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The Dusty Rhodes Classic continued to light up WWE NXT this week. A couple of matches were scheduled for the men's teams, while the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Classic also kicked off.
The Fight Pit match between Tomasso Ciampa and Thimothy Thatcher was also on the cards for this week’s WWE NXT, adding a special touch to the show. Finn Balor was looking to get back at Pete Dunne and his men, while the WWE NXT Women’s Champion was expected to make a return.
Karrion Kross competed in yet another squash match, and it seems like the creatives will need to think of another way to build the dominant Superstar going forward.
Tyler Rust tried to continue his impressive run in a match against Bronson Reed, but The Colossal One was able to take out the newcomer with ease after a good match.
A few surprising decisions helped WWE NXT score a better overall grade, and it looks like Curt Stallion will be joining Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado to take down Legado del Fantasma.
Let’s take a look at the 5 things WWE NXT got right on this week’s show.
#5 Johnny Gargano and KUSHIDA continued their rivalry on WWE NXT
The Way’s Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory were overconfident this week on WWE NXT as they made their entry into the Dusty Rhodes Classic. KUSHIDA and former NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff came out to compete in their first match of the tournament.
Theory was impressive at first and Gargano became far too confident after he came into the match. Both men soon learned from their mistakes, as their opponents continued to deliver some impressive strikes and technical offense.
Theory and Gargano decided to isolate Ruff for the middle part of the match, but the young Superstar fought through. He kicked out of a Spinning Neckbreaker and hit a Springboard Cutter to find an opening and tag KUSHIDA in.
The action between Gargano and KUSHIDA was intense and allowed fans to get a glimpse of what to expect in the future from the NXT North American Championship scene. After some more drama, the Japanese Superstar pinned The Rebel Heart clean with a Hammerlock Suplex.
The match was good and allowed Ruff and KUSHIDA to shine. While the faces picked up the victory, it was Gargano and Theory who impressed more. The two seem to have the chemistry to make a good tag team, and The Rebel Heart seems to be the perfect mentor for Theory, who has now been in several different partnerships.
KUSHIDA was allowed to pin the NXT North American Champion and it’s now more clear than ever that he must be the next challenger to Gargano’s title.
#4 Lucha House Party stunned Imperium on WWE NXT
The former WWE NXT Tag Team Champions walked into this match with the size and strength advantage. However, WWE RAW’s Lucha House Party was looking to make a grand start to their Dusty Rhodes Classic journey.
Imperium had the experience and looked to ground the high-flyers early. However, Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado remained explosive for the beginning portion of the match to stay on top.
Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner took back control from the RAW tag team and they used their power to great advantage. They slammed the Lucha House Party with some great double-team moves and kept the pressure on.
While Imperium was the favorite to win the match and progress in the Dusty Rhodes Classic, Dorado caught Barthel alone and delivered a Superkick followed by the Shooting Star Press. His efforts earned The Lucha House Party a massive victory on WWE NXT.
The match was good and the ending was unexpected. The mixed bookings of the tournament should help the fans stay interested throughout. The Lucha House Party has been getting a lot more opportunities and victories in WWE lately, and they could end up winning their first titles together soon.
#3 Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro pick up their biggest victory on WWE NXT
Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro have been competing as a tag team for some time on WWE NXT. On the other hand, the company forged an alliance between Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez for the NXT Dusty Rhodes Classic.
Storm and Martinez admitted in a backstage segment that they weren’t friends but would work together to come out victorious. Beth Phoenix was given the honors to begin the first-ever Women’s Dusty Rhodes Classic, and the two teams kicked off the action.
Carter was impressive early on and managed to hold her own against Martinez. The former WWE NXT UK Women’s Champion tagged in but was also outdone by Carter and Catanzaro.
While the more experienced heels took back control of the match, Io Shirai appeared to attack Martinez on the outside.
This allowed Storm to take a Corkscrew 630 splash to allow the faces to win the match and stun the WWE NXT Universe. After the match, a brawl broke out between Storm and Shirai backstage.
The match was fun and allowed a more established tag team to pick up the victory. While it seemed like Storm and Martinez would cruise through, WWE NXT has some other plans for them. Both women will likely get in contention for the WWE NXT Women’s Championship next.
#2 Finn Balor picked up a partnership with The Undisputed ERA on WWE NXT
Tensions are rising high in WWE NXT in the absence of Pat McAfee. While the leader of The Kings of NXT has been away for some time now, Pete Dunne, Danny Burch, and Oney Lorcan have been creating chaos on the Black & Gold brand.
Dunne has been eyeing Finn Balor and his WWE NXT Championship since his return, while Burch and Lorcan have targeted the Undisputed ERA time and time again. This week, Dunne once again stated that he was coming for Balor’s title sooner than later.
However, The Prince was focused on taking down Burch and Lorcan instead, and barged into William Regal’s office to get a match against the WWE NXT Tag Team Champions. Regal agreed to accept Balor’s request, only if he could find himself a partner.
The Prince later approached his arch-rival Kyle O’Reilly and asked him to join forces to take down the heels. KOR accepted the invitation as Adam Cole and Roderick Strong watched on.
This was a phenomenal segment that will allow two of WWE NXT’s best Superstars to tag together and give fans a dream team. On the other hand, this could also lead to The Undisputed ERA imploding in the coming months.
#1 Timothy Thatcher ruled the Fight Pit in WWE NXT once again
The much-awaited match between Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa took place on WWE NXT in the Fight Pit. The pre-match weigh-in saw both men almost get in a fight before WWE NXT GM William Regal separated them.
The unique Fight Pit structure allowed Ciampa to dominate early on and take the fight to his opponent. After trading some blows, both men fell from the top into the steel pit below.
Thatcher got back in control, targeting Ciampa’s elbow, and enjoyed punishing The Blackheart. A low-blow allowed Ciampa to gain back control and then plant Thatcher with the Fairy Tale Ending.
However, Thatcher used a brutal submission hold on Ciampa’s leg to make him tap out and remain undefeated in the Fight Pit in NXT.
The match lived up to its hype and allowed fans to get some nonstop physical action. Thatcher gets a chance to push ahead on WWE NXT, while Ciampa got a shot to main-event a weekly show after a long time. Both men will likely get into some top rivalries following this match.
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