With Matt Riddle set to face Kona Reeves, one Raw Superstar had other ideas — but Ricochet wasn't the only hostile party to try to take NXT by force.
Flying into Full Sail like the Superhero he's billed as to deliver a dropkick during Reeve's entrance, Ricochet inserted himself opposite Riddle in NXT's second successive impromptu bout.
Two of the best athletes in all of WWE set a breakneck pace from the start, though SmackDown's Cesaro and Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura put the brakes on the bout before it could reach another gear. The presence of the blue-brand duo proved to be enough of a distraction for Riddle to catch Ricochet in a small package for a quick pinfall, but both found themselves on the receiving end of the SmackDown attack shortly thereafter.
NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong — who will face Nakamura and United States Champion AJ Styles on Sunday at Survivor Series — intercepted The King of Strong Style before he could hit Riddle with the Kinshasa.
Smelling blood in the water, Riddle's opponent for Saturday's TakeOver: WarGames, Finn Bálor, arrived looking for a pound of flesh. Though Bálor initially overwhelmed Riddle during the fast and furious scene, The Original Bro evaded an attempted 1918 DDT and dropped Bálor with a ripcord knee to take the advantage heading into Saturday's matchup.