2/22 NXT in Ontario: Ricochet’s first match in WWE, Ember vs. Bel Air match cut short after injury, Gargano & La Rae vs. Almas & Vega

NXT LIVE EVENT REPORT
FEBRUARY 22, 2018
MISSISSAUGA, ONT. AT HERSHEY CENTRE
REPORT BY T.J. DALEY, PWTORCH CORRESPONDENT

Please send results of live events you attend to pwtorch@pwtorch.com. Thank you! Also, please include any photos you take of either the arena setting, entrance stage, and clear pictures of wrestlers on way to ring or inside the ring.

(1) Ricochet (billed as his first match in the WWE) defeated Buddy Murphy via 630 Senton.

(2) Nikki Cross defeated Alliyah via Swinging Fisherman’s Neckbreaker.

(3) Killian Dain defeated Marchel Barthel via Vader Bomb.

(4) Roderick Strong defeated Fabian Aichner via Strong Hold

(5) Sanity (Eric Young & Alexander Wolfe) defeated The Authors of Pain via Belly-to-Back Suplex/Diving Neckbreaker combination.

(6) Ember Moon retained the NXT Women’s Championship over Bianca Bel Air via The Eclipse. VERY rough looking. The fef stopped their count after two and called the match.  Bel Air was down for a while, but left under her own power.  She was definitely hurt by this but hard to tell how bad.

(7) Aleister Black defeated Velveteen Dream via Black Mass.

(8) Johnny Gargano & Candice Le Rae defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas & Zelina Vega via double Gargano Escapes.

MOST POPULAR: Johnny Gargano/Candice Le Rae, Aleister Black, Velveteen Dream, Andrade “Cien” Almas/Zelina Vega, Ricochet, SANITY

MOST HEAT: Andrade “Cien” Almas/Zelina Vega, Velveteen Dream

FINAL THOUGHTS: Gargano, Black, Dream, and Almas came across as the biggest stars on the card by far.  Very few of the heels actually got boo’d UNTIL they turned the crowd.  Even then, some weren’t able to (with few exceptions) the crowd popped for everyone.  The last three matches of the night all got “This is Awesome” chants.  Hershey Centre was about 75 to 80 percent full (a 5,000 seat stadium).  Only one merchandise booth that sold merchandise for the following: SANITY, Aleister Black, Johnny Gargano, Ember Moon, Undisputed Era, and the Street Profits (the cups).

Please send results of live events you attend to pwtorch@pwtorch.com. Thank you! Also, please include any photos you take of either the arena setting, entrance stage, and clear pictures of wrestlers on way to ring or inside the ring.

NOW CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS REPORT: 2/18 NJPW in Sydney, Australia: Bullet Club vs. Chaos, Ishii, vs. Gambino, Suzuki & Arcxher vs. Juice & Henare