WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from June 3
This week featured the final episode of NXT before TakeOver: In Your House airs on June 7, which means it was all about building up the pay-per-view.
Drake Maverick and El Hijo del Fantasma squared off in the final round of the tournament to crown an interim cruiserweight champion.
This tourney came about after Jordan Devlin was unable to travel to the U.S. because of the coronavirus pandemic. When he is able to return, Devlin will likely face the winner of the tournament in a champion vs. champion match down the line.
This week also saw Candice LeRae and Mia Yim meet for a singles match as Keith Lee and Johnny Gargano prepare to meet at TakeOver.
Let's take a look at everything that happened on this week's episode of NXT.
Candice LeRae vs. Mia Yim
The show began with LeRae immediately making her entrance for the match. As Yim posed during her entrance, The Poison Pixie attacked her from behind.
The ref called for the bell, and The HBIC took control by overpowering LeRae. A few dirty tactics later and Yim found herself back on defense.
They took the fight outside of the ring, where Yim threw LeRae into the barricade a few times. They brawled as the ref counted out both women.
The Poison Pixie sent The HBIC into the LED wall. Tegan Nox tried to play the peacemaker before Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez and Shotzi Blackheart came out to turn this into a huge fight.
Gargano and Lee came down, and the announcer said William Regal had turned this into a mixed tag match. After Johnny Wrestling voiced his displeasure, the ref called for the bell.
The women did most of the wrestling until Gargano broke up a pin by Yim, causing Lee to go after him with all of his fury. Gargano gouged his eye with a car key, which distracted Yim long enough for LeRae to pin her.
Grade: B
Analysis
At first, it seemed like WWE was only going to give Yim and LeRae a few minutes. Turning this into a mixed tag match was a good way to keep them in the ring while also pushing the feud between Lee and Gargano.
Yim and LeRae work well together, especially now that LeRae is operating as a heel. She has quickly grown into this role after playing a babyface for almost her entire NXT career.
They did the heavy lifting in both segments, while Gargano and Lee played supporting roles. Having NXT wrestlers in the crowd to provide reactions helped make everything a little more enjoyable.
Isaiah Scott vs. Tony Nese
Isaiah "Swerve" Scott and Tony Nese met for a singles match after WWE played a couple of video packages for Adam Cole and Velveteen Dream.
Scott was more aggressive than usual as he took control and brought Nese out of the ring so he could inflict a little extra pain. The Premier Athlete had to resort to raking at his eyes to get away.
The cruiserweight powerhouse maintained the upper hand as he grounded Swerve and slowed the pace down so he could be more methodical.
Scott had to use every bit of power in his body to fight out of a guillotine choke and hit a brainbuster. It looked like he had the win in hand before Jack Gallagher appeared to distract him. Nese tried to take advantage, but Scott still managed to score the win with a reversal into a sunset flip.
Grade: B+
Analysis
This was a random match with little story behind it, but it ended up being one of the most entertaining performances either man has had in quite some time.
They were both clearly looking to impress the powers that be, and they likely did with this bout. Gallagher was an unnecessary addition at the end.
Nese and Scott have different styles that overlap just enough for them to be able to speed up and slow down at a moment's notice. It would be great if this turned into an extended feud to give both men a little exposure.
The Undisputed Era vs. Lorcan and Burch vs. Breezango
Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong represented The Undisputed Era in a triple threat tag match with Breezango and the team of Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan.
Unlike other multiteam matches we have seen that start with only two men in the ring, this bout began with a member of each team in the ring.
Breeze and Burch formed what ended up being a short-lived alliance against Fish before the commercial break. When we returned, everyone was fighting their hearts out.
Dexter Lumis showed up in the crowd and drew the attention of Strong and Fish, which led to Fandango hitting a leg drop from the top rope for the pin.
Grade: B-
Analysis
This was every bit as physical and competitive as you would expect a match like this to be. These are three teams that have each proved how good they are on several occasions.
Lorcan is definitely a breakout star waiting to happen. When he gets going, few people can do a hot tag like he can.
Breezango are now the No. 1 contenders for the NXT tag titles, but Malcolm Bivens and his clients showed up to indicate they are also looking for a shot at the belts at some point.
Aliyah vs. Santana Garrett
The fourth bout of the evening featured Aliyah taking on Santana Garrett. The one-time WWE Breaking Ground subject went right after her opponent with as much aggression as she could muster.
Robert Stone turned Aliyah down a few weeks ago when she wanted to join his organization, but he was there to support her this week after Chelsea Green fired him last week.
Garrett came back strong and hit a back handspring moonsault for the victory.
Grade: C
Analysis
This was a short match, but it actually told a couple of stories at once. Stone continues to look for new clients, Aliyah is trying to gain momentum and Garrett is working her way up the ladder.
Aliyah showing more fire than usual was a nice change. Her boujee persona works fine, but it will only get her so far. Adding some anger to it is what will help her get ahead.