WWE NXT 2.0 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from April 12

The April 12 edition of WWE NXT 2.0 was set to be a championship-focused Tuesday. With the NXT North American Championship, NXT Women's Championship and NXT Tag Team Championships all on the line, the show was packed.

Cameron Grimes would face his first challenger, Solo Sikoa. The Samoan star has defeated nearly everyone put in front of him, but he would now face a new NXT North American champion looking to prove himself for his father.

Mandy Rose cost Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez the NXT Women's Tag Team Championships while also injuring Kai's friend, Wendy Choo. The Captain of Team Kick promised to make the leader of Toxic Attraction pay for her transgressions.

The NXT Tag Team Championships were vacated following the release of Nash Carter by WWE. A five-team gauntlet match would crown the next titleholders, with The Creed Brothers, Pretty Deadly, Legado del Fantasma, Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen and Grayson Waller & Sanga all included.

Last week's NXT ended with Rick Steiner being kidnapped by Joe Gacy and Harland; this week, Bron Breakker was certain to retaliate.

This show was packed, rivaling even the card at NXT Stand & Deliver over WrestleMania Weekend.

After a back-and-forth clash, Trick Williams pulled Solo Sikoa off the top rope. While The Street Champion of the Island planted him with a diving splash, the distraction allowed Cameron Grimes to hit the Cave-In for the victory.

Trick and Carmelo Hayes attacked the NXT North American champion after the bell. Melo reluctantly let go of the title he lost just 10 days prior.

This was a good opener. If it had a clean finish, this would have been great, but it felt like an anticlimax. Trick stopping Sikoa from beating Grimes makes the champion look bad from the start and makes little sense as Melo should be interested in fighting either man.

It should be interesting to see how much WWE is willing to push The Technical Savage. Right now, he comes off as a transitional champion, lacking the credibility for a sustained run.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• After an impressive early sequence, the two shook hands, and Grimes told Sikoa that "his bloodline could kiss his grits."
• Grimes ducked Sikoa, sending him into the corner before hitting a poisonrana for a near-fall.
• Sikoa almost got the win off a running hip check in the corner.
• Grimes and Sikoa met in the center of the ring for a Spanish fly, setting the stage for a Cave-In that the challenger ducked before hitting a Samoan drop.

A furious Bron Breakker marched out to the ring following the events of last week.

He announced that Rick Steiner was safe at home, but he still owed Joe Gacy a beatdown. Gacy appeared on the Titantron to show himself burning his father's WWE Hall of Fame ring.

What was the point of kidnapping Steiner last Tuesday just to write him to safety the following week? If NXT was already committed to the poorly conceived kidnapping angle, the promotion should at least be willing to follow it through.

This was a perfect time to showcase the brand's ability to produce interesting segments outside of the NXT arena. Instead, Breakker is angry about the burning of a Hall of Fame ring that WWE can easily replace.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• There was no Harland glaring in the background during this segment.
• Afterward, Breakker yelled at a cameraman for getting in his way as he left.
• Later, Gacy cut a follow-up promo about how the world is run by the loudest voices.

Von Wagner attacked Ikemen Jiro and Kushida backstage before Robert Stone announced there would be no match between Wagner and Kushida on Tuesday's show.

Jiro dragged himself into the ring to demand a match against Wagner for his vicious attack. While The Jacket Man fought hard, he still fell to a big boot and Death Valley Driver.

The only thing that worked about this segment was Jiro's emotions. He sold how frustrated he was with the big man who hurt his friend. Wagner vs. Kushida remains the money match for a future NXT.

It's still uncertain what ceiling Wagner has a performer. He is an athletic big man, but he needs to be able to seriously compete. His struggle is still getting people invested in his matches with his lack of obvious charisma.

Grade

D+

Notable Moments

• Jiro planted Wagner with a low superkick and hit him with a senton bomb for a two-count.
• At the behest of Sofia Cromwell in the audience, Wagner threw Jiro into the crowd after the contest.

Nikkita Lyons tried to talk about proving herself to the NXT Universe, but Lash Legend booted her out of her chair.

Mandy Rose then promised to continue Toxic Attraction's dominant run by defeating Dakota Kai.

