WWE NXT Results - April 27, 2021: Kushida & MSK Vs. Legado del Fantasma, Adam Cole Returns

While Monday Night Raw has become a slog to sit through, NXT once again supplied fans with an entertaining two hours of professional wrestling and this week's show advanced multiple storylines and set up title matches for the weeks to come.

The black and gold brand went straight to the in-ring action this week and Dakota Kai went one on one with Mercedes Martinez in the opening contest.

Both women fought back and forth during an entertaining 13-minute match, but the bout ended in a disqualification following interference from Raquel Gonzalez. While Martinez had The Captain Of Team Kick in a Fireman's Carry, Gonzalez entered the ring and booted her to the floor. The NXT Women's Champion then left Martinez lying after repeatedly throwing her into the barricade and ring post. They will face off for the gold in two weeks.

A backstage interview with Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon followed. McKenzie Mitchell revealed the NXT Women's Tag Team Champions will face The Way again in two weeks and Jessi Kamea and Aliyah on tonight's show. The interview was interrupted after Moon and Blackheart received flowers, though, and Franky Monet appeared to reveal they were sent by Dexter Lumis.

The broadcast then turned its attention to Cameron Grimes' hunt for the most expensive, extravagant watch in a jewellery store.

The tale would continue later in the show, but for now, NXT headed back to the ring for a promo from Grizzled Young Veterans. James Drake actually spoke for once, but he quickly handed over to Zack Gibson, who continued to campaign for a tag team title shot. An interruption from Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher soon followed. Ciampa noted both teams want a shot at the NXT Tag Team Championship and called back to their Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic match, putting over GYV in the process. The Blackheart revealed Thatcher has been watching tape on the British team, though, and Toothless Tim started chanting "Shoes off if you hate Gibson" at Liverpool's #1. Gibson grew increasingly incensed but Ciampa bashed him over the head with a shoe moments later. Tim and Tommaso then tried to take out James Drake but Gibson dragged his partner to safety before they could do further damage.

Another backstage interview, this time with Drake Maverick and Killian Dain followed. Maverick said The Beast Of Belfast would betray him and join Imperium during their tag team match against the faction later in the show. Dain tried to put his partner's mind at ease, though, and told Drake he's "just gotta have faith," quoting George Michael.

Two more pre-taped promos followed either side of the commercial break. Xia Li spoke in Mandarin and Tian Sha blew smoke over the screen. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott then challenged Leon Ruff to a Falls Count Anywhere match, which was added to next week's show.

The in-ring action continued after this with Toni Storm vs. Zayda Ramier. Before the match, Storm cut a promo on Zoey Stark during which she promised to end her and defeat "the rookie" in the ring.

The contest didn't go to plan for Storm, though, as Stark headed to the ring after a few minutes and distracted her. This allowed Zayda Ramier to recover while she was on the top turnbuckle and she pummelled Storm to the mat after the former NXT UK Women's Champion tried to resume her attack. Ramier then followed up with a Shooting Star Press for the shock victory.

McKenzie Mitchell then continued her busy evening and interviewed LA Knight next. The former IMPACT World Champion recalled his win over Dexter Lumis on last week's NXT and he ended the segment by claiming Indi Hartwell is attracted to him.

The drama within The Way took centre stage next as Bronson Reed faced off against Austin Theory in what was effectively a number one contender's match for The Colossal One.

Both men fought back and forth for much of the nine-minute match, but the storyline antics took over after Dexter Lumis stalked to the ring. Johnny Gargano saw The Tortured Artist just in the nick of time and dragged Candice LeRae to safety but Lumis only had eyes for the moody Indi Hartwell. Indi Wrestling walked away from Lumis, though, and rolled into the ring. In-Dex then locked eyes while Lumis stood on the apron and he saved Indi a few moments later after Bronson Reed Irish Whipped Theory in their direction. Hartwell didn't see the move coming and Lumis knocked her out of the way, sacrificing himself in the process.

