6 Ups & 1 Downs From Last Night's WWE NXT (Jan 31)
A near perfect epilogue to a near perfect TakeOver.
After four tremendous episodes broadcast from Atlanta's Center Stage Theater, NXT switched to a more cavernous locale this past weekend, with WWE's developmental wing filming last night's episode prior to a typically excellent TakeOver card.
It was, in many ways, a textbook post-TakeOver show. Comprised entirely of bouts featuring wrestlers not booked on the big show, highlights of Saturday's key matches, and brief interview snippets, there were no real surprises throughout. It almost doesn't matter, though: everything succeeded in getting something or someone over.
The main event saw Roderick Strong and Tyler Bate fight for the right to challenge for Pete Dunne's UK Championship, and neither left anything in the tank. Elsewhere, Nikki Cross sought revenge on Lacey Evans, who'd singled her out in a promo earlier in the month, and TM-61 finally returned to action for the first time in just over a year.
There was all the usual TakeOver follow-ups, too, with Andrade Almas, Zelina Vega, and Velveteen Dream given mic time. Oh, and those video packages? Stellar, though one stands out in particular.
Let's break down what made this such a successful TakeOver epilogue...