WWE NXT Battleground Review - May 28, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

NXT North American Champion Wes Lee def. Joe Gacy and Tyler Bate in a Triple Threat Match

Lee has consistently delivered as North American champ as all of his title defenses have been fun. I don't think there can be any argument that he's had the best North American title reign of anyone so far. I feared he might drop the belt here to Gacy before he can break the record for longest reign, so I was happy he retained. This was a very enjoyable opener with all three guys looking great (yes, including Gacy, whose super skilled in the ring despite having a bad gimmick).

NXT Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar def. Dragon Lee

I assume most people who watched this didn't follow NXT UK (and I don't blame them one bit), so the stuff with the British rounds and whatnot was probably new to them. I've been following the NXT Heritage Cup Championship since it was introduced a few years ago and I still don't particularly care for this type of match. It hurts the flow and hinders what the competitors can do. That was especially true with Lee here. He should have had more of a chance to shine. This was well wrestled, but I hated the starts and stops before it could get going. Lee losing yet again wasn't ideal, either, but I figured that would be the case since Dar lost to Nathan Frazer on NXT last Tuesday. Lash Legend, Jakara Jackson and Oro Mensah joining Dar's act is very random and hopefully it will be explained. I realize they've interacted backstage on NXT TV lately, but they got a flat reaction upon showing up at the end of this match.

Ilja Dragunov def. Dijak in a Last Man Standing Match

I had high hopes for this and they did not disappoint. This was one of the most "TakeOver" matches I've seen on an NXT special in recent memory, much like Dijak vs. Wes Lee from Vengeance Day back in February. They made excellent use of the stipulation, beat the holy hell out of each other, and had the crowd engaged throughout. Both of these guys are terrific and deserve real runs on the main roster when the time comes.

NXT Tag Team Champions Gallus (Mark Coffey and Wolfgang) def. The Creed Brothers)

Needless to say, these guys were in a tough spot coming off that excellent Last Man Standing match, but I thought they put forth a solid effort and had a hard-hitting, physical matchup. It started slow (and Gallus aren't the flashiest guys in the world), but they picked up the pace about halfway through and then it got better. I was convinced Creed Brothers were winning since they failed to two other times to regain the gold since April, but apparently not. Does this mean a main roster call-up is imminent for them?

Tiffany Stratton def. Lyra Valkyria in the Finals of the NXT Women's Championship Tournament to Win the Vacant NXT Women's Championship

Although she's been incredibly impressive since returning in January, Stratton was easily the most inexperienced person on the entire show, so I was worried this would be a weak point of the evening. It took time for the crowd to get into it, but this turned into a top-notch match in the second half. Valkyria can go, and that was evident in this outing, but her character work is still lacking, so Stratton becoming champion was absolutely the correct choice. She needs plenty of more seasoning, but it's amazing where her level of progression is at already. This crowd was very much behind her and was satisfied with the finish.

NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes def. Bron Breakker

Their Stand & Deliver encounter was pretty good, but it failed to reach that next level in my opinion and I wasn't a fan of the interference from Trick Williams. I thought this rematch was a significant improvement with the roles reversed this time and Breakker being in his element as a heel. Obviously, Hayes being a Massachusetts native added to the atmosphere, but their chemistry was even stronger this time and they worked wonderfully together. Much like Creed Brothers, it's worth wondering if Breakker is on his way up to Raw or SmackDown coming off this latest loss.

Overall Show

As I always say, NXT TV can be hit or miss most weeks, but the brand tends to nail these live specials and this was an entertaining one. I'm biased because I was there in attendance, but I did think this was a step above Vengeance Day and even Stand & Deliver. It was a dumb decision from WWE to have this air opposite of AEW Double or Nothing, but I can't imagine anyone who watched it being left underwhelmed once it was over. None of the matches were bad (though Dar vs. Lee was a bit boring at times), and Dijak vs. Dragunov stole the show. File that under Match of the Year contenders.

SEE MORE: NXT Reviews