The tag-team division that was once NXT’s weakest link has become its secret weapon.

It used to be that when NXT ran a tag-team match during a TakeOver card, it served as a signal to hit the bathroom, grab a snack, or simply check out mentally because what you were about to watch was not really going to be worth your time.

But that all changed last fall when WWE decided to honor the late Dusty Rhodes by running a tag-team tournament bearing his name, one that culminated at NXT TakeOver: Respect. Because of this opportunity to earn a coveted spot on a TakeOver card, the collection of teams on the roster kicked things into another gear and took tag-team wrestling in NXT to a new level, while the tournament gave teams like American Alpha, The Revival, and Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa a vehicle to break out to the point where they’ve now become a vital part of NXT.

In the past nine months, American Alpha and The Revival have traded the titles back and forth (with The Revival becoming the first two-time champs in NXT history) and authored classic matches in the process, while Gargano and Ciampa went from indie workers moonlighting in NXT to scoring WWE contracts, jelling into a great team, and becoming important lynchpins in WWE’s upcoming Cruiserweight Classic tournament.

Thus, with this week’s closing segment opening with a match that pitted Gargano and Ciampa against the Hype Bros before eventually morphing into a showdown that included four of NXT’s top current teams, it in many ways was an illustration of how NXT has rehabilitated what had been an afterthought in the brand into what’s now an indispensable asset.

With regard to the match itself, even though the Hype Bros are nothing special, they can absolutely be useful when paired with the right team and on this night, Gargano and Ciampa were that duo. Their bout was a back-and-forth matchup that lent both teams credibility before seeing Gargano and Ciampa continue their upward momentum towards an NXT Tag Team Championship shot by picking up the win.

And speaking of that title shot, indie stars Gargano and Ciampa took the opportunity post-match to get on the mic and point to their resume – one that includes a win over The Revival prior to the last TakeOver, where Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder regained the straps – as to why they deserved the next opportunity to face The Revival for their championship. Unsurprisingly, this claim brought the former champs, Chad Gable and Jason Jordan, out to let Gargano and Ciampa know that they’d have to wait for that shot since American Alpha were due a rematch for their titles and telling them that when Gargano and Ciampa got their opportunity, they’d be facing American Alpha for the titles.

Credit: WWE

At this point, it was The Revival’s turn for a rebuttal, as they let both teams know that neither were worthy of a championship opportunity, but NXT general manager William Regal would come out to disagree, informing Gargano and Ciampa that they’d have a title shot in the near future, but that American Alpha would be getting their rematch first, setting a highly anticipated 2-out-of-3 falls match for next week. Gable and Jordan’s celebration over the news would be short-lived, however, as yet another NXT tag team – the Authors of Pain – attacked American Alpha once again, standing tall at the end of the show after decimating Gable and Jordan.

In one segment, NXT put the spotlight on five teams in various ways, with each playing its role to perfection: The Revival were the cocky champs; American Alpha the former titleholders determined to regain their championships; Gargano and Ciampa the upstart team who’d earned an opportunity to face the champs; the Hype Bros as useful hands; and the Authors of Pain as the division’s resident monsters (something that makes them stand out as something unique among NXT’s current crop of tag teams).

While American Alpha is rumored to be earmarked for the WWE roster as part of the upcoming brand split, they’re clearly serving an important purpose on their way out, namely having the opportunity for another great match with The Revival and establishing the Authors of Pain in the fans’ eyes by feuding with them before leaving. Every team had a clear and obvious role that it filled – and we didn’t even mention the highly-touted TM-61, who didn’t appear this week but are headed for huge things themselves – making this NXT’s best segment of the week.

Building to Finn Balor vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

With the influx of talent like Shinsuke Nakamura, Austin Aries, TM-61, and Bobby Roode to NXT in recent months, it’s created the opportunity for dream matches. Bouts that fans have imagined for years can now become reality under the NXT banner, and the next of those is Nakamura vs. Finn Balor. Both men crossed paths and forged a friendship during their time in New Japan Pro Wrestling, which serves as a nice backdrop for their match on NXT TV in two weeks’ time.

Though neither were active in the ring this week, NXT presented sit-down comments from each man who fleshed out their upcoming battle very effectively. Nakamura continues to be a sure-fire, no doubt about it future star in NXT. Not only does he have charisma to burn, but his English is much, much better than stateside fans were led to believe. When interviewed, he responded engagingly in saying that his purpose for coming to NXT was to face the best and that before becoming NXT Champion, he must fight the brand’s icons, the next of which is Balor. Nakamura also mentioned that the upcoming match is huge for him because Balor’s one of his best friends, but he knows that this is something that he has to do.

For his part, Balor also pushed the friendship between he and Nakamura, though noting that much has changed in the time since they wrestled for the same company in Japan. Sharing a sentiment with NXT fans, Balor said that the match with Nakamura feels special and will be one to remember. Both men came off great during this build, with Nakamura being so likeable and charismatic that it’s nearly impossible to root against him, while Balor felt more human and relatable than he’s ever been, which makes you wonder why NXT didn’t present him in this fashion all along.

The build to Balor vs. Nakamura couldn’t be going better, and the next two weeks can’t go by fast enough.

Best of the Rest

*Whoever made the call to add the little laser sounds to the NXT theme music could not have possibly been more wrong because it’s done nothing but make it even more grating and annoying.

*Though there have been rumors of Carmella heading to the WWE roster in a few weeks, I can’t help but think that Alexa Bliss would be a much more worthy addition. Though she’s not at the elite level of a Sasha Banks, Bayley, or Becky Lynch, Bliss completely owns her character and has made great strides in the ring, and it’s easier seeing her have a path to success in WWE at this point than it would be for Carmella. The “Princess of Staten Island” still has quite a ways to go before you’d even consider her a polished WWE superstar. Fans do like her – which is a good thing – but none of her offense is believable and she moves so slowly in the ring, likely as she attempts to process what it is she’s trying to do. There’s been a contingent of fans who’ve claimed that Carmella’s improved of late, but it’s just as likely that they’re seeing something that isn’t there.

*Speaking of Bliss, she has a nice test coming up when she takes on Bayley next week, with both women jockeying for position in contention for the NXT Women’s Championship held by Asuka. Bayley should serve as a nice measuring stick as it relates to Bliss’s chances at a move to Raw or SmackDown.

*It seems that Andrade “Cien” Almas might be struggling with some of the same adjustment issues that Hideo Itami did when he arrived in NXT in late 2014. Almas is a no-doubt future star, but it appears that it might take some time until he gets there.

*Noah Potjes on the other hand? Doesn’t appear ready for TV quite yet.

*Austin Aries is using the NXT fans as the reason why he turned heel, saying that he got booed for being himself, while they went nuts over a dancing trifle like No Way Jose and adding, “The fans don’t want to like Austin Aries? That’s fine. I’m gonna give them something to not like.” That’s great motivation for his character and I’m way on board with this.

*And we close with this week’s Corey Graves Commentary Line of the Week, in reference to a discussion of Noah Potjes’ look: “What’s wrong with his face, Phillips? Have you looked in a mirror before?