Fight’s on! EC3 eyes retribution against Lars Sullivan

After ambushing EC3 in the locker room last month, Lars Sullivan will come face-to-face with The Top One Percent inside the ring in what is sure to be an all-out brawl between two of NXT’s strongest sluggers.





- In a smokey hallway, Nikki Cross says "games are fun, especially ones you can play with other people." Cross thinks it was fun to play with Biance Belair and can't wait to do it again. Cross hopes Belair isn't afraid though the next time they meet because the first time they didn't have very good behavior. She then says, "speaking of not having good behavior"...she says "I knows" over and over, most likely talking about Aleister Black's attacker.

Candice LeRae vs. Lacey Evans

Bit of a shoving contest as Evans has the obvious size advantage over LeRae. LeRae sends Evans in a turnbuckle, LeRae spingboards in from the apron, hits a bit of a sloppy move, planting Evans to the mat. LeRae gets some more momentum until Evans just runs her over and stomps away in the corner. Bronco buster, cover, LeRae kicks out at two. Evans with a head scissors takeover and holds on as she does a couple push-ups.

Evans with a hard kick, cover, two. Evans locks in another submission and gets a handful of hair, but the referee can't see it from his view at first. LeRae finally flips Evans away, kick to the midsection, sends Evans to the apron, Evans with a sweep kick, springshot elbow by Evans misses. LeRae with a step-up enziguri and a number of strikes that send Evans to the mat, running dropkick, back elbow in the corner, snap mare, LeRae off the second turnbuckle with a flatliner, cover, two. LeRae tries for an unprettier, reversed, Evans yells "You're a loser, just like your husband." LeRae snaps and swings away wildly in the corner. LeRae gets pushed back by the referee, she goes back in for more and gets nailed by a women's right, cover, 1-2-3.

Winner: Lacey Evans

- Vignette of both NXT North American Champion Ricochet and WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne talking about their respective titles. Adam Cole also says the North American Championship's legacy starts and ends with him. Ricochet will defend the title against both Dunne and Cole next week. Ricochet says the title is in good hands, Cole wants to be the first two-time champ, Dunne is looking to hold two titles.

- Vignette for the Forgotten Sons, showing a bunch of clips from previous matches.

- Backstage, NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa says whenever you're at the top there are people who will do anything they can to take the title away from him. Ciampa says Velveteen Dream's name is fitting because he seems to be living in a dream world, especially if he thinks Ciampa is the guy who attacked Aleister Black. Ciampa says for Dream to be careful and keep his theories to himself because he's the guy who put down both Gargano and Black.

Forgotten Sons (Jaxson Ryker, Wesley Blake, and Steve Cutler) vs. Vinny Mixon, Cesar Rise, Torry Kirsh

Cutler wearing a black face mask after getting a broken nose. Ryker throws the first guy right back to his corner, Rise heads in and immediately gets thrown down to the mat. Rise gets put in the tree of woe, Blake gets sent by his own guy into Rise. Blake works the arm back into his corner, throws the guy into the second turnbuckle, but he's able to tag out. Kirsh comes in, tries for a shoulder block, nope, gets a hard clothesline. Reverse DDT/Double stomp combo on Kirsh. Ryker with a slingshot powerbomb, cover, and that will end this one.

Winner: Forgotten Sons

- Last week, highlights of NXT Women's Champion Kairi Sane agreeing to a title match against Shayna Baszler at WWE Evolution.

- Vignette of Baszler talking about the first time she faced Sane (where she lost at the Mae Young Classic) and the training she's doing now to get her better prepared for the upcoming title match. Baszler says the training she does no is far more grueling than what any of the women in NXT do.

- Backstage, Cathy Kelley talks with Tony Nese about showing up in NXT. Nese says he proves on 205 Live why he's the premier athlete and plans to do the same in NXT, starting with Johnny Gargano.

- Backstage, Kelley talked with Bianca Belair about Nikki Cross wanting another rematch against her. Belair says she's not here to play around or play games. Belair says she's still undefeated and thought Cross should have just moved on, but now she's going to have to embarrass Cross.

