The BJJ and capoeira fighter hoped to take NXT's Time Splitter down quick, going for a takedown at the start. Arturo Ruas succeeded, but knew he couldn't keep Kushida on his back for long. Ruas took a page out of his opponent's playbook, severely weakening the left arm. Kushida had to end things quickly if he was going to escape with a win.
Kushida threw away the ground game, instead focusing on a fast-paced striking strategy. Ruas took some heavy blows but countered a roundhouse. At that moment, Kushida leaped on Ruas for the Hoverboard Lock, but couldn't lock it in.
Ruas nearly locked Ruas in a heel hook, but Kushida kept his footing, turning it into a pinfall for a quick win.
Results: Kushida defeated Arturo Ruas via pinfall on NXT.
Grade: B-
This one was short, but there's definitely a lot to explore should we get a feud out of these two.
Ember Moon and Toni Storm were backstage, and getting ready to put Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez down for good. Once they were finished there, they'd both set their sights on the NXT Women's Championship. This tag team match was up next.
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About the author
Greg Bush
Greg is a pro wrestling writer at Sportskeeda. He has been an avid wrestling fan since he was able to do elbow drops off bunkbeds at the age of three. He's gone through the highs and lows of the Attitude Era, Ruthless Aggression, and PG eras and lived to tell the tale, with his favorite wrestler of all time being Diamond Dallas Page. His other favorite star is the late great Bray Wyatt.
Greg has contributed to sites like Bleacher Report before joining Sportskeeda in 2017 as a content writer and editor. If you've ever checked out the various wrestling shows through our live coverage, chances are you've read Greg's work. Apart from the world within the squared circle, he also keeps track of other sports such as American football, baseball, golf, boxing, and MMA.
His goal with his writing is to be able to mentally take readers right into the action through his words. Greg strives to ensure his readers get nothing but the best and most accurate information by always checking and using only the best and most reliable sources.
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