WWE NXT results, recap, grades: Title picture set to be cleared up, Rhea Ripley attacked NXT -wwe king

WWE NXT results, recap, grades: Title picture set to be cleared up, Rhea Ripley attacked NXT.

NXT has been churning out some incredible weekly offerings for the better part of about the past month, and while Wednesday night's edition of the black and gold brand wasn't a down effort by any stretch, the mission this week was clearly to set the stage for a Dec. 18 show that could be one for the ages. The action we witnessed on NXT this week paved the way for two incredible championship matches in two weeks, while some fun sprints were added in between all the madness. 

Let's have a look now at everything that went down on Wednesday's episode of NXT. 

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Killian Dain def. Pete Dunne via pinfall: Dain opened up this week's NXT by storming the ring and demanding that anyone come out to face him. The call was answered by his bitter rival of late in Dunne. As expected, we got an entertaining, physical war throughout, with Dunne selling a left knee injury that was still heavily taped. With Dunne and Dain battling on the top rope, the Bruiserweight locked in a sleeper, thinking he had the match in hand from that point. The plan backfired, however, as Dain fell back with his full weight onto Dunne to pick up the pinfall victory and move the program forward just a little longer. 

Dakota Kai interview: Backstage with Cathy Kelley, Kai said Tegan Nox is not worth her time when pegged about her change in attitude once again. She then claimed she merely gave Rhea Ripley -- her scheduled opponent on Wednesday night -- what she wanted all along by letting her be the savior at WarGames, and tonight she'll take her out just like she did that "hoodrat" Mia Yim. 

Keith Lee, Tommaso Ciampa thwart Undisputed Era: Sans the injured Bobby Fish, Undisputed Era were out to the ring. Adam Cole said the group had a November to remember, and while the month is over, the year of the prophecy has just begun. Cole referenced the hilarious Keith Lee pounce that sent him into the crowd last week, which naturally drew the chorus of "Bask in his glory!" chants. The NXT champ then turned his attention to Finn Balor, demanding answers for the attack that took place to conclude last week's show. Instead, it was Lee who emerged and made his way to the ring. Kyle O'Reilly taunted Lee for being nothing more than a "moment-maker" and losing to Roman Reigns at Survivor Series, and Lee began sizing up each member of Undisputed Era and said he's just deciding which of their titles he's going to take. The heels attacked, but Lee was able to fend them all off. Cole was making his way back up the ramp, but he was met from behind by Tommaso Ciampa who fed Cole to Lee. Roderick Strong and O'Reilly were able to save Cole as he was about to eat a Spirit Bomb, and Ciampa posed with the title in the ring as Undisputed Era looked on. 

Shayna Baszler def. Xia Lia via submission in a non-title match: This was a nice little opportunity for a potential star-on-the-rise in Li, but the bout ended up being rather short for my liking. Li was able to get in a bit of notable offense after the champion mercilessly chipped away at the injured hand of Li in the opening stages, but it wouldn't take long for Baszler to clamp down with the Kirifuda Clutch and earn the submission victory. If this was meant to showcase Li, it could have had a few minutes added. 

The Forgotten Sons def. Adrian Alanis & Leon Ruff via pinfall: Usually it's NXT stars making appearances on EVOLVE shows, but we had a bit of a reversal Wednesday night with Alanis & Ruff getting some TV time on USA! Unfortunately for Alanis & Ruff, the appearance amounted to nothing more than a squash as Alanis was on the receiving end of a brutal stomp from Steve Cutler. Post-match, as Ruff was crawling his way to his fallen partner, he ate a chokeslam from Jaxson Ryker. Grade: C-

The Horsewomen take out Rhea Ripley: Dakota Kai was out for her scheduled bout with Ripley, and the "Nightmare" soon followed. She wasn't here for a match, though. She commended Kai for her setup on the babyfaces at WarGames, but Ripley said the funny thing about setups is about to happen right now. Mia Yim's music hit, and the HBIC charged the ring and began tearing Kai apart. As Yim's assault continued on the outside, Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke were out. The Horsewomen began attacking Ripley in the ring, with the NXT women's champion locking in the Kirifuda Clutch. Ripley, refusing to quit, forced her way to the ropes but that would only prove to be her demise as Shafir and Duke each grabbed an arm until Ripley went unconscious while Baszler held on to the choke. Following the attack, Baszler stood over Ripley and she referenced the fact that she wants a title match. Well, Baszler informed her that she, too, wants a title match, and Ripley will get one on Dec. 18. So, we're set for a huge women's title showdown in two weeks. Grade: B+

Finn Balor sends a message: A pre-taped promo aired in which Balor said that Undisputed Era thought they had the ultimate prize last week in him, but they received a shock to their system after they've been on quite a roll. Everyone wants to carry the NXT flag, but Balor reminded us that there would be no flag to carry if it wasn't for him. He then called back to the line that the future will be his past, before finishing with a simple message to Adam Cole of, "checkmate."

Matt Riddle def. Kassius Ohno viapinfall: Earlier in the show, Ohno was walking through the parking lot. He noted how he's been competing in NXT UK recently, and he referenced the upcoming Worlds Collide event the night before the Royal Rumble in Houston in January. Ohno wanted to give everyone a preview of the upcoming show, and his open challenge later in the show was answered by former rival Matt Riddle. These two put on yet another fantastic, physical outing, with Riddle moving to 4-0 over Ohno after the Bro Derek. These two could wrestle forever for all I care. Grade: B+

KUSHIDA def. Cameron Grimes via pinfall: Making his return to the ring for the first time since suffering a wrist injury in a main-event match with WALTER, KUSHIDA was scheduled to take on Raul Mendoza. Grimes attacked Mendoza during his entrance and subsequently took his spot in the bout ... which, of course, no one is going to complain about seeing two of the best in-ring workers in NXT go at it. It was a relatively short match, with KUSHIDA reversing a German suplex attempt into a pinfall for the win. The manner in which the match ended left it open for a much longer rematch somewhere down the road, which we all should be very hyped over. Grade: A-

Keith Lee, Tommaso Ciampa & Dominik Dijakovic def. Undisputed Era via pinfall: This action-packed six-man bout that was set not long after the chaos from earlier in the night received an unwelcome visitor in the form of Balor. The "Prince" emerged through the crowd and took out Cole with a shotgun dropkick into the corner before laying out Ciampa with 1916. His carnage was brought to an abrupt end, however, as Lee solved the Balor issue with a Spirit Bomb. Cole, looking to capitalize after he recovered, nailed Lee with a superkick. He pulled down the knee pad in preparation for the Last Shot, but Lee caught him and earned the victory after the Jackhammer. Post-match, general manager William Regal entered the Full Sail Arena to announce that, next week, Ciampa, Balor and Lee will square off for the right to challenge Cole for the NXT title on ... you guessed it, Dec. 18. The pre-Christmas NXT show is shaping up to be one we all won't want to miss. Grade: A