The longstanding feud between Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano is now a thing of the past in NXT following Gargano's victory on the April 8 television episode. Not only did Gargano put an end to the feud, but his wife, Candice LeRae, turned heel for the first time in her NXT career by low-blowing Ciampa to cost him the match.
Since then, Ciampa has moved on to a feud with Karrion Kross, who attacked him the following week. As for Gargano and LeRae, they have set their sights on being the first-ever couple to simultaneously hold the NXT Championship and NXT Women's Championship. However, there are two people who are creating a huge hurdle in that desired path.
NXT North American Champion Keith Lee and his girlfriend, Mia Yim, are the latest couple to make their presence known on the brand. Recently, Lee and Yim made fun of Gargano and LeRae by mocking their dinner table video where both aired their frustrations with the NXT audience.
On the May 13 episode of NXT, Gargano praised himself for defeating Dominik Dijakovic. He also began trash-talking Lee, stating how he defeated the same person who took the North American Champion "to the limit," and called Lee "just another flavor of the month." LeRae was also unhappy that Mia Yim gained a NXT Women's Championship opportunity against Charlotte Flair.
Lee & Yim responded with a video of their own, making fun of the black and white filter that Gargano & LeRae had used on previous videos to showcase some kind of split personality. A match between Yim and Lee, which led to an impromptu mixed tag team match including Gargano and Lee, solidified two matches set for the NXT TakeOver: In Your House event: Lee vs. Gargano for the North American Championship and Yim, Tegan Nox, and Shotzi Blackheart vs. LeRae, Dakota Kai, and Raquel Gonzalez, where both Lee and Yim emerged victorious in their efforts.
The current tag team feud between Lee and Yim against Gargano and Ciampa is huge for spotlighting the careers of Yim and LeRae. For much of their tenures, LeRae and Yim have not been among the top names featured on NXT television. While both have experienced some highlighted feuds, their careers have been overshadowed by bigger feuds including names such as Asuka, Ember Moon, Shayna Baszler, Kairi Sane, and Rhea Ripley.
Despite being in her second year as an NXT talent, Yim has only been featured on one TakeOver event, unsuccessfully competing against Baszler for the NXT Women's Championship at the NXT TakeOver: Toronto event in August 2019. For LeRae, she also lost at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, to Io Shirai, but was a part of the winning women's team at NXT TakeOver: WarGames III last November. However, LeRae has yet to be featured in a NXT Women's Championship match at TakeOver.
The current couples' feud has finally given Yim and LeRae a spotlight on the Takeover card, while Lee is among the hottest names in not only NXT, but all of WWE. Gargano has undoubtedly created on the best legacies in NXT history, and is looking to add yet another achievement to his grand slam career on the brand.
With the impressive NXT resumes and popularity of Lee and Gargano, Yim and LeRae can use this feud as a launchpad to finally break the proverbial glass ceiling and establish top-level careers of their own.