NXT - 24/06/220
- LDR
- Jun 25, 2020
- 4 min read
The main focus of this week's NXT show was always going to be the championship Triple Threat between Keith Lee, Johnny Gargano and Finn Balor. The winner would go on to face Adam Cole down the line in a winner-takes-all match for both the North American Championship and the NXT Championship. Read on to find out what else went down on the black and gold brand...
Source: wwe.com
Cameron Grimes defeats Damian Priest
NXT opened with Damian Priest having been laid out, so Grimes headed to the ring to claim a forfeit win. Priest managed to get to the ring, fighting his way through a group of referees, but Grimes managed to hit the Cave In not long after the bell and take the win.
The story here was who attacked Priest. Giving Grimes a big win will help his braggadocios persona, but also protects Priest while setting up a potential new story. Priest was definitely the babyface here, so we could be seeing a move in that direction for him going forward.
Source: wwe.com
Santos Escobar defeats Jake Atlas
After Escobar attack Drake Maverick again last week, Atlas was out to get revenge for his buddy. Escobar is a new star and the champion, so giving him the win was the right decision, but Atlas looked good throughout too.
Escobar, along with Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza, look like they are going to be the big bads of the cruiser division. This should create some great pairings on the babyface side and it will be interesting to see who can rise through the ranks and if anyone will turn to the dark side and join Escobar.
Source: wwe.com
Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez defeat Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro
After each taking a loss to Dakota Kai recently - thanks to interference from Gonzalez - Carter and Catanzaro teamed up to take on the heel duo. Gonzalez was a destroying force towards the end, allowing Kai to pick up a submission win.
I have said before that both Carter and Catanzaro are too good to be used as squash victims and I will say it again here. They deserve better and hopefully they will get it soon. Kai continues to win from behind Gonzalez's back, so they are both hitting the notes of their roles perfectly, but this didn't really do anything for anyone.
Source: wwe.com
Karrion Kross defeats Bronson Reed
Kross laid Reed out a few weeks ago and Reed made the challenge for this match last week. He went at Kross hard to start, but Kross absorbed everything the bigger man had for him and gave it all right back. He threw Reed around with a few suplexes and then locked in the Kross Jacket for the submission.
Reed has a lot of potential but Kross is the big name on the list at the moment. He has set his sights on the NXT Championship and should be picking up wins like this to get there. Thus far in NXT, Kross has looked completely unstoppable and - if he carried on this way - it is not a stretch to imagine him being the man to take the belt from Adam Cole.
Source: wwe.com
Rhea Ripley defeats Aliyah
Robert Stone continued his futile attempts to being Ripley into his group and his only actual member fell victim to the former Women's Champion. Stone tried to coach Aliyah and even threw his shoe at Ripley to try and distract her but The Nightmare hit a Riptide for the win.
The Robert Stone Brand started as something with promise but it is quickly becoming a joke. Chelsea Green was a good starting point and a jealousy angle between stable mates would have led to a nice rivalry for her to break out with. As it goes, it's just nice to see Rhea with something to do for now.
Source: wwe.com
Dexter Lumis defeats Roderick Strong
Roddy has been haunted by Lumis ever since Lumis inserted himself in The Undisputed Era's business. Strong was here to fight his demon but couldn't get in the mindset to do so and, after Lumis just stood and stared at him for a few minutes, he ran to the back and was counted out.
Lumis is clearly in Roddy's head and has become a thorn in The Undisputed Era's side. As Bobby Fish was yelling for Roddy to come back, Lumis put him down with a submission. Lumis has a strange, creepy charisma and Roddy is selling it brilliantly. This kind of thing reminds me of Xavier Woods' fear of The Wyatt Family and should bring something different - and brilliant - to the NXT table.
Source: wwe.com
Keith Lee defeats Finn Balor & Johnny Gargano (North American Championship Match)
These three men are capable of having the best match on any card, so this was always going to be fantastic. Keith Lee was ganged up on by the smaller men and was taken out when they threw him into the steel steps. Each man had some close calls, but Lee eventually put Balor away to win.
It was difficult to choose a loser going into this one. Finn Balor was red hot upon his return but his momentum has dropped off massively. Johnny Gargano's recent heel turn hasn't yielded much and he is failing to "rebuild NXT" in his image. Keith Lee's championship reign has been strong but he needs to keep building and was the right man to face Adam Cole. That match, with both the North American and NXT Championships on the line, will be fantastic and probably the best combination that could have come from this triple threat.
What did you think of this week's NXT? Who will be outed as the attacker of Damian Priest? Will Keith Lee be able to take both straps when he faces Adam Cole? Who will step up to bring Santos Escobar down from his perch? Let us know what you think on this and more down below...
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