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The final Triple Threat Match for the NXT North American Championship qualifiers was set for this week’s episode of WWE NXT, as Cameron Grimes and KUSHIDA were set to compete against a mystery opponent.
While the focus of the NXT fans was on that match, the show opened up with NXT’s new big heel Karrion Kross. who looked to set another example by taking down Danny Burch in singles contest. The Undisputed Era also appeared during the show to make a statement, and Adam Cole was able to get his point across to Pat McAfee with ease.
That wasn’t all, as Mia Yim put on a great performance against Indi Hartwell to show that she is still among the top women in NXT.
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Mercedes Martinez and Aliyah competed against the babyface team of Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter and were taken out by Rhea Ripley and Shotzi Blackheart after their match, as we got a taste of a possible tag team match for TakeOver XXX.
This week’s show had all the fireworks that usually allow NXT to put on great shows, and we will look at the 5 things WWE got right this week to keep NXT rolling.
#5 The Undisputed Era sends a message to Pat McAfee on WWE NXT
After Drake Maverick's rivalry against Santos Escobar and his crew came to an abrupt end, the former 205 Live General Manager found himself in a match against a man almost double his size, Killian Dain.
While Maverick was the smaller man in the fight, he continued to show a lot of courage, just like he’s been doing since the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tournament.
The two men had a short fight that saw Maverick connect with an elbow drop on his opponent before The Undisputed Era arrived to take over NXT once again.
They attacked both the competitors, after which Adam Cole connected with The Last Shot on The Beast of Belfast to knock him out for good. Cole then grabbed a mic to send a clear message to Pat McAfee.
He spoke about McAfee’s cowardly attack from last week and vowed to put an end to the NFL legend before leaving the ring. McAfee and Cole will collide at NXT: TakeOver XXX in a match that will definitely create a lot of hype.
While it was odd to see Maverick and Dain suddenly compete against one another, The Undisputed Era’s attack made a bit more sense as they were able to make a point at the right time. Will McAfee be ready for the former NXT Champion at TakeOver?
#4 Keith Lee and Karrion Kross' rivalry gets more intense on WWE NXT
Karrion Kross was booked for a match against Danny Burch on this week’s WWE NXT, and the Brit did not waste a single moment to take the fight to NXT’s newest villain.
While the British brawler thought he could gain an early advantage in the fight against the NXT Championship hopeful, Kross turned the tide around and repeatedly slammed Burch onto the mat to make him realize the mistake he’d made.
Burch regained some control and even locked Kross in a cross-face, but he could not keep the bigger man down as Kross reversed it into a Doomsday Saito. He took another one from the villainous heel but tried to continue fighting before Kross locked him into the Kross Jacket and made him suffer before picking up the victory.
Right after the match, NXT Champion Keith Lee made an entrance with a contract in hand. The Herald of Doomsday and Scarlett left the ring as soon as Lee entered it and gave him a chance to call Kross names. Lee stated that he had begged NXT General Manager William Regal to give him a match against Kross at NXT: TakeOver XXX.
After Scarlett grabbed the contract and made Kross sign it, Lee opened it up to sign himself but was met with a fireball to the face. This seemingly blinded the NXT Champion as ENTs rushed to help him while the villains left the arena.
This was a good way to further build towards the possible main event of NXT: TakeOver XXX. A lot has happened between Lee and Kross over the past few weeks.
And with the contract stating that The Limitless One could not lay his hands on Kross before the match, it could make things even more interesting over the next couple of weeks.
#3 Bronson Reed continues to impress the NXT Universe
One of the most anticipated matches of this week's WWE NXT was saved for later, as Bronson Reed geared up to compete against The Archer of Infamy, Damian Priest.
Reed has been on a roll in recent months and has defeated Tony Nese in singles competition, whilst also getting the better of Roderick Strong and Johnny Gargano in a Triple Threat Match to qualify for the NXT North American Championship match for NXT: TakeOver XXX.
Priest was able to overpower AUSZilla early in the contest as he seemed overconfident, but he soon paid for taking Reed lightly. Reed showed his strength and determination as he took out Priest with a few big moves and strikes.
Priest threw Thicc Boi into the steel steps and later hit a Broken Arrow on the big man for a near fall. While Reed recovered and tried to hit the Tsunami, he missed but soon caught Priest with a jackknife pin for another huge victory.
This was one of the best matches of the night as we saw two diverse competitors who had nothing to lose give it their all in the middle. Reed had the power advantage, while Priest was the more skilled Superstar.
However, Reed managed to pick up another huge victory on NXT that will likely help him carry the momentum in the NXT North American Championship ladder match at NXT: TakeOver XXX.
#2 Cameron Grimes gets another shot at a title on WWE NXT
The final match of the night was another Triple Threat Qualifier for the NXT North American Championship match at NXT: TakeOver XXX. Cameron Grimes and KUSHIDA made their way out to the middle as The Velveteen Dream was announced as the third surprise entrant for the match.
Dream exploded into the match, as the longest-reigning NXT North American Champion of all time wasn’t ready to let go of this opportunity easily.
However, Grimes slowed him down and took the fight to his opponents while KUSHIDA kept looking for openings to push for a chance to get his hands on his first NXT title.
KUSHIDA caught his opponents in many different locks, and finally got Dream into the Hoverboard once again. However, Dream stood up with KUSHIDA on his arm, allowing The Technical Savage to take advantage and take down both men with the Cave In before pinning KUSHIDA to pick up the victory.
While many will argue that this should have been KUSHIDA’s moment to shine and his first big chance at a title after a long time, it made sense to give Grimes one final chance.
We have already seen the heel compete in several big matches. And even though he hasn’t been as over with the NXT Universe as he should be if his wrestling abilities are considered, he is still among the top talent on the NXT roster.
Will Grimes finally reach the top of the ladder and become the new NXT North American Champion at NXT: TakeOver XXX?
#1 The Dream turns heel on WWE NXT
Many fans believed that The Velveteen Dream’s time in NXT, and possibly the whole of WWE, was done after he ran into some troubles and allegations in real-life.
However, the company surprised everyone with his return during this week’s show and gave the former NXT North American Champion a chance to get a shot at the title again.
Even though Dream was able to perform well during the match, Grimes was able to pin KUSHIDA to pick up a hard-fought victory. After the match, Dream lost his cool and attacked the Japanese Superstar, turning heel in the process.
This was a great way to bring His Purple Highness back to WWE NXT, and turning him heel could allow new challenges for men like Keith Lee and Dexter Lumis. After the match, Finn Balor appeared behind Dream and put him in his crosshair, signaling that he would be taking on Dream next week on NXT for a second chance to qualify for the NXT North American Championship match.
This could really turn out to be a big one as the battle will be between the longest-reigning NXT North American Champion of all time and one of the best NXT Champions of all time.
