6 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's NXT (July 22)

1. Lee vs. Kross Is Coming

Arguably, this was the biggest test of Karrion Kross in NXT thus far. Not from a kayfabe perspective, he was always going to beat Dominik Dijakovic, but whether or not he could put on the sort of immediate-classics required by an aspiring NXT main-eventer. Squashing Tomasso Ciampa is one thing, filling in a full, competitive 15 minutes with a bigger man is something else.

He delivered though, and with the exact right balance of dominating his opponent while also creating the belief that he could, theoretically, be overpowered. There was just enough back and forth in this but, crucially, not too much. Kross, in the end, made an example of Dijakovic.

The moment Double D appeared on that ramp and celebrated with Lee, there was an inevitable stop on this journey that was going to see Kross absolutely spray his brains all over Full Sail. That they went for a bludgeoning, TKO finish as his friend watched helplessly from ringside was pure pro-wrestling theatre. It was worth sitting through 18 months of this frenemies angle just for that one final shot of the choke-out finish.

This was the first time Lee and Kross have shared a screen together, and yet this story already feels like a blood-feud years in the making. Bravo.