WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from July 12

For the first time since a shocking betrayal by Tommaso Ciampa left him beaten and battered, and DIY a thing of the past, Johnny Gargano returned to NXT television Wednesday night and addressed the fans inside Full Sail University.

While his return headlined the show, an NXT Tag Team Championship match between the seemingly unstoppable Authors of Pain and their No. 1 contenders Heavy Machinery stole the show in a heavyweight clash.

Former Ring of Honor tag team and television champion Bobby Fish made his return in the NXT Arena, battling Aleister Black in a match that foreshadowed great things for the veteran in-ring performer.

What else went down as NXT presented an action-packed, newsworthy episode of its weekly WWE Network presentation?

Find out with this recap of Wednesday's broadcast.

Aleister Black vs. Bobby Fish

Credit: WWE.com

Bobby Fish made his NXT debut to a thunderous ovation Wednesday night. He would have the unenviable task of being the latest Superstar to try to remove Aleister Black from the ranks of the undefeated.

Black scored an early kick across the chest that blasted the wind from the newcomer, but Fish answered back with a leg sweep that turned the tide in his favor.

Fish's educated feet proved his greatest strength as he targeted Black's equally as educated lower limbs. Looking to prevent his opponent from utilizing Black Mass, Fish picked his opponent's legs apart, even applying a half Boston Crab.

A defiant Black fought out of the hold but continued to endure hard-hitting strikes and a nasty exploder suplex into the corner. Black recovered and fired off a series of kicks and knees, not to mention a springboard moonsault for a count of two.

Dazed, Fish could not defend himself from Black Mass, which earned Black the victory.

Result

Aleister Black defeated Bobby Fish

Grade

B-

Analysis

This was a hard-fought match but one that never quite clicked for this writer.

Fish spent the entirety of the match working over Black's legs, only for him to fight right back into the match with those same legs and win the match with...the kick that should have been taken away from Black because of Fish's offense.

Sure, Black was seen shaking off the pain after the match, but selective selling will typically hurt the overall quality of a match.

This was no exception.

With that said, Fish looked impressive and should fit in perfectly on an NXT roster brimming with quality, experienced wrestlers straight from the indies.

Vanessa Borne vs. Jayme Hachey

Vanessa Borne and Jayme Hachey squared off in a Mae Young Classic qualifying match Wednesday night.

Borne fought off an early onslaught from Hachey and scored the win.

By way of her victory, she joins the field for the upcoming women's tournament.

Result

Vanessa Borne defeated Jayme Hachey

Grade

D

Analysis

This was little more than a showcase for Borne.

An athletic young performer still relatively new to wrestling, she looked every bit as inexperienced as she is. With that said, she clearly has potential to achieve great things in the industry.

She is unlikely to advance too far in the tournament, but the key to her eventual success will be the opportunities she will have to compete against experienced, talented in-ring performers who can teach her while working with her at the same time.

Johnny Gargano Returns

Johnny Gargano returned to NXT Wednesday night to a rousing ovation. His presence has been clearly missed since the shocking events of TakeOver: Orlando.

Gargano admitted that he never saw Tommaso Ciampa's betrayal coming, especially given how close they were: "I just don't understand...and I don't think I ever will."

Gargano said he was there to move forward and to look to the future.

"I need to be Johnny Gargano again. More importantly, I need to be Johnny Wrestling again," he said, wrapping a short and sweet promo that suggested he will embark on singles greatness in the weeks and months to come.

Grade

B

Analysis

Gargano's return to being Johnny Wrestling will be fun to watch.

By putting the Ciampa betrayal behind him for the time being, it opens up the possibility for a bigger surprise when The Sicilian Psychopath makes his return and targets his former friend and partner.

There is no better way to get back at a Superstar so desperate for attention than to ignore him. Gargano did that, for the most part, and it should play heavily into Ciampa's motivations upon his comeback.

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Heavy Machinery vs. The Authors of Pain

The Authors of Pain defended their NXT Tag Team Championships Wednesday night against Heavy Machinery in a hard-hitting main event.

Akam and Rezar isolated Tucker Knight and worked him over in their corner for the majority of the bout. A hot tag to partner Otis Dozovic saw the athletic big man explode into the match like a cannonball.

Unfortunately, the champions used his momentum against him.

With Knight disposed of, Akam and Rezar put Dozovic down with The Last Chapter and successfully retained their titles.

After the match, Sanity's Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain appeared, alongside Nikki Cross. They stared the champions down to close out the show and tease an impending rivalry.

Result

The Authors of Pain defeated Heavy Machinery

Grade

C

Analysis

This felt like a very abbreviated version of a much better match to be had between The Authors of Pain and Heavy Machinery.

Dozovic and Knight are talented and entertaining big men who will recover in short order and remain in contention. They were not hurt by this loss.

As for Akam and Rezar, they are now poised to feud with Sanity in a rivalry that will test whether the champions or the unhinged faction is more popular with the NXT faithful.