WWE NXT Review - June 27, 2018

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Tommaso Ciampa Taunted NXT Champion Aleister Black

In my opinion, Ciampa is the hottest heel in all of wrestling right now, and coming off his victory over Johnny Gargano at NXT TakeOver: Chicago II, it made sense to transition him into the NXT Championship picture. This fresh feud should also get Black back in in the spotlight where he belongs, because although he's been the champ since WrestleMania weekend, he has largely been overshadowed by Gargano and Ciampa lately. It will be interesting to see if this will carry over into TakeOver: Brooklyn IV or culminate before then to allow Gargano and Ciampa to blow off their ruthless rivalry on that show.

Kona Reeves def. Max Humberto

After all the insanity that ensured at TakeOver: Chicago II, I completely forgot Reeves was still a part of the roster. I believe this was his third appearance on NXT TV, and as of now, he's still doing absolutely nothing for me. He didn't come across like a star in this match, and instead, he feels like a marginal performer at best. It's time for NXT to cut bait with him because this experiment clearly isn't working.

Candice LeRae def. Lacey Evans

I continue to be impressed with Evans and how she has gradually improved with every outing she's had. Working against established competitors such as Kairi Sane and now LeRae will only help her cause, and even in defeat, she looked good here. This was a nice match while it lasted and LeRae picked up the win as she should have. Could she be the next woman to step up to challenge Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women's Championship?

Undisputed Era def. Ricochet and NXT Tag Team Champions Moustache Mountain

It looks like Ricochet will be setting his sights on NXT North American Champion Adam Cole based off his alliance with Moustache Mountain here. The six-man tag team match pitting Undisputed Era against British Strong Style at this past week's WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament special was a ton of fun and this proved to be equally excellent. It was all action and the crowd ate up everything they did. The finish couldn't have better executed with Undisputed Era finding a way to walk away with the win after an opportunistic Cole pinned Ricochet.

Overall Show

This was the first full episode of NXT TV after TakeOver: Chicago II and it was an enjoyable one, featuring an entertaining main event, a well-wrestled women's match, and the start of a program between Black and Ciampa. I didn't particularly care for the showcase of Reeves, but that's merely nitpicking. This was a solid show on the whole that kicked off what should be an exciting road to TakeOver: Brooklyn IV in less than two months.