Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre Interrupted Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Braun StrowmanHe's only eight days into his Universal Championship reign and Reigns already feels more like a fighting champion than Brock Lesnar ever did. I don't think he will ever be universally cheered by the audience, but WWE is doing the right things with him right now, especially with The Shield reuniting. I appreciated him acknowledging that here and Strowman deciding to wait until Hell in a Cell to cash in his Money in the Bank contract. Ziggler and McIntyre did fine with their promos as well, setting up the main event tag team match nicely. Baron Corbin def. Finn Balor in a No Disqualification MatchI had hope that Balor bringing back his Demon persona and decisively defeating Corbin at SummerSlam would put their pointless program to rest, but apparently it's not over yet due to Corbin being a full-fledged authority figure and having the ability to restart matches. He and Balor had a decent bout before Corbin intentionally got himself disqualified so he could restart it as a No Disqualification matchup and win with ease. Does this mean more matches between them? Ugh.
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Moose Saved Eddie Edwards From Impact World Champion Austin Aries and Killer KrossThe progression of Edwards' unhinged character has been well done so far, but it made sense for him to get some backup now that Aries has Cross in his corner. Moose hasn't been seen since Slammiversary last month, so it was logical for him to return to aid his established best friend and exact some revenge against Aries. After the eventual tag team match, expect Edwards to turn on Moose eventually because he's jealous of Alisha warming up to Moose the same way he did to Tommy Dreamer. Matt Sydal def. Zachary WentzSydal has been in a bit of a funk since losing the Impact X-Division Championship to Brian Cage at Slammiversary last month, but based off promos he has been cutting in pre-taped vignettes recently, he is determined to get back on track. I know I've heard of Wentz elsewhere before, but I appreciated the commentary team filling me in on who he was during this bout. It was very fun while it lasted and Wentz looked impressive before ultimately falling to Sydal, who obviously needed the victory much more.
Bianca Belair def. Deonna PurrazzoPurrazzo has appeared in NXT before as an enhancement talent, but this was her first televised match in NXT since signing with them earlier this summer. She has grown a ton as a performer we last saw her in NXT, so I'm happy she's officially on-board. Debuting her in front of the Brooklyn crowd was smart because obviously a decent amount of fans knew who she was and it also served as a plug for the upcoming Mae Young Classic, which Purrazzo will be a part of. Anyway, this was a solid match with Purrazzo showcasing her skills and looking good in defeat. As I've said time and time again, Belair is an absolute star in the making and continues to make strides in the ring. WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne def. Zack GibsonPersonally, I thought their original encounter on the NXT U.K. Championship special back in June was better than this, but this was still an excellent match filled with entertaining in-ring action and wonderful psychology. Gibson generated some heat, but Dunne was clearly the star here. It would have helped if it was explained why Gibson was getting another shot at the strap after losing decisively to Dunne two months ago, but despite that, I enjoyed the hell out of this outing and the second half was especially strong.
Mil Muertes def. The Mack in a Haunted House MatchIf you're wondering what the hell a Haunted House matchup is, it's basically a glorified Steel Cage match with weapons. In other words, it's essentially an Ambrose Asylum match, just not nearly as boring. This actually made me wish Halloween was sooner than it is. Nonetheless, this was an entertaining affair with Muertes and Mack making the most of the stipulation and keeping the crowd engaged. Mack put forth a good effort, but Muertes reigned supreme in the en as he should have. Jake Strong def. AerostarStrong has quietly been building momentum since the start of the season by beating opponent after opponent and breaking their legs (only in Lucha Underground would you see something like that). This was a nice little matchup that was a bit more competitive and not as one-sided as Strong's past bouts, yet it still had the same outcome. I'm curious who Strong's ultimate match will be. Matanza Cueto, maybe?
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