WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Highlights and Reaction from September 25

The intense rivalry between Matt Riddle and Killian Dain came to a head Wednesday night. The Original Bro and the unstoppable force formerly of Sanity squared off in a Street Fight that took on higher stakes when it was revealed the winner would challenge Adam Cole for the NXT Championship.

That marquee bout headlined a show which also featured the latest big-man battle between Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic, the return of Dakota Kai from injury and a Six-Man Tag Team match pitting WWE United Kingdom champion Walter and Imperium against Kushida and two partners of his choosing.

Who emerged victorious, what does it mean for their NXT futures and how did the brand follow up its successful first USA Network broadcast?

Find out with this recap of the September 25 show.

Undisputed Era made its presence felt at the top of the show, with its members holding their respective titles high overhead. However, the opening bout of the evening belonged to Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic, who rekindled their rivalry.

The NXT faithful was red-hot, cheering both competitors early, but it was Lee who seized the upper hand with an athletic crossbody. As the fight spilled to the ring apron, Dijakovic answered with a nasty chokeslam onto the hardest part of the apron, drawing chants of "NXT" entering the first commercial of the night.

Back from the break, the Superstars engaged in a slugfest. Lee dropped his opponent with a nasty headbutt and scaled the ropes. A breathtaking moonsault followed, but he was unable to put away his resilient opponent.

Dijakovic answered with an avalanche Canadian Destroyer that popped the crowd and had commentator Mauro Ranallo beside himself with awe. Lee kicked out, though, leaving Dijakovic in disbelief.

A moonsault from the big man followed, but Lee sat up out of the pin, hoisted his opponent and dropped him with a powerslam for the biggest pinfall victory of his NXT career.

       

Result

Lee defeated Dijakovic

       

Grade

A

        

Analysis

Lee and Dijakovic have superb in-ring chemistry and have mastered the battle of big men.

Every blow hits hard, every high-risk maneuver is more breathtaking than the last and every devastating power move is closer to finishing off the other Superstar.

Lee evened the odds with Dijakovic, something Ranallo put over on commentary. Hopefully, that means we can expect a third and deciding match in the series because this is a rivalry that could mean unconditional stardom for both.

For the first time in 2019, Dakota Kai competed in an NXT ring, greeted by fans with a warm welcome back.

The Captain of Team Kick battled Taynara Conti in singles competition, and the Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor crotched Kai on the top rope and wrested control of the bout.

Conti used her striking ability to keep Kai at bay, but a big bicycle kick sparked a comeback, and a flurry of other kicks stunned the South American.

Kai blasted her opponent with a running corner kick and finished her off with the GTK (Go-To Kick) for an impressive victory.

      

Result

Kai defeated Conti

        

Grade

C+

       

Analysis

This wasn't a perfect example of what Kai does well, but it was a fantastic return to action for a Superstar with all the potential to be a major force in the brand's women's division.

Kai is charismatic, has a great striking arsenal and is a babyface fans will invest in emotionally and follow on her quest for championship gold. The only issue possibly facing her is that Candice LeRae, the top contender to Shayna Baszler's NXT Women's Championship, is a character in the same vein.

That may stunt her ability to move up the ranks for now, but matches with Bianca Belair and Io Shirai present other opportunities for her to build her star and achieve what so many believe she is capable of.

A week after their Street Fight ended in utter chaos, Matt Riddle and Killian Dain sought to conclude their intense rivalry in a rematch with much higher stakes: a shot at the NXT Championship held by Adam Cole.

The two men pummeled each other early, but it was The Original Bro who would bring the fight to the mat, looking for a submission. Dain escaped, though, and looked to overpower his opponent. Riddle answered with a flying fist that rocked his rival heading into the break.

The tide turned during the interval, as Dain withstood a kendo-stick attack and then obliterated Riddle with a dropkick. The carefree babyface fought back and delivered a running senton for a near-fall. Riddle countered an electric chair with a victory roll for two.

Dain caught Riddle with a fireman-carry takedown and then delivered a senton of his own.

Riddle answered with an Alabama Slam for a close two. Dain recovered and sent his opponent to the floor. He followed with a tope suicida to the floor and then sent a chair flying into his opponent before targeting his midsection with the weapon.

