WWE Worlds Collide 2020: 5 things NXT got right at the event

Worlds Collide witnessed the battle between two of WWE’s fastest-rising brands, NXT and NXT UK. While most of the fans have been gearing up for the Royal Rumble, they were treated to some of the best action of the month during the Worlds Collide.

Not only did we witness a great battle for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship at the event, but the NXT Championship was also on the line as Toni Storm challenged Rhea Ripley for the title.

Finn Balor also showed up to give fans a treat once again, as he took on NXT UK’s Ilja Dragonuv during the night. Tag team action was not behind, as NXT’s best favorite team DIY, consisting of Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, took on NXT UK’s Moustache Mountain, made up of Tyler Bate and Trent Seven.

The biggest match of the night came during the main event, as two of NXT’s biggest factions came face to face in a battle of supremacy.

In this article, we will look at the 5 things NXT got right during the massive event just a day before the Royal Rumble.

---

#5 Finn Balor’s victory

The first match of the broadcast saw NXT’s Finn Balor take on NXT UK’s Ilja Dragunov. Dragunov, who has been a fast-rising star on NXT UK, was faced with his biggest challenge to date, but he came out confident as ever.

While Balor has been playing a heel as of late, fans were behind him during the clash as chants of “too sweet” filled the arena.

Balor worked on his opponent and dominated the Russian for most of the bout, ensuring that he wouldn’t be able to make a comeback. A big suplex got Dragunov back into the match, but he couldn’t stay in control for long.

To end the match, Balor delivered the famous Coup de Grace, followed by the 1916 DDT for the victory.

This was a good match that allowed Balor to come out strong again after receiving some mixed bookings on RAW and SmackDown followed by his early return on NXT.

He needed to be the man who’d pick up the only singles victory for the men’s side during the night, and he did so relatively comfortable which was the right thing to do.

Dragunov still has time to build and grow on NXT UK, and the loss will not hurt the Russian Superstar. In fact, the big booking and clash will help Dragunov come out looking stronger on his home brand.

#4 A new UK Champion is crowned

We were hoping the match would go this way, and it did exactly that!

Angel Garza defended his NXT Cruiserweight Championship against Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, Jordan Devlin, and Travis Banks in a clash that was fitting for the event.

Garza’s three opponents took the fight to him early on in order to ensure that he wouldn’t be able to retain his title. They then worked on each other, with Scott giving up some great moments with Devlin.

Garza didn’t stay down for long and tried his best to defend the title which he won only a couple of months ago in an epic clash with Lio Rush.

However, UK’s Devlin wasn’t going to let this chance slip from his hands, as he delivered some great moves and broke up Garza’s pin on Scott. He then delivered his backdrop driver to take the title home and deliver an interesting promo.

Devlin is an excellent performer on NXT UK, and he deserved to finally win his first title with the company. The Cruiserweight Championship seems to be perfect for him, and it will likely allow us to see more of him in the ring on other brands too.

While Banks seemed to be the star of the match and gave us some of the biggest moments, Devlin winning means we can get some great heel vs. face matches between these two men on NXT UK for months to come.

#3 Tag Team Match of the Year?

What a match!

We wanted it, and NXT delivered.

Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano brought back DIY for one night only to take on Mustache Mountain’s Tyler Bate and Trent Seven. The dream match was a treat for the fans, especially those who love to watch classic tag team matches.

While Bate and Gargano tried to take the advantage early, it was the mustache-twirling competition between Ciampa and Seven that was more intense. A shaking of hands increased the respect the NXT Universe has for both teams.

The action broke down and it was impossible to see one team take the advantage and both teams continued to work on their opponents and gain the upper hand before losing it.

AS the match neared its conclusion, the Superstars kept hitting their finishers for a series of close twos, bringing the audience to the edge of their seats as chants of “NXT!” filled the arena.

Amid chants of “This is Awesome” DIY took out Bate and then hit Seven with the Meet in the Middle to pick up a huge victory.

The match was everything one could have dreamt of, and it was literally a dream match for NXT fans.

While DIY picking up the win made sense since both men seem to be entering big singles rivalries on NXT, it’ll be difficult for NXT to keep DIY apart on the brand for long.

Moustache Mountain, on the other hand, also had the potential to pick up the victory but came up just short in their biggest match to date.

#2 The Nightmare continues

Ripley finally defeated Storm to retain her title

NXT Champion Rhea Ripley came out on Worlds Collide to face the woman who took away her NXT UK Championship not too long ago. Their friendship and rivalry have always been a hot topic in NXT, and the story continued at Worlds Collide.

Ripley showed the new side of hers to Storm by dominating with her strength. Even though Storm tried to wear her down, Ripley tried to pick up a quick victory to score a win over Storm for once.

As Storm tried to hit a splash from the top rope, Ripley rolled out and then hit the Riptide to pick up the victory and retain her title.

Right after her victory, cameras showed her next threat, Bianca Belair, applauding from ringside. The two are ready to meet at NXT TakeOver: Portland.

NXT did the right thing by handing the Champion back the title in an uncomplicated victory to ensure that Ripley remains the new force of the women’s division. She has the potential to push the boundaries, and the creatives team will be looking to make her do that in the months to come.

Bianca Belair’s appearance only helped build the next match further and give Belair some more spotlight which she rightfully deserves.

#1 System Shocked

Strong delivered a huge slam to WALTER on the announce table

The biggest match of the night took place during the main event, as The Undisputed Era, consisting of Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong, took on the mighty Imperium, consisting of WALTER, Alexander Wolfe, Marcel Barthel, and Fabian Aichner.

Undisputed Era controlled the match early and continued to dominate. A kick to Wolfe’s face proved to be too much as he went limp and medical staff had to help him out of the ring.

This allowed fans to get the NXT Champion and NXT UK Champion face-to-face as the two traded massive blows.

The Ring General dominated from thereon, and the action kept picking up. The UK Champion delivered a chop to everyone in his way, and his power allowed him to dominate like never before.

Undisputed Era used their heelish tactics to down WALTER, as they drove him through the announce table. This left Aichner and Barthel to continue battling until The Ring General recovered once again.

After a series of near falls, Fish went for a moonsault, but missed, allowing WALTER to deliver a dropkick followed by a powerbomb to pick up a shocking victory.

This was an incredible bout and an even better result as most of the NXT Universe was convinced that Undisputed Era would come out on top, especially after the injury to Wolfe.

However, Imperium seemed to turn babyfaces for the crowd after Wolfe’s injury, and their victory gave them the feel-good moment that they needed to go home happy.

What an incredible match and incredible event!