This week's episode of NXT wasn't designated as a special event but WWE still packed the card with a few title matches to make the show exciting.
Johnny Gargano defended the North American Championship for the first time since winning it at TakeOver. Was he able to break his curse of losing every title in his first defense?
Breeze and Fandango attempted to regain the NXT tag titles in a rematch against Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan, but the champions now have Pete Dunne and Pat McAfee as allies, so Breezango had an uphill battle.
We also saw Santos Escobar put the Cruiserweight Championship on the line against Jake Atlas and Toni Storm battled Candice LeRae.
Let's take a look at everything that happened on this week's episode of NXT.
Johnny Gargano vs. Leon Ruff (North American Championship)
1 OF 6
After playing the annual Veteran's Day video package, Gargano opened the show in the ring with a wheel full of names that could challenge him for the North American title. He spins it and it lands on Leon Ruff, which was obviously what he wanted to happen.
Ruff came out smiling and Gargano shook his hand before the bell. He then kicked Ruff in the face and stomped a mudhole in him. The cruiserweight got in a few shots before Gargano threw him into the steel steps.
Damian Priest showed up in the crowd and the distraction almost led to Ruff pinning him with a roll-up. Johnny Wrestling launched him into the middle turnbuckle but Ruff managed to take him down with a crucifix to get a shocking upset victory. Priest laughed as the ref presented him with the title.
Grade: C+
Analysis
This began as a classic slimy heel move. The bad guy puts himself in the ring with an opponent he knows he can beat and then proceeds to decimate him.
However, WWE pulled the rug out from under us and put the title on Ruff, who nobody would have predicted would win before the show began.
Genuinely shocking moments in WWE are few and far between. The match was short but the shocking finish wouldn't have worked if it lasted a long time. This was a decent way to open the show.
Santos Escobar vs. Jake Atlas (Cruiserweight Championship)
2 OF 6
Before the show, Atlas attacked Joaquin Wilde in the parking lot. Escobar granted him a title match in an effort to get him in the ring for some revenge.
He hit a knee to the body right away but Atlas quickly recovered and sent him out of the ring with a kick to the head. The champion returned the favor with his own kick before he brought him down to the mat.
He punished the challenger with a submission before he dropped him on his face. Atlas was forced to fend off an attack from Raul Mendoza and Wilde at ringside but he was still able to hit a springboard blockbuster for a near-fall.
We returned from a break to see Escobar in firm control. He hit a nice hurricanrana on the top turnbuckle followed by a frog splash for a two-count. Atlas almost missed a suicide dive when his foot hooked the rope.
Atlas attempted his signature cartwheel DDT but Escobar caught him and hit his finisher for the pin and the win.
Grade: B+
Analysis
This feud has been building for a little while and they did not disappoint when they finally got into the ring with each other.
Atlas and Escobar have styles that mesh well together. They can both take it to the mat or fly through the air, so this match had a little bit of everything.
It won't go down in history as a five-star classic but it will likely stand out as one of the better WWE bouts from this week. Atlas is great as the underdog babyface and Escobar has been a solid heel champion. One or two minor botches didn't do much to take away from this one.
Raquel Gonzalez vs. Xia Li Is Called off
3 OF 6
Last week, Xia Li requested a match against Raquel Gonzalez. This week, Boa came out and tried to cancel the fight on Li's behalf for some unknown reason. Gonzalez did not take this well and proceeded to beat the life out of Boa.
She left the arena and some strange graphics came on the LED screens. An older gentleman approached Boa and handed him a letter while making a black mark on his hand. This was all very ominous and mysterious.
There wasn't much to grade here but the segment was worth noting. Gonzalez looked good as a monster and this new mystery with Boa and Li could be intriguing if done right.
Candice LeRae vs. Toni Storm
4 OF 6
After we saw a replay of LeRae running over Shotzi Blackheart's tank in her car, The Poison Pixie made her way out to battle Storm.
They kept things technical during the first few minutes. Both women used several takedowns, holds and counters before either of them attempted a strike.
Storm missed a hip strike against the steel steps and went down as we went to a commercial. We returned with LeRae hitting a backstabber. Storm avoided a moonsault and leveled her with a headbutt that sent both women to the mat.
LeRae was able to steal the win by using the ropes for leverage during the pin. Storm went after her but the masked woman who interfered at Halloween Havoc made the save. Blackheart ran down to even the odds but ended up being taken out, too. Indi Hartwell revealed herself to be the attacker.
Grade: B
Analysis
Hartwell being the attacker was not surprising at all, but at least WWE didn't try to drag out this storyline for longer than necessary.
The match between LeRae and Storm was physical and entertaining. They worked well together and this will likely lead to more matches in the near future.
The NXT women's division has so much talent right now and it's great to see storylines that are separate from the championship scene.
Dexter Lumis vs. Timothy Thatcher
5 OF 6
Timothy Thatcher and Dexter Lumis met for a match after a backstage incident earlier in the show. Lumis immediately hit a Thesz press and sent Thatcher out of the ring to recover.
Thatcher eventually took him down and stretched him in a bow and arrow submission. Lumis broke free and hit a few hard crossface strikes. He planted Thatch with a spinebuster and followed up with a standing dropkick.
After a break, Thatcher hit a double underhook suplex for a trio of near-falls. Lumis hit a nice side suplex to give himself a little time to recover. He started unloading with punches before he climbed to the top rope. Thatch tried to cut him off with a superplex but the artist pushed him down and hit a senton bomb.
Cameron Grimes showed up and the distraction led to Thatcher getting the pin. Grimes proceeded to attack Lumis after the match.
Grade: B
Analysis
Thatcher and Lumis are both hard-hitting fighters who have the potential to have one of the great feuds in NXT if they are allowed to continue this rivalry at some point.
Their strikes were stiff, their holds were locked in deep and their technical prowess was on full display. It's almost too bad this was just a setup for Grimes to keep his feud with Lumis going.
Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan vs. Breezango (NXT Tag Titles)
6 OF 6
McAfee and Dunne accompanied the champions to the ring and delivered a promo declaring his group as the best four-man stable in wrestling history.
Tyler Breeze and Fandango skipped the flashy entrance this week and went right to the ring. Burch and Fandango fought on one side of the ring while Burch and Breeze brawled on the other side.
Once things got under control, both teams had bursts of offense that prevented either duo from dominating for too long.
Drake Maverick ran down to get revenge for Killian Dain but Dunne took him out first. McAfee helped his team cheat and retain the tag titles to end the show.
Grade: B-
Analysis
From the moment the bell rang, this was a competitive match that showed a new side of Breezango while showcasing the stiff style the champs are known for.
McAfee has become such a strong heel for NXT. He has the cocky swagger that only comes from being a successful pro athlete and he is using it to help Burch, Lorcan and Dunne stand out.
Fandango and Breeze are two of the most reliable performers on the black and gold brand and this match was another example of how good they can be against anyone they face.