6 Ups And 3 Downs From WWE NXT 2.0 (Oct 5)

1. MSK Survive, Briggs And Brooks Rise To The Occasion

As evidenced in the fatal four-way bout which decided the brand's new NXT Champion a few weeks ago, it's incredibly difficult to showcase each and every face on show when that many wrestlers are pumped into a contest. As you've likely guessed, doubling that number doesn't make things any easier, but MSK, The Grizzled Young Veterans, Josh Briggs & Jensen Brooks, and Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams all did what they could to remind audiences why this tag division still has some life in it.

Upping up the ante by adding an elimination stipulation in the lead-up, an "MSK overcoming of the odds once again" tale was always on the table. However, there were a few moments when it genuinely looked like the promotion were set to pull a fast one. The moment GYV nailed Wes Lee with a Ticket to Mayhem looked like the jaw-dropping twist nobody expected for a second, but the reveal that Briggs was actually the legal man led to another unlikely result as GYV were sent home for an early shower.

The crowd also weren't the biggest fans of Trick and 'Melo being booted from the match first, hijacking the rest of the contest with chants of "we want 'Melo!" With 'Melo still not technically cashing in on his title opportunity, NXT may just have another legit crowd-popper of a card up their sleeves when they finally opt to pull that trigger. In the end, though, Briggs & Brooks just weren't able to get the job done, with their apparent "inexperience" being their downfall as Lee rolled up Brooks for the desperate win.

Had this all ended with a show of respect between the two teams, your writer would've likely finished the night feeling somewhat hopeful about the division's future: one which could finally bring us a GYV vs. MSK two-on-two showdown for the belts (they still weren't technically pinned by the champs). But alas, the reveal of Imperium jumping the title holders post-victory hints at another round between those teams in the not too distant future. It'll be fine, yes. But, given the options, would anyone have thrown the Ring General's right hand men into the fray next? Probably not.