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

The last time they met, Bayley defeated Nia Jax in front of a raucous crowd in London, but Wednesday night, the slate was wiped clean, and the standout stars of NXT's women's division battled in the main event of the WWE Network broadcast.

The hug-loving babyface was determined to defeat her opponent and go on to reclaim the NXT Women's Championship she lost to Asuka at NXT TakeOver: Dallas. For Jax, the match was an opportunity to prove herself as a top contender for the title—a legitimate threat to Asuka and the entire division.

Which female star would emerge victorious, staking her claim to the next championship opportunity?

A week after Blake, Murphy and Alexa Bliss rudely interrupted him during a meeting with general manager William Regal, Austin Aries selected a special tag team partner to battle the former tag champions.

Who did he choose, and were they successful?

Find out now with this in-depth look at the May 18 episode of NXT.

Austin Aries and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Blake and Murphy

Alexa Bliss accompanied Blake and Murphy to the squared circle to kick off this week's episode, with the effects of the trio's encounter with Austin Aries and William Regal fresh on the minds of commentators Tom Phillips and Corey Graves.

Aries entered the NXT Arena with the mystery of his guest tag team partner hanging over the audience like a gray cloud. The lights dimmed, and Shinsuke Nakamura's music played, to the delight of fans who greeted the Japanese star's arrival with a thunderous ovation.

The babyfaces outclassed the former NXT tag team champions until Blake's brief distraction allowed Murphy to grab control of the bout, working over Aries.

Nakamura exploded into the match and wiped Murphy out with a Kinshasa for the pinfall victory.

After the match, an infuriated and disgusted Bliss walked out on Blake and Murphy, leaving her former charges alone and seemingly breaking the trio up for good. Making matters worse, Blake abandoned his partner.

Result

Shinsuke Nakamura and Austin Aries defeated Blake and Murphy.

Grade

A+

Analysis

Two things happened as a result of the defeat, with one more obvious than the other.

Blake, Murphy and Bliss are a thing of the past—no longer a force in NXT. That is probably for the best, as the tag team had descended into the realm of enhancement talent—punching bags for American Alpha and The Hype Bros. Bliss, on the other hand, is a star-in-the-making and needed to get away from them.

Phillips briefly touched on it, but Aries was less than pleased by the fact Nakamura did not tag him into the match. He looked frustrated—and even annoyed—after the match as his partner played to the crowd, perhaps jealous that his shot at glory was taken away from him.

That bears watching in the coming weeks, especially with TakeOver right around the corner. Could Aries-Nakamura potentially be the next show-stealer presented by NXT?

Carmella vs. Peyton Royce

As NXT continues to replenish its women's division, Peyton Royce and Carmella squared off in singles competition, with each looking to position herself in the chase for the NXT Women's Championship.

Royce dominated the majority of the match before The Princess of Staten Island made a spirited comeback.

She took Royce down with the headscissors and the Bronco Buster. Carmella finished with her triangle-choke submission for the victory. 

Result

Carmella defeated Peyton Royce.

Grade

D

Analysis

This was too quick—and too much of a glorified enhancement match—to grade any higher.

Carmella looked good, though, thriving as the resurgent babyface who fights her way back into the match and picks up the win.

Royce is going to be a star in NXT. She has the look and is a better wrestler than she has been allowed to show to this point. But right now, the emphasis is on the charismatic babyface and her continued improvement between the ropes.

Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa vs. Danny Burch and Rob Ryzin

Credit: WWE.com

Johnny Gargano wrestled circles around Rob Ryzin to start, including a series of arm drags and an armbar that led to chants of "Johnny Wrestling" from the fans at Full Sail University.

The heels took control, with Burch working over Tommaso Ciampa. The Sicilian Psychopath made the hot tag to Gargano, though, igniting a babyface comeback that saw the breakout independent star run over the competition.

Ciampa and Gargano scored the win with a combination knee to the back of the head and short superkick.

Result

Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano defeated Rob Ryzin and Danny Burch.

Grade

C-

Analysis

Burch and Ryzin were never a threat to a Gargano and Ciampa win, and it showed.

Essentially a squash, the babyfaces bowled over their opponents en route to a victory.

What's interesting is that commentator Corey Graves mentioned their failures as singles competitors, planting the seeds they needed to return to the tag team division to have any sort of success in NXT. Pointing out someone's weaknesses like that, especially when they still have not been firmly established, is a mystery.

Graves rarely makes questionable decisions behind the mic, but that one could have reaching effects.

Bayley vs. Nia Jax

In a match billed as a hotly anticipated rematch, Bayley squared off with Nia Jax for the first time since their outstanding contest at TakeOver: London last December.

Bayley evaded Jax early and then trapped her in a sleeper. Unfortunately, close proximity allowed Jax to toss her down. She did the same thing moments later, using her strength advantage to plant Bayley face-first in the mat.

Jax bullied Bayley, punishing her by working over her midsection.

Bayley mounted a comeback, slamming Jax's face into the top turnbuckle numerous times, only to suffer the same fate off a reversal by her bigger and stronger opponent.

Jax targeted the left arm of her opponent, essentially eliminating the Bayley-to-Belly suplex from her arsenal as a result. The aggressor trapped Bayley in a Cobra Clutch and then flattened her with a clothesline.

Bayley, ever the resilient babyface, tried to trap her opponent in the guillotine choke but could not lock it in with only one arm. She did, however, sidestep a charging Jax, sending her to the arena floor. She followed with a headscissors to the arena floor as chants of "NXT" broke out.

She later tried for the guillotine once more, this time locking it in. Jax powered out, though, only to suffer a DDT for a close two-count.

Bayley appeared to have hurt her left knee and then endured Jax's huge corner splash. The villain delivered a huge leg drop to the back of the knee and then the back of the head to score the upset victory.

After the match, the medical staff tended to Bayley as Jax looked unfazed by her win.

Result

Nia Jax defeated Bayley.

Grade

A

Analysis

This was a perfect example of what NXT does so well and what the main roster fails at every time.

Bayley, arguably the most popular star on the entire roster, is bulletproof. No win or loss is going to affect the way fans feel about her. She can afford a defeat, especially if it is intended to help raise a fellow competitor's stock. She has built such a foundation of credibility with the audience that beating her means something. 

By dominating and defeating Bayley, Jax is firmly established as a threat to Asuka and the NXT Women's Championship, undoubtedly the desired effect of the contest.

Jax looked like a much more polished worker than she was when she last battled Bayley. She was more confident, more willing to step outside of her comfort zone. The result was a very strong match that lacked the energy of the original but did more to enhance Jax's star.