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This week’s WWE NXT had a few big matches and a lot of great segments. With the Great American Bash coming up, the creative team was looking to take things to a new level.
Cameron Grimes returned to the ring to pick up an impressive victory over Ari Sterling. He then challenged LA Knight to a Million Dollar Championship match. The champion agreed only if Grimes became his personal butler on a loss.
Boa returned to the ring and teamed up with Xia Li for a high-profile match. Io Shirai and Zoey Stark also teamed up to compete in a big Triple Threat Tag Team Match.
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Karrion Kross and Johnny Gargano came to blows once again to build on their rivalry. Diamond Mine also got to work this week as Roderick Strong competed in his first match for the faction.
John Cena's last PPV's name revealed by Kurt Angle? More details HERE
Isaiah "Swerve" Scott shocked the WWE Universe with a huge victory to end the show. NXT did well to give fans another surprise title change at the right time. Take a look at the five things WWE got right on NXT this week.
#5 Io Shirai and Zoey Stark became the No. 1 contenders to the WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships
The three top women’s tag teams of WWE NXT competed for a chance to get their hands on the Women’s Tag Team Champions. The Triple Threat Tag Team Match saw Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez team up to take on the teams of Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon, and Io Shirai and Zoey Stark.
The match went out of control early and Stark managed to take advantage during the chaos. The babyface teams worked together at times to try and take the NXT Women’s Champion out of the equation.
Moon was impressive during the contest and delivered some high-impact moves. Blackheart tried to take advantage but could not put away her opponents. Gonzalez got a chance to show off her strength in an incredible spot that leveled nearly everyone.
Late in the match, Gonzalez saved Kai from taking the brunt of Shirai's moonsault. However, The Genius of the Sky was able to take her down with a second attempt to score the pin for her team.
It was a great match that allowed all three teams to shine. Moon and Blackheart were great and provided the fast-paced action that was needed to get the show going.
Gonzalez showed off her incredible strength, while Kai proved to be the weak link for the team again. NXT now needs to find a challenger for Gonzalez soon to make her title reign more memorable.
Shirai and Stark have good chemistry and can do well in the tag team division. The story is there, and NXT could give them a chance to carry the title for some time.
#4 Roderick Strong returned to the WWE NXT ring as part of Diamond Mine
Diamond Mine made their presence felt on WWE NXT last week. Roderick Strong, Hideki Suzuki, Tyler Rust, and Malcolm Bivens came out during the final moments of NXT to beat down Kushida.
This week, Strong returned to the NXT ring for a match against Asher Hale. Strong quit the brand not too long ago, but it looks like he’s gone back on his decision.
Strong was dominant throughout the contest and punished Hale for some time. The rest of Diamond Mine watched on as Hale tried to make a comeback but was unsuccessful.
The Messiah of the Backbreaker debuted a new finisher to go with his new attitude. He knocked Hale out with a jumping knee and then locked in the Keylock to force a tap out from the young superstar.
After the match, Bivens promised that this was just the beginning. NXT could have given this match to Rust or Suzuki instead of Strong. However, the veteran did a good job at making a mark in his first outing for the new faction.
Hopefully, the other members of Diamond Mine will get their spotlight soon. Bivens seems more interested in letting his faction members’ fists do the talking.
#3 Xia Li nearly took Mercedes Martinez’s head off on WWE NXT
Boa returned to the WWE NXT ring after a very long time. He teamed up with Xia Li to take on Mercedes Martinez and Jake Atlas. The two teams squared off in a high-profile Mixed Tag Team Match.
Boa started well but Atlas took him out for some time. Martinez got to work with her team and kept the pressure on Li for some time. She used her strength to keep her smaller opponent grounded.
Watching her team struggle in the contest, Mei Ying rose from her throne at the top of the ramp. Li took advantage of the distraction and hit Martinez with a suplex and followed with the cyclone kick.
Martinez was knocked out following the kick and the referee had to call off the match and award Li and Boa with the win. This was a fantastic contest for Tian Sha. The group needed a big match to get a bigger push on the Black and Gold brand.
It was good to see Boa back in competition and he did well to keep the flow going in the middle part of the contest. NXT should look to push both Li and Boa together as a lethal mixed tag team.
#2 WWE NXT built towards three big matches with top segments
Tuesday Night’s WWE NXT had some big segments to build towards some top future matches. Johnny Gargano looked to get the better of Karrion Kross but ended up suffering his wrath instead.
Austin Theory tried to blindside the NXT Champion, but he too fell prey to Kross’s attacks. The company is doing well to build the rivalry between these two men. The rivalry will keep The Herald of Doomsday busy for some time.
Later in the night, Kyle O'Reilly promised to bring his best to the match against Adam Cole. Cole walked out to pick a fight, but Samoa Joe arrived to ensure the two men wouldn’t get physical.
The former NXT Champion provoked Joe a little and O'Reilly locked Cole in the heel hook. Joe waited for some time before getting officials to break up the submission. NXT seems to be building a lot of tension between Joe and Cole. The two might end up going at it sooner rather than later.
Lastly, MSK had a face-off against Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa. After trading some insults, the two teams nearly came to blows. The Blackheart held back and allowed MSK to walk away.
These two teams will deliver a great match at NXT Great American Bash. It’ll be interesting to see if MSK will be allowed to retain against the two top superstars.
#1 Isaiah "Swerve" Scott shocked Bronson Reed to win the WWE NXT North American Championship
WWE NXT announced the return of the Breakout Tournament on Tuesday night. Bronson Reed was seen talking about the tournament backstage until Hit Row arrived. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott wanted a North American Championship match, and The Colossal One accepted.
The main event saw the two talented NXT Superstars take things to the ring. Hit Row watched on as Scott tried to wear down his larger opponent. Reed leveled him out with a splash from the top rope.
Out on the apron, Scott tried to powerbomb Reed to the floor. Instead, he got squished by the big man, who sat down on him. Late in the match, Ashante Thee Adonis attacked Reed behind the referee's back.
The Colossal One sent Adonis and Top Dolla into the barricades outside the ring. The distraction gave Scott enough time to hit the House Call, followed by a 450 Splash for the surprise win.
NXT is known for booking different and entertaining matches. However, the NXT North American Championship scene has been extremely unpredictable over the last year. It was great to see Swerve pick up his first big title to lead Hit Row in the right direction.
Unfortunately, Reed had a short NXT North American Championship reign. However, the result could soon lead him into a rivalry with Karrion Kross for the top title.
