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Fans waited for the face-off between Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly on WWE NXT this week. The two superstars are set to compete at TakeOver 36, and William Regal ensured that their contest will be huge.
Not much happened about the NXT Championship match at TakeOver. It seems Karrion Kross will drop the title to Samoa Joe and move to the main roster for good.
MSK sent a warning to Imperium, while Regal booked an NXT Cruiserweight Championship match between KUSHIDA and Roderick Strong for next Tuesday. Ember Moon was replaced by a top superstar in her match against Sarray.
Take a look at the five things WWE got right on NXT this week.
#5 Dakota Kai handed Sarray her first loss on WWE NXT
Ember Moon and Sarray were scheduled for a match this week. Unfortunately, Moon was not medically cleared to compete, which gave Dakota Kai a chance to showcase her skills ahead of a potential NXT Women’s Championship match.
The Captain of Team Kick was aggressive from the start and used her underhanded tactics to keep Sarray at bay. The Warrior of the Sun fought back with some impressive moves and kept her opponent down for some time.
Both women pushed their physical limits in the contest and entertained NXT fans. Sarray caught Kai with a dropkick through the bottom rope and attempted to go for another one, but Kai took her out with a big boot and hit a sudden Kaio Kick for the win.
The NXT creative team did well to build the storyline for both women. Sarray looked like a big threat in NXT. A victory over her will give Kai the boost she needs before an NXT Women’s Championship match. The match was overall great and set the tone for the night.
Later, Raquel Gonzalez cut a short promo to accept Dakota Kai’s challenge for NXT TakeOver 36. This will be one of the biggest matches for the NXT Women’s Champion who could move to the main roster in months to come.
#4 Ted DiBiase set the stage for another Million Dollar Championship match at NXT TakeOver: 36
LA Knight was up against Andre Chase on NXT tonight in what was expected to be a good match. Instead, the rising star barely got any offense in and was put away by the Million Dollar Champion with a Blunt Force Trauma.
'The Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase arrived after the match to demand Cameron Grimes fight for what he deserves. DiBiase said the entire saga had gone on for far too long and Grimes could not continue being Knight’s butler. The Hall of Famer told Knight to defend his title against Grimes.
The champion agreed but added a condition that if Grimes lost, DiBiase would become LA Knight's butler, which the veteran agreed to.
It was unfortunate to see Andre Chase lose in such a manner on NXT. However, the brand did well to build towards the Million Dollar Championship match for NXT TakeOver 36. The stakes are even higher this time, and WWE will look to have the title change hands at the event.
#3 Gigi Dolin defeated Amari Miller to pick up her first victory on WWE NXT
Gigi Dolin was set to face Amari Miller on WWE NXT. She was accompanied by Jacy Jayne and looked to make an early impact in the contest. Miller tried to get some strikes in and hit a neck breaker to gain the upper hand.
Dolin fought back and leveled her opponent with a clothesline before hitting her finisher for the victory.
This was Dolin’s first match since losing to Sarray last month. The roster can benefit from someone like Dolin who has a unique character and fighting style.
Last week, NXT teased an alliance between Mandy Rose, Dolin, and Jayne. Rose was missing from this week’s episode, but it will be interesting to see whether the brand brings them together. It could help Dolin and Jayne get more spotlight and make it easier for them to get over with the WWE Universe.
#2 The setup for The Undisputed Finale at WWE NXT TakeOver: 36
On WWE NXT tonight, Timothy Thatcher laid down a challenge for a match against Ridge Holland. MSK sent a message to Imperium and asked for a match against Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel for next week.
William Regal announced both matches for next week before getting down to business between Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly. He said that the third edition of Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly would end in an Undisputed Finale. This meant the two men would compete in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match, where each man could choose a stipulation.
KOR chose the first stipulation as a traditional wrestling match against The Panama City Playboy. Meanwhile, Cole said he wanted a street fight. Regal declared the third fall would be inside a steel cage.
NXT security personnel struggled to keep the two men apart as they shot some harsh words at each other. NXT fans will remember a similar contest between Cole and Johnny Gargano not too long ago.
It looks like the creative team is trying to recycle the idea, but both men have the potential to turn this into another memorable encounter.
#1 Ilja Dragunov impressed the WWE Universe before knocking down WALTER on NXT
Ilja Dragunov made his first NXT appearance on this week’s episode. He came out to address the NXT Universe before being interrupted by Pete Dunne. The Bruiserweight wanted Dragunov to acknowledge the fact that he helped build NXT UK and made it relevant.
After the two men traded some hot words, a match between them was set for the main event.
Dragunov came out firing and immediately put Dunne on the backfoot. The Bruiserweight countered and caught Dragunov with a series of submission maneuvers to slow him down. The Unbesiegbar broke free with a powerbomb and tried to stay on top for most of the contest.
WALTER came out to distract his future opponent, which allowed Dunne to hit the Bitter End for the win. Following the match, the NXT UK Champion attacked Ilja Dragunov. However, The Unbesiegbar fought him off and ended the night with the NXT UK Championship in hand.
The match was by far the best of the night. Dunne and Dragunov ended the show on a high. Dunne picked up a big victory that will help him get back in the NXT Championship picture.
Dragunov will have to watch his back at TakeOver 36, where Imperium will likely try to help WALTER. The Unbesiegbar seems like the perfect man to end The Ring General’s reign as the NXT UK Champion.
Meanwhile, watch 5 WWE Superstars who were quickly rehired following their release:
