5 things WWE NXT got right this week: Championship match announced; Pretty Deadly retain
Santos Escobar and Carmelo Hayes competed for a shot at the WWE NXT North American Championship this week. The two men were looking to become the number one contender to Cameron Grimes’ title.
Bron Breakker, on the other hand, continued to build his rivalry against Joe Gacy. The two men had some bizarre segments this week that ended with Gacy gently pushing Breakker off the stage.
Natalya arrived for her first match on the brand in several years. She gave Tatum Paxley a good fight before forcing her to tap out to the Sharpshooter. It now looks like Nikikita Lyons will face Natalya next on the brand.
Two top tag teams from NXT competed for a chance to challenge the tag team champions down the line. On the other hand, Pretty Deadly gave an unlikely tag team a shot at their titles.
Wes Lee returned to the ring to begin his journey as a solo competitor. Plus, Grayson Waller looked to get the better of his former associate Sanga in a singles match.
It was an entertaining episode of NXT that had a few surprises. Take a look at the five things WWE got right on this week's NXT.
#5. Wes Lee pushed ahead as a singles star on WWE NXT
Wes Lee and Nash Carter vacated their NXT Tag Team Championship a couple of weeks ago. Lee showed up on Tuesday and wanted to shake off a rough few weeks. Xyon Quinn appeared soon after to challenge him for a match.
The former NXT Tag Team Champion started well and used his speed to get the better of Quinn. The latter used his strength to overcome Lee and lifted him with a fireman’s carry. Lee fought back and hit a Superkick before giving for a big move.
Quinn stalled Lee with a punch and finished him off with a flying elbow to pick up a relatively quick victory. Xyon Quinn has proven to be a good performer in the ring.
Meanwhile, Wes Lee will need to compete in a few top matches to come across as a credible singles competitor. NXT invested a lot in MSK, and it makes sense that the writers want to continue using Lee. He has the talent and charisma to become a breakout solo star.
#4. Grayson Waller defeated Sanga after an ordinary match
WWE NXT split the pairing of Grayson Waller and Sanga after the two superstars competed in just one match together. This week, Waller was looking to teach Sanga a lesson for recently costing him the NXT Tag Team Championship Gauntlet Match.
Sanga took the fight to Waller and put him on the back foot early. He took down his former leader and tossed him all around the ring. Waller responded back with a dropkick and sent him outside the ring.
He sent the big man head-first into the ring post before throwing him back into the ring. The heel finished off Sanga with a diving stunner to pick up the win.
It was a decent match that helped Waller pick up a notable victory. The Aussie defeated the big man to make a statement and once again get in the spotlight on NXT. It’s surprising how far down he slipped following his match against AJ Styles several weeks ago.
Meanwhile, Sanga will likely fade away once again. The creative should look to give him some meaningful rivalries or pair him with someone like Tony D’Angelo.
#3. Legado del Fantasma moved back in the race for the tag team titles
Pretty Deadly came out on WWE NXT to mock the tag team division of the brand. The Grizzled Young Veterans and Legado del Fantasma confronted the NXT Tag Team Champions soon after.
The two teams demanded a title match before a brawl broke out. Later in the night, Legado del Fantasma took on The Grizzled Young Veterans in a tag team match.
Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro had control early on and hit some double-team moves on James Drake. Zack Gibson tagged in and took the fight to Legado del Fantasma.
The two teams put on an entertaining match before Legado del Fantasma got in the driving seat again. The duo hit their double-team finisher on Del Toro to pick up the win. Afterward, Fallon Henley, Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen attacked Legado del Fantasma.
It was a good match that allowed Legado to come across as Pretty Deadly’s next challengers. Wilde & Del Toro have competed for the titles several times but failed. Meanwhile, it’s good to see Briggs & Jensen get some spotlight too.
#2. Carmelo Hayes picked up a tainted victory over Santos Escobar
Santos Escobar was confident ahead of his match against Carmelo Hayes on WWE NXT. The former Cruiserweight Champion told Tony D'Angelo to watch how he conducts business.
Carmelo started strong and kept the pressure on Escobar for some time. The Legado del Fantasma leader bounced back and hit a top rope crossbody. A distraction from Trick Williams allowed Hayes to make another comeback.
Both men continued to exchange some top moves throughout the contest. Escobar hit a great vertical suplex. Just as Escobar was set to bag the victory, two men in suits and hats showed up to beat him with crowbars.
The men threw him back in the ring, and Hayes finished him off with a leg drop for the win. The match was exciting and fast-paced. It looks like Escobar will be moving into a rivalry against Tony D’Angelo soon.
After the bout, Hayes called out Cameron Grimes. Soon after, Solo Sikoa showed up and took out Hayes and Williams to end the segment. The WWE Universe can now expect a triple threat match between Grimes, Hayes, and Sikoa for the NXT North American Championship.
#1. Pretty Deadly defeated Dexter Lumis & Duke Hudson to retain the WWE NXT Tag Team Championship
Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta talked Pretty Deadly into giving Dexter Lumis & Duke Hudson a shot at the WWE NXT Tag Team Championship in the main event.
Lumis & Hudson failed to get on the same page early in the contest as Pretty Deadly took advantage of the situation. Once the challengers finally resolved their communication gap, they put pressure on the reigning champions.
Pretty Deadly isolated Lumis for some time and Hudson had to save his partner from a pinfall attempt. Kit Wilson & Elton Prince used their chemistry to keep their challengers at bay. They isolated Hudson late in the contest and Prince finished him off with a big boot for the win.
Duke Hudson played the babyface character surprisingly well in this contest. He worked well with Lumis, and the two could prove to form a tag team to strengthen the division.
Wilson & Prince were excellent throughout the contest and showcased their chemistry in the ring. They could have a long and successful reign with the tag team championship.