6 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE NXT (11 Sept)
2. Brutality Kept Brief
An abbreviated effort from Shayna Baszler and Rhea Ripley made good on the brand's promise of giving audiences a stellar final Network-era main event without giving away a high stakes title change that could now be ratings gold on Network television.
The two will certainly scrap again, even if Ripley theoretically froze herself out of an incoming Women's Championship match by losing a spot in next week's Number One Contender's encounter. The Fatal Four Way will see a different challenger established for Baszler, but the disqualification finish here felt like a powerful statement of intent by the brand on who could actually stop the 'Queen Of Spades' once and for all.
Presented as her equal and showing all the necessary fury against Baszler's interfering Horsewomen comrades Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke, Ripley's heel sh*thousery was reframed as babyface fire. This was a necessary speed bump ahead of her race back to the top.