8 Ups And 2 Downs For WWE NXT (Jun 8)

Downs...

2. Gargano And Dunne Steal The Spotlight

With both Johnny Gargano and Pete Dunne being robbed of a one-on-one shot at Karrion Kross' NXT Championship on last week's NXT, the pair's protégés Austin Theory and Oney Lorcan didn't see eye-to-eye when it came to who would've come out on top without Adam Cole's unwanted interference.

So, a showdown between the two was booked to kick-off this week's show and, for the most part, it proved to be a fairly successful showing for the stars. Theory once again highlighted just how athletically gifted and easily detestable he can be when in the mood, nailing the former NXT Tag Team Champion with a beautiful Orton-esque dropkick and springboard Spanish Fly whilst continually talking himself into trouble.

Lorcan also got a few decent licks in, pulverising the cocky youngster with some nasty uppercuts and a particularly gruesome trip back-first onto the apron.

However, the minute Dunne and Gargano showed up on the scene, this match was as good as derailed. Before long, the two future TakeOver: In Your House opponents were scrapping up the ramp and Theory was predictably distracted by the furore. This opened the door for a Lorcan half-nelson slam for the win, but did the victory really mean anything? Probably not.

Perhaps the most infuriating part about this booking was the fact that Gargano and Dunne were already scheduled to face-off in the night's five-way meeting later on. So, did we really need to overshadow a potentially gripping match-up just so they could throw handbags again here? Probably not.