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Following the announcement of NXT TakeOver: In Your House for next month, the black and gold brand delivered yet again.
Tonight's episode of NXT was another solid edition, with two title matches on the show.
Championship matches are also set for the coming weeks, with next Tuesday's show set to feature a Steel Cage Match between Johnny Gargano and Bronson Reed for the NXT North American title.
Hopefully, NXT continues to tell cohesive stories every week as TakeOver approaches. There may be a few concerns, but things are looking for the black and gold brand. The next few weeks will feel much bigger.
Anyway, let's take a look at the biggest positives and negatives of this week's episode of NXT. What did you think of the show? Sound off in the comments section.
#1 Best: NXT Cruiserweight Championship headlines the show
The main attractions on NXT this week were the two title matches, both of which were great. Raquel Gonzalez retained her NXT Women's Championship against Mercedes Martinez, but the show was headlined by the 2-out-of-3 Falls Match between Cruiserweight Champion, Kushida and Santos Escobar.
Both Superstars brought their best for this contest, which was very good. This was an athletic masterclass. We saw counter after counter from Kushida and Escobar, as their in-ring styles continued to gel as in their previous encounter.
Santos Escobar scored the first fall with a Phantom Driver before the Cruiserweight Champion leveled things up with an Armbar. As the second fall was taking place, lead commentator Vic Joseph spontaneously yelled at the production truck to delay the scheduled commercial. That was a nice touch from him.
Anyway, the action during the final fall was scintillating. But it didn't seem like Kushida was going to lose, as he had just recently won the Cruiserweight Title. The Time Splitter claimed victory after hitting a suplex, bridging through and trapping Escobar's arms. This championship bout did well as the main event, proving to be a fantastic showcase for both men.
Kushida is set to have a strong run as the Cruiserweight Champion, while Santos Escobar will likely move up the card on NXT. The Emperor of Lucha Libre could do very well in the upper midcard of the black and gold brand.
#1 Worst: Karrion Kross is set to defend the NXT Championship less than three weeks before TakeOver: In Your House
NXT opened with a follow-up from a backstage incident on last week's episode, as Karrion Kross took on Austin Theory. The member of The Way was impressive and showed his tremendous potential, but the win was always going to go to the NXT Champion. What happened after the match was the bigger story.
Kross was confronted by a host of potential challengers, all of whom had fought for the NXT Championship recently. Finn Balor appeared behind him tonight, in a callback to how their feud started. He's cut the line to get a rematch for the NXT Title.
The bout will take place on NXT in two weeks. This was a little confusing, as TakeOver: In Your House has been announced for mid-June. It is exactly a month away, so now might be a good time to begin announcing matches for the event.
NXT's plans for the world title picture at TakeOver won't be fully known until this rematch is done. However, this does not lend well to any new story that may begin for the event.
We may be proven wrong, but booking an NXT Title match so close to TakeOver seems ill-advised.
#2 Best: Cameron Grimes vs. Ted DiBiase is the most entertaining feud on NXT
Cameron Grimes has grown into one of the most entertaining Superstars under the entire WWE umbrella, let alone NXT. His gimmick of being a lucky millionaire has yielded gold from the day he returned, with his skits getting funnier every week.
NXT has struck gold by pairing Grimes with WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase. From watch showrooms to VIP clubs, The Million Dollar Man has gotten the best of him everywhere when it comes to cash. This week took it up a notch, with Grimes looking to buy a beautiful house at an auction.
He was leading the bidding and close to sealing the deal before DiBiase raised a bid of $20 million. This left the NXT star shocked, as he proceeded to have a meltdown. It was great, furthering Cameron Grimes' frustration at being outdone by The Million Dollar Man at every turn.
WWE rarely ever does good comedy, but this is a visible exception. While there should be an eventual payoff for Cameron Grimes following these segments with Ted DiBiase, they will do so for now. How will he get back at the Hall of Famer?
Maybe, in an attempt to outbid him, Grimes could lose all of his money and go back to being a "regular man" again. The concept itself sounds hilarious, and he would be able to pull it off.
#2 Worst: Breezango don't feel like former NXT Tag Team Champions at all
This point is more of a general observation than specific to this week's NXT. Breezango enjoyed their best performance in a while tonight, putting over MSK in the process. The match was a bunch of fun, with the referee randomly joining in the action at one point.
The NXT Tag Team Champions predictably picked up the victory, but not before a competitive showing from Breeze and Fandango. Breezango showed some respect to MSK after the match. However, it might seem like time for Tyler Breeze and Fandango to change things up.
Neither of them has won a single match in 2021. Breezango's last victory came almost eight months ago, back when they were NXT Tag Team Champions. The veterans are short on credibility at the moment, with a victory over them not really meaning much.
Surely, the black and gold brand could have booked them better, even if it meant one or two wins in the past few months. Breezango is a talented duo and can be so much more than they are on NXT. Perhaps it's time for them to go back to RAW or SmackDown.
#3 Best: Bobby Fish returns to NXT
What seemed like a standard heater match for Kyle O'Reilly on NXT, against Oney Lorcan, ended up being the gateway for a very interesting return.
Bobby Fish returned to NXT and saved O'Reilly from a beatdown at the hands of Lorcan and Pete Dunne. This was his first appearance in five months, as he suffered an arm injury during the WarGames match between The Undisputed Era and the Kings of NXT.
The aftermath of Kyle O'Reilly's Unsanctioned Match with Adam Cole is something to keep an eye out for on NXT. While he has been a regular on TV recently, Cole merely appeared in an interview that barely went anywhere. Roderick Strong quit NXT on the show's Tuesday Premiere.
It remains to be seen if Fish definitively picks a side following the death of the Undisputed Era, as he was absent from its entire break-up angle. He and O'Reilly were friendly with each other but did not properly reunite.
What comes next in this drama is anybody's guess. Hopefully, if Adam Cole does face Kyle O'Reilly once more, the match will not go beyond half an hour. How big of a part will Bobby Fish play in the rest of this story? We will find out in the coming weeks on NXT.
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