7 Ups And 2 Downs For WWE NXT (Feb 17)
3. Malcolm Bivens Protects His Investment
NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day may not have resulted in KUSHIDA coming home with the North American Championship, but his stock undoubtedly rose in the wake of his excellent performance against Johnny Gargano...expect Cameron Grimes to invest in him shortly.
Whilst he was still feeling the effects of that gruelling match, Malcolm Bivens sensed this was the perfect time to throw his associate into a bout with the hot property, so he got the contest booked for this week's show. Rust had clearly done his homework beforehand, targeting the elbow KUSHIDA had worn down during his Vengeance Day war.
A flurry of delicious kicks from Rust looked to further establish his advantageous position in the bout, but it was only a matter of time before KUSHIDA locked in his trusty hoverboard lock for the victory as Bivens demanded the contest be brought to a close to preserve his investment.
In going down this route, both Rust and KUSHIDA exited the match looking strong; KUSHIDA overcoming the odds, and Rust refusing to give up. He may not be quite there yet, but Bivens investment in Rust could in fact produce a diamond in the end.