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It is no secret that the main roster has not been serving the best episodes to fans on a near weekly basis. NXT continues to dish out the best in-ring performances and storylines. The brand just feels fresh and the plots well like they're well thought through. We saw yet another interesting episode ahead of NXT TakeOver: WarGames II.
Did you happen to catch this week's episode, ladies and gentlemen? If you did, please leave a comment and let me know what you thought of it. Did you enjoy it as much as I did, or are you unimpressed by NXT in recent months, NXT Universe?
Let me list out 5 points that I found particularly interesting this week. All of them should play out brilliantly, as we head into the next edition of NXT TakeOver.
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Here they are for your reading pleasure, ladies and gentlemen!
#5 Johnny Gargano explains why he went heel
Remember when Johnny Gargano was the ultimate babyface, when the whole NXT Universe used to root for him against Ciampa? That character is long gone, to be replaced by a cold, calculating and devious heel, that will do anything to get rid of his arch nemesis, who's still Ciampa. Johnny Gargano claimed that his attack on Black was 'nothing personal'.
According to Gargano, Black just got in the way of his aspirations and was collateral damage. He maintained that he was the same man that he had always been. He even took us on a guided tour of the spots that he was at, the night he attacked Aleister Black.
I can't wait to see how Black responds to Gargano, leading up to their match. Gargano still feels that he's the good guy and that's a scary thought.
#4 A power packed main event
Not long ago, William Regal announced that it would be The Velveteen Dream vs. Tommaso Ciampa in the main event of NXT TakeOver: WarGames for the NXT Championship. Lars Sullivan was not happy with this announcement and started breaking things in the back! Not surprisingly, a match was set up between Sullivan and Dream in this week's main event.
The match in itself was every bit as explosive as one would imagine it to be, considering the calibre of both performers. As one would expect, Ciampa showed up towards the end of the match, causing the distraction that allowed Sullivan to pick up a big win. And then he would enter the ring to cause further damage to The Velveteen Dream.
Except Dream would leave Ciampa laying at the end of the night, in a heap. He waved the Championship in Ciampa's face, a sign of things to come?
#3 A very heavy win
When you're tasked with opening the show, you better deliver. Heavy Machinery and The Forgotten Sons gave it their all in the opening contest of the night. They put on a show for the ages and actually had a pretty competitive match. It was exactly what the doctor ordered.
The contest could have gone either way. But Heavy Machinery picked up the win and what one would assume is a fair bit of momentum as well. I wonder if this will set them up for an opportunity at the NXT Tag Team Championships in the future against the Undisputed ERA. Win or lose, that would be a massive step up for them.
The NXT Tag Team Division is absolutely stacked right now. Everybody's hungry for a spot and it certainly shows.
#2 The amazing Dakota Kai
Not enough is said about just how amazing Dakota Kai is. She's extremely pretty, works great with almost any opponent and has a natural likable nature that makes her the perfect babyface. I thought she even made Taynara Conti look great during their match, this week.
The women's division is on fire right now. This wasn't the only development to transpire on this week's show. William Regal also announced that Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler will face each other again at NXT TakeOver: WarGames II in a 2 out of 3 falls contest for the top prize in the division.
It does seem like Nikki Cross, who showed up on SmackDown Live this past week, will also clash with Candice LeRae soon. That should be a pretty solid match considering just how very gifted both women are.
#1 Bro meets Kassius Ohno
Last week, we saw Matt Riddle arrive in NXT in a very big way. Keith Lee has also been lighting up the NXT roster with some truly incredible performances. Kassius Ohno does not seem too pleased with these gentlemen stealing his spotlight. He's been relegated to the back, while others have been rising the ranks.
It does seem like we'll see Ohno take on one of the two men next. Maybe more than one of the two men, in due time. All three of the men are exceptional workers and the match quality will be really good.
Do you guys think Ohno would do well as a heel, after competing as a babyface for so long in NXT? Do you see him being called up to the main roster next year?
Let us know in the comments.
