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This week, WWE NXT made the final build towards its upcoming event titled Deadline for Saturday night. The creative team set up two Triple Threat Matches to determine who would be the final entrant in the Men’s and Women’s Iron Survivor Challenges, respectively.
Meanwhile, a few main roster superstars showed up to surprise fans and built new rivalries. It will be interesting to see if the main roster superstars work on the brand for some time.
The rivalry between Indus Sher and The Creed Brothers also heated up on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, Dijak was not ready to sit back and wait for a shot at the North American Championship.
Take a look at the five things WWE NXT got right on the episode before Deadline.
#5. Axiom qualified for the Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge
Andre Chase, Axiom, and Von Wagner battled to claim the final spot on the men’s Iron Survivor Challenge for WWE NXT Deadline. Wagner took control of the contest early and used his strength to lay out his opponents.
Axiom and Chase worked together for some time and hit a double suplex on Wagner before Axiom hit a dive to the outside. All three men were impressive in the contest and used some excellent moves to keep the action ticking.
Axiom hit a standing moonsault on Chase before Wagner wiped them out of the ring. After exchanging some good moves, Axiom hit the Golden Ratio for the win.
Many would have expected Wagner to pick up the win on Tuesday night. However, Axiom is the most experienced performer and deserves to compete in the big match at NXT Deadline. He will be among the favorites to pick up a surprise win at the show.
#4. Tony D'Angelo made a successful return to the ring on WWE NXT
Tony D’Angelo returned to the ring on WWE NXT after recovering from an injury. He took on Xyon Quinn in a singles match on the show.
D’Angelo went on the attack early before Quinn recovered to hit him with some big shots in the corner. The Don regained control of the contest, but Quinn leveled him with a Samoan Drop.
The two men exchanged some moves before Tony caught Quinn and hit him with the Flatliner to pick up the win. The match wasn’t entertaining, but fans finally saw The Don back in the ring.
D’Angelo called out Wes Lee after the contest, and the North American Champion gladly answered his call. Dijak appeared to warn both men to keep his name out of their mouths before Stacks nailed Lee with a kick.
It would be good to see the three men compete in a Triple Threat Match for the North American Championship. They have very different wrestling styles that could help them put on a good show.
#3. Drew Gulak showed up to monitor Charlie Dempsey
Hank Walker and Charlie Dempsey competed in a singles match on WWE NXT. The former tried to use his strength before Dempsey grounded him with good grapples and holds.
Dempsey wore down his opponent on the mat with his superior technical skills. This brought out WWE RAW star Drew Gulak, who watched the newcomer up close.
Dempsey locked in the Kimura Lock before going for a single-leg Boston Crab before picking up the win with a knee bar. The youngster's display of technical wrestling was splendid.
For those who don’t know, Dempsey is the son of British legend William Regal. With rumors of Regal’s return to WWE circulating on the internet, it’s good to see him pick up a win on the show.
Gulak is a top technical wrestler who is criminally underutilized by WWE. He could take Dempsey under his wing to create a new faction comprising superior technical wrestlers.
#2. Indi Hartwell became the final competitor for the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge
Fallon Henley, Wendy Choo, and Indi Hartwell met in the last match of WWE NXT to determine who would qualify for the women’s Iron Survivor Challenge.
Indi had the power advantage in the match and used it well to gain control early. She hit Henley with a big boot at ringside before stomping down Choo in the corner. Fallon Henley took control of the contest for some time but failed to put either of her opponents away.
Choo caught Henley with a brainbuster but could not get the pin. She hit a corner slingshot splash on Henley before Hartwell threw Choo out and caught Henley with a running forearm for the win.
This wasn’t the best match on the card, but the result was right. Indi Hartwell has worked hard on NXT for years and deserves a few top chances.
Her heel turn has helped her gain more prominence, and a good showing in the Women's Iron Survivor Challenge at NXT Deadline could indeed prepare her for bigger assignments.
#1. New Day interrupted Pretty Deadly to set up a big match for WWE NXT Deadline
Pretty Deadly recited a poem for Christmas dressed as Santa Claus and an elf on WWE NXT. The tag team champions spoke about how they were the top team on the roster and how no one could come close to them.
Kit Wilson and Elton Prince were interrupted by SmackDown’s New Day right away. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods asked them who would get a shot at the NXT Tag Team Championship at Deadline before booking a championship match for themselves.
A brawl broke out between the two sides before New Day covered Pretty Deadly’s heads with presents before superkicking them off the apron. It was a pleasant surprise to see New Day on the brand.
The duo has been unsuccessful at winning the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championships on SmackDown. Instead, they can win the NXT Tag Team Titles or give Pretty Deadly a good push at the Deadline.
