WWE NXT on USA Network: Live Results, Highlights, and Grades for Sept. 18

Pete Dunne vs. Arturo Ruas

First things first, Pete Dunne deserves all praise in the world for stomping on Ruas’s bare feet to escape a hold. There’s rules against hair pulling, there’s rules against hitting below the belt, but slamming a wrestling boot onto exposed toes is NOT very comfortable. Atta boy, Peter.

And Ruas? Looked mighty fine in this one. He’s incredibly gifted in a technical sense, and his agility makes him a possibility to future star. To show as much as he was able to against someone as high up the food chain as Dunne is a sign of good faith, I think. Definitely looking forward to seeing more of the former Adrian Jaoude.

But on an episode like this, even with the switch from USA to the WWE Network, there was no way Dunne was losing. The innovation he demonstrated by utilizing his finger manipulation on the exposed toes was top notch. I also really like that the joint manipulation is being used as a potential finisher for Dunne. It adds layers to an already layered character and repertoire.

Winner: Pete Dunne

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1174492004132089856

Lots of good stuff in here to keep the crowd engaged after a lengthy championship bout, and a great transition into the Network feed. Hope both Ruas and Dunne remain featured players in NXT with the two-hour run time.