WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from January 18

Just over a week before an epic encounter at TakeOver: San Antonio on Jan. 28, NXT champion Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode signed the contract for their main event on the WWE Network.

That in-ring segment capped off a methodically structured Jan. 18 episode of NXT—one in which significant stories played out, and the card to the upcoming live special began taking shape.

Roderick Strong returned to action, and Tye Dillinger questioned if he still belongs in an NXT ring.

Then there was The Revival, who aimed to remind fans it is the best tag team in the world, regardless of who carries the NXT Tag Team Championships. 

How did Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder make out, and which NXT stars are surging ahead of the upcoming spectacular?

Find out with this look back at Wednesday's show.

Nikki Cross vs. Kennadi Lewis

Credit: WWE.com

Nikki Cross of Sanity kicked off this week's show, battling the outmatched Kennadi Lewis.

Cross obliterated her opponent in under two minutes, pummeling her and finishing her off with a swinging fisherman suplex.

Result

Nikki Cross defeated Kennadi Lewis.

Grade

C-

Analysis

Nikki Cross is a badass who is capable of physically overwhelming anyone she encounters, beating them into the ground and emerging with her arm raised in victory.

Got it.

Fans need a taste of just how good Cross is before TakeOver because her involvement in the Fatal 4-Way match with Asuka, Peyton Royce and Billie Kay will have a great impact on its overall quality.

Roderick Strong vs. Steve Cutler

Roderick Strong returned to the NXT ring Wednesday night, squaring off with former serviceman Steve Cutler.

The match, an extended squash, was a showcase for Strong.

The hard-hitting former Mr. Ring of Honor tore through his opponent and put Cutler down for the count with the Sick Kick.

After the match, Strong addressed Andrade "Cien" Almas' comments, saying he does not care about him. His only concern is being NXT champion.

Result

Roderick Strong defeated Steve Cutler.

Grade

C

Analysis

Strong has been underutilized during his stint with NXT to this point, but much of that can be blamed on the taping schedule that made it difficult for him to be featured prominently.

A program with Almas may not be the most electrifying choice of feuds, but Strong's style meshes well with Almas', leading to what should be a solid match when that time comes.

Tye Dillinger Is Confronted by Sanity

A conflicted Tye Dillinger made his way to the ring with no sign of the energy that has come to define him of late.

He questioned what was next for him after a disappointing 2016 in which he "just didn't have it." He was almost dejected before Sanity made its entrance.

Eric Young confirmed to Dillinger that he indeed did not have it last year. Or this year. Or any year. He offered him a spot in the enigmatic faction and sent Alexander Wolfe to the ring to present him with a jacket.

Defiant, The Perfect 10 flashed his hand gesture in the face of the heels but fell victim to a beatdown at the hands of Damo, who grabbed the jacket and flung it over his shoulder to close out the segment.

Grade

A+

Analysis

It may not seem like it on the surface, but this was an excellent pro wrestling television segment.

It created a redemption story for Dillinger, who now must prove to himself he does indeed have "it." It set up a feud between him and Eric Young's Sanity. Perhaps most interestingly, it introduced Damo as the newest member of the heel faction.

The segment packaged all three things into a few short minutes.

Raw can't accomplish that much in three hours.

TM61 vs. The Revival

The Revival was hoping to turn its fortunes around and get back to its winning ways Wednesday night as it battled TM61.

It did not quite work out like the tag team had hoped.

Scott Dawson clipped Shane Thorne's leg, an injury that became the focal point of the match and segment. Thorne found himself a victim of the Shatter Machine, but unbeknownst to Dawson and Dash Wilder, Nick Miller had made a blind tag.

He fired away but was cut off, courtesy of Wilder's spinebuster.

Moments later, Miller surprised Wilder with a roll-up while Thorne prevented Dawson from making the save, securing the huge upset victory for the Australian upstarts.

After the match, the heels attacked, isolating Thorne and using a steel chair to seriously damage his knee further than it already had been. The babyface was helped from the ring by referees and medical staff afterward.

Result

TM61 defeated The Revival.

Grade

B+

Analysis

This is exactly how heels should act. The Revival was frustrated with yet another loss tainting its record, and it reacted by attacking the winners, brutally and without mercy. The duo punished them, hurt Thorne and left his immediate future in doubt.

Wins matter, and The Revival is done playing games with its fellow teams.

A dangerous team that is no longer worried about carrying championships but, rather, preserving its reputation should make the act that much more interesting.

Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode Sign the Contract for TakeOver

The Superstars who will compete for the NXT Championship in San Antonio at TakeOver came face-to-face for a contract signing Wednesday night as Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode addressed their impending match in the night's main event segment.

Roode mocked Nakamura and vowed to silence the champion and his legion of fans.

Nakamura cut Roode's "glorious" catchphrase off and vowed to retain his title on Jan. 28.

Grade

C+

Analysis

There was nothing spectacular whatsoever about this contract signing, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The brand avoided the tired angle in which the contract signing becomes a fist fight that ends with one guy being put through the table.

Instead, it was a matter-of-fact promo from Roode and a nondescript retort from Nakamura.

It set the stage, but it does not feel like this championship match is nearly as hot as it should be, given how popular the competitors are. A shame, but it's forgivable if San Antonio is the setting for just the first of many battles.