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WWE NXT fans were in for a pleasant surprise this week as a popular tag team from SmackDown made its way to the brand. They made an immediate impact by picking up a dominant victory on the show.
Mandy Rose defended her NXT Women’s Championship against newcomer Roxanne Perez. Meanwhile, Legado del Fantasma fought Josh Briggs & Fallon Henley in a 3-on-2 handicap match after Brooks Jensen was attacked.
After his assault last week, Bron Breakker returned to the show to come face-to-face with Joe Gacy. However, his night ended on a sour note after some hooded men attacked him.
Nikkita Lyons defeated Lash Legend in the opening match. It was announced that Lyons would team up with Cora Jade to face Lash and Natalya at Spring Breakin’.
It was an entertaining episode that had a few memorable moments. With that being said, check out the five things WWE NXT got right on this week’s show.
#5. Von Wagner defeated Tony D’Angelo after a slugfest
Xyon Quinn wasn’t medically cleared to compete in his match against Tony D’Angelo on WWE NXT this week. Von Wagner took his place in the match instead as WWE looked to put over the two heels.
Wagner controlled the match early and worked over Tony D. He hit a suplex and took D’Angelo to the ropes before being dropped outside the ring.
The Don on NXT hit a big side slam before Legado del Fantasma came to interfere. Joaquin Wilde and Del Toro attacked D’Angelo before his gangsters took Legado out.
The Don headed back to the ring, where he was met with a big boot from Wagner, who picked up the win. It was surprising to see D’Angelo pick up a loss after gaining so much momentum. NXT tried to cushion the loss by getting Legado involved in the competition.
Meanwhile, Wagner looked much better in this contest. Even though the match was a slugfest, he did pull off some noteworthy moves. He needs to compete in a few more big matches to come across as a legitimate threat.
#4. Katana Chance & Kayden Carter pulled off a notable victory over Valentina Feroz & Yulisa Leon
Katana Chance & Kayden Carter came out to face Valentina Feroz & Yulisa Leon in a tag team match this week. The heels took control early and isolated Carter for a while. Chance got the hot tag and hit some high-flying moves to put her opponents on the backfoot.
Carter locked in a submission hold on Feroz, but the latter refused to tap out. Chance & Carter worked over her for some time before Leon hit a top rope move and took the fight back to the babyfaces.
The seasoned tag team got the better of Valentina Feroz & Yulisa Leon and finished them off with a 450 splash combo. It was a decent match that picked up pace in the second half. Feroz & Leon worked hard to taunt the crowd but did not succeed at pulling much heat.
Meanwhile, Chance and Carter have proven to be the best female tag team in the company. It’s a surprise that the duo hasn’t won the tag team championships yet. WWE should look to move them into a rivalry with Toxic Attraction soon.
#3. Solo Sikoa defeated Trick Williams to gain momentum on NXT 2.0
Solo Sikoa took on Trick Williams before his WWE NXT North American Championship shot at Spring Breakin’. Cameron Grimes joined the commentary team as Williams used his speed to take down Sikoa.
Sikoa took down Trick with a shoulder but took a spinning neck breaker for a close call. Williams locked in a submission maneuver before Sikoa fought out and used his strength to take him out. He no-sold a few moves to showcase just how tough he is.
He hit a Samoan Drop before finishing off Williams with a splash for the win. Trick Williams was decent in the contest but lacked momentum. He hasn’t competed in too many matches, and WWE will need to give him more in-ring time.
Sikoa needed the win before the big title match. He hit some good moves to come across as a threat. After the match, he took out the champion while Carmelo Hayes exited the ring. He could end up winning the title next week.
#2. The Viking Raiders returned to WWE NXT and sent a warning to the entire roster
Roderick Strong appeared on WWE NXT to give a pep talk to Diamond Mine. He wanted to see The Creed Brothers get back on a winning streak. He declared that he had picked a world-class tag team for the duo to face next week. The team in question turned out to be The Viking Raiders.
Later in the night, Erik & Ivar from WWE SmackDown took on Edris Enofe & Malik Blade. The former RAW Tag Team Champions were dominant and knocked down their opponents with some big moves.
Ivar knocked the wind out of Enofe with some elbows in the corner. Erik hit Enofe with a knee to the face and nearly picked up the win. They finished off Malik Blade with a big double chokeslam to pick up the win on NXT.
It’s great to see Erik & Ivar back on the brand. They were dominant during their initial NXT run that saw them win the tag team championships. WWE is excellently bringing back top superstars from the main roster to prepare the new batches in NXT.
With the main roster tag team championships getting unified, it’s a good idea to have Erik and Ivar compete on the brand for some time and give The Creed Brothers a good rub.
#1. Roxanne Perez gave Mandy Rose a tough fight for the NXT Women’s Championship
In the last match of the night, Mandy Rose defended her WWE NXT Women’s Championship against newcomer Roxanne Perez. She found herself on the back foot early on as Roxanne nearly shocked her with a roll-up.
Perez tried to score a quick victory on many occasions during the contest, frustrating the champion. Mandy grabbed her by the face before Perez bit her finger to stay on top of the match.
She worked on Rose’s injured finger and drove it into the steel ring steps. The newcomer kept the pressure on for some time before Rose bounced back with some big moves.
Other members of Toxic Attraction cheered Rose on as she hit a knee strike followed by a bicycle kick for the win. Wendy Choo came out after the match and triggered a net to fall on Toxic Attraction. Perez and Choo sprayed them with confetti before running up the ramp.
It was a really good match that showed Perez’s wrestling skills. Rose also gained some momentum after defeating the newcomer. Choo has been involved with Toxic Attraction for some time. It will be interesting to see what her role in this rivalry will be.
