NXT returned with a cool-down episode this week following another fantastic TakeOver special. New NXT Tag-Team champions and a new North American champion were crowned while Shayna Baszler and Tommaso Ciampa continued their tyranny in Phoenix.
A flashback to all things good (pretty much everything) that happened at TakeOver were shown before the beginning of the show. The week’s tapings were done in Phoenix, right before TakeOver.
Women’s Division
NXT kicked off this week with tag-team action in the women’s division. Kairi Sane and Io Shirai looked to exact some degree of revenge on Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir after weeks of meddling in Kairi’s affairs.
The Japanese duo’s chemistry was there to see for all as they absolutely dominated the newcomers early on. Marina Shafir, who was sporting a face mask, still appears to need some improvements in her character and body language though her in-ring work looked smoother than Duke’s. While Shafir and Duke showed some good tandem offence together and sold well for their veteran opponents, their inexperience was conspicuous on occasions.
Kairi Sane eventually put Marina Shafir away after a string of fantastic aerial maneuvers by her and Io Shirai, taking out Jessamyn Duke before Sane hit her flying elbow for the win.
Surely, surely, Kairi and Io have to be in contention for the new Women’s Tag-Team Championships on the main roster sooner rather than later.
Tag-Team Division
The charismatic and flamboyant pairing of Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins, the Street Profits, took on the team of Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler, flanked by Jaxson Ryker, the trio known as the Forgotten Sons.
Things started fast and furiously as Dawkins speared Cutler before things broke down. The heels eventually took control, often shouting “you want to forget us?” at their opponents’ faces, reminding everyone about why they joined together in the first place.
The match included one of the most impressive feats of athleticism you will see anywhere. Montez Ford produced a vertical leap from the inside to the outside of the ring that would’ve made Ricochet proud. In fact, it did!
https://twitter.com/KingRicochet/status/1090805220639162369
Ryker came into play deep into proceedings, as he wiped out Ford at ringside. The two big men Ryker and Dawkins locked eyes from across the ring and but Dawkins was intercepted by Blake before he could get to Ryker. Blake and Cutler hit a double-team reverse DDT into a stomp from the top rope for the pin. Mauro Ranallo called their finisher ‘cover the memory’.
The rest of the show was more recap of moments from TakeOver.
