5 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE NXT Battleground (Review)

3. Melo Survives Bron

How you judge and grade the NXT Championship match at Battleground depends on how you received it. Were you considering this Carmelo Hayes’ title defense on his home turf, an opportunity for the champ to solidify his standing? Or were you looking at it as an attempt to survive Bron Breakker and his new, terrifying heel persona and escape Lowell, Mass. With your title intact?

It sure felt at times like Sunday was more about Breakker than the NXT Champion, which isn’t terrible, but there were more moments to react to Bron pulling off a Frankensteiner, doing pushups while fans chanted, “You suck!” at him, and just wreaking havoc on Hayes.

Melo stayed in the fight, turning a suplex into a DDT and then unleashing a series of kicks and a cutter before Breakker met a springboard with a spear… for a long 2 count. Hayes would recover enough to finally hit Nothing But Net for the win, retaining by absorbing and escaping. In doing so, this match was as much about Breakker, if not, more so.

It will be interesting to see who becomes Carmelo’s next challenger with Bron in the rearview.