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It's one of the most exciting hours of WWE action you'll see all week. Perhaps because it is just one hour, but definitely because it is always absolutely packed with action!
Every match happens for a reason, every segment is there for a reason - NXT may just be the most logical hour of wrestling you'll watch all week, and it always brings the wood.
This week, WWE was on the road to WrestleMania, and NXT is definitely pedal to the metal on the road to NXT TakeOver: New Orleans - not least with The continuation of the Dusty Rhodes Classic and a HUGE contract signing.
With one hour of action one month away from TakeOver, what five things did we take away from this week's NXT?
Here's our analysis of this week's incredible edition!
#5 NXT's Tag Team Division is stacked!
If you've been watching NXT for the past year, this comes as no surprise - but it's always worth noting, particularly on a show with two high-stakes tag team matches that don't involve the current champions.
It's also worth noting that the Dusty Classic used to see more singles competitors thrown together than actual tag teams performing, and that's definitely not true for this year's competition. This week's action saw SAnitY take on Riddick Moss and Tino Sabatelli, and Heavy Machinery take on The Street Profits - and both matches delivered the goods in very different ways.
First up was SAnitY's Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe against Moss and Sabatelli in what was an incredibly entertaining match. This was one of those matches where the conclusion was probably never really in doubt, but Sabatelli and Moss had a great showing both in terms of in-ring work and character, making me think they definitely have a big future in WWE.
Sabatelli and Moss actually spent much of this match on top, and SAnitY did resort to some dirty tactics with both Young and Wolfe knocking their opponents off the apron on different occasions. The real star of this match was the ending though, with SAnitY proving yet again to be one of the most unique teams in WWE.
Nikki Cross hit Moss with a crossbody as Young and Wolfe hit Sabatelli with a belly-to-back suplex and neck breaker combination for the win.
The other tag team match was one with a slightly less predictable outcome when Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight took on Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins. This one had a cool moment at the start when Ford took a drink and he offered it to Otis, sliding to Dozovic to gives him the cup. Otis finished the drink, tossed the cup to Ford before taking him to Clothesline City.
This was a pretty fun match overall which saw some really cool moves, like a corkscrew splash and a Thesz Press and splash from competitors on either side. - Dawkins hit the DDT and Ford tagged in to deliverer frog splash for the three count.
When you think of the tag teams not in action - The Undisputed ERA, Authors of Pain, the new arrivals of War Machine - NXT has tag teams in abundance!
#4 The NXT Women's Division is becoming VERY interesting!
Onto a division that has had some criticism recently for the next takeaway - and this one got very exciting!
So, we did see a pretty short match when Lacey Evans took on Dakota Kai in a match where Kai got the roll-up victory pretty quickly, but it was what happened after the match that grabbed the attention.
After the match, Shayna Baszler's music hits and she makes a beeline for Dakota Kai, only for Kai to back off with a look of fear on her face. The referee tries to keep Baszler away from Kai, but the save is made when Ember Moon's theme hits!
We get a pretty cool staredown where Ember Moon asks Baszler if she really wants to do it again, saying Baszler started this, but she will end this at TakeOver. The pair started scrapping with officials unable to keep the pair apart.
There's a pretty cool exchange with both women grounding each other with strikes, then Moon goes up top but Bazler catches her with a wrist lock.
Dakota Kai comes back out, however, and kicks Baszler before Ember Moon hits the Eclipse!
This is now an angle that's completely captured the attention - and again, the talent not featured in this angle is notable when you think of Nikki Cross from the previous note, The Iconic Duo, Kairi Sane and Bianca Belair.
#3 Whenever Ciampa has a mic, Gargano has an army
Will we ever hear Ciampa speak? Last week, he didn't get a word out. This time, Tommaso Ciampa lifted the microphone to his mouth, only for the crowd to drown him out with chants for Johnny Gargano. When Ciampa eventually gets a word in, the crowd boos Ciampa.
Well, we eventually get a statement...of sorts. Ciampa says Johnny is gone amidst chants of "Johnny Wrestling" before the jeering gets too much - forcing Ciampa to leave the ring and make his exit to the swansong of the audience.
The moral of the story, Ciampa can draw heat, possibly like no-one else in WWE right now - and the crowd is 100% behind Johnny Gargano. I can't wait to see how this plays out.
#2 WWE UK Championship matches never disappoint
For anyone who has ever seen Pete Dunne in the ring, you know the man is a complete attention magnet. Whenever the Bruiserweight is in the ring, eyes are glued to the squared circle. Now, add Adam Cole to the mix and you knew this was going to be great.
As always, the WWE United Kingdom Champion brought it. Dunne didn't only make a beeline for Cole, he even went after the current NXT Tag Team Champions on the floor.
This match had all the makings of a classic, with Dunne and Cole exchanging kicks and holds with all the aggression you'd expect. Storytelling was prevalent here with Dunne bending fingers and injured body parts being focused on.
We saw a plethora of forearms and elbows between Cole and Dunne, and Dunne even went for the Bitter End, but Cole escaped and hits a lungblower.
We saw some more incredible striking action before Cole went for the Shining Wizard, only to miss and be caught by Dunne for a German suplex. Dunne went for another Bitter End but Fish and O'Reilly got on the apron - before the Bruiserweight eliminated that problem. Cole hit a superkick off the distraction then Last Shot...but Dunne kicks out at two.
Dunne yet again went for the Bitter End but Kyle O'Reilly hits Pete from behind and the referee calls for the bell.
But it wasn't done there. The Undisputed Era laid waste to Dunne before Roderick Strong came out to make the save, but he lost out to the numbers game before Dunne recovered to help him clean house.
Strong went for the handshake, but Dunne refused. This one isn't over.
#1 The enemy of my enemy is my friend
Well, this is a phrase ever prevalent when you think of Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne, but it came back into play in the final segment of NXT, too - the contract for the NXT Title match at Takeover.
Aleister Black and Andrade Cien Almas where due to make the match official - but the Champion isn't there. Instead, Zelina Vega takes his place. Vega comments that if Almas was here, he would destroy Black until there was nothing left but it's her duty to make sure that happens in New Orleans.
Black takes the contract and gives it to Vega, completely ignoring her comments. The enigmatic superstar then moves the table, takes a mic and sits down in the center of the ring, commenting that now they are on the same level.
Black questions why Almas is not here, suggesting that the champion is not here and Vega slaps Black, telling him to sign the contract. Black signs the contract and leaves the ring before Vega tells him he is nothing.
Black responds that he is happy Zelina Vega came alone because he did not.
Candice LeRae is in the building!
The wife of Johnny Gargano, Almas' most recent rival, makes her way to the ring and attacks Zelina Vega. LeRae and Vega fight on the announce table before Candice LeRae hits an Acid Drop and the unlikely partnership gives Zelina Vega her comeuppance.
I'd say NXT is hotting up on the road to TakeOver: New Orleans, but it seems like we're always at a melting point on the hour-long Wednesday show. One thing is for sure, next week is unmissable!
