WWE NXT In-Ring Debut And More Announced For Next Week's Show
Several matches and segments have been announced for next week's WWE NXT episode as the build for "Takeover: Stand and Deliver" Night 1 & Night 2 heats up.
LA Knight has announced that his in-ring debut will come next Wednesday night. WWE has not announced his opponent, but it looks like he will wrestle Bronson Reed. They could go with another debut opponent for Knight, but Reed is expected to at least interfere. Knight helped Cameron Grimes beat Reed last week, and this week's show saw Reed attack Knight backstage.
The Leon Ruff vs. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott feud will continue next week as the two do battle in a singles match. This week's show saw Ruff deliver a warning to Swerve with an aggressive promo.
Austin Theory vs. Dexter Lumis will also take place next week. Lumis has been feuding with The Way for several weeks, but Theory still thinks he's a good guy, even after a three day kidnapping. That changed on tonight's show when NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano managed to turn Theory against Lumis, which led to the match being made for next week.
WWE has also announced Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa vs. Imperium's Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner for next week. We noted before how WWE has been teasing a possible reunion with Thatcher and his former Ringkampf partners. Imperium's Barthel, Aichner and Alexander Wolfe delivered a promo on this week's show where they said they are taking NXT over. They mentioned doing this all for Thatcher, and invited him to bring his friend Ciampa along for the ride. Ciampa later told Thatcher that he's not interested in linking up with Imperium, but he is interested in a shot at "The General who sits safely across the pond," which was a reference to NXT UK Champion WALTER.
As noted earlier, NXT UK Superstar Jordan Devlin will also return to the main NXT brand next week, bringing his Cruiserweight Title with him. He's set to confront NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar. Devlin appeared in a pre-recorded promo from the airport in Ireland and teased a title vs. title match for "Takeover: Stand and Deliver" during WrestleMania 37 Week.
Stay tuned for more on next week's NXT show. Below is the current line-up with related clips from tonight's show:
* Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa vs. Imperium's Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner
* Isaiah "Swerve" Scott vs. Leon Ruff
* NXT Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin returns to the United States to confront NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar
* Austin Theory vs. Dexter Lumis
* LA Knight makes his NXT in-ring debut
NEXT WEEK on #WWENXT on @USA_Network!
ποΈ@DexterLumis vs. @austintheory1
πͺπΏ@LEONRUFF_ vs. @swerveconfident
βLA KNIGHT makes his #WWENXT in-ring debut! @TheEliDrake pic.twitter.com/QyLoHuee7aβ WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 11, 2021
.@swerveconfident wants an opportunity against @LEONRUFF_? He'll have one NEXT WEEK on #WWENXT! pic.twitter.com/kxtv8PbRrM
β WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 11, 2021
You're either with them or against them. Does Timothy Thatcher stand with @NXTCiampa or #IMPERIUM? #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/kkjB89aQ8p
β WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 11, 2021
What do you say, Timothy Thatcher? Will you join #IMPERIUM? #WWENXT @Marcel_B_WWE @FabianAichner @TheWWEWolfe pic.twitter.com/g0Ziv0JC1A
β WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 11, 2021
LA Knight messed with the wrong COLOSSAL athlete in @bronsonreedwwe. π¬ #WWENXT @TheEliDrake pic.twitter.com/wr0khj6r7C
β WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 11, 2021