'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It was an eventful night of sports entertainment, as NXT delivered another fine show filled with swerves to keep the WWE Universe on the edge.
NXT Cruiserweight Champion Lio Rush successfully defended his title against Angel Garza to kick off the night in an epic battle which put both men over and showed that the rivalry between the duo isn’t done.
Isaiah "Swerve" Scott also picked up a huge victory over the monstrous Bronson Reed after a great match, and we could see Swerve go up the ranks sooner than anyone would have expected.
However, a couple of segments during the night stole the show and gave fans so much to look forward to at WarGames and Survivor Series.
In this article, we'll look at the 5 things the company got right on NXT this week.
#5 Building towards an even triple-threat battle
Pete Dunne picked a fight against the wrong man, as he snapped Killian Dain’s fingers on his way to a match against Damian Priest a few weeks ago. Since then, Dain had been on the hunt for Dunne and even attacked his former NXT UK partner Tyler Bate to send a message to The Bruiserweight.
This week, it seemed like The Beast of Belfast would get his revenge as he was scheduled for a match against the former NXT UK Champion. However, Dain was ambushed by Damian Priest on his way to the ring, making things a bit more complicated and interesting.
The Archer of Infamy made the biggest statement of the night by taking out both fighters and standing tall to make himself look like the biggest Superstar in the ring.
This was exactly what was needed, as Dain vs. Dunne is too big a match to have on a regular televised show. The three men are evenly matched and it’s impossible to pick a victor between them. Therefore, the company could book several triple threat matches between before heading into a concentrated rivalry between Dain and Dunne.
#4 Kay Lee Ray’s inclusion
The night was main-evented by the women of NXT, as Io Shirai and Mia Yim battled against each other in a ladder match.
While both women started strong, Yim was badly busted open due to a ladder shot which made it seem like she’d picked up a legitimate injury. This prompted Dakota Kai to try and help her friend, but she wasn’t able to stop the inevitable.
NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray made a surprise appearance on NXT and knocked The Head Baddie off the ladder. This was something the WWE Universe was not expecting, and the surprise was a great way to end the match.
Shirai made an easy climb up the ladder to pick up the victory, after which we saw Shayna Baszler come out to celebrate and confirm Lee Ray’s inclusion in her team for WarGames.
This was a great touch to expose the NXT UK women’s roster even more at a time when WALTER and Imperium have already been making waves on the main roster. The after match attack by Bayley on Baszler also took the spotlight away from WarGames and back onto Survivor Series, giving fans a lot to think about at the end of the night.
#3 Keith Lee’s strong victory
Finn Balor came out once again this week and talked about how NXT is far less than it once was. He made fun of Matt Riddle, and The Original Bro did not take his statement kindly as he came out to beat down the former Universal Champion.
This allowed The Undisputed Era to take advantage, as they surrounded the ring in an attempt to take down one of the four men they’ll face at WarGames. However, Tommaso Ciampa and Keith Lee came to Riddle’s aid, and Lee challenged Adam Cole to a match. The challenge was answered by Roderick Strong instead.
Throughout the match there was a lot of action going on outside the ring, causing interruption and distraction. However, the action inside the ring was tight and focused, and Lee showed once again why he’s one of the finest big men WWE has got today.
He took the North American Champion to the limits and hit Strong with a jackhammer to pick up one of the biggest victories of his wrestling career.
The booking was near perfect and allowed the babyface team to pick up an advantage before the big clash by using one of their biggest but comparatively lesser established teammates.
#2 Dominik Dijakovic’s image
After the big match between Keith Lee and Roderick Strong, a four-on-one beatdown ensued as The Undisputed Era targeted Lee while Matt Riddle and Tommaso Ciampa were down on the arena floor. They continued to beat down the big man before an unlikely Superstar made the save.
Dominik Dijakovic arrived and took out not one, not two, but all four men single-handedly. The comparatively larger Superstar was able to show immense amounts of strength and delivered some fine moves that became the highlight of the night.
This was something similar to what we’ve seen Braun Strowman do on the main roster, and it was the perfect way to start rebuilding Dijakovic again after a few mixed bookings. His image after this has improved greatly, and he turned face by shaking hands with Ciampa and Lee, joining their team for WarGames in the process.
The company picked the right man to do the job for the babyfaces, and Dijakovic’s recent work deserves credit and spotlight which he will definitely get from a match against Undisputed Era at WarGames.
Now that the company needs to pick one more Superstar for the babyface team, it will be interesting to see who enters the picture to make an impact.
#1 Matt Riddle’s battle against The Demon of NXT
Matt Riddle attacked Finn Balor during his address to the WWE Universe, setting up a long and interesting segment on this week’s show.
During the match between Roderick Strong and Keith Lee, Riddle tried to even the odds against Tommaso Ciampa who was battling the other three members of The Undisputed Era on the arena floor. However, he was blindsided by Balor who appeared once again to take out Riddle completely with a double dropkick.
After Dominik Dijakovic made the save and the dust settled, Riddle made it clear to his WarGames teammates that he will have to part with the team to settle the score with Balor at the event. This was the perfect way for NXT to fill the void Johnny Gargano had left and give Balor a fitting opponent for his first match back in NXT.
Riddle is arguably the brightest star on NXT today, and he could give Balor the match he deserves on his return to NXT. Fighting such a big babyface will also help Balor further improve his heel character, while the void Riddle leaves in the babyface team for WarGames will allow a newer face to move up the ranks. Will Isaiah "Swerve" Scott take up the challenge against The Undisputed Era?
Now you can vote for your favorite matches from the past week here!
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
