5 Things NXT got right on this week’s episode (Oct 9, 2019)

NXT has always been one of the most anticipated wrestling shows in the industry, and it seems like the creatives of the show have forgotten how to disappoint its fans!

This week’s episode of NXT was flawless once again and saw Championships change hands while new challengers emerged for existing champions.

On the other hand, we saw a monstrous Superstar return after a heartbreaking loss a couple of weeks ago, and the Japanese born Superstar Kushida got his biggest opportunity in the company to date.

All these factors combined gave us a great episode of NXT and something to look forward to in the coming weeks.

In this article, we will look at the 5 things the Black and Gold brand got right on this week’s episode.

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#1 Booked an incredible opening match

There is a clear difference between the main roster and NXT, and that was made apparent by the opening segment of the show this week. While we see RAW and SmackDown usually open up with a promo which leads to a match later on in the night, NXT gets to business right away and warm up the crowd for the latter part of the show.

This week’s show opened up to a huge match between Lio Rush and Drew Gulak for the Cruiserweight Championship. Rush recently returned to competition, and his fortunes seem to have turned 360 degrees since the last time we saw him.

The match was great, and The Man of the Hour barely escaped from the Gu-Lock early on. After some epic spots and near falls, the champion ran into the Come-Up followed by the Final Hour which handed Rush the victory and the Cruiserweight Championship.

WWE displayed a new side of Rush, as he was congratulated by Gulak after the match who handed him the title and shook his hand.

While Gulak’s sudden end to his reign came as a surprise, we hope the company has something greater planned for this future megastar.

Rush, on the other hand, could work from an improved gimmick and image, and the two men together could one day lead the company on their own.

#2 A Strong match to set up future challenges

Isaiah "Swerve" Scott made his way out for a huge match against the NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong on this week’s show. While Strong is able to give top-level performances no matter whoever his opponent is, Swerve was able to match all that and more to give a great performance of his own.

Thanks to a distraction from the other three members of The Undisputed Era, Strong was able to defeat Swerve after delivering the End of Heartache into a Stonghold for the tap out victory.

The victory allowed Strong to show his dominance in a non-title match, and Cole got an opportunity to brag about the achievements of his faction before The Velveteen Dream made his way out. The former NXT North American Champion announced that Strong will defend his title against The Dream two weeks later.

Things weren’t over just yet as Tomasso Ciampa also made his way out to the middle and announced that he will be coming for Goldie very soon.

The entire match and the segment that followed showed what NXT is all about, and how closely the Championships and the Superstars are knitted to each other even though the roster is loaded with talent.

#3 Allowed Killian Dain to redeem himself

While Killian Dain’s move to the main roster along with the rest of the Sanity members did not allow him to go as far as many would have hoped, his return to NXT has helped him get back on his feet on his own.

Dain had an epic rivalry with Matt Riddle that took not one but two Street Fights to conclude, and even after losing the feud, we know that Dain is here for business.

This week on NXT, Dain emerged for the first time after his loss to Riddle and entered the ring just when the match between Cameron Grimes and Boa came to a quick conclusion.

Grimes quickly rolled out of the ring, which showed that even the Superstar who has been dominating his competitors over the past couple of weeks did not want to be in the same ring with the monstrous Dain.

Dain then dished out severe punishment to Boa to make a huge statement and leave fans wondering who his next target will be.

While we hope that NXT won’t reduce Dain’s dominance by having him compete with the men from the lower and mid-card, it will be beneficial for him to run through some men ranked lower than him before taking on the big guys once again.

#4 Built two more contenders for the Women’s Championship

What’s better than one challenger? Two challengers!

This week's NXT saw two women’s matches play out, as Rhea Ripley took on Aliyah and Dakota Kai faced off against Bianca Beliar.

Ripley made quick work of her opponent Aliyah, and immediately demanded another shot at the NXT Women’s Championship from Shayna Baszler.

Later on, Belair outperformed the returning Dakota Kai and made it clear that she deserved a title shot more than Ripley or anyone else.

The angle could work very well in the coming days, and Baszler could prove to be fearless again and offer both the women a shot at her title in a Triple Threat match.

The match could do wonders for the women’s division, as three of the top Superstars could go head to head and if Baszler wins, her credibility as the champion will increase manifold, while a win for either one of the two challengers by pinning the other could protect Baszler and free her up to move to the main roster.

In either case, NXT continues to show that they have some of the best talent and challengers ready for the top titles unlike the main roster, and this unique factor is keeping the brand on top week after week.

#5 Gave two top Superstars a memorable main event

If you’ve watched either Kushida or WALTER perform even once before they made it to NXT, you’d know very well of what they’re capable of.

Even though WALTER has the apparent size and strength advantage, Kushida is lightening quick and known how to wear the bigger men down before pouncing on them for a win.

The NXT UK Champion was challenged by Kushida, and the two met on this week’s NXT in the ring for the main event.

The company booked the correct Superstars to headline the show, as they put on a memorable performance that was TakeOver worthy.

Seeing some high-impact offense and some high-flying action in one match is a dream come true for any fan who purchases a ticket to be in the audience at a show, and Kushida and WALTER gave them their money’s worth and more.

The Japanese Superstar came close to victory, but The Ring General was able to pick up the win against the smaller Superstar.

Hopefully, this will just be the beginning of a long rivalry which could see Kushida overcome all odds to become the NXT UK Champion one day.