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WWE NXT 2.0 was live this week on the Syfy channel in the United States due to the 2022 Winter Olympics from China taking place on the USA Network.
There were certainly high stakes in this episode, as the NXT Women's Championship was being defended by Mandy Rose, plus two Men's Dusty Classic semi-final matches, took place to determine who would advance to the final.
The broadcast was the go-home show before the Vengeance Day special that will take place next Tuesday, which will also air on Syfy. A number of matches have already been set, including Carmelo Hayes defending the North American Championship against Cameron Grimes.
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Also scheduled for Vengeance Day is Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne) defending the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles against Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta.
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Last week's offering produced 619,000 viewers on the USA Network, according to Showbuzzdaily.com, which was an increase from 593,000 the week prior. The company were certainly hoping to capitalize on the momentum leading into the huge Valentine's special next week.
That being said, let's take a look at the five biggest stories from this week's episode of NXT 2.0
#5 Mandy Rose retains the NXT Women's Championship, but Toxic Attraction are chased off by Io Shirai
The main event on NXT 2.0 this week saw "The Baddest B*tch in the Game" Mandy Rose defend her NXT Women's Championship for the first time since January 4 against Kay Lee Ray.
Kay Lee Ray, a former UK Women's Champion, was looking to add another accolade to her resume, however, it appeared that she would be up against the odds as Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne were ready to join Rose for the contest. But, Indi Hartwell & Persia Pirotta both took them down backstage, leaving Rose alone in her quest to retain her title.
Just when it appeared Kay Lee Ray was about to dethrone the champion, Dolin and Jayne reappeared to interfere, allowing Rose the golden opportunity to retain. She did so using the running knee, following it up by pinning the Scottish superstar.
After the contest, Toxic Attraction was ready to give Kay Lee Ray a post-match beating, though, Io Shirai appeared to chase them off and protect the fallen challenger from further damage.
Mandy Rose's reign continues and there's no sign of her reign ending any time soon, especially with Dolin and Jayne around.
#4 The Creed Brothers advance to the finals of the Men's Dusty Tag Team Classic
The Creed Brothers booked their place in next week's Men's Dusty Classic Final by overcoming The Grizzled Young Veterans.
The Brothers, who initially defeated Brooks Jensen & Josh Briggs to advance to the semi-final, knew they were in for a fight against James Drake and Zak Gibson. The action was fast and furious as both teams looked to advance.
Just when it appeared Drake and Gibson were set to claim victory, Brutus Creed hit a hard-hitting clothesline for the win. They will have the chance to add their name to Dusty Classic history next week at Vengeance Day.
#3 MSK advance to the finals of the Men's Dusty Tag Team Classic
Once The Creed Brothers sealed their spot in the final, it was time to see who they would be facing as MSK and Malik Blade & Edris Enofé squared off.
The underdogs Blade and Enofé had their work cut out against one of the best tag teams in the world right now. However, they almost forced an upset with multiple nearfalls.
In the end, MSK secured their place next week. MSK will have the chance to become Men's Dusty Classic winners for the second consecutive year.
#2 Pete Dunne and Tony D'Angelo set to meet in a Weaponised Steel Cage match at NXT Vengeance Day
In his second match ever on NXT 2.0, Draco Anthony stepped into the ring with former NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne.
Despite putting on a spirited display against The Bruiserweight, Pete Dunne finished him off with a Bitter End, despite Tony D'Angelo appearing out of nowhere during the match with a crowbar.
After the match, Dunne wasted no more time and began throwing a number of weapons into the ring, suggesting that he and D'Angelo have a Weaponised Steel Cage match next week at Vengeance Day.
#1 Dolph Ziggler made a surprising appearance on NXT 2.0
In the biggest surprise of the night, two-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler made his presence felt during the Championship Summit between Bron Breakker and Santos Escobar.
Breakker and Escobar are set to clash next week with the NXT Championship on the line, so Ziggler's appearance puzzled everybody. Dolph in fact called out Bron and stated he was now gunning for Bron's title.
This didn't sit well with former champion Tommasso Ciampa, who made his way out to tell Dolph that if he wants a shot, then he needs to get in line behind him. The end of the segment saw Bron being put through a table by Legado del Fantasma ahead of their blockbuster clash on February 15.
What did you think of this week's episode of NXT 2.0? Let us know in the comments below
