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TIME FOR THE MEN TO SHOW WHAT THEY CAN DO IN THE CAGE, NORTH AMERICAN TITLE TIME, GRIMES AND LUMIS GET THEIR STRAP ON, CIAMPA GETS HIS HANDS ON THATCHER, THE WOMEN OPEN UP WAR GAMES INSIDE THE CAGE - FULL NXT WAR GAMES BLOG

Ciampa is out first.  Thatcher is next.

They are playing up all of the surgeries Ciampa has had.  Wade says that Thatcher will work on the weak parts.

As expected it’s very physical early on.  Tim hit an uppercut and Ciampa is now selling the neck while Tim goes to work on it.

Tim is working over the neck and the ref is getting concerned about Ciampa.

Ciampa has fought back and they are throwing hands now.  TC is back.  They are standing on the top rope, superplex, Tim kicks out at two.

They sprackled to the floor and Ciampa barely beat the 10 count.  This is a physical fight.  Really stiff.  So stiff Tim’s ear is busted open from a kick.  Tim is fine with that, he likes his blood and is making great facials.

This is great, they are fighting and that is exactly what it feels like and given how they built it up, what it should be.  The finish came with Ciampa hit a stiff Widow’s Bell to get the win.  I really enjoyed it.  They will feel that one for a while.  There was no harm in that loss for Thatcher.

After the match they both stared at each other, like they were showing some respect to the fight the other put up.

They showed the three guys in the North American Title match.

Cameron Grimes vs. Dexter Lumis in a strap match is next.  Grimes got the strap on and attacked Lumis before it got attached to him.  He beat him down before the match officially started.

Lumis made his comeback and fired back, he put on the strap and the match is now on.

Grimes is being destroyed in the early going, in and out of the ring.  But he came back and is now throwing a lot of blows and is control.  There hasn’t been much use of the strap up until now.

Finally, Grimes put the strap bag over Lumis’ head and then started to use the strap on him.  Lumis can see in the dark though and hit a spinebuster.  He decided to use the strap liberally on Grimes but Cam came back with a German Suplex into the corner.  He can really go.  Grimes grabbed a chair and went to work on Lumis’ back.  But he then decided to sit down and gloat instead of keeping up the attack.  He got nailed with a fall away slam and Lumis did a kip up.  Now they are throwing hands.  Lumis went to the top and Grimes use the strap to pull him down.  Grimes got a two with an Inside Out.  It was impressive.  But Lumis tied up Grimes legs and took, them out and Grimes landed face first on a chair.  Lumis choked him out at get the win.  Really good, physical match.

The lights are blinking.  No, not Retribution!  Please.  No, Karrion Kross is back, at least a cryptic video for him.

Leon Ruff defends the North American Title against Johnny Gargano and Damian Priest next.  They let the champ come out last.  Good for them.  He may never come out as champ.  Or maybe he will.

Early on both guys acted like Ruff was a joke and he showed he wasn’t.  Priest actually told him he was nothing and Ruff attacked.

Priest had enough Ruff trying to, you know, keep his Title and threw him through the barricade.  He felt bad that he did it and wasted time seeing if Ruff was OK.  He isn’t, they took him to the back.  He will be back.  His turning his back allowed Johnny to attack Priest.

With Ruff out it’s a singles match.  They are going back and forth.  We haven’t see the last of Leon though.  He will probably come back and steal the win.  This is good, as you would expect with these guys.  Wow, Ruff is back already and he is going to town.

Leon got a two count from a Cutter on Johnny off of the ropes.  But now Johnny is going to work on him.    Leon is fighting back.  Priest is selling on the floor.  Well, he was.  It’s Priest and Leon now.  He just ate a boot.  Priest dumped them both on their heads.  Johnny just used Ruff as a missile, throwing him at Priest.  I am enjoying this.  I know some people don’t like Ruff being involved and I respect that.  I don’t mind it though and it’s being done well.  JG just locked Priest in the ropes thinking he can go and get Ruff.  Instead he almost got pinned!  Gargano got the Escape on Ruff but Priest powered out of the ropes to break it up.  He his JG with a heel kick off of the ropes.  He fired the arrow at Ruff but he moved.  Priest threw him into a JG superkick.  Priest had Johnny pinned when an army of ghosts attacked him.  It’s no DQ.  There are three more.  Priest took them all out.  Who knew Johnny had that many friends.  Hopefully that is the end of them ghosts.  Priest splashed them all on the floor.  Johnny came after him but got toasted.  Ruff tried to steal the pin but was stopped.

Johnny is down and Ruff is trying to beat Priest.  It didn’t work. Johnny is back.  Priest had it won when another ghost his Priest in the back with a lead pipe.  Ruff tried to roll Johnny up but it didn’t work.  Gargano got the Final Beat and won the Title.

The work was strong but there was too much ghost stuff for my liking.  That needs to end soon.  One guy dealing with ghosts (Grimes) fine.  Having it around a Title match?  Not so much for me.

After the match, as I predicted back at Halloween the main ghost is Austin Theory.  Hopefully that is the end of that gimmick.

New Year's Evil will be a special on USA on 1/6.  Smart move.  They drew a bigger audience with Halloween Havoc.

Please click to page three for more thoughts on tonight’s show!

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