WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Highlights and Reaction from April 25

The Undisputed Era is here to take over NXT.

That was one of the biggest takeaways of the April 25 episode of NXT, which exploded onto the WWE Network airwaves Wednesday night.

Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong were not only bathed in championship gold but also sent a message loudly and clearly to the NXT locker room both in a promo and in the aftermath of Cole's match with Oney Lorcan.

Tommaso Ciampa brutalized Johnny Gargano, ruining his dream of winning NXT Championship gold. The beatdown furthered the program between the two and ensured the fans have not seen the last of them.

Heavy Machinery was in action, and NXT champion Aleister Black demanded competition to round out the broadcast.

The Undisputed Era Kicks Off NXT

Credit: WWE.com

The Undisputed Era kicked off the show, and in the process, the newest member, Roderick Strong, was officially announced as one-half of the NXT tag team champions alongside Kyle O'Reilly.

The foursome, also including the injured Bobby Fish and new NXT North American champion Adam Cole, drew a Superstar reaction at the top of the show.

Strong admitted that at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, he had an epiphany: Why should he be a lone wolf when he could fight alongside the Undisputed Era and reign supreme over NXT?

O'Reilly said this is the era of the undisputed, and they were leaving everyone in the dust.

Cole said he would start by putting his North American Championship on the line against Oney Lorcan. He mocked his opponent, telling his teammates he does not need any help to beat him.

The foursome closed out the segment by exchanging high-fives.

Grade

A

Analysis

A united front presented by The Undisputed Era is exactly what the brand needed. Firmly establish the faction as the most dangerous collection of stars in NXT and, more importantly, finally give it a reason for being.

That is something the group never had.

It floated around NXT but never really had a motive. Now it does, and the result should be even bigger and better things for the faction dripping in gold.

North American Champion Adam Cole vs. Oney Lorcan

Adam Cole was brazen and cocky ahead of his match with Oney Lorcan. He paid for it dearly, thanks to Lorcan's ability to laugh overwhelming odds in the face.

Lorcan worked the midsection and injured ribs of Cole.

Frustrated, the champion fought back into the match, grounding-and-pounding his opponent. He continued to fight through pain but, in the process, left himself open to the hard strikes and unorthodox onslaught of Lorcan.

Cole, showing toughness, kicked out of a near-fall and stayed alive in his first title defense. The champion fell to the arena floor, where Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish met him, claiming injury. On the other side of the floor, Roderick Strong delivered a backbreaker to Lorcan and rolled him into the ring.

Cole picked up an easy win from there.

After the match, Danny Burch tried to make the save but was also laid out.

Result

Adam Cole defeated Oney Lorcan

Grade

A

Analysis

The first quarter of the show was devoted to putting The Undisputed Era over as a force, and it worked.

Cole was great here as the sneaky heel who claimed he could beat Lorcan on his own but eventually needed help from the other three members of his faction to actually get the job done.

The beatdown of Lorcan and Burch afterward suggests there will be unfinished business. Factor in a pissed-off Pete Dunne, and the likelihood of a stellar Six-Man Tag Team match is high.

Heavy Machinery vs. Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss

The never-ending series of matches between Heavy Machinery and the team of Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli continued Wednesday night as the duos met one more time.

The babyfaces Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight dominated the action, taking advantage of a heel tandem that had not been on the same page in quite some time.

The heels did settle down enough to take control, working over Dozovic for a moment. A hot tag to Knight was followed by an onslaught from the big man, including a dropkick.

As Moss reached out to Sabbatelli, Tino dropped off the mat, abandoning his partner. From there, the babyfaces delivered the Compactor and scored the victory.

Result

Heavy Machinery defeated Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli

Grade

C

Analysis

Can this please be the last time these two teams work together?

The match itself was fine, the right team went over and there was the added bonus of Sabbatelli walking out on his partner, but this just feels beyond stale at this point.

After the match, Heavy Machinery called out War Raiders, which felt like the real purpose of this entire segment.

Tommaso Ciampa Obliterates Johnny Gargano

Johnny Gargano had the opportunity to pay off his story in grand fashion by defeating Aleister Black to win the NXT Championship Wednesday night. Unfortunately for Johnny Wrestling, his former tag team partner, Tommaso Ciampa, would once again derail his journey, attacking him before Gargano could get to the ring.

Ciampa, driven by rage, assaulted Gargano from behind and vowed his former tag team partner would never get rid of him.

Gargano fought back, though, not one to lay down and roll over. A low blow at the hands of Ciampa thwarted his comeback, and Ciampa fed off chants of "you tapped out" with an even more violent and concentrated attack on Gargano.

The segment ended with Ciampa putting Gargano through a table and the beloved babyface being wheeled out of the ring on a stretcher, wife Candice LeRae by his side.

Grade

A

Analysis

That is how you get heat back on Ciampa following his loss at TakeOver: New Orleans. A sore loser absolutely obsessed with making his former friend's life a living hell, he was brutal and ruthless in his assault of Gargano.

It also sets up a potential rematch between the two.

Given the modern classic they had in New Orleans, it is difficult to imagine any fan having a problem with that scenario.

NXT Championship Match: Aleister Black vs. Eric Young

Credit: WWE.com

With Gargano out of the picture, Aleister Black made his way to the ring for a match. His opponent? Sanity's Eric Young.

Young had a strong showing early in the match but fell prey to Black's mind games. Black, not expecting to face Young, struggled against the veteran but was able to unload with a series of strikes to create separation.

Young regained control of the bout, working the head and neck of his opponent.

No matter what Black tried, he was unable to corral the slithery Young. That is, until the closing moments of the match when Young slid into the ring...and right into Black Mass.

Black scored the victory and then laid waste to Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain with a second and third Black Mass.

Result

Aleister Black defeated Eric Young

Grade

B

Analysis

It was nice to see Young get a high-profile spot in what is likely Sanity's final appearance on NXT TV, but this still felt like it was unnecessarily tacked onto the show.

The commentators paid too much attention to the red-hot Gargano-Ciampa angle that preceded it, and it felt almost like an afterthought.

Black wins, obviously, and sends Sanity packing, but this still felt like a match that could have headlined next week rather than being forced onto Wednesday's card.