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WWE News: NXT Ratings Decrease with Karrion Kross' Injury, TakeOver XXX Fallout
August 27, 2020
Wednesday's episode of WWE NXT on USA Network ran unopposed for the second consecutive week and saw its ratings decrease compared to last week.
According to Showbuzz Daily, NXT averaged 824,000 viewers during its two-hour broadcast, which was down from last week's 853,000. For the second week in a row, AEW Dynamite did not air Wednesday because of the NBA playoffs on TNT.
Wednesday's episode of NXT was the first since the NXT TakeOver: XXX on Saturday, which saw Karrion Kross beat Keith Lee in the main event to become the new NXT champion.
Kross suffered a shoulder injury during the match, however, and made a shocking announcement regarding the title. Kross said he would not be allowed to defend the NXT Championship in his current condition, so he relinquished the title in the middle of the ring.
Later in the show, NXT general manager William Regal announced that a new NXT champion will be crowned next week in the first-ever 60-minute Iron Man Fatal 4-Way match featuring Adam Cole, Finn Balor, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa.
Ciampa made his long-awaited return Wednesday and was seen on NXT programming for the first time since NXT TakeOver: In Your House. Ciampa beat Jake Atlas in a quick squash and then turned heel by attacking Atlas and sending him off on a stretcher.
There were also two title matches Wednesday, with Imperium defending the NXT Tag Team Championships against Breezango and Santos Escobar defending the Cruiserweight Championship against Isaiah "Swerve" Scott.
In the first match, Breezango beat Imperium to become the new NXT Tag Team champions, marking the first title win of any kind for both Tyler Breeze and Fandango in WWE.
In the Cruiserweight title match, Escobar won after putting on a loaded mask and headbutting Scott into unconsciousness.
The main event of NXT pitted NXT Women's champion Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley against Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez in a tag team match.
Gonzalez pinned Ripley and scored the win for her team after Mercedes Martinez interfered by attacking Ripley and pulling her off the apron.
NXT was also notable for the return of Wade Barrett, who filled in as a commentator alongside Vic Joseph and Beth Phoenix.
Next week's "Super Tuesday" episode of NXT featuring Cole vs. Balor vs. Gargano vs. Ciampa for the NXT Championship will air on Tuesday rather than Wednesday next week because of the NHL playoffs.
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