziggler up and slammed Ziggler’s back onto the ring apron and to the floor. Ciampa rolled Ziggler in but then a cameraman hit Ciampa from behind. Ziggler then hit a superkick and that was all he needed for the pin.
The cameraman then unmasked to reveal that it was Bobby Roode, and they would start attacking Ciampa, but Bron Breakker was in the ring soon and cleared them out. Breakker then challenged them to a 2 on 2 match next week. Then Breakker challenged them to fight right now, and they obliged, coming to the ring and starting a full brawl before referees and security broke them up.
It looks like there will be a tag match next week, and it should be very entertaining.
What did you think of the match? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
