WWE NXT has seen multiple special nights over the course of its history, but few could rival its debut on the CW Network. This October 1 episode was deemed to be truly unique in the history of the newly christened black-and-silver brand.

The top two titles in NXT were on the line. Trick Williams hoped to reclaim his NXT Championship from "All Ego" Ethan Page while CM Punk tried to keep it clean as special guest referee.

Roxanne Perez faced the most dangerous challenger to date in her NXT Women's Championship reign, battling Giulia in just the second match of The Beautiful Madness' WWE career.

Wes Lee and Zachary Wentz looked to settle their differences in a Street Fight that put a definitive end to their long-standing friendship.

Fatal Influence faced a unique challenge in the new team of Lola Vice and Jaida Parker, though Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx would not say who would fight them..

The Miz headed to NXT for Miz TV featuring the tumultuous rivalry of Oba Femi and Tony D'Angelo, which is set to explode next week for the North American Championship.

The CW was certain to get NXT's best for a night that needed to be as special as possible for the brand.

NXT Women's Championship: Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Giulia

Shawn Michaels introduced new NXT and NXT Women's title belts for the new CW era. Triple H helped him ask the Chicago crowd if they were ready.

Roxanne Perez found herself outmatched by Giulia throughout this fight.

However, with the referee distracted, Cora Jade laid out The Beautiful Madness with a double underhook DDT on the floor. The Prodigy hit her with Pop Rox to win.

When Giulia first signed with WWE, the hype began for a climactic battle between her and The Prodigy. It was always going to be hard to live up to that, though.

Perez vs. Giulia worked a contest that was not clean WWE style, lacking a crisp edge to the action. However, it was not due to a lack of chemistry. In fact, the two kept their footing well throughout.

Better results will come as they work together more. The execution will tighten up, and hopefully they will keep that fresh edge that is so foreign to NXT.

The result was a genuine shock, though Stephanie Vaquer's arrival was a tip-off last week. Jade's arrival adds some complications to a suddenly loaded women's main event scene.

This will not hurt Giulia, who did not need an undefeated streak to become great. She will get another shot to take the gold and likely win the rematch as long as Vaquer does not hop in front of her in line.

Perez and Jade working together is a great move, and this surprise result establishes this reformed heel alliance at the top of the company.

Result

Perez def. Giulia by pinfall to retain the NXT Women's Championship.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• NXT arrived with a new theme: "Millions From Now" by 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne. It is a solid foundation for the growing hip-hop focus of the brand.
  
• The NXT Championship redesigns were needed, especially with the black-and-silver brand color swap, though the new look is fairly basic.
  
• Giulia frequently outmatched Perez's technical offense, rolling out of the crossface consistently.
  
• Vic Joseph and Booker T were ready to call it after Giulia connected on her low knee strike, but The Prodigy kicked out.
• When Perez hit the first Pop Rox, The Beautiful Madness rolled outside.
• When The Prodigy followed, Giulia planted her on the floor with a Northern Lights Bomb. Both were nearly counted out.
• Jade explained that she made her statement to remind everyone who she is. Perez and Jade sold that they might be on the same page.
  

Street Fight: Wes Lee vs. Zachary Wentz

Zachary Wentz had Wes Lee reeling until he hesitated at the wrong time.

This allowed Lee to take a cheap shot and hit a diving chain-wrapped knee through his rival and a steel chair to win.

Lee and Wentz brought it all for this chaotic Street Fight. It was a crash-filled spot fest with some dangerous landings that sold how much both men disliked each other.

In a rare statement for NXT, this bout may have been a bit too long. The heat was wearing thin down the stretch, but they ultimately brought it home to give Lee a massive victory.

This may be the end for The Rascalz in all forms in NXT, which would be a shame. Wentz has shown out consistently in this feud, and he and Trey Miguel can still elevate themselves in the NXT tag team division.

Meanwhile, Lee is likely to step up to the NXT Championship scene. Outside of "All Ego" Ethan Page, no one on the roster is better established to play the top heel role on the brand.

Result

Lee def. Wentz by pinfall.

Grade

A-

Notable Moments

• Lee brought a cart full of weapons for this Street Fight.
• Wentz choked out Lee on the apron, but both fell off it and crashed through a wooden panel set up at ringside.
• Wentz nearly picked up the win with a twisting senton on Lee, who was trapped in a trash can.
• Lee sent Wentz off the ropes to the floor. He had a gnarly landing and barely bounced off the outside table.
  
• Nathan Frazer and Axiom tried to practice for their match with A-Town Down Under in WWE 2K24, but Frazer lost when he got distracted.
  
• CM Punk offered Lexis King some friendly advice about choosing the right path. It was hard to take King seriously with his ridiculous haircut.
  

Miz TV Featuring Oba Femi and Tony D'Angelo

The Miz brought Oba Femi and Tony D'Angelo together and started the questions, but it turned quickly into a back-and-forth between champion and challenger.