The fight spilled into the stands, where Riddle recovered enough to unload a "cavalcade of crushing kicks," as called by Ranallo. As the brawl neared the entrance stage, Dain delivered a crossbody that drove his opponent through a wooden barrier.

Back from the break, Riddle found his fifth or sixth wind of the match and blasted Dain with an unforgiving barrage of kicks. Dain answered with three straight Vader Bombs, utilizing the very assault that earned him his first win over the Bro earlier in their rivalry.

Riddle kicked out of a pin attempt, though.

Riddle cut off a fourth attempt at a Vader Bomb, blasting Dain with a chair and flattening him with a powerbomb. He followed with a nasty knee strike that drove a chair into his opponent's head.

Riddle unloaded and looked for the Bromission, but Dain fought out. Riddle downed him with a series of strikes that Dain answered with a well-placed shot to the midsection.

The babyface recovered, locked Dain in a Fujiwara armbar and scored the submission victory.

      

Result

Riddle defeated Dain

      

Grade

A

       

Analysis

This was an effective end to a hard-hitting rivalry between the pair. It blended raw physicality and unabashed violence, culminating in Riddle doing the unthinkable by tapping out the big man in the center of the ring.

Withstanding the punishment and winning like he did only legitimized Riddle more than he already was and sets him up as a contender capable of beating Cole, regardless of whether he has to overcome the numbers disadvantage Undisputed Era so frequently presents.

Credibility regarding any and all contenders going forward is of the utmost importance because All Elite Wrestling has it in boatloads with the likes of Kenny Omega, Cody, Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley.

Wins like this, without any controversy, are exactly the type of victories that will build stars and create intriguing matchups for fans to keep coming back for.

Riddle answering Cole's post-match trash-talking with an armbar—proving just how quickly he can put away the champion—was a nice way to sell how much of a threat he is come next week's show.

Fresh off a showdown with Shayna Baszler that established her as one of the top contenders to The Queen of Spades' women's title, Rhea Ripley squared off with Kayden Carter, formerly known as Lacey Lane.

The 2018 Mae Young Classic competitor started quickly, taking the fight to Ripley. The Aussie answered with a dropkick that halted her opponent's momentum and followed with a corner attack that drove the air out of her smaller opponent. A delayed vertical suplex, right out of "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith's playbook, continued her onslaught.

A hurricanrana allowed Carter to create separation, and a second rana from the top rope further stunned her opponent. A back kick led to a near-fall as Carter's impressive comeback continued.

Ripley cut her off, though, and finished with the pump-handle bomb known as the Riptide for the pinfall victory.

      

Result

Ripley defeated Carter

      

Grade

B

      

Analysis

Ripley went over strongly and definitively here but not at the expense of Carter.

Carter was able to showcase her athleticism and quick strikes while thwarting the oppressive offensive arsenal of her opponent.

As is typically the case between competitors in title contention and those fighting their way there, it was one slip-up from Carter that allowed the first NXT UK women's champion to continue her march toward a rematch with Baszler.

This was a great showcase for both women.

Matt Martel and Chase Parker—now known collectively as Ever-Rise—battled the old guard of the NXT tag team division, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch.

Burch and Lorcan demonstrated the tag team chemistry that has made them such a formidable tandem over the years, frustrating both Martel and Parker early.

Burch grounded Parker with a side headlock, picked the leg and joined Lorcan in a side Russian leg sweep on Parker.

Martel made the save for his partner, tossing Lorcan to the floor behind the official's back. From there, the Canadians isolated the Boston brawler and worked over his left arm. A double-team attack on Lorcan netted only a two-count as frustration set in.

Burch finally received the hot tag and unloaded on the opposition with his trademark punishing strikes. A middle-rope missile dropkick downed Parker as the Brit fired up. Lorcan joined Burch for an assisted DDT, picking up the impressive victory.

        

Result

Burch and Lorcan defeated Ever-Rise

          

Grade

B

            

Analysis

This was rather formulaic, but Ever-Rise had the opportunity to showcase its abilities in front of a live TV audience while Lorcan and Burch were their typically excellent selves. The fans were behind the grizzled vets as they fought back into the match and ultimately put away their opposition.

