Frustrating early doors as the pair of them went through the motions, the contest wonderfully came to life in its second half - not least because it had flown under the radar somewhat that the former NJPW man might actually win.
Without Walter's UK Championship on the line there existed a very real possibility that the the 'Time Splitter' could leave a crack in the Austrian's mighty shield, particularly when he resorted to returning the favour for all the wicked chops with about as many kicks.
"You're not dreaming Nigel, this match continues" was the Mauro Ranallo call that came just before Full Sail's "This Is Awesome" chant, highlighting how the two had found the peak of the heat at the exact right moment. Walter flattened Kushida with a ripcord lariat for the win to end his NXT undefeated streak and possibly this mini-feud in suitably grand fashion.
Where they both go from here (assuming they both stick around) remains a mystery. Which, considering how predictable their programme has been, is actually quite a welcome development.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
