2 things that went right on the June 21 episode of NXT 2.0

Despite us inching closer to NXT 2.0’s next televised special, The Great American Bash, WWE’s developmental brand didn’t do much to fill out the rest of the card for that show. The second of two taped episodes, this week’s NXT 2.0 felt more skippable than usual.

The lack of excitement for a show that’s built around seeing the future of the company speaks to how little this assembly-line approach to recruiting and development appeals to anyone other than a CEO who wants to maintain as much power as possible over his labor.

Now, this doesn’t mean that everything on this show elicits the same doom and gloom vibes. Even on the worst show (and WWE has produced worse episodes of NXT 2.0 than this one), there are still bright spots to discuss, so let’s talk about those positives.

These are two things that went right on the June 21 episode of NXT 2.0.

Cameron Grimes vs. Edris Enofe

One week removed from Cameron Grimes questioning Edris Enofe and Malik Blade’s passion for wrestling, we saw Grimes take on Enofe in singles competition. This match sought to accomplish two things: Give Grimes a showcase win before challenging Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship at The Great American Bash and coax some babyface fire out of the usually-comedic Enofe.

Thanks to Grimes and Enofe, WWE easily completed both tasks. We got the expected displays of athleticism, but with that flashy offense came several spots where Enofe took the punishment Grimes dished out (even asking for more in some instances) before returning fire in equal measure.

In the end, Grimes scored the clean pin after delivering the Cave In to Enofe, but Enofe gained something in defeat, and not just a post-match handshake from Grimes. Beneath the comedy characters (which he and Blade are admittedly good at), there’s a wrestler with, at the very least, upper midcard upside, so it was encouraging seeing Grimes pull that side out of him.

Of course, how WWE follows up with Enofe and Blade will determine how much this matters in the long run. For now, this gets a thumbs up.

Wes Lee’s promo

Speaking of fiery babyfaces, we heard from Wes Lee on this week’s NXT 2.0. The former NXT Tag Team Champion didn’t cover much new ground in this promo — he talked about going from tag team champ to not even having a partner — but his message of persevering and learning how to fight his own battles resonated with the audience.

Yes, the tears were a bit much, but Lee was more affable here than he’s been in weeks. Thankfully, WWE didn’t take the “guy who picks fights and loses them” route with Lee, and based on his interaction with Trick Williams, it looks like the promotion could have a Lee/Carmelo Hayes feud planned for the near future.

Obviously, the green Williams will also benefit from working with a wrestler of Lee’s caliber, but in terms of figuring out how to position Lee as a singles act, this was a step in the right direction.