We have seen Lorcan and Burch challenge Undisputed Era's Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish before, but the match was not overexposed, and given the quality of that one championship battle, a rematch would be more than welcome.

Given the lack of ready and obvious opposition for the champions beyond The Street Profits, they make as much sense to challenge for the gold as anyone.

A week after a near-record victory over Sean Maluta, Cameron Grimes sought another win over Raul Mendoza.

The high-flying babyface would not fall into the same trap as Maluta, though, and dodged an early double-stomp attempt by his opponent and focused his attack on Grimes' left arm.

The lively Mendoza kept Grimes reeling and pulled off an excellent springboard into a headlock takeover.

Grimes finally turned the tide, driving his knee into the side of Mendoza's head and then stomping away. He then sent his opponent into the corner with a brutal Irish whip and applied an armbar of his own.

Mendoza caught his opponent with a rolling crucifix for two, but Grimes downed him with a wicked forearm. He went back to working the left arm.

Mendoza created separation and caught Grimes with a running step-up enzuigiri. He sent Grimes soaring with an avalanche Frankensteiner, but the Breakout Tournament finalist recovered and delivered a running double stomp for the pinfall victory.

       

Result

Grimes defeated Mendoza

         

Grade

B+

          

Analysis

Mendoza looked better here than he has been allowed to since arriving in NXT. He has always had the skill to be a star but lacked momentum and a serious push from management to accompany it. While the loss here will not help with that, his performance was strong enough for viewers to sit up and take notice of the young competitor.

Grimes, though, is most definitely in line for a significant push.

Not only has he appeared on consecutive episodes of NXT TV, but he has also won impressively. Jordan Myles, winner of the Breakout Tournament, cannot make the same claim.

Grimes is as talented a performer as there is on the roster, and that is saying a great deal given the wealth of quality that makes up the brand's locker room. And he's only 25 years of age.

The sky is the limit for him, and he is off to a great start with a brand that will set him up to achieve anything he pleases.

A week after confronting WWE United Kingdom champion Walter and Imperium's Marcel Barthel, Alexander Wolfe and Fabian Aichner, Kushida recruited Breezango's Tyler Breeze and Fandango for a huge Six-Man Tag Team match against the intimidating international faction.

Barthel, Aichner and Wolfe represented Imperium in the battle, with no sign of the imposing Walter.

The heels neutralized Kushida early, leaving Breeze and Fandango to fight on behalf of the fan favorites. A well-timed uppercut by Aichner and a running one by Barthel to Prince Pretty allowed the villains to seize control of the bout.

Aichner, Wolfe and Barthel worked over Breeze, hanging him in the tree of woe and executing a double dropkick that left him reeling. They raked at his face, looking to punish the Canadian for having the gall to side with Kushida in his war with the group.

Breeze created a moment of separation, delivering a desperation enzuigiri that dropped Aichner. He tagged Fandango in, and the former ballroom dancer unloaded on the competition. Fandango hit a tope con hilo, and the now-legal Kushida delivered a springboard dropkick to Barthel.

He applied an armbreaker, but Aichner and Wolfe made the save. He cleared them out of the squared circle with a handspring double heel kick. Another handspring was answered with a big European uppercut to the back of the head. Kushida recovered and scored the win with an O'Connor roll.

After the match, Walter attacked a celebrating Kushida with a big boot on the entrance ramp.

Imperium stood tall, united and dominant (even in defeat) to close out the show.

       

Result

Kushida and Breezango defeated Imperium

       

Grade

B+

         

Analysis

This was an energetic, fast-paced main event that let Kushida earn some momentum for his inevitable showdown with Walter. While he scored the win and interacted with the UK champion by night's end, it was interesting that he was not showcased more prominently in the closing minutes of the battle.

Fandango got that honor, with a house of fire that may have won the match on his own if Kushida had not made the opportune blind tag.

Aichner, Wolfe and Barthel were a well-oiled machine throughout the bout and served as the perfect associates of the ruthless, unflinchingly punishing Walter. They should have bright futures in that role in both the immediate and long-term future.