7 Ups And 0 Downs From WWE NXT Great American Bash (Jul 6)

Ups...

7. MSK Earn Some Respect

Tommaso Ciampa made a point of letting the current NXT Tag Team Champions know that, despite holding the titles at this moment in time, the two unorthodox stars were by no means the favourites coming into their Great American Bash clash against Blackheart and Toothless Timmy.

So, seemingly from the minute Nash Carter locked up with the former NXT Champion last night, the pair were focused on matching the gritty duo opposite them blow for blow and proving Ol' Man Ciampa wrong. But this was always going to be a rough night for the vibrant youngsters, with synchronised chest beatdowns and an abundance of chilling knees being sent their way from the sadistic unlikely pairing.

As we know too well, MSK have more than a few tricks up their sleeves when it comes to getting out of a sticky situation, though, and before long Carter and Lee were wizzing around the canvas like two bouncy balls escaping a 20p machine in your local supermarket. Assisted Moonsaults, innovative 619's, Swantons, and corkscrews followed, only for the champs to be met by Thatch and Ciampas Fairytale Ending/Ankle Lock combo in the closing stages.

Things were moving at such an electric pace up until this point that it came as something of a disarming shock to see the match suddenly come to a screeching halt on the back of a sudden roll-up from Lee on Thatcher. It didn't derail all the great work that had come before it completely, but it did slightly cheapen it.

The match achieved what it set out to, however, with MSK earning the respect they desired from their adversaries the hard way and overcoming their toughest challenge to date in the process. GYV vs. MSK for TakeOver, please, and thank you.