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One hour of action! Like a shot of caffeine, it hits you right away. Unlike the long-winded approach of RAW, NXT delivers its message in a crisp, powerful way. Unlike the underwhelming approach of SmackDown Live, every storyline and feud has a great deal of logic.
This week, we continued our journey towards all the action that will unfold at New Orleans. The Dusty Rhodes Classic kicked off and two forces of nature collided in the main event. There was not a dull moment across the hour-long show.
We have captured the highlights of the show and presented them to you in these 5 points. Do let us know what you thought of this week's entertaining WWE NXT episode in the comments.
Here is our analysis of this highly explosive show!
#5 Not a word was said
In the world of today, where it is so difficult for a heel to get over because the business has been exposed, we must commend Tommaso Ciampa for the incredible job he did. Shortly after the NXT departure of his former best friend, Johnny Gargano, Ciampa stepped into the ringside area and was greeted by a chorus of jeers and boos.
Ciampa seemed like he would cut a promo on the situation. However, he did not say a word through the course of this segment. It was when the audience chanted 'we want Johnny', that he did something very heelish.
He came to an audience member, picked up his Johnny Gargano sign and destroyed it, before the crowd. It was masterfully done, and Ciampa cemented his place as the top heel in all of NXT with this very move.
We do not doubt that Ciampa vs. Gargano is on the cards someday and when it does happen, the match will be an emotional experience!
#4 Different stage, same result
In the year 2016, The Authors of Pain defeated TM61 in the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. This time, the result was no different. The Authors of Pain triumphed and will go on to the next round of the tournament. The match is certainly worth discussing in detail.
The Authors of Pain certainly took a lot more punishment than usual, during the course of the match. They sold for TM61, who seemed to have the upper hand for a majority of the contest. In the hard-hitting final moments, The Authors of Pain narrowly picked up a win.
Miller and Thorn certainly are two gifted individuals but we wonder how effective they'll be in the main roster. As for The Authors of Pain, they seem custom-made for RAW or SmackDown Live, honestly.
They have the size, the look and the gimmick as well.
#3 Interesting backstage confrontations
Shayna Baszler made short work of Kairi Sane last week. This week, she appeared in a backstage segment wondering why NXT Women's Champion Ember Moon was so silent. It's clear that she's still in the NXT Women's Title Picture. We wonder when Moon will answer her big challenge, and if this will lead to a match on WrestleMania 34 weekend.
Another interesting confrontation was between Roderick Strong, Pete Dunne and The Undisputed ERA. As a result of the same, Dunne will square off against Adam Cole for the United Kingdom Championship on next week's show.
#2 Huge push for Bianca Belair
This week, Bianca Belair took on Miss Drew Renee. She made very short work of her opponent, picking up her win with a fallaway powerbomb. It was a short and sweet match. However, this is the one point to note, reader!
Belair is getting the push of a lifetime. Notice how the announcers put her over as the strongest NXT superstar, male or female? WWE has identified attributes they like in Belair and it is certain she will soon be pushed to the moon.
The whiplash of her hair is another incredible weapon in Bianca Belair's arsenal. Great things are in store, in this woman's future.
#1 The two top contenders collided
Andrade 'Cien' Almas had better watch out. Aleister Black defeated Killian Dain this week, and we believe that this puts him ahead of everyone else, to capture the title that Almas now holds. Black has an incredible gimmick and the support of the NXT Universe. This week, Dain made him look very strong indeed.
Black's 'Black Mass' is a very protected move. Even though Dain had the upper hand for most of the match, Black won the match with one Black Mass. When he does collide with Almas, imagine how good the match will be.
We know Almas can deliver on the big stage and so can Aleister Black. This should be the recipe for yet another entertaining 5-star match.
Join us this weekend, for live coverage of Fastlane, the final stop before WrestleMania
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