WWE NXT: Results, Grades and Analysis for May 2nd
By Liam Hoofe
WWE NXT continued to build towards Takeover: Chicago this week with a jam-packed edition of the show which saw Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong square off in the main event
After last week’s explosive episode of WWE NXT, this week saw the brand shift its focus away from Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa and towards the rest of their roster as they continue to build towards NXT Takeover: Chicago.
The event, which will take place on June 16, during Money in the Bank weekend, is a little over a month away and several matches are beginning to come together for the event.
On this week’s edition of NXT, Pete Dunne went after revenge against Roderick Strong in the main event, while several other key stars, including Kairi Sane and Candice LaRae were in action. The episode also featured the much-hyped return of Kona Reeves.
Let’s take a look at this week’s episode and find out what went down.
No need to thank @AdamColePro, @_StarDESTROYER... he KNOWS you're grateful that he made you famous during his first NXT #NorthAmericanChampionship defense! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/wdi7XV7WGK
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) May 3, 2018
The Undisputed Era Address Last Week
This week’s NXT opened with a video from The Undisputed Era where they discussed the events that went down last week with Burch and Lorcan. They say that Lorcan should be happy that he got beat down by The Undisputed Era as it gives him something to tell his grandkids about. This was an excellent opening segment and the group really come across as the patronising heels that they are.
Source: WWE.Com
Kairi Sane Vs Shazza McKenzie
Result: Kairi Sane wins with the Insane Elbow
Grade: Squash
Kairi Sane is clearly being primed for a feud with Shayna Baszler this summer and this opening match existed to make her look strong. She comfortably dealt with her opponent in under 2 minutes here, finishing her off with the Insane Elbow drop.
After the match, Sane celebrated and the commentators put her over as a challenger for Baszler. She was then interrupted by Lacey Evans, who Sane beat a few weeks back on NXT. Evans comes out to apologise to Sane for the way she behaved that night and Sane looks shocked. Of course, Lane is lying and lays out Sane to close the segment. This sets up a nice little feud between the two, which I imagine may culminate in a match at Takeover: Chicago. The company will want to hold off on Sane Vs Baszler until SummerSlam weekend, and this is a great way to buy time and continue to build Sane’s momentum.