Dolph Ziggler arrived for his match against Tommaso Ciampa on WWE NXT this week. Ciampa teamed up with Finn Balor to defeat Ziggler and Robert Roode on WWE RAW a night earlier.
Apart from that, several big matches and showdowns were booked for this week’s show. Imperium and Diamond Mine had a showdown that ended with Solo Sikoa showing up and leveling Gunther. The two men will have a solid match in the weeks to come.
After an extended rivalry, Duke Hudson and Dante Chen had their first match in the ring. Hudson rolled over Chen easily to pick up the win.
Pete Dunne challenged The A Champion to a match, while Cameron Grimes looked to continue his rivalry with the heel. Meanwhile, the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament also kicked off in time for the next TakeOver.
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
The show was filled with some good matches and surprises. Take a look at the five things WWE NXT got right this week.
#5. Dolph Ziggler sent a warning to Bron Breakker on WWE NXT
Bron Breakker kicked off the show after a successful title defense last week. The WWE NXT Champion talked about his win over Santos Escobar and looked content with the way he retained his title.
Breakker was also given the responsibility to announce NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver on WrestleMania weekend. The champion was soon interrupted by Dolph Ziggler.
The Show Off warned Breakker that he would dethrone him and win the title. He was confident that he would defeat Tommaso Ciampa later in the night and earn himself a title match.
Ziggler looked like a much bigger threat on the show than on RAW. He seemed more confident and delivered the right message to put the champion on the back foot.
Ziggler has competed against the biggest men in WWE over the years, and he can give Breakker the push he needs to become a major star. Meanwhile, Breakker has already proven his ability in his first title defense against Escobar.
WWE will likely not allow Ziggler to defeat its fastest rising star for the title. However, the two men will get to put on a good match against each other on a major show.
#4. Grayson Waller cheated his way to a win over LA Knight on WWE NXT
LA Knight and Grayson Waller finally competed in a match on WWE NXT after weeks of building their rivalry. Waller played mind games with Knight and got taken down for his troubles.
Knight continued to roll and looked to punish the heel who went after him for weeks. His anger got the better of him as Waller ceased control of the contest.
Waller beat down the veteran and hit a diving leg drop for a near fall. Knight fought back with some of his signature moves to take down the young star again. Sanga saved Waller from the BFT, and the heel took advantage. He rolled up Knight with a handful of tights for the win.
After the match, Knight went after Waller, and Sanga got in his way. The Million Dollar Superstar hit both men with his finisher before ending the segment.
The first edition of Waller vs. Knight wasn’t all too bad. The result will probably lead to a rematch between the two superstars at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. It will be one of the biggest matches to look out for at the event.
#3. Carmello Hayes and Trick Williams found themselves in trouble on WWE NXT
Carmello Hayes successfully defended his WWE NXT North American Championship last week. He was out with Trick Williams to talk himself up and take a shot at Pete Dunne.
Dunne challenged Hayes to a match for the North American Championship, and The A Champion accepted. Soon after, Grimes attacked Melo from behind and sent him outside the ring with Trick. His actions led to a match between Grimes and Trick.
The Technical Savage punished Trick early and sent him reeling. The heel found a way to fight back and grounded Grimes with some big moves.
Grimes went for the Cave In, but Trick ducked out of the way. Grimes caught him with a Superkick soon after, followed by a crossbody and the Cave In for the win.
The two superstars put on a good show for the NXT fans. It’s good to see that Trick is improving in the ring and can give top stars a tough fight.
Meanwhile, the match between Dunne and Hayes will be great. The Bruiserweight will likely lose again, but he will give Melo the push he needs to remain The A Champion.
#2. The Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament kicked off on WWE NXT
WWE NXT presented the Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament this week with two matches. Io Shirai & Kay Lee Ray took on Lash Legend & Amari Miller in the first match of the tournament.
Shirai got the better of Legend early and put her on the backfoot. Meanwhile, Lee Ray hit some of her signature moves to send Miller reeling.
Lee Ray planted Legend with a KLR Bomb, and the former NXT Women's Champion finished her off with an Over-the-Moonsault for the win.
In the second match, Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter faced Diamond Mine's Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley. Catanzaro and Carter fought back after an early onslaught and isolated Paxley.
The veteran tag team worked over the newcomer and hit a 450 splash to win the match.
After the contest, Nile choked out Paxley as Roderick Strong cheered on. It was a good spot to show what Nile is capable of.
Both matches were solid, and the right teams won. KLR and Shirai have a good chance of going all the way in the competition.
#1. Dolph Ziggler stole a win over Tommaso Ciampa on WWE NXT
Dolph Ziggler and Tommaso Ciampa met in the biggest match of WWE NXT this week. Ziggler started well and grounded Ciampa for some time. The Show Off kept fighting out of Ciampa's best moves and stayed on top for some time.
An elevated powerbomb helped Ciampa get back into the game before he hit a running knee for a near-fall. Outside the ring, Ziggler fought back with a Zig Zag on the floor.
The impact injured Ciampa's arm, and he struggled to pull off some of his signature moves. He hit an Air Raid Crash on the apron to come close to a win. As he struggled to get back in the ring, the cameraman struck him with a camera from behind.
The attack allowed Ziggler to hit a Superkick to win the match and become the #1 contender to the NXT title. Robert Roode revealed he was the cameraman, and both men stomped on The Blackheart.
Bron Breakker arrived to even the odds and set up a tag team match for next week. It looks like Ciampa and Breakker will continue to work together for some time. WWE has done well to keep the veteran close to the newcomer since his debut.
The match was great, and both men did a good job entertaining the NXT Universe. It was the right call to award Ziggler the win and give him a title shot against Bron Breakker.
What did you think of this week's NXT show? Let us know in the comments below.