In the wake of NXT TakeOver 31, WWE have announced that Kushida will battle former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa on tonight’s edition of NXT.
‘The Time Splitter’ Kushida is currently riding a wave of momentum following his rivalry with Velveteen Dream which has taken in cost opportunities and arm injuries galore before ending at NXT TakeOver 31.
At TakeOver 31, the Japanese sensation defeated his rival in a heated exchange before showing a different side to himself and attacking Dream after the match, focussing his rage on the injured arm of his foe.
Now, Kushida has the opportunity to elevate himself further up the NXT ladder by toppling the former NXT Champion who himself is looking for a break after several weeks of making do with enhancement talent.
Tommaso Ciampa was last seen on NXT television on September 23 making short work of Jake Atlas. Before that, he downed Desmond Troy on September 8.
While Ciampa was one of the four men involved in the 60 Minute Fatal 4-Way Match to determine a new NXT Champion at NXT Super Tuesday, he hasn’t been involved in a major storyline or feud since falling to Karrion Kross at NXT TakeOver: In Your House in June.
Kushida vs. Tommaso Ciampa will be more than just another match. Arguably it will go a long way to deciding who could challenge NXT Champion Finn Balor next and where the future lays for both men in the wake of a victory or defeat with the WWE Draft fast approaching.