6 Ups And 3 Downs From WWE NXT (Aug 24)

2. Samoa Joe Sets The Stage For New Contenders To Emerge

It's been noted on more than a few occasions this week that NXT looks set embark on a bold new era which will likely see a new overall direction for the brand. However, in the immediate future this also means paving the way for a set of new challengers to rise to the top of the card, with Karrion Kross donning a gimp mask and heading to Monday nights and Adam Cole seemingly walking away from WWE, bay bay.

With that in mind, it was only natural that new NXT Champion Samoa Joe took to the ring to set out his stall for whoever in the back felt up to the challenge of taking on the Samoan Submission Machine. Cue the usual NXT conveyor belt of challengers all strutting down the ramp and making their case to be the next in line for a shot. And, sure, this is one of the most tired devices the brand has to offer at this point, and only serves to highlight the lack of sensible contenders to Joe's title (LA Knight literally lost his title two night's earlier but felt he was worthy?). But the sight of Joe squaring up to Pete Dunne, Kyle O'Reilly teasing a battle with the bulldozer, and even Tommaso Ciampa hinting at golden aspirations down the line made up for the lack of logic on show.

What's old is somehow new once more, and expect a multi-man number #1 contenders match to grace our screens in the not too distant future. Until then, though, Joe and the rest of the black and gold locker room better have their heads on a swivel because if Ridge Holland's sneak attack and the all-out chaos that accompanied this verbal sparring session was anything to go by, the carnage most definitely did not follow the Bringer of Doomsday out of the NXT door.