Top 3 Performers of NXT (January 9, 2019)

It was Johnny Gargano that opened up the year for NXT. Gargano seemed to clear the air about how he finished his 2018. Gargano ended 2018 with rumors of a #DIY reunion swirling in the air after Ciampa had interfered in Gargano's cage match with Aleister Black. Gargano refuted the idea that there would be a reunion between the former tag team champions, and called out North American champion Ricochet. This brought out the North American champion Ricochet, and the two squared off in the ring.

This, in turn, brought out Ciampa and then Ciampa's Takeover: Phoenix opponent appeared on the screen with a warning, before appearing behind the NXT Champion on the ramp and attacking him. In the following confusion, Johnny Gargano would superkick Ricochet to stand tall at the end of the segment.

After a short commercial break, the action returned to the ring with one of the episode's advertised "co-main events" between the number one contender for Shayna Baszler's NXT Women's title Bianca Belair and the soon to be called up Nikki Cross. Belair and Cross have had a history in NXT, with Cross coming closest to delivering Belair's first defeat in NXT as the two fought to a double count-out on September 12th and their follow up ended up in a No Contest.

Cross got the early momentum as the match spilled to the outside but Belair caught Cross as she perched on the turnbuckle. Belair then established her dominance using her power game against the smaller Cross. Nikki would regain control after countering Belair's stalled vertical suplex into a DDT.

After Cross hit a Swinging Fisherman's Neckbreaker, Belair rolled out of the ring to avoid the pinfall. Cross then applied a sleeper hold on her opponent outside of the ring with Belair breaking the hold by slamming Cross against the metal ramp.

Both managed to get back into the ring, just beating the referee's 10-count and avoiding a count out. After Belair managed to avoid a Crossbody, she quickly lifted Nikki Cross into her finisher, called KOD, which is a torture rack into a sit-out facebuster for the pinfall victory.

A video promo from the Street Profits, who are advertised for next week's episode of NXT, aired next. Former NXT singles competitors Fabien Aichner and Marcel Barthel formed a tag team on the NXT UK roster and have returned to NXT to take on a developmental tag team.

Barthel and Aichner dominated the bout, throwing their opponents Watts and Kunsman around the ring. Kunsman got more of the offense of his pair, with Watts mainly used as a ragdoll by NXT's newest tag team. Aichner and Bartel would finish the match with their tag team finisher, which is a powerbomb into a German suplex, which they hit on Watts for the pinfall victory.

The episode ended with the second of the main event fights between Adam Cole and EC3. The two tied up with chain wrestling and quick back and forth between the two. EC3 would gain the early momentum with a few stiff chops. However, after rolling out of the ring Cole would gain the upper hand.

After Cole tried to suplex EC3 to the outside, EC3 countered that and gained control of the contest. The two traded near falls with neither superstar in absolute control. The rest of the Undisputed Era around the ring provided shouting advice and praise, especially Bobby Fish.

Towards the end of the match, the Undisputed Era climbed on to the ring apron with EC3 taking out O'Reilly, Strong and then Bobby Fish before Adam Cole hit him with a superkick and the Last Shot for the win. Undisputed Era would continue the post-match beatdown on EC3, which brought out War Raiders for the save, and they viciously beat down the 4 members of the Undisputed Era, forcing them to beat a hasty path of retreat.

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#3 War Raiders

The War Raiders were given some time off after Takeover: War Games after they defeated the Undisputed Era alongside WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne and NXT North American Champion Ricochet.

The time off allowed for Hanson to recover from the multiple injuries he suffered during their War Games match, including broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, and torn ligaments. It also allowed his fellow War Raider to marry fellow WWE wrestler and member of the Riott Squad, Sarah Logan.

The hole that they left was somewhat filled by a fellow big man tag team, Heavy Machinery, who temporarily feuded with the Undisputed Era while the War Raiders were otherwise occupied.

This week saw the return of the War Raiders from their respective layoffs and what a return it was. Coming down to the ring after Adam Cole's match with EC3 and interrupting the Undisputed Era's post-fight beatdown, the War Raiders picked up, seemingly, where they had left off before their hiatus.

Hanson and Rowe took to throwing the members of the Undisputed Era around the ring performing several of their power moves on Cole, O'Reilly, Strong and Fish leaving the Era to make an eventual retreat.

War Raiders have already been announced as the Undisputed Era's next challengers for the NXT Tag Team titles for Takeover: Phoenix.

#2 Bianca Belair

A third match in the rivalry between Nikki Cross and the number one contender, Bianca Belair, may not have been their best contest. However, the contest was worthy of their rivalry. With Cross heading to the main roster and Belair heading to Takeover: Phoenix to face Shayna Baszler for the NXT women's title.

Belair and Cross are amongst the smoothest workers, let alone women, in NXT and their fights are usually a combination of violence and aggression, often involving the ring and the ringside. This match was no exception as Cross used the ring apron to her advantage and Belair used the steel ramp to break the sleeper hold that Nikki Cross caught her in outside the ring.

The loss gave Cross a send-off from NXT as she heads to Raw or SmackDown, while it gives Belair the momentum heading into Phoenix, on a program with Shayna Baszler which hopefully will be built upon more as we get closer to Takeover.

# 1 Adam Cole

After defeating Bobby Fish, EC3 set his sights on Adam Cole from the Undisputed Era. Arguably the leader of NXT's most popular stable. Cole and EC3 had the match of the episode, which wasn't too match of a stretch for Cole's prodigious talents.

As the two traded blows back and forth for most of the contest. Cole would pick up the victory following a distraction from the members of the Undisputed Era, who flanked the ring for the entire match often entertaining the crowd by shouting praise, advice, and warnings up at Cole.

After the match, Cole and the rest of the Undisputed Era beat down the already defeated EC3, which has become a bit of a trademark of the stable of late. This brought out the returning War Raiders for the two teams to continue their feud from War Games.

With both a great match against EC3 as well as the match between War Raiders and Undisputed Era for the tag team titles at Takeover: Phoenix built upon, this was a great episode of NXT for Adam Cole and the War Raiders going forward into 2019.