WWE NXT Review - April 13, 2021

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

NXT Champion Karrion Kross Addressed the NXT Universe

Kross just screams "star" whenever he comes out, and not just because of his entrance. He simply has that awe-inspiring presence about him and can talk to boot. This was a perfectly fine promo from him coming off his title win at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. There were no teases as to who will challenge him next, but I assume it will be either Finn Balor once he returns or Kyle O'Reilly. Hopefully Kross will have the chance to have the dominant reign he should've had the first time around but couldn't due to injury.

NXT Tag Team Champions MSK def. Killian Dain and Drake Maverick

Dain and Maverick earned this tag title opportunity by beating Breezango on the Night 2 of the TakeOver: Stand & Deliver pre-show. Both teams are face, so this was a fun match. Dain and Maverick are just terrific together and had a credible showing even in defeat. There was no doubt MSK were winning here, but this was an enjoyable first defense for them as champions. Imperium attacked Dain and Maverick afterward, so that looks to be their next feud.

Mercedes Martinez def. Jessi Kamea

We haven't seen much of Martinez since she was pinned by Io Shirai in the NXT Women's Championship Triple Threat at TakeOver: Vengeance Day, so if there was any show to bring her back, this would be it. She failed to win a match with The Robert Stone Brand a few weeks ago, so this was her getting revenge in a short-and-sweet squash. As for Kamea, it fits that she's in The Robert Stone Brand with Aliyah because they've both been on the NXT roster for years and Creative has never shown any interest in pushing either of them.

Kushida def. Santos Escobar to Win the NXT Cruiserweight Championship

Well, this was a pleasant surprise. I was a little disappointed that Escobar beat Jordan Devlin at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver because it meant he'd be sticking around in the Cruiserweight division for a little longer, but it looks like he may be moving on after all. He and Kushida had a great match here and Kushida winning made for a cool moment. He's been in NXT for over two years now and this marked his first title win. It's the perfect spot for him to be in while Escobar can move up to the heavyweight ranks, so everyone wins.

Franky Monet Confronted NXT Women's Champion Raquel Gonzalez; Gonzalez Celebrated with Raw Women's Champion Rhea Ripley and SmackDown Women's Champion Bianca Belair

A small part of me thought Dakota Kai might turn on Gonzalez here now that she's champion and set up that feud, but I'm glad that didn't happen because it's still way too soon for that. Instead, Gonzalez cut a solid promo that was interrupted by Money. This was the best possible way for Monet to debut in because it shows NXT sees her as a big deal, and no, I don't think she will (or should) contend for the NXT Women's Championship any time soon. Ripley and Belair coming out to celebrate with Gonzalez didn't make a ton of storyline sense because Gonzalez is supposed to be a heel, but it made for an awesome visual and it obviously meant a lot to them knowing their friendship in real life. They're the new wave of women's champions and the future.

Isiah "Swerve" Scott def. Leon Ruff

I know he's a former NXT North American Champion, but Ruff beating Scott a few weeks ago was egregious, if only because Scott has been floundering for a while now and needs wins. Thankfully, he had a chance to avenge that loss here in what was a really fun match. Ruff is great in his role as the underdog and heel Swerve is money. This was very well-paced and had the right result.

Bronson Reed, Dexter Lumis and NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart def. The Way (NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano, Austin Theory, Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell)

Reed lost to Gargano at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver and Lumis has been at odds with The Way for months, while LeRae and Hartwell lost to Moon and Blackheart at TakeOver as well. This was an entertaining main event that was all action from start to finish. If you don't dig The Way's act, you probably didn't like it as much, but I find most of their shenanigans funny and thus I enjoyed the match for the time it was given. Reed pinning Theory likely means his pursuit of the NXT North American Championship isn't over yet.

Overall Show

I'm happy NXT is finally on a night of its own. Not just because it makes easier for me to watch NXT and AEW but also because both brands can focus on their own products and there (hopefully) won't be as much of a focus on the ratings. This was a strong first effort by the black-and-gold brand on Tuesday nights. We were treated to two title matches (including a title change), progression of rivalries, and the debut of a fresh face. Hopefully they can keep up the momentum in the weeks ahead and they didn't only go all out for this one episode.