Ricky Saints picked up the win over Ridge Holland in his singles debut in "WWE NXT."
Saints won his debut in tag team action back in February, teaming with Je'Von Evans against Wes Lee and Ethan Page, but found himself opposite a different kind of opponent in Holland. From the starting bell, Holland maintained majority of the control, interrupting an early burst from Starks by feigning injury to the referee, allowing him to regain the advantage.
The story of the bout was Holland's continuous focus on the back of Saints, wearing him down with rest holds and slamming him against the canvas, while Saints was left to labor against him in short bursts. Holland continued to zero in on the back with consecutive backbreakers and stomps directly to the area, but Saints would make use of his superior speed to take his opponent off of his feet with quick strikes and an enzuigiri followed by a spinning neckbreaker.
Holland fell to the outside but Saints refused to let up, chopping him and sending him back between the ropes. He then decked Holland with a boot followed up by a Tornado DDT, opening up Holland for the Rochambeau finisher; Saints struggled to get Holland up, selling the damage to his back, but ultimately sent his shoulders to the mat for the winning pinfall.
Saints appeared later in a backstage segment interrupted by NXT North American Champion Shawn Spears and The Culling, indicating he could be on the hunt for his first title since joining the WWE.
