Top 3 Performers of NXT (February 6, 2019)

NXT returned to Full Sail University following Takeover: Phoenix, the World's Collide Tournament and all the other events that took place over the Royal Rumble weekend. This week's episode kicked off with the new NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano coming down to the ring to celebrate his first singles title in NXT, and his first title since he and Ciampa lost the NXT Tag Team Titles at Takeover: San Antonio to the Authors of Pain. He was interrupted by his former tag team partner and current NXT champion, Tommaso Ciampa, who congratulated him on winning the title from Ricochet.

Ciampa and Gargano were interrupted by Velveteen Dream, who won the World's Collide Tournament, which took place over the Royal Rumble weekend at WWE's Axxess event. The Velveteen Dream announced that he would use his title shot against Johnny Gargano's NXT North American title, setting up a match between the two of them for two weeks time.

This segment was followed by the first in-ring action of the weekend between the Forgotten Son's Jaxson Ryker and Saudi Arabian wrestler Mansoor. Ryker would dominate Mansoor in a squash match and attack Mansoor again after the match was over, planting him with a Sit-out Powerbomb.

The action cut to backstage with Ricochet and Adam Cole going face to face, the two arranged a match for the following week's NXT to decide the number one contender for the NXT North American title, after the Velveteen Dream.

Back into the ring, 205 Live's Drew Gulak arrived at NXT for in-ring competition and faced off against Eric Bugenhagen. This the NXT TV debut for Bugenhagen, while Gulak had wrestled on the yellow and black brand previously in 2016.

While Gulak got the majority of the offense, eventually forcing his opponent to submit to the Gu-Lock, Bugenhagen was over with the local Orlando crowd. Gulak took to the microphone after the match to claim himself as the best submission wrestler in the WWE.

His open challenge was answered by the Bro of NXT, Matt Riddle, and the two had an impromptu match. The match was shoot style, very much like fight from UFC or MMA as opposed to WWE or NXT.

Riddle would eventually hit Gulak with a running senton as the match switched back and forth between MMA style action and pro-wrestling moves. The new style of match was refreshing and the NXT crowd was completely invested in the action. Riddle would hit a German Suplex with a pin combination, which Gulak transitioned into a Fujiwara armbar.

The two traded chains, submissions, and strikes in a main event quality fight that was given the time to develop. Gulak eventually submitted after Riddle locked in the Bro-mission. The two shook hands after their bout, similarly to how Tyler Breeze put Ricochet over after their match for the NXT North American title.

The final match of the episode was a 6 women tag team match between Shayna Baszler and her 4 Horsewomen cohorts Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke against the Sky Pirates and Baszler's Takeover: Phoenix opponent Bianca Belair.

Belair and Baszler started the match for their respective teams continuing their match from Takeover. While the Horsewomen swapped quick tags transitioning between Baszler, Shafir, and Duke, Belair tagged in Sane, who also renewed her rivalry with Baszler.

Sane managed to hit Baszler with the In-Sane elbow but the pin was broken up by Marina Shafir. Belair then tagged herself in and hit the KOD on Baszler, but the pinfall was broken up by Shafir and Duke. Io Shirai then tagged herself in and hit Baszler with a springboard moonsault for the win.

#3. Drew Gulak

Gulak wrestled on an episode of NXT for the first time since 2016 when he lost in the first match of the Dusty Rhodes classic teaming with fellow 205 Live superstar Tony Nese. While the two lost their opening match against the team of No Way Jose and former Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann. Gulak returned to NXT, first having a match against Eric Bugenhagen.

While Bugenhagen was over with the crowd, it was Gulak that would walk away victories after forcing his opponent to tap out to the Gu-Lock. Gulak followed his victory with a promo, calling out anyone in the back that thought that they could outwrestle the cruiserweight.

This brought out Matt Riddle and the two had a highly competitive match that saw momentum swing back and forth in a fast-paced encounter. Much of the action between the two was more reminiscent of something you would more likely see in an old school wrestling show or in the UFC, as the action was more shoot styled as the two performers put on a chain wrestling masterclass.

While chain wrestling isn't a style that many modern-day fans tend to enjoy, the two were exceptional at it, and the shoot style was believable and entertaining.

#2. Bianca Belair

Coming off her Takeover debut and her first loss in NXT, Bianca Belair found herself teaming with the Sky Pirates duo of Io Shirai and Kairi Sane against Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir, and Jessamyn Duke. Belair, mainly positioned as an arrogant heal during her run somehow found herself on the side of the babyface duo of Sane and Shirai.

While the dynamics were confusing, they worked out well in the end, as Shafir and Duke interfered with Belair's title match against Baszler at Takeover and cost her the match. Belair also did well to play into the dynamics of this match, tagging herself in on Kairi Sane to hit the KOD on Baszler, but also found herself being tagged out by Io Shirai. At the end of the fight, Belair looked perplexed, despite the team coming up victorious.

It was also pointed out on commentary that Sane and now Shirai both have pinfall victories over the NXT women's champion, potentially meaning that Belair may be pushed back in the line in her chase for the title.

#1. Matt Riddle

NXT has predominantly featured wrestling style matches, however, with the signing of former UFC fighter and legitimate MMA fighter, the option of having more legitimate shoot-style matches are on the card. Clearly, this week's NXT displayed exactly how far they could go with that as he faced off against 205 Live's Drew Gulak.

While NXT does well at having a diverse group of talents, from phenomenal powerhouses to technical wrestling magicians and incredible high flyers, Riddle's MMA background allows him to be the only man with the legitimacy of a professional fighting background.

This edge has been used to great effect, not just in this matchup against Drew Gulak but also in his previous victories against enhancement talent but also when he knocked out Kassius Ohno during their short fight at the start of Takeover: War Games 2 last year.

In any case, the shoot style fight was enjoyed by the NXT crowd, and both Gulak and Riddle are clearly gifted enough to make the usually slow paced MMA style combat entertaining both for the in house crowd as well as those watching on TV.