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On NXT this week, fans saw multiple Superstars clash. The competition for both the men's and women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournaments are really heating up, with some teams crashing out and some progressing to the next round, one step closer to the finals.
A lot of NXT rivalries are also building, with some appearing to be imminently coming to a head. On this week's show, NXT fans saw multiple attacks - some mysterious, and others not so.
As well as this, fans of the Black and Gold Brand have seen different performers come to the forefront over the past few weeks, and on the most recent edition, a new title feud seemed to be ignited.
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Here are the winners and losers from this week's NXT (January 27th).
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NXT winners: Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai
After kicking off last week, the inaugural women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament is now well underway. On this week's NXT, Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai faced the women of the Robert Stone Brand - Aliyah and Jessi Kamea.
In the match, Kai and Gonzalez were able to show fans just how well they work as a tag team.
During the bout, Gonzalez was able to overpower Aliyah from the start, and after Kamea tagged in, she fought back but was seemingly no match for Raquel Gonzalez. As the match went on, Gonzalez and Kai showcased their chemistry as a partnership, and their dominance when they step into a ring together.
After multiple near-falls, Gonzalez and Kai managed to snatch the victory when Gonzalez delivered a huge chokeslam to Kamea and pinned her in the middle of the ring.
Since their union in NXT, Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai have become two of NXT's biggest stars of the women's division. It will be interesting to see how the duo progress through the women's tag team tournament over the coming weeks.
Losers of NXT: Leon Ruff and Kushida
As the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic progresses on the men's side of NXT, the competition is really ramping up. Two teams crashed out of the contest this week, the first being Drake Maverick and Killian Dain who couldn't quite keep up with the high-flying antics of NXT newbies MSK.
The second men's team that were eliminated were the pairing of Leon Ruff and Kushida, who were eliminated despite putting up a fight against the Grizzled Young Veterans.
In the match, the two parings went back and forth for quite some time, but the bout was eventually won by Grizzled Young Veterans, as James Drake and Zack Gibson teams up to deliver the Ticket to Mayhem on Ruff to pin him and move on to the next stage of the tournament.
After the match things only got worse for Leon Ruff and Kushida. As the Grizzled Young Veterans celebrated their win, the ring was stormed by The Way, and Johnny Gargano laid into Kushida, whilst Austin Theory attacked Leon Ruff at ringside. During the segment, Theory also forced Ruff to watch Gargano hit Kushida with One Final Beat.
Winner from NXT: Toni Storm
Toni Storm moved to NXT from the UK arm of the Black and Gold Brand in late 2020, and has quickly become a prominent part of the women's division. Fans were surprised with Toni Storm and her tag team partner Mercedes Martinez crashed out of the women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic in the first round last week, after they were defeated by Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter.
On this week's NXT, Toni Storm cut a promo establishing Io Shirai as her new rival after she helped Catanzaro and Kayden Carter defeat her and Martinez last week. Storm was interrupted by the NXT Women's Champion, and later Mercedes Martinez.
The trio battled, but it was Storm who stood tall, holding onto the NXT Women's Championship, establishing herself as the next contender for the title.
Loser from NXT: Curt Stallion
NXT Superstar Curt Stallion didn't have a great time on this week's show. The star was initially supposed to be facing Santos Escobar, but unfortunately the match was cancelled.
During the show, the NXT General Manager William Regal found Stallion injured backstage, meaning that Regal had no choice but to scrap the match. William Regal then rescheduled the title match for next week.
Overall, the segment seems to be more about setting up the next rivalry for Escaobar in the form of Karrion Kross, which is somewhat leaving Stallion as overlooked in the storyline.
Winner from NXT: Bronson Reed
Bronson Reed may well be one of NXT's big breakout stars of 2021. On this weeks show, he faced Isiah "Swerve" Scott, a match that was quite well anticipated for fans of NXT. The bout between Scott and Reed certainly showcased both performers well, but it was the latter who really shone in this match.
The pair had an intense back-and-forth, with multiple near falls throughout, which caused Scott to become more and more angry with his rival. In the end, it was Reed who managed to snatch the win by hitting Scott with a huge Tsunami Splash leading into a pin.
Bronson Reed's win against Scott has established that the duo have a great in-ring chemistry, and also their roles in NXT - Scott is well suited to his newfound heel role, and Reed is capturing the attention of fans as a hardworking babyface character. It would be great to see this rivalry progress on NXT, and also, to see if this would lead to a push into the title scene for Reed in the near future.
Winners from NXT: Finn Balor and Kyle O'Reilly
Finn Balor and Kyle O'Reilly are currently involved in one of NXT's biggest storylines at the moment. Recently, Finn Balor and the NXT Championship has been targeted by former NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne. As the weeks have progressed, Finn Balor and The Undisputed Era have been coming to each other's aid against Dunne, and Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch, who have dubbed themselves the Kings of NXT with Pat McAfee.
On last week's show, Balor reluctantly asked O'Reilly to be his tag team partner against Lorcan and Burch, to which O'Reilly agreed. This week, the pair faced up to their rivals in the main event of NXT, and the match did not disappoint.
During the match, O'Reilly and Balor displayed a great chemistry as a team, perhaps even stronger than the chemistry that they had when facing one another for the NXT Championship. After battling on for quite some time, O'Reilly managed to snare the win for himself and Balor, by making Burch tap out to a heel-hook submission.
Post-match, Dunne appeared and himself, Lorcan and Burch, launched into an attack on The Undisputed Era and Balor. Dunne attacked Balor before he and the other heels in the encounter retreated, and as NXT ended Balor seemed conflicted over his alliance with the group.
All in all, the Undisputed Era and Finn Balor are some of the standout performers of NXT, and the current storyline appears to have great potential.
