6 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's NXT (5 March)

3. The Future's Bright

Austin Theory vs Issiah 'Swerve' Scott was just a TV match. One designed to fill a bit of time, offer the midcard a bit of a spotlight, and, hey, maybe if we're lucky, increase someone's standing. In theory (ey?) this is really all that NXT should be - it's certainly all it used to be - but they're few and far between these days as we race on with dramatic storylines, TakeOver-standard blowoff matches, and pro-wrestling of the sort of standard that'll convince you not to pick up the remote.

Austin Theory vs Issiah 'Swerve' Scott was just a TV match, but it was brilliant for both the show this week and what it suggests about the short-term future of the brand. Two men who've been on the roster for the bulk of the show's run on the USA Network, but until recently not felt like they've really had a chance to shine. We said that how Theory's match with Ciampa was handled would be critical for him, and it looked this week like it's going to be a real launching pad.

As for Swerve, his time will come.