WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from October 5

The October 5 edition of WWE NXT 2.0 was built around a promise of presenting the newest stars of the brand in big moments.

MSK wanted the best and found it in challenges from past rivals and future talent in a Fatal 4-Way for the NXT Tag Team Championship. Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen, Grizzled Young Veterans and Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams all had their eyes on gold.

Mandy Rose made an impact last week by laying out Raquel Gonzalez, but she still had to earn a title shot. Ember Moon challenged her in a bid to take down the arrogant leader of Toxic Attraction.

Odyssey Jones has found himself opposing one of the top stars in NXT, LA Knight. The Million Dollar Mega Star had plans to embarrass the big man, but he was running into a motivated figure.

After causing some controversy since his debut, Joe Gacy stepped into the ring against Ikemen Jiro, while Cora Jade made her NXT 2.0 debut.

This show did not have a massive card on the surface, but it was a chance to establish some fresh stars and potentially even lead to a major title change.

Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne got involved early, distracting Ember Moon long enough for Mandy Rose to take over the action.

However, God's Greatest Creation let her stay in the action too long, allowing The War Goddess to fire back with a diving double knee facebreaker.

This set up Moon for the Eclipse, but Rose ducked out of the way and landed a bicycle knee for the win.

Result

Rose def. Moon by pinfall.

Grade

B

Analysis

This was a fine opener that got some decent time by NXT 2.0 standards. The action went back and forth, selling the idea that Moon could well take down Rose. However, in the midst of a slump, The War Goddess rolled right into a bicycle knee.

The goal was to start giving the leader of Toxic Attraction a win that no one could ignore. This was the important victory that should make Rose look more like a legitimate threat to Raquel Gonzalez.

The NXT women's champion has plenty of interesting challengers, and it is important for NXT to at least sell that it takes more than attacking her to earn a title shot.

Legado del Fantasma called out Hit Row after their surprise drafting to SmackDown. Santos Escobar challenged Isaiah "Swerve" Scott to put the NXT North American Championship on the line, and the titleholder accepted.

LA Knight grounded Odyssey Jones early by attacking his knee, but even on his back, the big man was able to throw The Million Dollar Mega Star off him. When Knight tried to get Jones on his shoulder, he found himself planted on the mat by the sheer weight of the big man.

Andre Chase arrived to taunt Jones, distracting him for a jumping neckbreaker. He got his foot under the bottom rope on the pin, but Chase knocked it back into the ring, allowing Knight to get the three-count.

Result

Knight def. Jones by pinfall.

Grade

C+

Analysis

This wasn't bad but it was a little disjointed. Jones has such a unique body type that wrestlers have to adapt their style to work with him. Knight did what he could here, but Jones was on his back too often to make this interesting.

The Million Dollar Mega Star should still be a priority for NXT as long as he works on the brand. While Jones is talented, this was the right result that makes clear NXT 2.0 is not ignoring the veterans.

Cameron Grimes wanted to find the woman of his dreams with all the love in the air for NXT 2.0. Pete Dunne mocked The Technical Savage and challenged him to a match. Von Wagner explained to Kyle O'Reilly why he protected him, showing his respect.

Meanwhile, Tommaso Ciampa challenged anyone to step up to him. Bronn Breakker arrived and did not mince words. He wanted an NXT Championship match at Halloween Havoc. The Blackheart accepted.

Grade

B

Analysis

Ciampa delivered here to elevate a predictable segment. He made clear that his dynamic with Breakker was grizzled veteran against entitled rookie. It feels likely that the challenger will defeat The Blackheart given how much is behind him, but it's hard not to root for the NXT stalwart in this equation.

NXT 2.0 has a tendency of throwing in a backstage segment or two between each match, which seems to be about getting as many wrestlers on the show as possible. Grimes vs. Dunne was sloppily set up, and Wagner is an awkward promo. These segments make the show feel all the more like a developmental one.

Ikemen Jiro never got a good handle on his "enlightened" opponent, Joe Gacy, who put this away quickly with a handspring clothesline.

However, a mysterious bald man glared down at Gacy from the crowd after his win.

Backstage, Gacy confronted Tommaso Ciampa and asked for his own title shot. The NXT champion agreed to wrestle him next week and would add the "enlightened" Superstar to the Halloween Havoc match if he won.

Result

Gacy def. Jiro by pinfall.

Grade

C

Analysis

This was a fine squash match to finally start building Gacy. He has certainly found his way to making the character work in the ring, even if the gimmick feels poorly conceived. He's a talented athlete who will shine no matter what he is given with time.

It is a shame that Jiro continues to lose. He is not a star built to be dominant, but he could at least pick up the occasional win to make him feel relevant. He has such a unique gimmick, but it's being wasted on jobber booking.

Duke Hudson explained how he treated wrestling in the ring like gambling, showing off his poker skills. Cora Jade showed off her skateboarding ability in a promo ahead of her NXT 2.0 debut.

She was supposed to face Virginia Ferry, but an aggravated Franky Monet laid out Ferry and took her spot. La Wera Loca dominated the action, but as she prepared for a Glam Slam, Jade rolled through into a roll-up for the victory.

Result

Jade def. Monet by pinfall.

Grade

B

Analysis

While this wasn't much of a match, it was a big moment for Jade. She has been stuck in the background since she arrived in NXT, but it looks like she finally has her gimmick and angle to shine. She and Baxter can elevate one another.

Monet needs more wins than she had gotten. While the moment was cool for Jade, there should be a rematch soon in which La Wera Loca can get her win back. She has just lost too many matches to start her NXT run.

