6 Ups & 1 Downs From Last Night's WWE NXT (Jan 31)

1. Roddy & Tyler

Last night saw NXT deliver an excellent main event for the second consecutive week, but while a step or two below the previous show's Johnny Gargano vs. Velveteen Dream collision, Roderick Strong and Tyler Bate unleashed a banger.

Contendership for the oft-neglected UK Title was on the line, and the duo held nothing back. Bate, the first UK Champion, was his usual showy self, pulling out his Airplane Spin early on, then introducing Roddy to Bop and Bang. Many of the bout's highlight moments belonged to him, but Strong's, well, strength saw him through. He unleashed a trademark torrent of backbreakers on the youthful Brit, and though he absorbed a lot of punishment, this smart, focused assault played into the finish.

Bate had Roddy primed and ready for the Tyler Driver '97 towards the end, but his back gave out. The accumulation of damage was too much, and he couldn't lift his opponent, which allowed Strong to counter into a submission. On roll-up attempt and a few knee strikes later, and Roderick had the victory.

Razor-sharp psychology from two great in-ring storytellers, who had the crowd divided throughout, and successfully warmed them up for TakeOver. Really, we don't have a single criticism.