Best and Worst of WWE NXT - Samoa Joe cleared, Huge betrayal ends 18-month partnership

#2 Best: Ridge Holland's NXT return sparks an intriguing alliance

SHOCKER. @RidgeWWE has returned to #WWENXT! pic.twitter.com/CY9hZ81vkU

— WWE (@WWE) July 28, 2021

Tonight's episode of NXT saw the return of Ridge Holland, nearly ten months since he was last on TV. He helped Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan defeat Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher. The in-ring quality was high throughout the match, with its conclusion giving birth to an interesting alliance.

Holland brutally attacked Thatcher and Ciampa after the match, picking up from where he left off. He was supposed to be a part of Pat McAfee's WarGames team before suffering a freak injury in a match against Lorcan, which opened up a spot for Dunne to fill in.

The trio could become a dominant force on NXT, with an opportunity arising to establish themselves alongside other three-man teams like HitRow and Legado del Fantasma.

They'll be seein' ya. This is a dangerous trio for the entire #WWENXT locker room. @RidgeWWE @PeteDunneYxB @ONEYLORCAN pic.twitter.com/UXxFJASBg9

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) July 28, 2021

Ridge Holland's dynamic with Pete Dunne seems particularly intriguing. The two of them could play a big part in the upper echelons of the black and gold brand, going forward.

Based on Dunne's staredowns with Samoa Joe over the past few weeks, how will Holland factor into NXT's plans? We will wait and see.