5 things WWE NXT got right this week: Main roster superstar attacks former champion; new challengers for tag team titles
WWE NXT looked to take several rivalries to the finish line with Halloween Havoc on the horizon. Alba Fyre took on Toxic Attraction's Jacy Jayne before her NXT Women's Championship match against Mandy Rose.
Meanwhile, Grayson Waller looked to score a win over Ilja Dragunov en route to his match against Apollo Crews. Bron Breakker also returned to the ring for a match against a newcomer before his title defense at Halloween Havoc.
Wes Lee defeated Channing Lorenzo before Oro Mensah helped him overcome an attack from Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes. Indi Hartwell also scored a win over Valentina Feroz.
The episode had its highs and lows but did well to develop several rivalries ahead of Halloween Havoc.
Check out the five things WWE NXT got right on this week's show.
#5. Bron Breakker picked up an easy win on WWE NXT
Newcomer Javier Bernal had his hands full as he took on Bron Breakker in his first match on WWE NXT. JD McDonagh joined the commentary team for the opening contest of the night.
The champion showcased his brute strength by knocking his opponent around with ease. He hit a few suplexes before taking Bernal down with an impressive pop-up spinebuster. The newcomer tried to get the better of Breakker but was no match for the two-time NXT Champion.
Moments later, Breakker hit a Gorilla Press Powerslam for the win. Following the match, McDonagh got in the ring before Ilja Dragunov joined them. The Irish Ace hit Dragunov with a thunderous headbutt before pushing Breakker into a corner.
The heel escaped as The Czar took out Breakker with a Torpedo Moskau and posed with the NXT Title. WWE has done enough to build up the match between the three men at Halloween Havoc. It was good to see Bron Breakker finally compete before his title defense.
The creative team could be looking to take the title off Breakker and crown a new champion. It would be nice to see Dragunov take up that role following Halloween Havoc.
#4. Nathan Frazer qualified for the NXT North American Championship Ladder Match
The final match of the best-of-three series between Nathan Frazer and Axiom kicked off on the latest episode of WWE NXT. Both men started by countering each other's best moves, much like in their previous contest.
Axiom got a submission hold on Frazer, but the latter nearly turned it into a pin attempt. They hit each other with dropkicks as Frazer finally got the upper hand. He hit a few good moves and kept the action ticking for some time.
Axiom answered with a Phoenix Splash before locking in a painful submission move. They traded pins soon after, and Axiom went for his finisher. However, Frazer stacked him up for a surprise three.
It wasn't the best match between the two superstars, but it was good to see Seth Rollins' student pick up the win. The victory also earned him a spot in the NXT North American Championship match. Frazer is an uber-athletic superstar who will likely give fans some memorable spots at Halloween Havoc.
#3. Malik Blade and Edris Enofe became the next challengers to the tag team champions
A Triple Threat tag team match took place on WWE NXT to crown the next challengers for the division's titles. Edris Enofe and Malik Blade, Briggs and Jensen, and The Dyad looked to bag the win and get in contention for the titles.
Briggs and Jensen went hard at The Dyad early in the contest and took control of the action. The former UK Tag Team Champions hit some good moves before Jagger Reid, and Rip Fowler hit a double-team backbreaker to break their momentum.
The match went on for a little while before Joe Gacy got involved in the action. Cameron Grimes made his way to the ringside, and the interference allowed Enofe to steal the pin over Jagger Reid for his team.
The match wasn't great, but it allowed Edris Enofe and Malik Blade to pick up a meaningful win. NXT's tag team division was arguably the best in the industry at one point in time and is a shadow of what it used to be before.
Enofe and Blade might lose their match against Pretty Deadly for the titles. However, the contest will give them some much-needed momentum to remain in the spotlight.
#2. Sonya Deville's arrival changed the landscape of the brand
Alba Fyre accepted that she was the one who trapped Mandy Rose on WWE NXT last week. Fyre took on Jacy Jayne in a singles match on this week's episode.
Gigi Dolin got involved early, allowing Jayne to take her opponent down and take control of the contest. She got a near fall off a cannonball before Fyre hit back with some big moves.
Alba took down Jayne before Dolin ran a distraction to save her from the Gory Bomb. The Toxic Attraction member tried to steal the win with a roll-up, but Fyre countered it and hit the Gory Bomb for the win.
The former NXT UK Women's Champion was heading out of the arena before someone from the audience attacked her on the ramp. Sonya Deville revealed herself to be the culprit and beat down Fyre before putting her through the announcer's desk with the help of Jayne and Dolin.
Deviile's arrival changes the game for Toxic Attraction. She is known to be one of Mandy Rose's closest friends, and the former teammates will help elevate the women's division of NXT. It could turn out to be a game-changing decision for the brand.
Alba Fyre and Sonya Deville will compete on next week's show. This could lead to a change in booking for the championship match at Halloween Havoc.
#1. Ilja Dragunov brought the best out of Grayson Waller in the main event of WWE NXT
The main event of the night saw Grayson Waller compete against Ilja Dragunov. The former WWE NXT UK Champion took control early before Waller fled the ring to break his momentum.
Dragunov hit a senton before Waller got a cheap shot and a leg drop from the ropes. The two men exchanged some holds before the Russian star hit a massive lariat.
The lights went out, and the Halloween Havoc wheel started to spin by itself. It freaked Waller out, allowing The Czar to take advantage. He hit some suplexes before putting the Australian star away with a ferocious Torpedo for the win.
After the match, Bron Breakker came out and hit Dragunov with a Spear. JD McDonagh looked on and clapped from the crowd to end the segment.
Ilja Dragunov brought the best out of Waller in the contest. Surprisingly, the Australian star has lost quite a bit of momentum since his debut. He will take on Apollo Crews at Halloween Havoc and could leave the brand following the match. He is one of the superstars who is rumored to be paired with Bray Wyatt on the main roster.
What did you make of NXT this week? Let us know in the comments section below.