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WWE NXT was extremely eventful this week. The biggest match of the show was booked between Karrion Kross and Johnny Gargano for the NXT Championship. The match went well and had an epic ending.
That wasn’t all, as there were several big matches and segments throughout the night. Bronson Reed returned to NXT after his devastating loss to Isaiah 'Swerve' Scott several weeks ago. Kyle O’Reilly also clarified that he was not done with Adam Cole yet.
Santos Escobar also made his return, while Sarray had a one-on-one match against Gigi Dolin. Bobby Fish picked up another loss on NXT, but it looks like he’s just getting in the zone. He will team up with KUSHIDA to take on Diamond Mine’s Tyler Rust and Roderick Strong next week.
Raquel Gonzalez found her next challenger on this week’s show. The NXT Breakout Tournament also kicked off with its first match. Take a look at the five things WWE got right on NXT this week.
#5. Dakota Kai defeated Ember Moon on WWE NXT; Raquel Gonzalez found a new challenger
Ember Moon came out on WWE NXT without Shotzi Blackheart by her side. Blackheart made her WWE SmackDown debut alongside Tegan Nox last week. Raquel Gonzalez backed up Dakota Kai for the match.
The War Goddess went on the offense early and took down Kai with some great moves. Kai fought back and sent Moon into the steel post. She kept the pressure on the former NXT Women’s Champion but could not put her away.
Moon hit a Frankensteiner on The Captain of Team Kick to make a comeback into the match. Kai recovered in time to plant The War Goddess with the GTK to pick up the win.
After the match, Xia Li walked down to the ring and demanded a shot at Gonzalez’s NXT Women’s Championship. The champion accepted without hesitation.
The match was good and gave Kai a good push on NXT. Meanwhile, Raquel Gonzalez found a different challenger for the title. Li’s newfound attitude could help her in the match against the NXT Women’s Champion.
Mercedes Martinez’s injury and a few top superstars' transfers to the SmackDown roster have opened up a big opportunity for the Chinese Superstar.
It also looks like Kai may be turning on Gonzalez sooner rather than later before demanding a title shot. That could finally give Kai a chance to rise to the top of the NXT women’s division.
#4. Santos Escobar returned to take out Dexter Lumis on WWE NXT
Santos Escobar finally returned to WWE NXT along with the rest of Legado del Fantasma. The former NXT Cruiserweight Champion mocked Dexter Lumis and promised to knock out Isaiah 'Swerve' Scott and take his title away.
The match between Escobar and Lumis got underway soon after. Lumis used his usual tactics to scare his opponent early on. Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza continued to help their leader throughout the match and even pulled him out of the Silence at one point.
The interference and distraction allowed Escobar to take control and deliver the Phantom Driver to pick up the win. After the match, Hit Row came out to confront Legado del Fantasma on the ramp.
Scott seemed confident and was not afraid to get in Santos Escobar’s face. The match was decent and gave Escobar the chance to make a big comeback.
The idea of putting Legado del Fantasma up against Hit Row is a great one. While it was expected that Escobar would move to the main roster with his faction, it looks like the creative team has other plans.
#3. Duke Hudson made a solid debut during the WWE NXT Breakout Tournament
The WWE NXT Breakout Tournament kicked off on Tuesday night. Duke Hudson and Ikemen Jiro collided in the first match of the tournament. Hudson seemed confident early in the contest, while Jiro appeared to play more of a comical character.
Jiro took advantage early and delivered some fine moves to keep Hudson on the backfoot. The six-foot-three superstar used his power to make a comeback and connected with a few slams on his opponent.
Wade Barrett said Hudson reminded him of a young Wade Barrett, and that was spot-on. Hudson ended his opponent with a spinning side slam to take the win.
The match wasn’t too flashy but it did what was required. It was a typical contest between a giant heel and a fresh babyface. Jiro did well throughout the contest, but it looks like he will remain more of a comedic character on NXT.
As for Hudson, it looks like the big superstar has a bright future ahead on NXT. He has the looks and physique to make it big in WWE.
Backstage, Pete Dunne promised to take on whoever won between Karrion Kross and Johnny Gargano. However, Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa laid out Dunne and Oney Lorcan to make a statement. NXT could build a good rivalry between these two teams to keep all four superstars busy for some time.
#2. Johnny Gargano and Karrion Kross had a great contest on WWE NXT
The final match of the night saw Karrion Kross defend his WWE NXT Championship against Johnny Gargano. Samoa Joe was announced as the special referee for the match and immediately told the champion to follow the rules during the contest. Meanwhile, Gargano promised Joe that he’d follow the rules.
However, Johnny Wrestling attacked Kross before the bell. Joe was forced to call for the bell and get the match started. The Herald of Doomsday vented his frustration by taking the fight outside the ring and slamming Gargano around.
The challenger sent Kross into the barricade and then hit the One Final Beat. The NXT Champion made a comeback and planted his opponent with a series of suplexes.
Johnny Wrestling locked in the Gargano Escape, but Kross countered it into a Kross Jacket. Gargano barely made the ropes, and The Samoan Submission Machine had to pull Kross off of him.
Outside the ring, Joe stopped Kross from smashing Gargano with the steel steps. The argument between the two allowed Gargano to gain the upper hand.
Late in the match, Kross hit Gargano with some powerbombs before delivering the Doomsday Saito. He ended Gargano’s hopes with an elbow to the back of the head.
The match was great and gave Gargano a chance to shine against a larger opponent. Kross was never going to lose, but Gargano did take the NXT Champion to the edge.
The addition of Joe to the match gave it a different dimension. It will be good to see who steps up to Kross next.
#1. Karrion Kross made Samoa Joe pass out to end WWE NXT
Karrion Kross and Samoa Joe had some arguments during the WWE NXT Championship match. Even though Joe wanted to ensure that the match carried on smoothly, it did look like The Samoan Submission Machine was interfering too much.
After the match was over, Kross got back in Samoa Joe’s face. He was held back by Scarlett as Joe reminded the NXT Champion that all he had to do was make one single move.
As soon as Joe turned around to walk away, Kross locked in the Kross Jacket and choked the life out of the former United States Champion.
This was a great way to end the night. Never for a second did it look like Joe was not going to return to the ring once he made his comeback to NXT. He’s already had several face-offs, but Kross’ actions confirm that fans will get a match between these two goliaths sooner rather than later.
The Samoan Submission Machine could prove to be the perfect superstar to hand Kross his first defeat without denting his credibility. The stage is set, and fans can now look forward to this big contest.
Will WWE take a giant leap and book a contest between Kross and Joe for the NXT Championship at SummerSlam 2021?