The Captain of Team Kick had the edge in this match despite both Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne being at ringside. However, after connecting on the Kairopactor, Toxic Attraction had to cause a distraction, which allowed the NXT women's champion to connect on a bicycle knee to win.

This wasn't as clean as it should have been. Rose and Kai struggled to connect in the middle stretch, but the overall action was solid. It just never felt like The Captain of Team Kick had a chance despite being an ideal option to dethrone the NXT women's champion.

Rose has defeated all of NXT's best female wrestlers, sometimes multiple times. It is difficult to imagine anyone NXT 2.0 has recently built can dethrone the leader of Toxic Attraction.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• Kai took out all three members of Toxic Attraction with a diving crossbody to the floor.
• The Captain of Team Kick planted Rose with a low facewash in the corner followed by a Russian leg sweep for a near-fall.
• As Toxic Attraction arrived, Wendy Choo started to shoot all three women with water guns.

Tony D'Angelo tried to pay off Legado del Fantasma as a peace offering, but Santos Escobar refused.

Cora Jade then refused to give up on her dream to be the NXT women's champion. Natalya interrupted to tell her she was the future of the NXT women's division before slapping her in the face and putting her in a Sharpshooter.

The acting in this segment was bad, but it was still a good foundation for Jade's future. A match between her and Natalya can help solidify the young star in a way NXT has struggled to date.

Even with multiple title opportunities, the 21-year-old still feels a rookie finding her stride. The Queen of Harts may not be a major star, but she is a reliable veteran the crowd was behind throughout her appearance.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• A young girl in the audience was freaking out in support of Jade as she spoke.
• Natalya was crying crocodile tears throughout this segment.
• Afterward, The Queen of Harts put the NXT roster on notice before Tatum Paxley challenged her.

Draco Anthony answered Xyon Quinn shot for shot early, but he aggravated his experienced rival too much.

Quinn planted Anthony repeatedly before finally putting him away with a running forearm smash off the ropes.

This was an entertaining, if limited, squash. It was all about telling a story rather than showing what either man could do in the ring. But this made sense, as Quinn remains a high priority in NXT while Anthony is still finding himself.

While Joe Gacy still does not feel like the right fit to work with Anthony, he is clearly more comfortable as a heel. He is only charismatic in the ring when he is mocking his opponents.

Grade

C

Notable Moments

• Quinn tossed Anthony across the ring, but Anthony rebounded with a lariat.
• Anthony mocked Quinn's heritage, which set off his rival. He hit a rolling fireman's carry slam followed by a running forearm smash.

Every team in this contest made sure to hype themselves up before the main event. Both The Creed Brothers and Pretty Deadly were shown picking their numbers in the gauntlet out of a tumbler.

Brutus and Julius Creed got the first fall on Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza with the low running clothesline. Brutus got a surprise low running clothesline on Brooks Jensen to eliminate him and Josh Briggs.

Sanga dominated until Brutus lifted him for an Olympic slam to set up another clothesline elimination. Kit Wilson and Elton Prince gladly beat down The Creed Brothers, taking advantage of the wear and tear on their opponents. After multiple kick-outs, Pretty Deadly won with Spilt Milk on Brutus.

This match really got going when Briggs and Jensen came in to challenge The Creed Brothers. It was clear this was all about the siblings, who got the serious top babyface treatment here. They looked good, showcasing their impressive cardio and endurance.

The finish was a bit telegraphed since Pretty Deadly could not lose right off the bat. Sometimes, though, predictable isn't a bad thing. This was a great way to sell this rivalry for the NXT tag team division.

Even if NXT was forced to make a quick and sudden change with the division, there is plenty of talent left, especially with The Creed Brothers and Pretty Deadly both on fire.

Grade

A+

Notable Moments

• Mendoza lifted Wilde for a running crossbody onto The Creed Brothers outside.
• Wilde hit a 450 splash on Julius and then went for a high-low combination, but Brutus made the save.
• Fallon Henley stood with Briggs and Jensen until Elektra Lopez took a cheap shot at her.
• Briggs and Jensen powerbombed Brutus through the announce table, leaving Julius alone to battle.
• Waller revealed his fake elbow injury as he elbow-slammed Julius and threw off his cast.
• Brutus tried to run with the hot tag, but Pretty Deadly smashed him in the corner and hit an assisted gutbuster for a near-fall.