8 Ups And 2 Downs From WWE NXT (Aug 31)

1. Holland Learns A Hard Lesson From Blackheart

Ridge Holland sure as hell kept himself busy seven days ago, putting out Timothy Thatcher and targeting Kyle O'Reilly during a particularly intense Tuesday night. Tommaso Ciampa was never going to let that former act go lightly, however, and the two came to blows this week in the sort of severely physical encounter the former NXT Champion thrives in.

Holland wasn't here to be used as a punching bag, though, matching the black and gold veteran with ferocity as he bulldozed Blackheart into the turnbuckles and even reversed a Fairytale Ending into an Alabama Slam. Despite the numbers game threatening to overwhelm the lone ol' man Ciampa, the grizzled veteran was able to nail the young Yorkshireman with a devastating Willow's Bell in the closing stages, sealing a somewhat unexpected clean win in the process.

Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, and Danny Burch typically didn't take too kindly to the result, jumping the vet shortly after before MSK made the save. But even with the young up-and-comer taking the 'L' against the tried and tested one-time champ, the finish made all the sense in the world. Holland shouldn't be powering through the faces of the brand with ease this early on as he's still got a lot to learn under the Bruiserweight tree. The loss here means he has a new motivation; getting one back over Blackheart, something he'll no doubt strive towards as he develops over the coming weeks.

Ciampa gets revenge for his bud, and MSK set the stage for an intriguing title defence against the champs who never lost their titles. A solid, if unspectacular main event that still served its purpose; setting the table for another week of compelling match-ups.