Top 3 Performers of NXT (May 8, 2019)

NXT bounced back from an admittedly weaker episode last week with a cracking episode this week, with the main event set between Matt Riddle and Adam Cole. Mia Yim opened the episode, as her match against Bianca Belair kicked off the episode. This program was built on a confrontation between the two at the performance center shown in last week's episode. Yim and Belair traded counters back and forth as the fight got warmed up.

Yim got the early advantage though, hitting Belair with a series of strikes. Belair turned the tide of the battle after avoiding a Cannonball Senton in the corner, sending Yim crashing into the turnbuckle. Bianca Belair would get the pinfall victory after rolling up Mia Yim and wrapping her braid around the rope to gain additional leverage. Following the match, security footage showed the Forgotten Sons ambushing the Viking Raiders.

Another video package showing Io Shirai attacking Shayna Baszler and the Horsewomen while the latter was training at the Performance Center. Back in the ring though, Raul Mendoza faced off against Riddick Moss who was returning from a long lay off from injury. Despite Moss being the one coming back from a long lay off, it was Mendoza that looked much more exciting, though his luchador style did make him almost fall short when he went for a springboard crossbody. Mendoza got the impressive victory after hitting a Springboard Corkscrew Plancha for the pin.

Finally, the main event of the episode saw Matt Riddle take on Undisputed Era's Adam Cole. Riddle had attacked the Undisputed Era as they looked to interrupt Roderick Strong's match against Johnny Gargano. Riddle managed to take out Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish before he was taken out by Adam Cole. Riddle tried to end the fight early looking for the Bro-mission, but Cole managed to escape and roll out of the ring.

While Riddle has used a predominantly strike based offense since joining NXT, the former MMA fighter threw Cole around the ring with a series of Gut Wrench Suplexes. The fight eventually broke down with the two exchanging a series of strikes which finished with Cole hitting Riddle with an Enziguiri only for Riddle to fire back with a German Suplex.

Cole seemed to have the match one after landing the Last Shot, only for Riddle to become the second person to kick out. Roderick Strong would then come out to help Adam Cole, but after catching a superkick in the face Riddle managed to lock in the Bro-Mision forcing Adam Cole to tap. Once again NXT ended with the Undisputed Era arguing continuing the long tease of their break up.

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#3 Raul Mendoza

Like his former Tag Team partner, Humberto Carrillo, Raul Mendoza looks to be turning his NXT career around. Carrillo impressed towards the end of last year with his fight against Jaxson Ryker, while Mendoza defeated the returning Riddick Moss. Mendoza played the smaller man against the much bigger Moss. However, unlike his tag team partner, Mendoza managed to pick up the victory.

While Mendoza did have a few missteps in the match, his fast pace offense certainly made the match more exciting in comparison to Moss' slow powerhouse moves. The victory, capped off by a Springboard Corkscrew Plancha, was Mendoza's first of NXT TV since his debut for the brand almost 2 years ago. Mendoza was signed a year after competing in the inaugural Cruiserweight Classic where he lost in the first round to The Brian Kendrick.

Mendoza did recently appear alongside Carrillo at NXT UK in a losing effort to Gallus, but hopefully, this eye-catching effort will see Mendoza follow Carrillo onto bigger and better things like a spot on the 205-Live roster.

#2 Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle continues to impress after joining the black and yellow Brand. The former MMA fighter has taken to Pro-Wrestling incredibly well, and his run on NXT is proof that he made the right choice in switching "codes". Riddle has had great matchups with the Velveteen Dream and a series of matches with Kassius Ohno, and this match against Adam Cole continued that streak of form.

In this fight with Adam Cole, Riddle also displayed a different set of tactics, as previously his offense had mainly been centered around his various strikes. However, due to the size difference between himself and Cole, Riddle was able to display his power game and was able to employ a variety of different suplexes on his way to victory.

Riddle would also become only the second person, after NXT Champion Johnny Gargano, to kick out of Cole's "Last Shot" finisher. Riddle also, not only, managed to beat Adam Cole but he also overcame the distraction of Cole's Undisputed Era stablemate Roderick Strong.

#1 Adam Cole

Adam Cole and the Undisputed Era have not made the greatest start to 2019. Despite having a decent year in 2018, the stable has now lost their grips on the Tag Team Titles while Adam Cole lost his North American title to Ricochet. Cole then qualified for the NXT title match at Takeover: New York in a two out of three falls match but lost 2-1 to Johnny Gargano.

This week's NXT saw Cole face off against Matt Riddle in the main event of the episode. Cole and Riddle both got a lot of shots in before the end, with Cole hitting Riddle with the Last Shot and a Superkick only for Riddle to kick out of both before the three-count. However, Riddle would catch Cole in the Bro-Mission and force him to tap out.

More interesting was the confrontation between Cole and fellow Undisputed Era member, Roderick Strong, after the fight. Despite the fact that Strong did everything in his power to help Cole win, the leader of the Undisputed Era seemed to still be upset with his stablemate at the end of the episode. The Undisputed Era seems to be coming apart at the seems, with Kyle O'Reilly seemingly siding with Adam Cole while Bobby Fish is siding with Roderick Strong. It remains how much longer the split will be teased before they pull the trigger.