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WWE NXT Recap – Why Doesn't Leon Ruff Have a Dog Gimmick?

On WWE NXT this week, Leon Ruff proves he's not a joke, Arturo Ruas goes from Underground to buried, and Shotzi Blackheart declares war!

I'm Jude Terror, and this is The Shovel: Wednesday Night Wars Edition. I used to write about comics, but comics basically imploded, so now I'm doing this. They're not that different, really. Muscular people in their underwear, solving all their problems with violence, and the biggest companies in each (Marvel and WWE) are deep in bed with the Trump administration. So I feel I'm uniquely qualified for this pursuit, you know? Anyway, I watch the wrestling — four hours of it in this case, for AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT –, and then I tell you what happened. That frees you up to like, have a life or something. And in exchange, I get your clicks. Fair? Okay, let's do this then.

WWE NXT Recap for November 18th, 2020 Part 1

Vic Joseph welcomes us to the COVID Wrestling Center for another episode of WWE NXT. Leon Ruff comes out, and I feel like WWE is missing out by not giving him some kind of dog gimmick. Has Vince McMahon lost his touch?

Sorry for putting that out in the world, Leon.

We see a video package about Ruff's victory over Johnny Gargano last week for the North American Championship. Just as it's getting to the celebration part, Gargano comes out. He says last week was a fluke, and Ruff is a pawn in Damian Priest's game. The crowd chants "Johnny Failure." Gargano says Ruff isn't a real champ. He's a joke. And the joke's over tonight. Gargano decks, Ruff.

They have a match with the North American Championship on the line. Gargano has the upper hand at first, but when Damian Priest comes out to watch from the stage, Ruff gets in some offense. Nevertheless, Gargano hits One Final Beat and is about to pin Ruff when Priest pulls Ruff out of the ring and decks him, causing Gargano to get disqualified.

Leon Ruff defeats Johnny Gargano by Disqualification.

Priest picks up Ruff, puts the title around his head, and walks him up the ramp. Gargano, naturally, is livid.

Cameron Grimes talks trash about Dexter Lumis backstage. He says he proved Lumis is just a regular man, and Grimes isn't afraid of him. He's a rocket ship, and he's going to the moon. And NXT is going to commercials.

Rhea Ripley is seen walking in the NXT parking lot earlier today. Shockingly, she isn't attacked or run over. Cameron Grimes comes to the ring. Dexter Lumis follows. This is a blindfold match. Both men have to wear black sacks over their heads. The ref gets them on, and the match begins.

Lumis stands still while Grimes flails around the ring. Lumis tries to get the crowd to play hot and cold with him, but they're bad at it. Grimes mistakes the ref for Lumis and kicks his ass. He rips off his sack to find out what he did. He realizes Lumis is still wearing the mask, so he tries to attack him, but Lumis stops him even blind. Then he removes his sack and kicks Grimes's ass. Now it's just a regular match, I guess, with a dead ref. OR not a match. Lumis kicks Grimes's ass until GRimes escapes, and the segment just ends.

William Regal is mad at Damian Priest. Priest argues that he was just messing with Gargano. Leon Ruff shows up and is insulted that Priest thinks he's a joke. He wants to be a legitimate contender. Priest apologizes. Ruff slaps him in the face and tells him he's nobody's joke. Regal tells Priest he deserved that. Ruff is 100% correct, and this angle should end with Ruff beating both Gargano and Priest (perhaps in a three-way dance where it can be believable). NXT takes a commercial break.

NXT comes back with a video package for Shotzi Blackheart set to Black Sabbath's War Pigs. She tells Candice LeRea they're going to war while welding stuff. This leads to an announcement of NXT Takeover War Games for December 6th. Sweet!

Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell take on Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter. Obviously, the woman who appears to be headlining War Games isn't losing here. LeRea gets the pin.

Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell defeat Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter via pinfall.

Video package for Arturo Ruas, coming to NXT from Raw Underground, after some commercials. We see Io Shirai arriving at NXT earlier today, again, without being assaulted in the parking lot.

Arturo Ruas is in the ring. KUSHIDA comes to the ring. Okay, I'm intrigued. Who does the job here?

They have a match. Midway through, NXT cuts to a voice report from McKenzie Mitchell, who is waiting for Finn Balor to arrive tonight. They should do that more often—kind of a throwback to when they'd have someone on the phone back in the day. Kushida wins with a pinning combo while they're having a submission battle.

KUSHIDA defeats Arturo Ruas

Well, now we know.

McKenzie Mitchell talks to Ember Moon and Toni Storm. Moon talks trash about Dakota Kai hiding behind Raquel Gonzalez. Toni Storm says she's gonna team up with Ember so they can overcome their common enemy tonight, but when it comes down to it, Storm is after the women's title. NXT takes a commercial break.

Various NXT stars and producers pick sides in the Rhea Ripley vs. Io Shirai match in a video package for the main event tonight. Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez are in the ring. Ember Moon comes out, then Toni Storm. They have a match. A long match that consists mainly of Gonzalez beating the crap out of Ember Moon. Moon makes Gonzalez look great with her selling. Storm gets the hot tag and rolls up Kai for the pin.

Ember Moon and Toni Storm defeat Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez via pinfall.

Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell run out and attack Moon and Storm as War Games alliances are already forming. Pat McAfee and his boys arrive and enter the building. Io Shirai is warming up backstage. NXT takes a commercial break. And we'll be finishing up this recap over in part two. Click down below.

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