Ilja Dragunov vs. Wes Lee

[8.0] "What a fun match. Wes Lee does such a good job making Ilja's offense look even deadlier than it already is. He provides the highlights while Ilja brings the fire, which makes for a nice dynamic and a highly enjoyable match. ***3/4+"

[8.0] "This was some really good work from both men. Going into this, I was unsure who would win so I was intrigued all the way through. The two went back and fourth and their styles complement each other well. Ilja was able to take fhe win but it could have gone either way."

[6.0] "Fantastic work by both men to set the bar high for this episode right off the top. Both men really gave their all here and everything was perfectly in place. I do love the way NXT paces their workrate matches which are mostly under 15 but feel fulfilling."

[8.0] "This was so good, short and sweet. Dragunov was in control for a while then Wes turned it around and took control of the match, then they went back and fourth trading offense until Ilja got the better of Wes and got the win."

[7.0] "Ilja is seriously one of the best in America right now. This was a good short match that I hope they run back with more time. There was a sloppy moment with Lee's dive to the outside, and I wasn't sure how to feel about Ilja no selling at the end."

[7.0] "This match showed how good these two men are , but I still only give them 7 points. We already how good these two are , I expected a little more because of their usual bangers . I liked Dragunov's strikes , Wes was also good and had some really nice spots. Dragunov and Wes have great chemistry , Dragunov vs Melo at No Mercy was also really good. This match was well worked , but it could have been better."

[8.0] "This was THE match to open the show this week and it definitely delivered. I genuinely wasn't sure who was winning, but I will say that I was leaning towards Lee winning. However, we get a great rematch either way. I was hoping that Lee and Carmelo Hayes would get a better opportunity at having a classic match, but I'm sure Dragunov will have another fantastic title match with Hayes at No Mercy."

[9.0] "Incredibly good wrestling, I liked it a lot in terms of its development and the story behind it the truth that is being very realistic and I hope Ilja is given a chance as NXT champion. She deserves it, she has given very good wrestling for WWE. I think Wes Lee could be a great wrestler on the Main Roster."

[8.0] "This was one heck of a fight between Ilja Dragunov and Wes Lee. Hard hitting all the way through. Wes went right after Dragunov and wasn't afraid to go blow for blow with him. Dragunov looked to be in control for long stretches, punishing Wes with a constant barrage of strikes before Wes would come back with an impressive array of high flying moves. It was an interesting clash of styles that worked very well. Wes showed a lot of fighting spirit, but was eventually taken out with a nasty looking forearm to the back of the head by Dragunov, who now goes on to get another shot at the title. Really good TV match. 8/10"

[6.0] "I'm sorry... what the freak happened here? This was a fine match for a weekly show but it's obvious that this bout never started being what they really could do with more time. Not a bad match and good action overall but overrated, too much overrated. ***"

[9.0] "Ilja Dragunov is amazing. It's impossible for her to give a single bad match, no matter if it's a weekly show on NXT, NXT UK or the most important Pay Per View of the year, she will always give you a 5 star match. And Wes Lee more of the same, at first I didn't know what was going to happen with him after losing the North American, that his reign is at the level of Adam Cole's, but now I have hope that they will do something good with him."

[7.0] "This is a very solid fight, but at the same time it was missing something. First of all, intrigue, there was not a second that I believed in Wess victory, and during the match they could not convince me. And secondly, it was a bit short. From a technical point of view, of course, no complaints. There were two professionals here who knew what to do and did it."

[8.0] "This was a pretty top shelf tv match. It had really good back and forth that told a story of two men both giving their all to get a new shot at the NXT championship. Both men got time to shine and show what they can do, and both sold properly for the others. Great storytelling. Great action. Great TV match."

[8.0] "Very good, no-nonsense TV match with a clear purpose for both competitors, setting a high bar for the rest of the show. This was fast and furious right out of the gates featuring a decent spell of hard-hitting dominance from Dragunov and with Lee limited to spirited, high risk flurries that weren't sustained enough to get the job done ***3/4"

[9.0] "Great #1 Contenders MATCH To Open The Show , Wes And Ilja Arguably Have Been The Best Work Rate Wrestlers In WWE Period Not Just NXTBoth Have Made Every Match Become MUST SEE TV On Tuesday NIGHTS. Different Styles But Have Insane Chemistry Hard I Appreciate The Urgency Of Setting The Tone For The NIGHT , You Can Make A STRONG Case For Both WINNING To Face Carmelo Hayes Not Only IN RING Matchup Wise But Because Of The Story Told Thus Far.Spot Of The Match For Me Is Ijla Chopping Wes So HARD His Bodied Spin In The AIR Hats Off To Both MEN! But Ilja Dragunov IS Just On A One Mission For That GOLD Right Now. Also Curious Whats Happens Going Forward For Wes Lee With This I QUIT Angle As Long As We Get More Bangers Like This I Cant Wait To See Whats NEXT."

[9.0] "This was a fantastic match, which is always expected given Ilja Dragunov is involved. Hard hitting, stiff shots from both men, some fun spots such as the german suplex on the announce desk and Wes Lee's dive over the post. A great underdog performance from Wes Lee throughout as well. Excellent selling from him. I would have preferred a triple threat at No Mercy but it seems they are setting something else up for Wes Lee after his "I quit" angle later on. As long as that doesn't include a return to Impact, I'm looking forward to see what he does next. Regardless, excellent match. [****1/4]"