9 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE NXT (Sept 18)
8. Starting (And Stealing) The Show
Every "first" needs a good first impression, and NXT's maiden voyage on USA Network set sail with a ten-minute firecracker between some of the best talent in all of women's wrestling and Mia Yim.
A bracing multi-person brawl that never took a breath, this was a contemporary NXT classic on its own terms thanks to its history-making position on the card and the performative pressure that instantly created. The quartet crafted one of the division's best matches this year, firing a heavy shot across the bow at AEW's underachieving topliner and middling joshi displays.
Candice LeRae finally winning a big match provided the first big Full Sail pop of the night, whilst Shayna Baszler's intimidating arrival after the fact highlighted the steep nature of the challenge ahead for the new number one contender.