WWE NXT notes: North American Title match next week, Io Shirai returns, Malcolm Bivens

A plethora of notes coming out of tonight's episode of NXT: Malcolm Bivens debuted a new tag team, an NXT North American Title match is set for next week, as well as a 'Second Chance' Battle Royal to get into the #1 contender's NXT Women's Title Ladder match in two weeks.

March 25, 2020 Andrew Thompson NEWS

NXT was back on the USA Network with in-ring action this week and a handful of matches were set up for the coming weeks. On next week’s show, Keith Lee is defending the NXT North American Championship in a Triple-Threat match against Damian Priest and Dominik Dijakovic. The three men have been feuding for the past several months and they also brawled on tonight’s show.

After being out of the ring since January with an injury, Io Shirai made her return to NXT and defeated Aliyah in singles competition to earn a spot in the #1 contender’s NXT Women’s Championship Ladder match in two weeks. Xia Li was originally supposed to face Aliyah but a storyline was done in-which Xia was injured. Also, Candice LeRae defeated Kayden Carter to earn her way into the aforementioned Ladder match. The field now includes LeRae, Shirai, Chelsea Green, Mia Yim and Tegan Nox. On next week’s show, Xia Li, Deonna Purrazzo, Dakota Kai, Aliyah, Kayden Carter and Shotzi Blackheart will compete in a Battle Royal to determine who earns the final spot in that #1 contender’s Ladder match.

The Ladder match was supposed to take place at TakeOver: Tampa but WWE made the announcement that the matches that were planned for TakeOver: Tampa are going to take place on NXT TV starting April 1st.

 

A promo aired during the show for Dexter Lumis, who’s been working the NXT house show loop. Lumis signed with WWE in early 2019.

Also, there was another debut as Malcolm Bivens made an appearance on NXT TV alongside Rinku Singh and Saurav Gurjar who signed with WWE in 2018. Gurjar and Singh attacked one-half of the current NXT Tag Team Champions Matt Riddle. Bivens made mention that Riddle’s partner Pete Dunne could not be around tonight.

Also set for next week is a singles match between Velveteen Dream and Undisputed ERA’s Bobby Fish.

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A Washington D.C. native and graduate of Norfolk State University, Andrew Thompson has been covering wrestling since 2017.
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