WWE NXT North American Champion Wes Lee appeared early on the show to set up an open challenge for his title. He put together a big fight with Nathan Frazer to kick off the night before other superstars pitched in to put on a solid show.
Meiko Satomura landed a match against Zoey Stark to show what she’s capable of before her big match against Roxanne Perez. Meanwhile, Sol Ruca defeated Elektra López to march on as the future of the NXT women’s division.
Shawn Michaels accepted Grayson Waller’s invitation to appear on his talk show next week on NXT Roadblock. Meanwhile, The Creed Brothers tried to convince Damon Kemp to work with them once more to defeat Indus Sher.
This week’s episode had some great coincidences and segments that helped build the upcoming Roadblock show. Take a look at the five things WWE NXT got right in this week’s episode.
#5. Nathan Frazer pushed Wes Lee to the limit for the NXT North American Championship
Wes Lee stepped into the ring to kick off WWE NXT this week. The superstars battled backstage for the chance to challenge him for the North American Championship on the show. Dabba Kato looked to take advantage of the opportunity, but was attacked by Apollo Crews on his way to the ring.
This allowed Nathan Frazer to return to the show and challenge Lee for the title. The two men immediately went into gear and hit each other with some standard moves to warm up the crowd.
Frazer missed a couple of big moves, allowing the champion to take control for a while. They took each other down with flying crosses to get the fans on their feet.
Frazer sent Lee to the announcers desk outside the ring and missed another dive, allowing the champion to capitalize once more. Wes Lee landed a moonsault, followed by a Cardiac Kick for another successful title defense.
The match was fantastic, and it was good to see Frazer back in the fold. He pushed Lee to his limits and allowed the champion to come out looking strong once again.
It’s surprising how confident NXT has in Lee’s abilities. He has had a longer reign than most would have imagined and has gone on to put on some spectacular matches.
#4. Indus Sher made quick work of Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen
Brooks Jensen started the match for his team on WWE NXT and found himself at a disadvantage from the start. Indus Sher isolated him for a while before he passed the tag on to Josh Briggs.
Veer and Sanga kept up the pressure and continued to stop their opponents every time they built up some momentum.
The heels played their opponents before Briggs and Jensen worked together to pull off a double-team move. Sanga stayed alert and dodged a move from Brooks before chokeslamming him. Veer came in and hit his finisher for the win for his team.
After the match, Jinder Mahal made it clear that he wanted a six-man tag team match with The Creed Brothers.
The match itself was decent and helped build Indus Sher as a team. However, Veer and Sanga still have a lot of work to do to become a real threat in the tag team division.
Meanwhile, Bron Breakker decided to join Julius and Brutus Creed and accept Mahal’s challenge. The creative team will keep Breakker busy with Indus Sher for a while before he finally takes on Carmelo Hayes.
#3. Meiko Satomura and Zoey Stark put together a strong competition on WWE NXT
Zoey Stark faced off against Meiko Satomura on Tuesday’s episode of WWE NXT to prove who the real boss is. Roxanne Pérez joined the commentary team to get a closer look at her future challenger.
Stark kicked off the match with a few holds before Satomura retaliated with a few holds of his own. Stark broke free and sought to use his strength against the legendary fighter.
The heel hit a few knees before taking aim at Satomura’s injured knee and hitting a Frog Splash. Satomura kicked off the pin before Stark attempted the 450 Splash. Meiko rolled out of the way and picked up her opponent for the Death Valley Driver for a statement win.
Stark is among the strongest and best performers in the NXT locker room. The creative team decided to sacrifice her in order to build Satomura as Perez’s main challenger. It will be interesting to see how that match goes and which superstar emerges victorious, as it will be difficult to protect either woman from a clean loss.
#2. Axiom scored a crucial win over Hank Walker
Axiom and Hank Walker agreed to compete in a match early in the show. They met towards the end of the night and looked to make an impact with a big win.
Axiom hit a big crossbody early and nearly went down. He kept on the attack and trampled his opponent with a few kicks. Walker came back with a big takedown and a clothesline to punish his opponent.
Walker soaked up almost everything Axiom had to throw at him, but couldn’t get the best of the flyer. Axiom set him up for the Golden Ratio kick and he pulled off a pretty quick win.
Hank Walker sought to recover after being betrayed by his former mentor Drew Gulak. Consistent TV time will help you stay relevant on the brand.
Meanwhile, Axiom is shaping up to be one of the best superstars on the list. She has picked up some big wins of late and could be next in line for an NXT North American Championship run.
#1. Carmelo Hayes defeated Tyler Bate to prove himself once again
Tyler Bate and Carmelo Hayes squared off in a singles match in the main event of WWE NXT. Bate had just beaten Grayson Waller and was looking to extend his winning streak against the former North American champion.
The two men traded roll-ups early before Tyler Bate tried to hit his finisher. Hayes fought back and tried to get Bate to the canvas to work his opponent.
Trick Williams tried to interfere but was tackled from the platform. Big Strong Boy hit a standing shooting star to nearly go down before continuing to pressure his opponent. He hit the Phantom Driver for another near fall before going down to a modified DDT.
Bate hit a superplex and went up to the ropes, but Trick tried to get involved and he was kicked once more. Melo took advantage and countered the plunge before hitting Melo Don’t Miss for the win.
After the match, Melo made it clear that he was the only man who could defeat Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship. The match was great and deserved the main event spot. Both men put on a good show and pushed themselves to the limit.
Carmelo Hayes looks set for an NXT Championship run, especially with Trick Williams at his side. He could win the title before WrestleMania 39, so Breakker could move on to the main roster.
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