7 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's NXT (May 13)

2. Aliyah, You Gotta See Her!

Well, I'd sure hate to be someone who used Aliyah as their example of a bad opponent right about now.

Without wanting to sound harsh here, it's probably safe to say that this match was way better than it had any right to be. Kayden Carter and Aliyah are two women on the brand who usually make other people look great when they beat them for very different reasons. For Carter it's because she's an accomplished worker and will put together a great match for you, for Aliyah it's because neither her gimmick or in-ring work feels fully formed yet and, by comparison, everyone else looks accomplished.

For the latter though, that comment now feels outdated. She had a way more defined sense of character in this match, shaking off the Carmella-lite vibes and, instead, showing intensity, focus, and deviousness, all while her natural athleticism gave us some really smooth exchanges between the pair. Carter, as she always does, held up her end of the bargain.

While Robert Stone's appearance felt like it cut the legs out from what was building into an interesting contest, Aliyah losing the match because she was trying too hard to impress him is the most interesting thing to happen to his angle since it started. Carter getting another win over him (sort of) plays into that as well. Handshakes all round, here.