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The road to WrestleMania weekend is well underway. After what was a memorable Takeover special, the men and women of NXT were out in full force, this week. They managed to be the talk of the town from Royal Rumble weekend, even though the main roster matched them, this time, with a great pay-per-view. Which brings us to this week.
Yet again, this episode of NXT, in our humble opinion, eclipsed every bit of WWE programming this week. This was a short and sweet episode, with an incredible main event. The pace of the show did not drop, even for a minute, through the episode.
Let us know what you thought of the show in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you.
For now, here are five elements of the show that we really thought were interesting.
#5 Hot start, demolition derby finale
The main event that transpired on this show was not the one advertised when the show first started. It was supposed to be Fish and O'Reilly defending their Tag Team Championships against SAnitY, with Killian Dain in a singles match against Adam Cole.
However, the two factions went to war right from when the show kicked off. William Regal had no other choice but to book a six-man tornado tag team match, in the main event spot. And boy oh boy, what a match that was.
We know it's become customary to expect a great showcase from the men and women of NXT every week, but even by those extremely high standards, this was a really good match. Mere words will not do it justice, so we recommend that you watch it on the WWE Network.
Killian Dain from SAnitY scored the win for his stable with the Ulster Plantation.
#4 Do or die situation for Gargano
Johnny Gargano came out to a thunderous ovation this week. Everybody was in awe of the man and the magic he created in the canvas called the squared circle, with the reigning NXT Champion Andrade 'Cien' Almas at Takeover.
Johnny Gargano told the crowd that he may not have won the match, but he certainly did win their respect and admiration. Of course, Zelina Vega and Andrade 'Cien' Almas would not allow Johnny Wrestling to have his moment, as they dubbed him a loser. Soon, Candice LeRae, Gargano's wife would come out to even the odds, once more.
Gargano made his intentions clear. He wanted another shot at the Championship held by the NXT Champion. Much to his dismay, a stipulation was added. If Gargano lost the match, he would have to leave NXT forever.
Looks like a very high stakes match is in the works!
#3 The end of Sabbatelli and Moss?
Now, this was a rather puzzling development, in our opinion. Moss and Sabbatelli were slowly coming into their own, as a cohesive tag team. Even before they could, NXT is teasing the end of the line for the duo. What could possibly be in the works for them?
The issues began when the team delivered rather aggressive tags to one another during their match with Heavy Machinery this week. After suffering a loss, they did not seem to be on the same page.
Are we in for a storyline swerve? Does NXT believe that one man has singles potential and the other has been keeping him down?
The coming weeks should provide us with more answers.
#2 The EST of NXT
With the possible exception of Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane, no other woman from the Mae Young Classic got the same kind of push that Bianca Belair is getting. This week, she mowed through enhancement talent. However, it is clear that she is destined for greatness.
The fact of the matter is that Belair did not even have to lash her opponent with her hair this week. That's a great gimmick to have, but it's also heartening that NXT is building her up as a powerhouse. We wonder what plans Creative has for her.
It would be great to see her in some kind of storyline, down the line. We have a feeling that she's a woman who'll translate well to the main roster as well. The swagger that she has, even when she's just walking to the squared circle is remarkable.
#1 Challenge made and accepted
Shayna Baszler and Ember Moon had a great match at Takeover. Looks like the rivalry is far from over, right now. Shayna Baszler made a challenge this week. Ember Moon accepted, via Twitter.
The two women will square off next week on NXT. Of course, we'll bring you all a summary of the action, in our post-show recap. This should be a great match.
Another point to note: Tyler Bate wants to challenge the best in NXT. Those should be some good matches as well.
This was a great episode of NXT and it was our pleasure bringing you the action.
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