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After a great NXT TakeOver: WarGames event, the Superstars of the black-and-gold brand moved in new directions on WWE NXT. Finn Balor had announced that all eyes would be back on him following WarGames. On Wednesday, he opened up some opportunities for the entire NXT roster.
The winners of WarGames celebrated throughout the show, while Pete Dunne managed to get himself into a match with Killian Dain. Toni Storm and Io Shirai had a face-off, and Ember Moon and Raquel González competed in the main event.
Elsewhere, Tommaso Ciampa looked to prove his worth in NXT once again. Plus, Jake Atlas managed to pick up another victory this week.
That wasn’t all, as the tag teams of NXT also impressed in a big Triple Threat match. Of course, most fans are buzzing about the return of a former NXT Champion.
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NXT offered a show that was packed with exciting developments this week. Let's take a look at the five things WWE NXT got right on Wednesday night.
#5 "The Prince" returned to WWE NXT
Balor had an incredible match against Kyle O’Reilly for the NXT Championship at WWE NXT TakeOver 31. But a jaw injury during the match kept him out of action for several weeks. He finally returned to give an open challenge this week.
Balor arrived to address the NXT Universe, but he was immediately interrupted by Dunne. "The Bruiserweight" claimed that he was glad to be in the same place to challenge "The Prince." Then, O’Reilly entered the fray.
He wasn’t ready to give Dunne an easy chance after the Undisputed ERA won their match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. Instead, he wanted to get another shot at the title himself. Damian Priest was the next man out to make his case for a title shot.
"The Prince of NXT" said that he was ready to defend his title at NXT New Year's Evil, but he’d leave it up to general manager William Regal to pick his opponent.
That stance prompted the arrival of Scarlett. She reminded Balor that Karrion Kross was ready to take back the title he never lost. Balor responded by saying that he's ready for the challenge.
Later in the night, Kross returned to attack Priest, sending a bold message to the rest of the roster.
This opener was a solid segment that teased several feuds for Balor. With so many top contenders waiting for a title shot, he could have a tough time holding onto the title.
Fans could see Regal set up a Fatal 4-Way match between Priest, Dunne, O’Reilly, and Kross to determine the new challenger for Balor’s title. It'll be interesting to see how the general manager picks Balor's opponent for next month's show.
#4 Tommaso Ciampa silences Cameron Grimes on WWE NXT
Backstage on WWE NXT, Tommaso Ciampa explained that he went after Timothy Thatcher to show that he still had it. He had a match scheduled against Cameron Grimes during the night because "The Technical Savage" would not stop talking.
Thatcher took a seat on the stage to watch Ciampa’s match, hinting that he's not done with the former NXT Champion.
Grimes and "The Blackheart" exchanged a few big blows, and "The Technical Savage" tried to take advantage of Ciampa’s injuries. Thatcher continued to watch on as the two men in the ring traded the advantage throughout the match.
Tyler Rust tried to interfere in the match, but Ciampa caught Grimes with the Willow’s Bell to pick up the victory. Thatcher stared down Ciampa after the bell, but Grimes tried to get in the technician’s face. However, Thatcher flipped Grimes around and left him laying on the stage in pain.
This contest was a good match that kept Ciampa in the spotlight and continued his rivalry with Thatcher. Though Ciampa won their bout on Sunday, it looks like their rivalry is far from over. As for Grimes, he has taken a few too many big losses, and NXT might need to go back to the drawing board with this struggling Superstar.
#3 The Grizzled Young Veterans ensure they leave a mark on the WWE NXT tag team division
Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch last defended their NXT Tag Team Championships several weeks ago, and it seems like WWE NXT needs to build new challengers for them soon.
Recently, Lorcan and Burch have been busy building their team with Pat McAfee. But the return of the Grizzled Young Veterans to NXT has helped the brand show that their tag team division is still strong. This week, GYV took on Imperium and Ever-Rise in a Triple Threat Tag Team Match.
Ever-Rise finally got a major match on NXT after they were attacked by both teams last week. The underdogs hoped to capitalize, but Imperium’s Fabian Archer showed why he is one of the best in the business by delivering some great moves.
Finally, Zack Gibson hit the Ticket to Mayhem on Ever-Rise’s Chase Parker to pick up the victory. The match was fun, and it allowed GYV to prove that they mean business. They could end up being great contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championships sooner rather than later. The duo deserves a serious run with the titles in NXT in 2021.
#2 Killian Dain and Pete Dunne put up a great fight on WWE NXT
After his face-off with Balor, Dunne looked to take down Dain on WWE NXT. Dain had been injured by Dunne a few weeks ago, and "The Beast of Belfast" was looking to return the favor this week after a backstage fight.
"The Bruiserweight" tried to take down Dain with some fists and kicks, but the bigger man overpowered him. Dain performed a great release German Suplex, but Dunne managed to recover immediately to hit Dain with a Suplex of his own.
Dunne worked on Dain’s joints and continued to hit him with some power moves. He wanted to pick up the victory to prove that he’s ready to challenge for the NXT Championship after his faction’s loss at WarGames.
Outside the ring, Drake Maverick tried to stop Lorcan and Burch from interfering in the match. But he got laid out by the NXT Tag Team Champions. Dain made the save, though the distraction allowed Dunne to hit the Bitter End and pick up the victory.
Here, Dunne had to overcome a much bigger Superstar. He proved that he could mix it up with anybody and emerge victorious. Dain, on the other hand, had one of his best matches since his return to NXT. He hasn’t competed in many high-profile matches recently, but this was arguably his best one yet.
#1 Raquel Gonzalez continues to climb up the WWE NXT ladder
In the main event, Moon competed against González. The imposing Superstar impressed the entire NXT Universe at TakeOver: WarGames by pinning the NXT Women’s Champion to win the WarGames match for her team.
González came into this match with a lot of confidence, and she tried to do some serious damage to her smaller competitor. Every time Moon tried to make a comeback into the match, González used her sheer strength to counter the former champion.
"The War Goddess" managed to get some offense in during the middle part of the match. But González was able to able to slow her down by blasting her head-first into the steel post. González dodged an Eclipse and eventually hit Moon with a single-arm powerbomb to pick up a huge victory on Wednesday.
After the match, Storm arrived and attacked Moon. But Rhea Ripley ran out to make the save and had a heated face-off with González as the show came to a close.
WWE is finally really building up González as a future NXT Women’s Championship challenger. While she may not win the title during her run on NXT, she could prove to be a sizable hurdle for Shirai.
