7 Ups And 2 Downs From WWE NXT (Aug 17)

2. MSK Retain, But WALTER Steals The Headlines

It was safe to assume that WALTER wouldn't be able to keep himself to himself when it came to Imperium's NXT Tag Team Championship showdown with MSK last night. Sure enough, he would have a major impact on the end result, but perhaps not in the way he would've liked.

Before we get to a rather chaotic closing stretch, though, we need to tip our caps to the admirable shift put in by the two explosive units on show during said title match. MSK typically flipped and kicked their way out of trouble, but Imperium brought a level of intensity not witnessed in the pair's work for an age, very nearly decapitating Wes Lee with a couple of clotheslines and dropkicks.

In the end, though, the plucky champs were given an unlikely boost in the wake of the NXT UK Champion trying his best to distract his lads into the driver's seat. Ilja Dragunov soon got his future opponent's attention and earned a slam on the floor for his troubles, but it was enough to open the door for a flipping neckbreaker victory for the champs - who haven't tasted doubles defeat this year.

Sure, WALTER hogging the spotlight and obliterating Dragunov took much of the shine off this monumental win, and MSK's subsequent swatting away with ease wasn't a great look either, but that beatdown also paved the way for the ultimate underdog to perhaps earn an entirely unlikely victory in a few days time.

Should The Ring General simply steamroll yet another victim at TakeOver, though, this Up may not age as well as your writer would've liked.