5 Big takeaways from WWE NXT (September 27, 2022)

WWE NXT tried to maintain the role the entire company has been on in recent weeks under Triple H and did a great job of doing so again. While they haven't shown much improvement as their big brothers, RAW and SmackDown, they're also making strides as the dawn of a new day is upon us.

There will likely be a lot of changes to WWE's third brand over the next few months as we look towards 2023 and beyond. The future is bright for several of the company's top prospects, so there's a good chance that many turnovers will happen soon. A few men and women on the Tuesday night show are ready to 'graduate' to the big time.

But for now, NXT stars are preparing for Halloween Havoc on October 22. So, needless to say, the build-up is already beginning. Here are five things that stood out about this week's episode.

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#5 - Steiner Math!

The show kicked off in sweet fashion as Ilja Dragunov, and JD McDonagh were in the ring, discussing which one would be the next NXT Champion. Bron Breakker's music started blaring, and the titleholder came out to have his say.

Breakker informed the two challengers that they would both get their shot at Halloween Havoc in a three-way dance. He fired everyone up with an homage to his Uncle Scott's arithmetic skills.

The reigning NXT Champion informed both men that according to his math, they only had a 33 and 1/3 chance of winning the title. But not to worry about it because the belt was going nowhere. This callback sent the crowd into a hysterical frenzy as it was well-written, well-executed, and a really fun way to kick things off.

Bron Breakker has made huge strides during his current run. When he finally gets his chance on the WWE main roster, he will be a 'top guy' right out of the gate. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Breakker will be the WWE Universal Champion someday. There's a 150% chance of that.

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#4 - Every Rose has its thorns

The transformation that has taken place during Mandy Rose's current run in NXT is astounding. She went from being a pretty little afterthought on the main roster to a full-blown femme fatale in her new role as the leader of Toxic Attraction.

The NXT Women's Champion has held onto her title for almost a year now, as she captured it at Halloween Havoc 2021. So it would be almost fitting if her reign ended there as well.

For now, she defeated Fallon Henley in pretty convincing fashion. It's become almost business as usual for her, that's how dominant she's been. She is far and away the number one woman in NXT right now.

But that could all be changing soon.

Rose and Toxic Attraction must make the jump to the WWE main roster soon. Not only are they ready for action at that level, but they are also a perfect fit in terms of the way their characters mesh. Seeing this trio in an all-out feud with Damage CTRL would be an excellent thing for both factions involved. Hopefully, that happens soon.

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#3 - Wes Lee should be the next WWE NXT North American Champion

The amazingly talented Wes Lee really wasn't supposed to be in this position. He was seemingly supposed to be teaming up with Nash Carter, his longtime friend and partner in both The Rascalz (IMPACT Westling) and MSK (later, in NXT). They were poised to be NXT Tag Team Champions before Carter was released by WWE on April 6 of this year, due to some unfortunate allegations.

The 27-year-old Lee rebounded quickly and is now finding success as a solo star. Much like his former compatriot Trey Miguel in IMPACT Wrestling, he was kind of thrust into this position, being left to fly alone. So far, so good, as both former Rascalz members have broken the mold of being cast as 'just a tag team wrestler.'

With Carmelo Hayes clearly ready to move up to either RAW or SmackDown, it might be a good idea for the folks at WWE to elevate Lee to his spot. The youngster is respected by the NXT audience, and he definitely has the skills to be a great titleholder.

It seems like this is his time now, and WWE should give him the gold at Halloween Havoc and see how he performs from there. They may be pleasantly surprised by how much he would thrive in that role.

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#2 - Nikkita Lyons may not be ready for the WWE main roster yet, but she's getting closer and closer

Lyons battled one-half of the NXT Women's Tag Team Champions, Kayden Carter, on this week's episode. Once again, she was impressive inside the squared circle.

Nikkita is a ridiculously talented athlete. She's strong, agile, and deceptively quick for her size. In the short time, she's been in the ring; she's already shown an aptitude for wrestling, getting by on her instincts alone at times. She certainly appears to be someone who comes in right away and 'gets it in terms of what marrying sports and entertainment is all about.

Lyons grabbed another victory over Carter here, but you have to wonder what kind of timetable she's on currently. It's doubtful that WWE will want to do anything to impede her development and progress. However, as she improves and grows in popularity, it will get harder not to make that call.

For now, Nikkita Lyons remains a WWE Superstar-in-the-making. But with her vast array of talents, the waiting game might be shorter than we think.

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#1 - Gallus is a good faction, but there seems to be a missing ingredient that the group is searching for

Coming to you straight from the old WWE UK, this trio is a terrific group of wrestlers who form a wonderful combination. There's no denying any of their skills in the ring, as all three men can hold their own with anyone in the world.

So grappling isn't the problem. It's the appeal.

Simply being tough-guy UK wrestlers, they need more of identity if they are going to effectively move on someday to the main roster. Sure, the folks at WWE can come up with something for them, but wouldn't it be better to go ahead and start that process now?

Perhaps, adding a new member (preferably a refugee from the WWE main roster) or being in an incredibly intense angle will help them establish more of a name. Right now, they just seem a bit bland.