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Finn Balor opened up WWE NXT this week and called out Karrion Kross right away. The Prince wasnโt afraid to put his NXT title on the line to determine who deserved the championship more. However, Scarlettโs magic allowed the two men to have a championship match late in the show.
LA Knight made his in-ring debut on NXT this week. Knight took on August Grey and managed to defeat his opponent with ease. However, he was mocked by Bronson Reed soon after, who ended up ruining his jacket to set up a possible match between them.
Dexter Lumis and Austin Theory were scheduled for a match on NXT, while Dakota Kai and Zoey Stark locked horns in the middle of the ring. Two NXT UK Superstars returned to the brand and made an impact right away.
With so much happening this Wednesday, letโs take a look at five things WWE got right on NXT this week.
#5 Dexter Lumis put Austin Theory to sleep on WWE NXT
Austin Theory was booked for a match against Dexter Lumis on this weekโs WWE NXT. Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae were unable to make it to the arena to watch the match, but they sent Theory some special gear to get him motivated for his match.
Theory showed his aggressive side and took Lumis out of the ring early on. He used the announce table as a weapon and stayed on top of The Tortured Artist.
Theory kept control of the match for a little longer before Lumis broke free and hit a Spinebuster. The Tortured Artist built some momentum and kept Theory down from thereon. The two men showed a little bit of tension in the ring as they continued to trade some blows.
Late in the match, Theory was taken down by Lumis with a clothesline. Lumis then offered his hand to help Theory up to his feet. Theory was moved by Lumisโs offer and tried to hug him. This allowed Lumis to lock him in a submission move, but Theory managed to counter it.
Lumis locked Theory in the Silence again and made him pass out to pick up the victory. This was a good match that helped Theory grow even more on NXT. Both men have a long way to go, and this contest showcased their talent to the NXT Universe.
The NXT creatives teased a few angles with this match. Theory could end up joining Lumis to take down Gargano in the weeks to come, or he could reinvent himself sooner rather than later.
#4 Legado del Fantsama put down Breezango; Jordan Devlin arrives on WWE NXT
After attacking Legado del Fantasma on WWE NXT last week, Breezango got a match against the heels. Fandango did well early in the match and brought in Tyler Breeze after taking both men down.
Raul Mendoza brought his team back into the match after he knocked Fandango off the top rope. Legado del Fantasma took control of the match from there on, before Breezango made a comeback.
A Supermodel Kick from Breeze to Joaquin Wilde almost helped him pick up the victory, but Mendoza broke up the pin.
Wilde made a blind tag late in the match that helped Legado del Fantasma hit a combination finisher to pick up the victory. As Santos Escobar celebrated with Wilde and Mendoza, Jordan Devlin made his way out to the ring.
The two NXT Cruiserweight Champions came face to face. Escobar challenged Devlin to a match at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, and the NXT UK Superstar replied with a head-butt and a suplex before heading away.
This was a good way to book the match between the two NXT Cruiserweight Champions. Fans have been waiting for this match for some time, and it will be good to have these two NXT cruiserweights compete at TakeOver.
#3 Dakota Kai defeated Zoey Stark; Io Shirai stared down her next possible challenger on WWE NXT
Zoey Stark has already impressed the WWE NXT Universe with her initial performances. Stark had a great match against Io Shirai several weeks ago, and she impressed the NXT Womenโs Champion with her work too.
Dakota Kai came out to take on Stark this week and had Raquel Gonzalez at ringside. The two women exchanged some basic moves early before Stark took her down and started working on her arm.
Kai and Stark then continued to trade some good strikes. Stark was very impressive once again, while Kai showed just how experienced sheโs become over the past few months.
While Stark gained a lot of momentum, Kai nailed her with a Superkick, but could not get the pin. Soon after, Captain Kota hit the Kota Kick on Stark to pick up the victory.
Even though the more experienced Kai picked up the victory, Stark showed her worth in NXT once again. After the match, Io Shirai came out and had a short face-off with Kai before she turned her attention to Gonzalez, who will likely be her next challenger at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
#2 Marcel Barthel and Tommaso Ciampa put on a show; WALTER arrives on WWE NXT
Imperium made their intentions very clear on WWE NXT last week. Marcel Barthel, Fabian Aichner, and Alexander Wolfe revealed that they were back in NXT to get Timothy Thatcher on their side. They even offered Thatcher to bring Tommaso Ciampa with him if he wanted to.
Ciampa shared a match against Barthel on this weekโs show. The Blackheart attacked Aichner when Barthel was making his entrance and then went after his competitor for the night.
It was good to watch Barthel get a singles match in NXT. He tried to gather himself and took control of the match by choking Ciampa against the middle rope.
Ciampa recovered and sent Barthel into Aicher before setting up the Widowโs Bell to pick up the victory. After the match was over, Imperiumโs music hit, and the mighty WALTER arrived.
He signaled to his men to attack Ciampa, as he got into the ring to finish Ciampa off.
This was a great match that has allowed a major storyline to develop. WALTER and Ciampa could end up getting a big match at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Will the custody of Thatcher be on the line at TakeOver?
#1 Karrion Kross and Finn Balor implode on their first night out in WWE NXT
Finn Balor called out Karrion Kross early on WWE NXT. The former NXT Champion answered, and both men seemed to be on the same page. They wanted to face each other to determine who is the rightful NXT Champion.
Scarlett took center stage, but Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch soon came out to claim that Balor should be facing Pete Dunne, not Kross. Scarlett challenged the NXT Tag Team Champions to face Balor and Kross for the titles later in the night.
In the main event, The Herald of Doomsday impressed early on and Balor continued to applaud him. Balor came in next and the NXT Tag Team Champions managed to gain the upper hand but were unable to take control for long.
The fight spilled over to the floor and Balor hit a Sling Blade followed by a running dropkick to Lorcan. This sent Lorcan right into Scarlett by mistake, who hit the floor hard.
The Prince tried to check on her, but the damage had already been done. Kross lost his cool and attacked Balor, sending him into the barricade repeatedly. Lorcan took advantage and finished Balor off in the ring to pick up the victory and retain the titles.
Kross destroyed everything in his sight to end the show. WWE is used to putting rivals together in tag team championship matches to develop some heat between them. However, this move allowed Balor and Kross to fall apart immediately.
Allowing Kross to stand tall after losing his mind was the right call as it makes Balor more vulnerable, especially after the pinfall loss on NXT.
Bayley gives us a HUGE update on a top Superstar's upcoming return RIGHT HERE.
