WWE NXT recap and reactions: Mandy Rose is still champ but Bron Breakker has new rivals circling

WWE NXT came back on our television screens live from the WWE Performance Centre. It was an action-packed episode that also had some build for Vengeance Day in a week.

The main event of the night, however, saw NXT women’s champion Mandy Rose defend against Kay Lee Ray. And it was a match that was both solid and also told a story.

See, Rose is a fighter who’s vain and will do anything necessary to hang on to the title. Ray is a kick-ass, no-nonsense brawler who is comfortable working any style of match.

But in the end, Rose won out thanks to Toxic Attraction’s Gigi Dolin and Jaycey Jane. They tried to gang up on Ray after the match but Io Shirai made the save before Ray laid out Rose.

.@WWE_MandyRose retains the gold! #WWENXT#NXTWomensTitle @Kay_Lee_Ray pic.twitter.com/fuTnWns7jH

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 9, 2022

Rose is still champion, but only just. Meanwhile, Shirai had been speaking to injured tag team partner Zoey Stark about needing to find a new partner for the women’s Dusty Classic.

It’s safe to say she did, and it will be made official soon enough.

A wild Dolph Ziggler appears

This is just a personal opinion, but the NXT championship contract signing segment was extremely overbooked. And not in a good way.

The story between Santos Escobar and Bron Breakker thus far has been effective. The fact that both come from wrestling families makes it even more layered. And that’s without talking about the whole Tommaso Ciampa angle.

But NXT now threw Dolph Ziggler into the mix and whoo boy this was confusing.

“You wanted to know if I work Tuesdays… apparently I do now.”#WWENXT @HEELZiggler @bronbreakkerwwe pic.twitter.com/cNzV87aqPj

— WWE (@WWE) February 9, 2022

It’s nothing that new either; Ziggler has called out Breakker on WWE’s YouTube channel in multiple videos, and a feud between the two makes sense on paper. But did it need to be put in here?

Anyway, the segment ended with Breakker being put through a table. Any guesses who wins the match at Vengeance Day? Here’s a hint: the favourite has 141 and 2/3rds chance of winning.

WWE NXT: best of the rest

• The Creed Brothers beat Grizzled Young Veterans in a Dusty Rhodes Classic semi-final match. This one was a fun 20 or so minutes of tag action.
• Tiffany Stratton beat Wendy Choo in a short match.
• Pete Dunne beat Draco Anthony in a singles match. Afterwards he told Tony D’Angelo that their Vengeance Day match would be better with weapons hanging from the steel cage.
• LA Knight beat Sanga in an okay match. Grayson Waller lifted the restraining order and attacked Knight but the latter stood tall.
• Sarray beat Dakota Kai in a decent match.
• MSK beat Edris Enofe & Malik Blade in the other Dusty Rhodes Classic semi-final.

Can #MSK go back to back next week at NXT Vengeance Day?#WWENXT #DustyClassic @WesLee_WWE @NashCarterWWE pic.twitter.com/FK2q9ETzs4

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 9, 2022

Grade: B