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WWE NXT saw one of the most incredible nights of wrestling that fans have seen in some time. There were multiple title matches on the show, while the night was opened by the NXT Champion himself, Karrion Kross.
Also battling on the night were Raquel Gonzalez, as she looked to retain her title, and Kushida, as he faced his title challenger in a best 2-out-of-3-falls match. Leon Ruff, after he was beaten last week, took on a challenge that he was not ready for. At the same time, Isaiah "Swerve" Scott introduced his new faction.
There are a lot of things in the works now at NXT and this week's episode of the show shaped multiple storylines for possibly months to come. Some of the wrestlers stood out from the crowd and showed why they were thought to be the best in the world at what they did.
The following are five wrestlers from this week's NXT who proved they are forces to be reckoned with.
#5 Pete Dunne took out his frustration during WWE NXT
Last week, Leon Ruff battled Isaiah "Swerve" Scott in what can only be called a star-making match. He managed to challenge Swerve and go toe-to-toe with him.
For a while, it appeared as if he could even beat Scott, but his opponent proved to be too strong. Scott's backup in the form of AJ Francis meant that Ruff lost. He was not willing to sit back on NXT and demanded a match from William Regal, who refused to give him one.
Pete Dunne was frustrated with Karrion Kross's decision to accept Finn Balor's title challenge and wanted to wrestle, so he was out to fight. Ruff accepted his challenge and assaulted him, but Dunne showcased why Ruff is still a rookie in NXT.
The former NXT UK Champion destroyed Leon Ruff, manipulating his arms, and then put him in a modified Triangle Choke while hitting him with elbows to the head, knocking him out, while the referee called for the bells.
The absolute domination showcased by Dunne reminded the audience once again of how he held onto the NXT UK title for so long.
#4 Raquel Gonzalez defended her NXT Women's Championship
Raquel Gonzalez defended her NXT Women's Championship this week on the show against her long-time rival, Mercedes Martinez. After Gonzalez won the title, there was a target on her back as Martinez appeared to make her presence felt on NXT.
Martinez brought out all the stops in the match, hitting Gonzalez with a rolling neckbreaker, a spear, and everything in between. Despite all that she did, Martinez was not able to pin her.
Gonzalez survived a number of knees but came back to showcase her power with a huge boot. She then hit Martinez with an extremely powerful powerbomb for the three-count to take her out.
Raquel Gonzalez was in an all-out war with Martinez, but she emerged as the survivor. Such performances only add to the reputation she has started to build in NXT and it seems that she has a lot more to show. While it's early in her title run, Gonzalez has showcased that she is both athletic and very aware of where she is in the ring.
#3 Isaiah "Swerve" Scott introduced his new NXT faction
Last week's NXT saw Isaiah "Swerve" Scott have one of the best matches of his life against Leon Ruff. While it was Ruff's showcase, in the end, it was Scott who won the match, thanks to backup. AJ Francis's interference in the match proved to be the clincher as he defeated Ruff after showing off his immense confidence and in-ring ability.
This week's episode of NXT saw Scott debut a new faction. Scott now has permanent support, as he has recruited three superstars to his new faction — Hit Row.
He introduced the faction out in the ring and talked about how he wanted to recruit those who were following the same path as he was. He gave each of the members time to speak out as they gave themselves a brief introduction.
Ashante "Thee" Adonis spoke out talking about himself before B-FAB introduced herself as well. Top Dolla, aka AJ Francis, also talked about himself, and the fans got an idea of the strength of the faction.
Now, Isaiah "Swerve" Scott looks better than ever and may be a major factor in the future in NXT.
#2 Karrion Kross made a statement on NXT
This week's episode of WWE NXT was opened by Karrion Kross as he made his way out to the ring to face Austin Theory. Following an ambush on Kross the previous week, Theory was in a good mood, but it didn't last.
The NXT Champion made his presence felt early on in the match. While Theory brought his A-game and Johnny Gargano was at ringside to help, Kross had the clear advantage on the night.
He dominated most of the match and showcased his wrestling ability, beating down Theory. He took most of the moves that Theory used and then hit him with two Doomsday Saitos. He knocked out Theory with a running elbow, before putting him in the Kross Jacket as he stared down Johnny Gargano, who was at ringside.
The message to Gargano was clear and there was little that he could do but stare at Kross as he finished Theory to win the match.
After the match, Kross's next feud was set up as Finn Balor appeared in the ring to challenge Kross to a rematch. Kross accepted, and the two will face each other in two weeks.
#1 Kushida won his NXT 2-out-of-3 falls match
The NXT Cruiserweight Championship was on the line in the main event of the show. The champion, Kushida, defended it against Santos Escobar in an incredible 2-out-of-3-falls match.
Both men assaulted each other with everything from the very beginning as they looked to get the advantage well enough that they would be able to get the first pinfall. Legado del Fantasma was present at ringside to help Escobar, but MSK took them out of the equation to level things for Kushida. The two men in the ring pushed each other to their extremes as they looked to dominate one another. Unfortunately for Kushida, Escobar hit him with the Phantom Driver to claim the first fall.
The first defeat seemed to wake Kushida up, as he attacked Escobar with new aggression. Within seconds, Kushida forced Escobar to tap with a cross armbreaker in the middle of the ring.
After the second fall, the two battled desperately for the third and final fall. They hit each other with everything, but finally, after two Hoverboard Suplexes by Kushida, he was able to put his opponent away to get the win on NXT.
