6 Ups And 2 Downs For WWE NXT (Jan 13)

1. Gargano Follows 'The Way' Of His Wife

Starting the New Year off with an unforeseen loss due to being throw into a sudden match with Shotzi Blackheart and KUSHIDA alongside his wife Candice LeRae, Johnny Gargano was clearly looking to quickly move on from that defeat by adding another important notch in his 'W' column. Yet, that's usually easier said than done when faced with the cold-hearted sketcher known as Dexter Lumis.

In the opening stages of the match, the duo seemed like an unlikely match made in heaven, with Gargano visually terrified of the intense performer and Lumis showing off his impressive athleticism in response to the North American Champion's attempts to kick his way into an early advantage. Then, after throwing a number of brutal headshots at the immovable object, a set of Austin Theory distractions paved the way for a roll-up victory for Gargano which saw his protege get sent flying across the ring by a Silence-wielding Lumis.

Gargano and Theory's night wasn't finished there, however, as KUSHIDA prevented the pair from launching a 2-on-1 assault on the staring star, making it clear his eyes are firmly set on 'Johnny Wrestling's belt and beating 'The Way' with Leon Ruff in their Dusty Cup first round contest next week.

Unfortunately, though, aside from setting up that Dusty Cup encounter in seven days time, this match didn't exactly benefit anyone involved. Gargano looked like a Champion unable to seal the deal without a little help from his friends, and Lumis was made to feel like an even bigger goof than he had done before (if that's even possible). Going forward, it may be wise to present the blonde force of nature as more of a Terminator-style threat (as alluded to by Wade Barrett on commentary) instead of the hopeless sketcher more focused on spooking people than winning matches.