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WWE Royal Rumble winner Edge decided to appear on NXT this week after winning the big match on Sunday. The Rated-R Superstar has the opportunity to challenge any World Champion in the company to a match at WrestleMania, and he’s keeping all his options open.
The men’s and women’s Dusty Rhodes Classic Tournament also had a few matches on this week’s NXT. Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez looked to book a place in the finals by defeating Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro. Legado del Fantasma defeated The Lucha House Party, while the main event saw The Undisputed ERA compete against Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher.
That wasn’t all, as Santos Escobar had to defend his NXT Cruiserweight Championship against Curt Stallion. That wasn’t the only worry he had, as he had to keep a lookout for Karrion Kross, who’s not taken Escobar’s statement too lightly.
All this and more was on offer during this week’s NXT. Let’s take a look at five things WWE got right on Wednesday.
#5 KUSHIDA and Johnny Gargano book their match; Dexter Lumis sets his sights on Austin Theory on WWE NXT
Former WWE NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff competed against Austin Theory on this week’s episode. While Ruff has drifted further from the title scene, he has remained in a rivalry with The Way along with KUSHIDA.
Ruff used his speed to counter the heel early on, but the bigger Superstar managed to slow him down with some big strikes. Ruff made a comeback and pretended to be attacked by Johnny Gargano to have him sent to the back.
Ruff tried to roll-up Theory to pick up the victory, but the heel hit the ATL moments later for the win. Theory hit another ATL on Ruff to make a statement and looked to do more damage before Dexter Lumis arrived to creep the youngster out.
On the other hand, KUSHIDA has been trying to hunt down the NXT North American Champion for weeks now. The Japanese Superstar was seen backstage in William Regal’s office and managed to get a match for the title for NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day. KUSHIDA and Gargano were seen brawling backstage, and The Rebel Heart is not interested in defending his title.
Fans will likely get a special stipulation match between Theory and Lumis at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day, while KUSHIDA will have a chance to win his first title on the show.
#4 Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez continue to prove their worth on WWE NXT
A spot in the WWE NXT Dusty Rhodes Classic tournament finals was on the line as Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez came out to compete against Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro. Kai tried to take control of the match early, but Catanzaro used her American Ninja Warrior skills to avoid her. Carter came in to help her partner in the match to keep the action ticking on NXT.
After a standoff between all four women that turned into a brawl, Kai took control of the match. Once Gonzalez came in and took over, the babyfaces were on the back foot. Catanzaro tried to take down the heels with a series of high-flying moves but could not put them away.
She almost picked up the victory with an impressive corkscrew senton, but Gonzalez was able to pick up the victory for her team. The heels advanced in the Dusty Rhodes Cup, and it looks like they will go all the way in the tournament.
Kai and Gonzalez are the future of WWE, and it seems like Gonzalez will also get into contention for the NXT title soon. The victory will help the two women push forward and possibly take on the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.
#3 Edge takes the WWE NXT ring by storm
2021 Royal Rumble winner Edge wanted to head over to WWE NXT this week, just days after winning the Rumble match and defeating Randy Orton on RAW. He was scheduled for the show, but Pete Dunne wanted to call out Finn Balor first.
Dunne has failed to earn an opportunity to challenge the NXT Champion, but he refuses to give up the chase for the title. Balor did not make The Bruiserweight wait long and appeared in the ring to staredown his future challenger.
The Prince of NXT did not shy away and accepted Dunne’s challenge to a match at TakeOver: Vengeance Day. Once the two men were done, Edge made his first appearance in NXT.
Edge spoke highly of the Black and Gold brand and the two men in the ring, and teased using his WrestleMania opportunity to challenge the Champion Balor. The Rated-R Superstar said he would keep a close eye on both men’s match at TakeOver before ending the segment.
The show needed to make an impact with Edge’s arrival, and that’s exactly what the creatives managed to do. Balor vs Dunne is finally confirmed for TakeOver: Vengeance Day, even though The Bruiserweight hasn’t done much of note since his return.
Edge was later confronted by Karrion Kross, and WWE did well to tease some tension between the two men for a possible future contest.
#2 Santos Escobar retains his title; Karrion Kross delivers a stern warning on WWE NXT
The WWE NXT Cruseirweight Championship was on the line as Santos Escobar prepared to defend his title against Curt Stallion. Escobar had escaped out of last week’s contest by having Legado del Fantasma attack the challenger. However, he had to defend his Championship this week.
Escobar got the upper hand in the match as Wilde and Mendoza watched on from ringside to support their leader. Soon, Scarlett was shown watching the contest from an elevated platform.
Stallion fought back and delivered some big strikes to get back in the contest. However, Escobar turned the tides around with a single-leg crab that he turned into a crossface.
Stallion gained momentum by delivering a Suplex followed by a suicide dive outside the ring. While the challenger had the upper hand for some time, Escobar took him out with the Phantom Driver to pick up the victory.
After the match, Karrion Kross arrived to lay waste to Wilde and Mendoza. He let the NXT Cruiserweight Champion know that time is running out and allowed him to escape.
The match was good and allowed Stallion to stand out as one of Escobar’s toughest competitors. NXT could have allowed Kross to interfere mid-match and allowed both men to go at each other once again at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day. However, the result was clear and The Herald of Doomsday will possibly take on Escobar at the next TakeOver event.
#1 Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa take The Undisputed ERA out on WWE NXT
Four of WWE NXT’s biggest forces decided to dance in the main event on Wednesday. The Undisputed ERA was looking to pick up a victory over Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher, but things are never as easy as they sound.
Ciampa and Thatcher’s new-found respect for each other helped them work really well once again. Thatcher proved to be the shining star in the contest as he worked extremely well with the three NXT veterans in the ring.
Several submission holds allowed both teams to trade control. Roderick Strong and Thatcher had some good exchanges to show the fans that they could put on a five-star match against each other at some point in their career.
After both teams came close to winning several times, The Blackheart spiked Strong with a DDT to pick up the victory for their team. While Ciampa and Thatcher are two of the biggest names in NXT today, this was still a big upset as The Undisputed ERA looked like the favorites to win the Dusty Rhodes Classic.
NXT seems to be building this partnership, much as they did with Riddle and Pete Dunne last year, and fans can expect a big final between two top teams at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day.
