9 Ups & 1 Down From WWE NXT (Feb 12)

1. Save Kushida Part 2

Again, to quote myself from last week...

And far be it from me to play along with this but... they literally put Kushida in a bin and the symbolism of this will haunt my dreams for a lifetime. The man was, at the time, NXT's biggest signing since Nakamura. They put hin ringside at TakeOver New York, proudly unveiled him for the world's media (with Triple H alongside for good measure) and fed the audience umpteen video packages to make sure the former 6-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion got the reverence he deserved. Since then he's tagged with Breezango, been demolished by Walter, exited the Dusty Classic in the first round, and gone 50/50 with Cameron Grimes over a hat. Yes, injuries have played their part in this, but... they literally put Kushida in a bin.

If anyone was reading that and wondering precisely why I was so annoyed at this segment, this week should categorically have explained why. Kushida is f***ing brilliant, and his place is in the main event of this brand, not literally in its bins. This could easily have been the beginning of the next NXT Championship feud, it was that good.

Brutal, technical, and with some outstanding counters, this match was everything it could have been and then a bit more on top. Cole, of course, had to take the win heading into TakeOver, but this must surely be the beginning of better things for Kushida on the show now. Please.