7 Ups & 1 Down For WWE NXT (Dec 9)

3. Thatcher's Revenge On Ciampa Backfires

Cameron Grimes, along with his regular sparring partner Dexter Lumis, put in an admirable shift during their WarGames strap match. Credit where credit's due, the pair took what could have been a match too far and turned it into one of the finest iterations of the gimmick bout in years.

Yet, the conclusion of that hit-and-miss feud meant that Grimes was in need of a new direction on this week's show. And he most definitely found it in the form of a bout with former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa.

The same could not be said for his opponent, though, as Timothy Thatcher chose to get up close to the action, setting up a chair at ringside much like his WarGames conqueror.

With Ciampa clearly occupied with the presence of Thatcher throughout the hard-hitting bout, much like the catch wrestling master was a few weeks ago, the star still looked like he was on his way to victory in the closely contested affair. Then, just when the arrival of Tyler Rust as a distraction threatened to derail Ciampa's night, the no-nonsense ass-kicker found a way to drill Grimes into the mat with Willow's Bell.

Though this human game hasn't been to everyone's liking over the last few weeks, Thatcher being driven to humiliating/out-smarting Ciampa after being bested at WarGames at least makes sense now. Sure, Grimes looked like a bit of a goof after getting his ankle obliterated by Thatcher post-match, but a game of one-upmanship between two stars who absolutely laid into each other on Sunday may just lead to some interesting TV.

Tentative Up...for now.