WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Highlights and Reaction from October 31

The stage is set for the most barbaric gimmick match in NXT following a major announcement from general manager William Regal to close the October 31 episode of the brand's WWE Network staple.

Not only was the main event of TakeOver: WarGames revealed, but the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of Johnny Gargano, Aleister Black and Nikki Cross was also written. The highly sought-after Matt Riddle made his in-ring debut to round out an explosive broadcast.

Find out all that went down and how it may affect the brand going forward with this recap of Wednesday's show.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Nikki Cross

Mercedes Martinez, fresh off another impressive performance in the Mae Young Classic, squared off with the always unpredictable Nikki Cross in this week's opening contest.

Martinez drew the first big blow of the match, yanking Cross off the top rope and to the mat below. Martinez applied a guillotine, but Cross fought out and back, taking her down with a flurry of clotheslines. A corner splash, a running bulldog and a high cross-body block followed, but she was unable to keep the double-tough Martinez down.

Martinez answered, delivering a backdrop driver for a near-fall of her own. The fisherman buster failed to keep her down, too.

Cross fought back and eventually put Martinez away for the hard-fought victory, a bloodied nose evidence of such.

After the match, Candice LeRae hit the ring and confronted Cross. She said she was toying with people's lives during the Johnny Gargano-Aleister Black ordeal. Cross laughed and went to walk away until Black appeared. When Cross escaped out the other side of the ring, Black asked LeRae where Gargano was.

Unhappy with the answer that he was not there, Black left the ring and headed to the back.

Result

Cross defeated Martinez

Grade

A

Analysis

The match itself was a hard-hitting one that showcased Martinez properly while giving Cross a win. It was also the backdrop for the angle that occurred after it.

LeRae interjecting herself in the story, and Black demanding answers, will make for intriguing storytelling. It's fitting, really, because the Gargano story arch has been nothing short of thought-provoking from the get-go. He is the best-written wrestler on the entire WWE roster for the last two years, and this latest development should be no different.

How Cross continues to factor in is something that bears watching.

The Street Profits vs. The Mighty

Credit: WWE.com

The rivalry between The Street Profits and The Mighty continued this week as the two teams once again met in the NXT Arena.

Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford dominated the opening moments of the match until a flip into the ring by the latter earned him a spinebuster from Nick Miller. From there, Miller and Shane Thorne isolated Ford and worked him over.

Dawkins eventually made the hot tag and exploded into the match. He fended off both Superstars and had the Profits rolling. Ford tagged back in and, again, found himself on the receiving end of a beatdown. Dawkins broke up a near-fall, keeping the team in the match.

Moments later, Ford delivered a frog splash to score the win.

Result

The Street Profits defeated The Mighty

Grade

B-

Analysis

There was nothing at all wrong with this match, but it feels like one we have seen far too often of late, with neither team really benefiting.

The Profits went over probably because management knew they would be winning the Evolve Tag Team Championships just this past Saturday. Meanwhile, The Mighty remains the punching bag of the NXT tag division.

Matt Riddle vs. Luke Menzies

Matt Riddle made his NXT debut with this match, a glorified squash of Luke Menzies.

Riddle worked the mat game early, tried for an armbar and was nearly rolled up. Menzies cheaply tried to gain an upper hand, suckered Riddle in for a handshake and delivered a shoulder block instead. Riddle fought back, delivering a jumping forearm.

Another was blocked, and Menzies, showing surprisingly strong ability to counter the celebrated Riddle, answered with an overhead belly-to-belly.

Riddle survived strikes to the chest, fought back and ended Menzies' night with his Bromission for the win.

Result

Riddle defeated Menzies

Grade

C+

Analysis

The crowd was super into Riddle, and that should bode well for his future with the brand.

Menzies probably got more in on him then he should have, but this was, otherwise, a dominant and decisive victory for The King of Bros.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch vs. Raul Mendoza and Humberto Carrillo

Credit: WWE.com

Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch looked to continue building momentum for themselves Wednesday as they battled the upstart team of Raul Mendoza and Humberto Carrillo.

Mendoza and Carrillo kept the hard-hitting tandem off guard, using their speed and aerial abilities to thwart their ground-and-pound style.

A missed moonsault set up their demise, though, as the strikers Lorcan and Burch rediscovered their edge and ultimately put them away with the elevated DDT for another impressive victory.

Result

Lorcan and Burch defeated Mendoza and Carrillo

Grade

B-

Analysis

Burch and Lorcan are a really fun team to watch, if only because they are so damn good between the ropes. The problem is, like the rest of the tag team division, they are not firmly established as a threat to a team of The Undisputed Era or War Raiders' stature.

Like The Mighty or The Street Profits or Heavy Machinery, they feel like a midcard team with nowhere to go.

That is disappointing given how superb their match against Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly was back in Chicago at TakeOver.

WarGames Announcement

What started as a backstage promo involving The Undisputed Era and its upcoming match with The War Raiders devolved into a nasty, violent brawl Wednesday.

Ricochet joined in on the festivities, focusing his attention on Adam Cole. As the brawl spilled into the arena, though, the numbers game began coming into play. The return of Bobby Fish left Undisputed Era stronger than ever and with a 4-3 upper hand.

That is until United Kingdom champion Pete Dunne rushed the ring and made the save.

William Regal appeared and announced that the eight Superstars will settle their differences at TakeOver: WarGames in the titular match, to which the NXT faithful erupted.

Grade

A

Analysis

This rivalry has gone on for so many months, in so many incarnations, that it makes sense that it be settled in the most barbaric match known to NXT. Last year's WarGames was a damn fine match, but it lacked the emotion and raw hatred between the teams.

That is not the case this year.

Hopefully, the Superstars involved can convey that emotion and deliver the type of feud blowoff this entire ordeal is deserving of.