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WWE NXT delivered one of its best episodes of the year this past week as several high profile matches delivered. The tag team division of NXT kicked off the night with a great match to crown the #1 contender to Breezango’s NXT Tag Team Championships, and it was all uphill from thereon.
The cruiserweights of NXT showed a united front against the heelish Ledao del Fantasma. Ember Moon revealed in an interview that the only brand she wanted to return to after being cleared from injury was the NXT brand.
Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae competed in the best matches of the night to show why they are the Power Couple of NXT.
Former NXT United Kingdom Women’s Champion Toni Storm returned to the Black and Gold brand this week and defeated Aliyah during the show. Imperium handed Killian Dain and Drake Maverick a loss, while Damian Priest and Dexter Lumis main evented the show.
In this article, we will look at the five things WWE NXT got right on this week’s show.
#5 Isaiah "Swerve" Scott finds some backup on WWE NXT
Ashante "Thee" Adonis got a match against Jake Atlas this week on WWE NXT, and both men looked to impress the NXT Universe.
Atlas’ speed and athleticism helped him get the upper hand over Adonis, who was looking for his first victory against a major star. While the match was going well, Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde appeared, to distract both men. This allowed Atlas to take advantage and catch Adonis with an inside cradle to pick up the victory.
After the match, Mendoza and Wilde tried to attack Adonis. However, Atlas helped his opponent out and dived on both men to send them running. Santos Escobar then emerged to join his faction members in attacking the two faces, but Isaiah "Swerve" Scott arrived with steel chairs to send the heels running.
While Legado del Fantasma has been looking to destroy the entire cruiserweight division of WWE, they’ve had several setbacks in their plans. However, Escobar has managed to defend his NXT Cruiserweight Championship against different competitors, but it seems like Scott will be able to take him down sooner rather than later.
For now, it’s good to see Atlas and Scott take Adonis with them in this fight, and it will likely help the newer NXT Superstar gain some momentum in the mid-card.
#4 The Undisputed ERA find themselves in contention for a title again in WWE NXT
Kyle O’Reilly warned that whoever injured Adam Cole during NXT TakeOver 31 would pay for their actions. He also announced that a second “Golden Prophecy” was coming with Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish taking the lead by becoming the NXT Tag Team Champions.
The Brit-Am Connection were ready to give Undisputed ERA a tough fight as both teams competed for a shot at Breezango’s NXT Tag Team titles. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch took the fight to the multi-time Tag Team Champions early before the heels got into the action.
Tyler Breeze and Fandango watched on as Strong and Fish started to work on Lorcan before he was able to tag Burch back into the match.
Lorcan and Burch almost picked up the victory by taking down Strong but Fish managed to break the pin. A jumping knee from The Messiah of the Backbreaker ended The Brit-Am Connection’s hopes as he managed to pin Lorcan for the victory.
This was a fun match, and even though The Brit-Am Connection deserves a run with the NXT Tag Team Championships, it was the Undisputed ERA who needed the spotlight.
With Adam Cole injured and his storyline with Ridge Holland taking a hit, NXT needed to do something to ensure that their premier faction remained in the spotlight.
#3 Johnny Gargano shows Austin Theory how to work the mat in WWE NXT
WWE NXT has excelled at hosting heel vs heel matches, and we were treated to another such match between Austin Theory and Johnny Gargano this week.
Before the match, both Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae explained that they’d become champions soon. Gargano seemed more focused on the NXT North American Championship as compared to Theory.
Theory took advantage of the situation and targetted Gargano early to keep him on the backfoot. Gargano soon snapped back and took the fight to Theory.
While Gargano was all over Theory, Theory caught him with the ATL. Gargano refused to stay down, even after Theory hit him with a Superkick.
The Rebel Heart avoided a couple of ATL attempts and connected with a Superkick of his own, followed by a Lawn Dart. He hit Theory with the One Final Beat to pick up a big victory over the young NXT Superstar.
This was a great match for both men. It was arguably Theory’s best match in WWE as he got a chance to compete against the best.
While Theory has picked up losses ever since he returned to NXT, he’s had the opportunity to compete against some of the best WWE Superstars.
#2 Damian Priest and Dexter Lumis trade blows on WWE NXT
Dexter Lumis got his shot at the NXT North American Champion Damian Priest on this week’s WWE NXT. Lumis had defeated Austin Theory in his return match last week, but he was attacked by Cameron Grimes right after the match.
This week, he had a huge opportunity as The Archer of Infamy returned to the ring to defend his title. Lumis managed to creep out Priest early, but the NXT North American Champion showed Lumis his dark side.
Lumis managed to keep Priest down for some time, and did not stay down long even after The Archer threw his best at him. Priest’s height helped him getcaught in the kata gatame later in the match, after which Grimes attacked Lumis behind the referee’s back.
Priest hit Lumis with the South of Heaven and pinned him to retain his title. The Champion then took out The Technical Savage with the Reckoning.
While the NXT North American Champion was celebrating his victory, Johnny Gargano struck him from behind with a steel chair. William Regal announced that the two men will compete for the NXT North American Championship at NXT Halloween Havoc.
This was a fun match that allowed Lumis to compete against a reigning champion. Having Grimes interfere to allow Priest to win was smart, but NXT could have saved this big match for a TakeOver event.
Gargano will get a shot at the NXT North American Championship once again, and this time we could see him take out his opponent.
#1 Candice LeRae and Shotzi Blackheart put on a showstopper on WWE NXT
Candice LeRae and Shotzi Blackheart came face to face again this week as they competed in a great singles match on WWE NXT. Blackheart tried to take the fight to her opponent early and managed to get some offence in before LeRae knocked her into the steel post and sent her face-first into the apron.
The two women showed great chemistry and gave fans some incredible moments to remember. The Poison Pixie hit Blackheart with a suplex off the second rope and a beautiful springboard moonsault, but could not keep her down for the three count.
Blackheart tried to hit LeRae with the diving senton, but she managed to escape. Right when Blackheart was making a great comeback, Indi Hartwell appeared to pass The Poison Pixie brass knuckles.
LeRae blasted Blackheart with the illegal weapon to pick up the victory. This was a fun match that was fast-paced from the beginning to the end.
The two women gave us another excellent match. It was later revealed that The Poison Pixie will once again challenge Io Shirai for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT Halloween Havoc.
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