The two avoided coming to blows as The A-Lister hyped their match for next week.

While The Miz was barely necessary in this exchange, it was a smart hype piece all around. Femi walked in as the favorite inside Allstate Arena in Chicago but walked out the clear heel. The Don had to win over a difficult crowd, and he did so with confidence.

Femi vs. D'Angelo was a good contest at No Mercy with little story. This rematch has a chance to solidify the legacy of both men in NXT regardless of the result.

It's likely The Ruler will still walk out victorious, but the silver-and-black brand has done enough to sell that The Don could pull off the upset.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Miz played with the crowd boos, just one day removed from turning on R-Truth.
  
• The Chicago crowd threw out the "What?" chants at D'Angelo. He found his way in the rhythm of the chant and turned the crowd to cheering him.
• He reinforced that by reminded fans he is from Chicago. Femi seemed fazed by the crowd turning to back The Don.
  

Jaida Parker and Lola Vice vs. Fatal Influence's Fallon Henley and Jacy Jayne

Jaida Parker and Lola Vice looked great early working together, but a miscue led to the former walking out on the latter.

Fallon Henley and Jacy Jayne hit a shining wizard/running knee strike combination for the win.

Henley called out Kelani Jordan, who revealed she had backup in Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. The three cleared out Fatal Influence together. Vic Joseph announced a six-woman tag match for next week.

This was the obvious odd match out on a loaded card, but NXT did give the competitors time enough to show out.

Even if this lacked the same stakes as the rest of the bill, the action was solid between four great athletes. Henley and Jayne did not quite find their rhythm as a team, but Henley vs. Vice was a major highlight exchange that should be revisited.

It was nice to see Fatal Influence pick up such a statement victory. This was a match they needed to win.

It's a shame it was undercut so severely by the arrival of the WWE women's tag team champions. As much as this delivered a crowd-pleasing moment, it was another case of undermining the momentum of the heel faction.

Result

Fatal Influence def. Parker and Vice by pinfall.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Vice and Parker could not get on the same page backstage. Jordan tried to get them focused but realized she needed a back-up plan.
• The Women's North American champion joined commentary, promising she would fight any and all of Fatal Influence.
• Parker stacked up Jayne and Henley and blasted both with the Tear Drop followed by a double hip attack from Vice.
• The best sequence of the match was a back-and-forth strike exchange between Vice and Henley.
• In a fun pre-taped promo, Je'Von Evans and Randy Orton both spoke on what the match next week in St. Louis means to them.
  

NXT Championship: Ethan Page (c) vs. Trick Williams (Special Guest Referee: CM Punk)

Trick Williams survived the best shots of "All Ego" Ethan Page and planted him with a Trick Shot for the win.

As the confetti fell, Page got in Punk's face and took a Go To Sleep for his trouble.

This was noticeably better than their match at Battleground, even though the two were a little off the mark with their strikes consistently.

A hyped crowd and strong pace helped this contest shine. It felt important when Trick got the win and regained the title he should hold for a while to come.

The side story of this match was Page vs. Punk. It's likely the two will have a match after how much they were jaw-jacking during this contest.

NXT can transition to Trick vs. Wes Lee, while Page gets a major rub working with The Best in the World.

Result

Trick def. Page by pinfall to become the new NXT champion.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• NXT showed a hype package for Trick and Page to sell the importance of their match.
• Before the main event, a muscular woman in a red jacket was shown walking down the road toward NXT. This was likely for the recently signed Delta.
• The crowd chanted for Punk on the opening bell.
• All Ego sent Trick through the barricade right before the final commercial break.
• Page sent Trick through the announce table with an Ego's Edge, but it was not enough to take the three.
• Punk forced both men to their feet to keep the fight going.
• All Ego hit a Go To Sleep in front of Punk but still only got two.
  

Overall Show

The hype was sky high for NXT's debut on The CW, and it led to a much different product than fans have seen in the past from this brand.

The matches were longer and more competitive, and the hot crowd forced multiple wrestlers to play more to the audience than they have in the past.

It was a good experience for a roster that needs consistent opportunities to grow.

However, that did not mean it was a perfect night. No match completely stole the show despite NXT booking three contests that were meant to draw eyes.

Instead, all three were good while hinting at better in the future. Roxanne Perez vs. Giulia came off as an obvious first effort that allowed the two to get to know each other better.

An inconclusive finish set the stage for a more chaotic women's division that suddenly had multiple money matches on the horizon.

Ethan Page and Trick Williams do not have that chemistry necessary to lead NXT, but the right result puts the latter in position to carry the new era of the brand.

Wes Lee vs. Zachary Wentz was easily the highlight of the night, even if it ran long and included a few miscues. It was helped by the clear desire of both men to do whatever it takes to steal the show.

The CW debut for NXT was more or less a success, delivering a different vibe for the roster that is unlikely to be the norm going forward. Next week may be a better indication of NXT's long-term changes with its new broadcaster.

Overall Grade: B+