WWE NXT recap and reactions: Dolph Ziggler beats Tommaso Ciampa, Women's Dusty Cup gets underway

WWE NXT came back into our lives with their latest episode coming live from the WWE Performance Centre. With Vengeance Day now in the rear view, the focus is firmly on the upcoming WrestleMania season.

That’s not to say NXT will be represented at the Showcase of the Immortals. But they will have a show of their own over the weekend. It’s WWE’s way of giving fans all of that content.

Anyway, the main event of the night saw Dolph Ziggler beat Tommaso Ciampa. This match saw Ziggler show the world – pun very much intended – that he is quite the wrestler even now.

Being booked as a jobber to the stars for a few years makes it easy to forget that fact. Still, the former world champion put in a clinical showing against Ciampa. Of course, the win came about due to shenanigans.

Ziggler had Dirty Dawgs partner Robert Roode – a former NXT champion, by the way – hide as a cameraman and run interference when needed.

With more than a little help from @RealRobertRoode, @HEELZiggler picks up the win over @NXTCiampa on #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/5QqHPrCwfP

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 23, 2022

This brought out Bron Breakker, who had opened the show sparring with Ziggler on the mic. Breakker had also offered to help out Ciampa before the match, but he seemed uninterested.

Anyhow, this is WWE so you know what this led to – tag team match, playa! Set for next week, of course because we had run out of time.

Women’s Dusty Cup begins in predictable fashion

This isn’t a knock on the matches, by the way. Modern-day WWE often suffers from trying to be too unpredictable and not telling the simple stories right.

But wrestling is often at its best when telling the simple stories correctly. And NXT proved that this week with the two Women’s Dusty Cup quarterfinals.

Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray easily dispatched of Lash Legend and Amari Miller to qualify for the semis. Side note: Toxic Attraction having their own lounge is genius.

The second match of the night saw Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro beat Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley to set up a semi-final match against Ray and Shirai.

.@KacyCatanzaro & @wwekayden are moving on in the #DustyClassic!#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/F9XVn0FpIk

— WWE (@WWE) February 23, 2022

Nile and Paxley were representing The Diamond Mine but lost in short order. And the loss led to Nile beat on Paxley before Roderick Strong came out to break up the fight. Interesting.

WWE NXT – best of the rest

• Grayson Waller beat LA Knight thanks to some timely interference from Sanga. Knight attacked the two after the match, so this fued isn’t over just yet.
• A promo segment with Carmelo Hayes, Trick Williams, Pete Dunne and Cameron Grimes ended up with a match happening between Williams and Grimes. The former put on a good showing – in trousers and loafers, no less! – but Grimes picked up the W.
• A fantastic promo from The Diamond Mine head Malcolm Bivens led to Imperium and GUNTHER attacking. But before the man formerly known as WALTER could smack Bivens, Solo Sikoa attacked GUNTHER. Interesting.
• Nikkita Lyons beat Kayla Inlay in what was pretty much a squash.
• Duke Hudson beat Dante Chen in a decent singles match. Chen actually attacked Hudson before the match but the big man secured the win.

?#WWENXT @sixftfiiiiive pic.twitter.com/tcwrLLA94G

— WWE (@WWE) February 23, 2022

Grade: B+