Best of NXT this week (31st January)

The first show for WWE NXT after a TakeOver event is usually a huge recap of the TakeOver show with perhaps one or two insignificant matches.

This week, however, aside from the usual recaps of the previous nights show, we did get some welcome returns and story creations going into the next couple of months before TakeOver: New Orleans as well as a Nikki Cross match against Lacey Evans.

TM61 return

After two weeks of NXT TV showing the NXT Universe why we should love the Australian Tag Team, and showed the pain and hardship they have been through since Shane Thorne's injury, we were finally able to see the boys back in action against The Ealy Brothers.

Even after a nasty knee injury that kept them out a year, Thorne was able to pull off his usual high-flying moves and the best friends were able to beat the brothers Ealy in the end.

After the match, TM61 let everyone know that they were not TM61 anymore, they were much more than that. They referred to "The Mighty Don't Kneel", which was their Indy tag team name, and then finished off repeating "The Mighty".

Shayna Baszler Promo

Baszler continues to hurt her colleagues but fall short in the big matches

Baszler has had a few matches in NXT and a couple in the Mae Young Classic, but has lost her two most important fights in the Classic Final against Kairi Sane and then to Ember Moon at TakeOver for the NXT Women's Title. It was important then that there be an overarching story from her around why this was and have her continue her strong positioning on TV.

Shayna smirked when asked why things didn't go her way, and asked how she looked on TV compared to how Moon was doing in the trainer's room.

This was important and looks like the business is not finished between her and Moon leading up to TakeOver: New Orleans, and perhaps sets up a babyface return for Kairi Sane to NXT after her injury.

TakeOver Main Event highlight package

Almas retained his NXT Championship at TakeOver Philly

As mentioned, this NXT after TakeOver is usually a highlight show with a few TakeOver dark matches sprinkled in, and whilst this is cool to remind us of the fun a few days earlier, can sometimes come across as a bit thoughtless.

This package, however, was excellent. With the match being so good at TakeOver between Gargano and Almas, and even garnering a 5* review from Dave Meltzer, the package was able to highlight the many amazing parts of the match as well having the Asking Alexandria song over the top to give a sense of moment for the match.

The show also featured an aftermath shot of Tommaso Ciampa, leaving the arena and ignoring all the journalists trying to get a statement from him after attacking Gargano.

WWE UK Championship #1 Contender

2 losses in a row cannot feel good for Tyler

This was a very welcome addition to a recap show usually devoid of meaningful matches, when UK competitor Tyler Bate and Roderick Strong were pitted together to determine who would face Pete Dunne next for the UK Championship.

The odds were in Tyler's favour to get a win here on face value, largely due to him being the first UK Champion and his NXT Match of the Year award a few days earlier, which incidentally was against Pete Dunne at TakeOver: Chicago.

The match didn't go Tyler's way however and Roderick was able to pick up the win following some hard looking backbreakers which stopped Tyler from carrying out his usual strongman moves.

Great news for Strong and the NXT fans who will get to see a great match between him and Dunne, however, it was off Bate was put in that position following a loss on 205 Live the night before as well.