Dijak’s return & 4 things WWE NXT got right this week
On the latest episode of NXT, Shawn Michaels gathered several Hall of Famers to decide who would be part of the first-ever Iron Survivor match at Deadline. The legends discussed their options backstage while the superstars continued to put on some good matches in the ring.
Indus Sher and The Creed Brothers came face-to-face again to build their rivalry before their first match against each other. Toxic Attraction also looked to prove a point and earn another shot at the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships.
Dijak returned to the ring to take on Dante Chen in a singles match. Meanwhile, Indi Hartwell continued to suffer setbacks on the show.
The creative team built a solid show on Tuesday night to build some storylines for NXT Deadline.
Let's take a look at the five things WWE NXT got right on this week’s show.
#5. Roxanne Perez defeated heel Indi Hartwell on WWE NXT
Indi Hartwell and Roxanne Perez kicked off WWE NXT with a singles match on Tuesday night. Hartwell used her size advantage to overpower Perez early and got some submission moves on her opponent.
Perez mounted a comeback, but Hartwell sent her outside the ring before enduring an uppercut from her smaller opponent. The two women traded some signature moves to make the first match of the night more entertaining.
Hartwell hit a dropkick on Perez before catching her in midair during a diving attempt. However, Roxanne managed to reverse the slam and roll her up before hitting a kick for the win.
Hartwell seems more comfortable working as a heel than she did as a babyface. She has also improved her in-ring skills over the past year. Meanwhile, a win for Perez was on the cards as she is one of the fastest-rising superstars in NXT. It was good to see her pick up the win to kick off the show.
#4. Dijak made quick work of Dante Chen
Dijak returned to WWE NXT and attacked North American Champion Wes Lee after his successful title defense last week. The former RETRIBUTION member returned to the NXT ring this week to take on Dante Chen.
Dante was no match for Dijak, who was out to prove a point to the WWE Universe. He unloaded on Chen with some stiff strikes before tossing him around the ring.
Chen tried to take some strikes on the big man, but he was hit with a big boot. Dijak choked him before hitting the Feast Your Eyes for the win.
NXT could have surely used a more established superstar against Dijak. It looks like he will be heading into the North American Championship picture soon. The match helped him showcase his strength and brutality once again. Dijak, as a heel, will help the brand build several new rivalries.
#3. Miscommunications cost Duke Hudson his match against Grayson Waller
Duke Hudson told Andre Chase backstage that he deserved to be in the Iron Survivor match for NXT Deadline. He said he had even gotten a petition from Chase U students to pass on to Shawn Michaels. Grayson Waller interrupted him, leading to a match between the two stars later on the show.
Waller and Duke started strong and hit some good moves to get the action going. Grayson continuously tried to trick Hudson in the ring before tasting a sidewalk slam from the big man.
Waller continued to mock Hudson and Chase U, forcing his opponent to lose focus. Outside the ring, Hudson nearly took out Thea Hail with a big boot, distracting him once again in the contest.
The distractions and miscommunications allowed the Australian star to hit the rolling cutter on Hudson for the win. Hudson and Chase U were not happy with the outcome of the contest.
Grayson Waller has lost a lot of steam in NXT over the past few months. Such wins will allow him to aim for the top of the brand once again. Hudson has an interesting relationship with Chase U that will likely come to an end soon. That could lead to a great storyline next year.
#2. Indus Sher protected Julius Creed from getting injured on WWE NXT
Julius Creed took on JD McDonagh in a singles match on this week’s WWE NXT. There was an obvious size difference between the two competitors, and Julius used that to his advantage to take control early on.
He sent JD outside with a big clothesline before the heel distracted him and dropped him on the apron. Indus Sher showed up at ringside to staredown with The Creed Brothers.
McDonagh continued to use some heelish tactics to stay in control of the contest. He grabbed a steel chair, but Sanga pushed Julius out of the way and took the chair shot himself, leading to a disqualification.
Indus Sher then explained before the segment came to an end that they wanted The Creed Brothers to be a hundred percent for their match. JD and Julius put on a good show for fans.
NXT did well to protect both men while building a rivalry between Indus Sher and The Creeds. It will be interesting to see if Sanga and Veer can take down the brothers in the coming weeks.
#1. Toxic Attraction defeated Nikkita Lyons, Katana Chance, and Kayden Carter
Nikkita Lyons was determined to take on Toxic Attraction despite being attacked by Zoey Stark. She teamed up with Katana Chance and Kayden Carter to take on the three heels.
The match quickly turned into an all-out brawl before Toxic Attraction took dives from Chance and Carter outside the ring. Mandy Rose tagged herself in and hit a Spinebuster on Carter for a near fall.
Chance used her athleticism to outsmart Gigi Dolin before bringing in Lyons for some big strikes. Nikkita Lyons found it difficult to continue in the match, and the heels took advantage of the situation.
She failed to connect with a kick to Rose, allowing Jayne and Dolin to hit their finishers for the win.
Toxic Attraction has been the top faction on the brand for well over a year. Surprisingly, the brand hasn’t built many female teams to fight them.
Chance and Carter did well in the match even though they ended up on the losing side. Hopefully, they will be able to retain their Women’s Tag Team Championship for some time.
What did you make of the latest episode of the developmental brand? Let us know in the comments section below.