8 Ups And 2 Downs For WWE NXT (Apr 20)

7. Franky Monet Introduces Herself To Io Shirai

In her first appearance since losing the NXT Women's Championship to Raquel Gonzalez at TakeOver: Stand and Deliver, Io Shirai found herself sat opposite Beth Phoenix as the two discussed her historic reign.

Feeling every bit like a bite-sized episode of Broken Skull Sessions, Shirai talked Phoenix through the moment she won the belt at In Your House - played out on a big screen behind them - and the bout which resulted in her saying goodbye to her beloved title. Yet, it appears Shirai is far from finished with Gonzalez and still has her eyes on regaining the gold, which is good news for everyone - who doesn't want Gonzalez vs. Shirai II in their lives?

Just as it looked as though the star was set to announce that she was taking some time off to recover in the wake of such a dominant run, though, Franky Monet arrived on the scene to introduce herself to the former Champion. Before long she confessed that she'd keep Shirai's spot at the top of the division warm in her absence, a comment that opened the door for a flood of Japanese abuse and a full stop in the form of the statement, "I like cats." Shots. Fired.

Monet vs. Shirai definitely offers up an interesting clash of styles and signifies that the former means business from the off. Yet, can either woman really afford a loss right now in their NXT careers? Probably not, but at least this means Shirai won't be forced onto a "main roster" she'd be completely wasted on in the near future.