Johnny Gargano vs. Tony Nese

Nese with a hard shoulder block, catches Gargano in midair, but Gargano rolls out of it, hurricarana sends Nese out to the floor. Gargano looks to fly, but Nese gets in the ring and flattens Gargano in the middle of the ring. Back and forth action leads to Gargano giving Nese a clothesline, Nese out to the floor, Gargano with a suicide dive. Back in the ring, Gargano heads to the top rope, Nese chops him down, Gargano is laying across the corner on the top rope, Nese with a big kick, Gargano goes up into Nese shoulders, plants him to the mat, cover, two.

Nese with a body scissors in the middle of the ring. Gargano rolls back to get a pin on Nese, only two. Gargano spins around and gets in some ground and pound. Both on their feet, Nese sweeps out the feet, second rope moonsault, lands on his feet, Gargano with a springboard DDT. Gargano strings together a number of strikes, gets sent to the apron, Gargano with a slingshot spear, cover, two.

Nese back on his feet, big forearm, Nese with a matrix dodge, couple kicks, tries for a sweep kick and gets caught with a kick to the head. Couple counters from both wrestlers, some sloppy transitions in this one. Gargano tries for the Gargano Escape, but Nese ends up landing a bucklebomb on Gargano to finally slow the action. Gargano heads out to the floor, Nese tries for an attack, doesn't have much luck.

Gargano looks for another tornado DDT, Nese catches him, dumps him to the floor, Nese with a fosbury flop, lands on his feet, tosses Gargano right back in the ring, 450 splash, cover, two! Crowd thought that may have been over as they chant "NXT!" Gargano put in the corner, Nese looks for the running kick, nope, Gargano with a enziguri, Nese with a german suplex into the turnbuckle. Gargano up with a superkick, big lariat, gargano escape, and Nese taps.

Winner: Johnny Gargano

- Post-match, Gargano takes a "Johnny Freaking Gargano" sign from a fan and holds it up in the air in the ring.

- Vignette for Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan as they talk about how they initially met each other in the ring as opponents. They had mutual respect for each after that match and felt like they should join up. Both say they come from humble beginnings and look to scratch and claw their way up the ladder. We look back to NXT TakeOver: Chicago in their title match against the Undisputed Era. Lorcan noted the crowd wasn't initially with them, but as the match went on they earned the crowd's respect. They came up short thought against the champions, Lorcan said his orbital/cheek bone were fractured in the match. Both still are looking for those tag titles.

- In two weeks: Nikki Cross vs. Bianca Belair.

- Next week: Keith Lee vs. Kona Reeves, also Ricochet defends the NXT North American Championship against Adam Cole and Pete Dunne.

Lars Sullivan vs. EC3

EC3 chops away on Sullivan, tries to lift him up, but doesn't have much luck. Sullivan charges him in the corner, EC3 more and Sullivan crashes into the ring post, shifting the ring a bit. EC3 finally lands a body slam on Sullivan, diving elbow drop, cover, one-count. Sullivan jams EC3 in the corner, shoulder block, Sullivans sends EC3 across the ring and hits a body splash in the other corner. He tries for another, EC3 is able to stop him, gets up on the second turnbuckle, dropkick hits, EC3 with a front face-lock leg sweep, cover, two.

EC3 with some clubbing blows on Sullivan's back, kick to the side of the face, but Sullivan lands a lariat to halt EC3. Sullivan lifts up and tosses EC3 again, clubbing blowers across the face, cover, one-count. Sullivan with a neck vice, EC3 gets back up and powers out for a moment. Sullivan lifts up EC3, EC3 fights out of it, Sullivan with a back elbow. EC3 with a release german suplex, body splash in the corner, heads up to the top rope, sloppy crossbody hits, cover, two. EC3 with some blood on his cheek and mouth after the one. Sullivan looks to finish off EC3, he fights off Sullivan, EC3 with a clothesline that takes both of them out to the floor. Sullivan picks up EC3 and hits freak accident on the apron. Sullivan heads up to the top rope and nails a falling headbutt, cover, 1-2-3.

Winner: Lars Sullivan