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WWE NXT had a few good matches scheduled for the first episode of the year. Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn were booked to compete in an Extreme Resolution Match to settle their rivalry.
Meanwhile, Carmelo Hayes continued to prove his worth in a match against former Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews. Dijak was also set to enter the ring again for a match against Channing 'Stacks' Lorenzo.
The women's division of NXT made their case for a women's championship match against Roxanne Perez. A brawl broke out among them, and Perez booked a 20-woman Battle Royal to determine her next challenger.
The final segment of the show saw Bron Breakker make a joke out of Grayson Waller. The two men will likely compete for the NXT Championship soon.
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Take a look at the five things WWE NXT got right on this week's show.
#5. Carmelo Hayes scored a big win over Apollo Crews
The first episode of WWE NXT in 2023 kicked off with a match between Carmelo Hayes and Apollo Crews. Booker T termed the match "a main event anywhere in the world," but it took place in the first hour of NXT.
Crews used his strength to take down Hayes and hit a few suplexes before sending him outside the ring. He hit a moonsault off the top and kept the pressure on for some time before the heel started targeting Crews' leg.
The former A Champion continued to weaken Crews by targeting his leg. The former Intercontinental Champion powered out and hit a German Suplex and looked to connect with a standing moonsault. Hayes dodged it and took him down with a double-knee facebuster before hitting his top rope finisher for the win.
The match was solid and ensured that Carmelo Hayes remained on top in NXT. Crews slowed down the pace of the match at times, causing Hayes to deliver a few awkward spots. The two men will likely have a rematch before Hayes can move into the top title picture.
#4. Axiom defeated Trick Williams on WWE NXT
Axiom attacked Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes right after the latter won his match against Apollo Crews. It led to a contest between Axiom and Williams.
Williams applied a submission hold on his opponent early on, but Axiom broke free to hit a few good moves. He hit a few dropkicks to take down Williams and worked on his opponent for some time.
The high-flyer applied an armbar, but Trick made it to the ropes in time. Axiom stayed on the attack for most of the contest and hit a series of kicks. He finally connected with the Golden Ratio Kick that earned him the win.
It was good to see Axiom pick up an important win on WWE NXT. The superstar is great between the ropes, and a victory will help him get ahead on the roster. Meanwhile, Williams still has a lot of work to do in the ring.
#3. Dijak made quick work of Channing 'Stacks' Lorenzo
Dijak kidnapped Channing Lorenzo last week during Tony D'Angelo's match against Wes Lee for the WWE NXT North American Championship. The distraction cost D'Angelo as Lee took advantage to pick up the win.
This week, Stacks looked to exact revenge on Dijak. The former RETRIBUTION member took control of the match early and stomped on Stacks' chest. He did not give him any room to breathe and continued tossing him around the ring.
Stacks came back with a counter and hit a few uppercuts in the corner. However, his resistance was short-lived, as Dijak caught him with a big boot. D'Angelo distracted the big man, and Stacks nearly pulled off a win with a roll-up. Dijak eventually caught Stacks with the Feast Your Eyes for the win.
The match was fast-paced and fun, especially for Dijak's fans. The superstar has so much potential, but he was wasted on the main roster for years. It's good to see him back to being dominant on the NXT brand. The new character will hopefully give him a title reign on the brand.
#2. Alba Fyre defeated Isla Dawn in the Extreme Resolution match
Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn took their rivalry one step ahead with an Extreme Resolution match on WWE NXT. They fought their way all around the arena and threw each other into production equipment.
After fighting around for a while, Fyre took Dawn to the ring in a wheelbarrow before the match finally got underway. The former NXT UK Women's Champion hit the Gory Bomb but failed to get the pin. Dawn used several weapons to hit Fyre and avoid a Gory Bomb attempt.
Fyre set up her opponent on a table outside the ring but failed to break it with a dive. She hit Dawn with a Gory Bomb through the table to break it before finally getting back in the ring and pinning her for the win.
The two women delivered a top-class match to give the women's division of the brand a good start to the year. They could have done a lot more had they been allowed to compete for longer. In the end, it was good to see Alba Fyre score the win.
#1. Kofi Kingston picked up a win over Joe Gacy in the final match of WWE NXT
New Day told Pretty Deadly backstage that they had to go through a few more hurdles before they could earn a shot at the NXT Tag Team Championship again. Joe Gacy and The Schism had a few things to say about the champions, and Kofi Kingston was happy to challenge Gacy to a match.
Kofi took control of the contest early and hit a few good moves before Ava Raine interfered and dropped him off the top rope. The distraction was enough for Gacy to make a comeback and punish the New Day member for some time.
The heel got a near fall before Kofi Kingston took him off his feet and got a near fall of his own. The two men continued to fight while members of The Schism tried to interfere in the contest. Kingston took them out with a dive outside the ring before getting back in and hitting Trouble in Paradise for the win.
New Day's involvement in the developmental brand will help many superstars get a push. Even though Gacy lost the match, he got a chance to put on a good showing against the former world champion.
What did you make of NXT this week? Let us know in the comments section below.