Reed then caught Theory with a Clothesline and followed up with Tsunami for the win. He will face Johnny Gargano for the NXT North American Championship at some point in the weeks ahead.

The drama within The Way didn't end there, however. The broadcast caught up to the faction backstage after another commercial break and Gargano blamed Theory's loss on Dexter Lumis. Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell blamed Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon, though, because they "stole" Hartwell's flowers from Lumis earlier in the show. An irate Indi then stormed off, which would come into play later in the episode.

The next match on the show was Killian Dain and Drake Maverick vs. Imperium. The broadcast team confirmed Finn Balor will be back next week before the in-ring action began.

Once it did get underway, Imperium dominated Drake Maverick for the vast majority of the match. Dain never abandoned his tag team partner, though, and he ran wild after Drake eventually made the hot tag. Imperium eventually managed to recover to some extent and Marcel Barthel knocked The Beast Of Belfast to the floor and ordered Alexander Wolfe to hit him with a steel chair while he distracted the official. Wolfe couldn't bring himself to hit his former SAnitY comrade, though, and it appears he could be leaving Imperium in the weeks ahead as opposed to Dain joining them.

The in-ring action then continued for a couple of more minutes with Drake Maverick as the legal man. He couldn't pick up the win for his team, however, and Imperium connected with the Euro Bomb for the 1-2-3.

Following this, another Pete Dunne promo was broadcast. The Bruiserweight ran down the singles champions in NXT and NXT UK and proclaimed himself as the baddest man in NXT.

Cameron Grimes was then back on-screen after another commercial break. The Technical Savage was talking up his new watch until a man off-camera suddenly appeared. He said it was a great watch... but it's not a million-dollar watch.

The camera then panned around to show Ted DiBiase and the WWE Hall Of Famer cackled his trademark laugh and walked out the door to leave Grimes infuriated.

Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon vs. Aliyah and Jessi Kamea was supposed to be the next match on the show but an irate Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae took out the NXT Women's Tag Team Champions after they were gifted chocolates and more flowers at ringside. The Way then left them lying after Hartwell smashed flowers over Blackheart's head and LeRae pushed Moon into some cupcakes.

Arash Markazi's sit-down interview with the returning Adam Cole was next on NXT. Cole was initially disinterested in the interview, but he started talking after he got off the phone. The former NXT Champion answered multiple questions and said he turned on Roderick Strong, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish because they had lost sight of what The Undisputed ERA was all about and he was sick of carrying them.

Cole then claimed O'Reilly got lucky at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver and said Kyle wasn't ready for the main event picture. Karrion Kross is also not ready for the main event picture, according to Cole, but the former UE leader refused to reveal if he will pursue the NXT Championship next. Instead, he's spending his time being p*ssed off that people think O'Reilly can replace him.

The issues between the two former best friends seemingly aren't over and O'Reilly was shown shaking his head while watching the interview at an undisclosed location.

We then had a brief vignette about an MMA training school named Diamond Mine. A possible MMA-based faction looks to be heading to the black and gold brand soon.

After another commercial break, it was then time for the main event and MSK teamed with Kushida against Legado del Fantasma.

The two teams put together a great match which put over Santos Escobar and his men as dominant forces. MSK and Kushida enjoyed brief spells on top but Legado del Fantasma repeatedly regained control and Escobar even put Kushida through the announce table with a Powerbomb.

This allowed the faction to hone in on MSK and they stopped every comeback attempt from Nash Carter and Wes Lee down the stretch. Kushida then tried to get back in the ring but Escobar put him down with a Phantom Driver and Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza caught Nash Cater with their tag team finisher seconds later to pick up the win.

Legado del Fantasma then stood tall over the fallen champions as NXT went off the air.

Check out the full results from the April 27 edition of NXT below: • Mercedes Martinez def. Dakota Kai by Disqualification • Zayda Ramier def. Toni Storm • Bronson Reed def. Austin Theory • Imperium def. Drake Maverick & Killian Dain • Legado del Fantasma def. MSK & Kushida