 NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes def. Giovanni VinciThis was yet another instance of Hayes defending against a fellow heel, but I don't think it's a case of him slowly turning face. Rather, NXT's midcard is filled with heels, but I can't complain because all of Hayes' defenses have been top-notch. This was no exception as their styles meshed wonderfully and the heel vs. heel dynamic didn't affect the crowd's enthusiasm at all. Hayes won in a way where they can always go back to this if they wanted to. Both men are stars, though Vinci's presentation still needs work. Gallus Attacked Diamond MineThe segment started with Julius Creed calling out who he thinks has been trying to destroy Diamond Mine lately, and it was no surprise when he shifted his focus toward Roderick Strong. The tension has been teased for months and it looks like we're going to have to wait a little longer to see where it's going because the debuting Gallus laid everyone out here. I thought Strong might've been the one behind the ambush, but they attacked him, too. Cora Jade def. Roxanne PerezWith this being the first match in the feud, it made total sense for Jade to win and I thought the execution of the finish was well done. I loved how Perez went right for Jade before the bell even rang, illustrating the animosity they have for each other. It was a well-wrestled affair and nicely paced, but I believe they're capable of even better and I assume we'll see that in the inevitable rematch. Tony D'Angelo def. Santos Escobar in a Street FightPer the stipulation, Escobar is now banned from NXT and the rest of Legado del Fantasma must stick with D'Angelo. Legado would've been free from D'Angelo's "family" if Escobar won. D'Angelo was my original pick to win, but then I started thinking that Escobar may win and leave NXT anyway with the rest of his faction. The match itself was very entertaining, shenanigans and all. They utilized the stipulation extremely well and the crowd was super hot for all of the action. Could we see Escobar arrive on SmackDown as soon as Friday? NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose def. Zoey StarkStark has never done much for me as a character, but they've done a terrific job of telling her comeback/redemption story over the last month. She's also very talented in the ring, resulting in one of Rose's best bouts as champion. This was very well worked and Stark had a strong showing in defeat. Sadly, all signs point to Nikkita Lyons being the one to ultimately take the title from Rose. She's just not ready for that in my opinion. NXT Champion Bron Breakker def. JD McDonaghMcDonagh is a significantly smaller dude than Breakker, but then again, so was Cameron Grimes. Maybe Grimes being more established in NXT was what made him more of a threat? Although I'm a fan of McDonagh, I came into this contest feeling like no one took him seriously as a threat to the title, so there wasn't a ton of suspense surrounding the outcome. Despite that, it was a good main event with quality work from both men. The show went off the air with Breakker being confronted by Tyler Bate, who apparently won the tournament for the vacant NXT United Kingdom Championship that hasn't finished airing yet. Whoops. I honestly wouldn't mind if this meant that the NXT UK roster (or at least what's left of it) will be merged with the NXT 2.0 roster. A Worlds Collide event is more likely, but how many people will care when far less people watch NXT UK now compared to the last time they did Worlds Collide in January 2020? Overall ShowThese monthly specials (and the occasional Peacock events) remind me more of the black-and-gold era of NXT than anything else NXT 2.0 does. There was minimum filler on this show and that's' how I like it. I understand wanting to introduce and develop new characters (such as Quincy Elliott), but the streamlined storytelling and emphasis on in-ring action is where the current version of NXT really shines and I'd like to see them take that approach more than once a month.
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