Pete Dunne targeted the left arm of Cameron Grimes early. A bridging German suplex got The Technical Savage back in the fight, but he was clearly hurt from the attack.

Ridge Holland tried to cheap-shot Grimes, but Kyle O'Reilly jumped into the fight.

Holland threw KOR over the announce table before The Bruiserweight put the match away with the Bitter End. O'Reilly struck afterward and got laid out for his trouble by Dunne and Holland.

Von Wagner helped walk KOR backstage where he told him they were facing Dunne and Holland next week.

Result

Dunne def. Grimes by pinfall.

Grade

C+

Analysis

Dunne vs. Grimes should have gotten a lot more time, as this felt rushed and unfinished. However, this has been par for the course with NXT 2.0. Even the established talent gets less time than previously so that more people can appear on each episode.

It seems NXT will use these final weeks before the WWE draft comes into effect to end NXT stories. KOR and Von Wagner vs. Dunne and Holland should be a good way to end this rivalry next week while building an interesting alliance of KOR and Wagner.

Tony D'Angelo was too much for Malik Blade, knocking him around and grappling him to the mat.

The crowd was behind the Chicago native as he knocked down his opponent with a vicious right hand, but Blade finally got into the action with a dropkick that sent D'Angelo outside.

Blade connected on a corner clothesline and a diving crossbody, but D'Angelo suckered him in, planting him face first on the turnbuckle. He hit a Northern Lights Suplex into a spinning neckbreaker for the win.

Result

D'Angelo def. Blade by pinfall.

Grade

D+

Analysis

This went long, especially for NXT 2.0. D'Angelo has an amateur wrestling background that translated well here, and he was over with the crowd. However, the match itself should have been much more focused on him alone.

Blade got in some generic cruiserweight spots, but that was about it. At some point, he may be able to do more, but this wasn't his spot to shine. He just slowed the action down.

Persia Pirrota talked with Indi Hartwell about her honeymoon before they ran into a weird smoke show from Tian Sha.

Joe Gacy then talked about showing the world that everyone can win in the ring.

This set up for Ying to challenge Hartwell. The power of Tian Sha did not leave her feet as she wore down her opponent. The legendary Chinese figure choked out Hartwell until the two fell outside.

Pirotta distracted Ying, and Hartwell sent her hard into the steel post. Back in the ring, Mrs. Lumis hit an elbow drop for the win.

Result

Hartwell def. Ying by pinfall.

Grade

D

Analysis

This was bad. Tian Sha had one thing left: the mysterious dominance of Ying, but that was lost with this result. Xia Li is on SmackDown, and Ying and Boa are struggling for a shred of relevance that could have meant so much more.

Hartwell is clearly a priority for NXT 2.0. She is young (25), and her story is only growing after marrying Dexter Lumis. However, there were plenty of reasons she should have lost here—and even more for why this should not have been booked.

This all just came off as NXT 2.0 spitting in the face of a gimmick that NXT established but could not fully execute before the evolution.

Malcolm Bivens put over each member of Diamond Mine. He sold Hachiman's championship pedigree, Ivy Nile's strength, Julius and Brutus Creed's dominance and Roderick Strong's important as the leader.

Raquel Gonzalez marched to the ring and called out Mandy Rose. Toxic Attraction arrived and mocked the NXT women's champion. The trio surrounded the ring only for Io Shirai and Zoey Stark to arrive and even the odds. Rose ordered Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne to stand down for the moment.

Backstage, Gonzalez told Shirai and Stark that she did not need their help before she was interrupted by Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotti, who wanted a shot at the tag titles.

Grade

C+

Analysis

While this segment felt unnecessary on the same episode as Rose's big win over Ember Moon, it was a fine continuation of the key rivalries in the women's division.

Gonzalez spoke with fire to establish what the NXT Women's Championship means to her. She showed no fear in the wake of overwhelming odds but also needed help to not get taken out again.

Stark and Shirai have defeated Toxic Attraction already, but the heel stable still stands as the strongest pairing to take the titles off the NXT women's tag team champions.

Wes Lee and Nash Carter gladly accepted their new challenge, but Grizzled Young Veterans complained about the stipulation. It was decided it should be a Fatal 4-Way Elimination match instead to ensure there was no doubt on the best team.

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen dominated the action early, throwing wrestlers into the ring just to beat them up more. Lee got a blind tag into the match and took down Trick Williams with a spinebuster/blockbuster combination for the first elimination.

MSK went to war with Grizzled Young Veterans. Carter countered James Drake's best offense and laid him out. Zack Gibson saved his partner and hit Carter with Ticket to Mayhem, but he was not the legal man. Briggs and Jensen hit a double powerbomb on Gibson to eliminate GYV.

With Carter hurt, Lee was left fighting alone. Briggs and Jensen nearly took the win off a double powerbomb, but Carter made the save. Lee then rolled through the powerbomb into a pin for three.

Briggs and Jensen shook hands with the champions afterward, but Imperium struck and laid out MSK.

Result

MSK def. Briggs and Jensen, Grizzled Young Veterans and Carmelo and Trick by pinfall to retain the NXT Tag Team Championships.

Grade

A

Analysis

This was easily the best part of the show, unsurprisingly. With plenty of time to compete, the tag teams delivered. In particular, this was MSK's moment, but Briggs and Jensen got to show more than they have to date.

Hayes and Williams should have been used more than they were, but one of these teams was always going to be disrespected. The crowd wanted more of Melo, putting a damper on a match that was otherwise a successful showcase of the division.

Imperium struck at the end, still showcasing as the most dangerous challengers to MSK. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next round of MSK vs. Imperium now that they are fighting in NXT 2.0.