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Ted DiBiase and Cameron Grimes kicked off WWE NXT after TakeOver 36. The two men were celebrating Grimes’ Million Dollar Championship victory before the latter discovered he'd been handed a fake title belt by the Million Dollar Man.
Raquel Gonzalez and the new NXT Champion Samoa Joe both appeared on the episode to find the next challengers for their titles. Meanwhile, a massive six-man tag team match was scheduled between Hit Row and Legado Del Fantasma.
Ridge Holland and Timothy Thatcher fought in one of the hardest-hitting matches of the night. Meanwhile, former NXT United Kingdom Women's Champion Kay Lee Ray showcased her skills in the ring.
Take a look at the five things WWE NXT got right on the episode after TakeOver 36.
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#5 The WWE NXT Women’s Championship scene heated up after TakeOver 36
After defeating Dakota Kai at WWE NXT TakeOver 36, Raquel Gonzalez declared on today's episode that she was ready to accept challenges from anyone including Kai and Kay Lee Ray.
Franky Money interrupted the NXT Champion and said that she wanted the next shot at the NXT Women’s title. That set up several challengers for the top title in NXT.
Soon after, Kay Lee Ray competed in a match against Valentina Feroz. Feroz was no match for the former NXT UK Women’s Champion, who made quick work of her opponent and hit the Gory Bomb for the victory. The match was quick and effective, though Lee Ray did not need to squash to prove herself.
Thus, NXT is bringing new challengers into the picture for Gonzalez. The brand will greatly benefit from the new faces in the NXT women’s division.
#4 Ridge Holland punished one of the toughest men in WWE NXT
Timothy Thatcher and Ridge Holland met in a grudge match on WWE NXT. Thatcher attacked Holland’s arm and looked to weaken him early in the contest.
He used used every move in the book to try and wear Holland down, but could not keep the big man down for long. The Bothercauser exploded with an overhead suplex.
Holland dropped Thatcher with a slam against the ropes, but the brawler answered back by locking Thatcher in a Boston Crab. The Bothercauser fought out of the submission hold and delivered a huge headbutt followed by the Snow Plow before pinning Thatcher for the win.
Holland, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, and Danny Burch attacked Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa after the match.
It looks like the rivalry between the six men is far from over. It was good to see Danny Burch back in the fold, and it seems he and Lorcan will challenge MSK soon.
#3 Samoa Joe met his new challengers on WWE NXT
Samoa Joe became the first man to pin Karrion Kross in WWE NXT. In the process, he also became the only superstar to win the NXT Championship thrice.
Joe came out on NXT looking for a challenger to his title. Pete Dunne interrupted him early and demanded a match. LA Knight followed and demanded his shot. Kyle O’Reilly limped out next and took a few verbal shots at LA Knight. He made fun of the former Million Dollar Champion for aiming at main-event superstars in NXT.
Ridge Holland attacked KOR from behind while Tommaso Ciampa found an opening to take out Pete Dunne. LA Knight got in the ring, only to be taken out by Samoa Joe.
This was a good segment to show off NXT’s star power. Many men deserve a shot at Joe in the months to come. Dunne promised to defeat Joe for the title whenever they meet in the ring. That could turn out to be a great match for the fans.
#2 Legado Del Fantasma and Hit Row put on a good show at WWE NXT
The main event of WWE NXT saw Legado Del Fantasma take on Hit Row in a six-man tag team match. A brawl broke out before the bell as all six men went hard at each other. Top Dolla and Santos Escobar finally kicked off the match.
B-Fab offered some assistance as Hit Row took control of the contest early. Legado Del Fantasma hit back soon after and isolated Isaiah "Swerve" Scott for some time.
Top Dolla came in again and showcased his insane strength by slamming all three men of Legado Del Fantasma at the same time. Later, Swerve got his hands on Escobar and punished the former NXT Cruiserweight Champion. He hit a 450 splash that nearly picked up the win.
Outside the ring, B-Fab attacked Escobar only to be taken down by a pipe to the gut from Elektra Lopez. The distraction allowed Escobar to roll up the NXT North American Champion for the win.
The match was electric from start to finish. Both teams did well, but Top Dolla was the true star in the contest. Elektra Lopez’s addition to the mix opens up many doors for the creative team. Fans will likely get a one-of-a-kind mixed tag team match between the two factions soon.
#1 Carmelo Hayes won the WWE NXT Breakout Tournament
On WWE NXT, Carmelo Hayes faced off against Odyssey Jones. He was overpowered by the massive Jones early in the contest and thrown around like a ragdoll.
But Hayes got back up and started to work on the bigger man with some tactical moves. He dodged a charging Jones and sent him into the steel post.
Later, Jones hit Hayes with a massive splash and went for the pinfall, but Hayes turned it into a crucifix pin for the win.
After the well-fought match, both superstars shook hands. William Regal handed Hayes a contract that allows him to challenge any NXT champion. Hayes said he was not sure who he wanted to face next, but gave a shout-out to Jones before heading backstage.
The match was fun and allowed both the superstars to show their worth. Hayes was fantastic once again and proved to be an asset for WWE. He’s already put on a couple of great matches against KUSHIDA and Adam Cole.
