Four NXT Stars Work Dark Matches Before WWE SmackDown
Here are all the details on how WWE handled these pre-show NXT matches.
Four NXT stars worked dark matches before Friday's episode of SmackDown aired.
WWE brought Austin Theory, Odyssey Jones, Aliyah and Indi Hartwell to TV - the company paired them off into singles bouts worked exclusively for the live crowd in attendance. Theory vs. Jones and Aliyah vs. Indi happened as pre-show dark bouts, basically.
For the record, Aliyah defeated Hartwell and Jones got the nod over Theory.
These soft tryouts (if they could even be called that) have become a hallmark of Raw and SmackDown again since WWE returned to the road in front of live crowds. It'll be interesting to see where these workers end up; Aliyah has reportedly been moved to Raw full-time, and Johnny Gargano noted that Austin had "run away from home" on this week's NXT.
Does that mean another chance on the "main roster" is within reach for Theory? It's possible. Meanwhile, Indi remains a big part of the ongoing story with Gargano and Dexter Lumis on Tuesday nights, and Odyssey is part of NXT's Breakout Tournament.
Stay tuned for more on these brand jumps, possible moves and more Raw/SmackDown trials for the NXT roster.