5 Ups & 1 Down From Last Night's WWE NXT (Feb 21)
Farewell, Johnny Wrestling.
Just under four weeks after delivering WWE's first five-star match in close to seven years, Johnny Gargano and Andrade 'Cien' Almas reprised their stunning in-ring rivalry last night, with their huge NXT Championship vs. Career match dominating much of the episode.
We opened with a quick video package recapping the story so far. From there, NXT brought two short, succinct singles matches, with Velveteen Dream and Nikki Cross scoring important victories, along with a big Dusty Rhodes Classic announcement. There interviews and other snippets too, but for the most part, this was all about the champion, his challenger, and a certain 'Blackheart.'
The match was fantastic, but you probably already knew that. Almas and Gargano are magic together, and while we'll save the deeper analysis for later on, it's safe to say they met expectations.
As a whole, the episode was sublime. Developmental's hot streak continued with 55 near-flawless minutes, highlighted by a big-time main event, and supported by an effective undercard. Unlike last week, it didn't quite warrant a perfect score, but it was still one of the best shows of the year so far.
Let's dive into it...