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People wondered if Kyle O’Reilly was ready for the NXT main event at NXT TakeOver 31. We can now safely say that the discussion is forever closed.
NXT TakeOver 31 was the best TakeOver show of the Pandemic Era by far. It would likely be considered one of the best TakeOvers overall. We had a fun opener, a surprisingly good Cruiserweight title match, some shocking returns and an excellent main event. With the new set-up for the NXT shows, it seems like NXT is in great shape for the foreseeable future.
While everyone ponders why Johnny Gargano only gave his wife a two count in the NXT Women’s Championship match, here are the top five most surprising moments of NXT TakeOver 31:
#5 The Capitol Wrestling Center debuts at NXT TakeOver 31
The one thing you have to love about NXT is it always shows true respect for professional wrestling’s past. That is why it was so neat to see the new and improved Performance Center called the “Capitol Wrestling Center”. It made its impressive debut at NXT TakeOver 31. To see NXT honors the company’s roots was a truly great idea.
The surprising thing was how the new space actually worked on Sunday night. It had a dark and smoky feel with the fencing and plexiglass on the sides completed the cage fight look. It was good to see some elements of the Thunderdome with the virtual fans as well.
It was even more surprising to see actual fans watching the show as well in 2020. It helped the atmosphere of NXT TakeOver 31 for sure. Let us just make sure the real fans wear masks at all times going forward, please. If they do, the Capitol Wrestling Center will be the highlight of the WWE week each Wednesday night.
#4 Kushida turns heel at NXT TakeOver 31
It is safe to say Kushida has not had the start to his NXT career that any of us truly expected. He has had a few decent matches in 2019, but for one of the greatest Junior Heavyweights in professional wrestling history, it has been disappointing to not see him in meaningful NXT feuds or big TakeOver matches. That seemed to all change against the Velveteen Dream at NXT TakeOver 31.
It was a solid match you would have expected between two talented performers. Both performers pulled off some exciting chain wrestling in their 13-minute match. The end of the match saw Dream attempting to get out of the Hoverboard Lock on multiple occasions but failed to do so.
The biggest surprise was what occurred after Kushida picked up the submission victory over Velveteen Dream. Kushida was not content with his TakeOver debut victory as he decided to attack on Velveteen Dream even after their match. He had to be stopped repeatedly by the referees to end his assault on Dream.
It seemed that we had a true heel turn on Sunday night. It looks like Kushida’s frustration over his NXT career will be a significant part of his storyline going forward.
#3 Cruiserweights steal the show at NXT TakeOver 31
The Cruiserweight wrestlers are clearly the forgotten stars of the WWE. The 205 Live weekly show is constantly an afterthought on the WWE Network. It is a shame because they are constantly putting on great matches. This came to a head with the Cruiserweight tournament earlier this summer. It seemed like a great storyline with Drake Maverick winning and saving his NXT job. But he was stopped by El Hijo del Fantasma in the final and he became the Cruiserweight Champion. The surprise was after the match when El Hilo turned heel. He quickly unmasked and became Santos Escobar. With a new faction, how could he handle a major challenge at NXT TakeOver 31?
The match between Isaiah "Swerve" Scott and Santos Escobar was a show-stealer at NXT TakeOver 31 with its excellent fast pacing. It was nice to see the Cruiserweight title getting a showcase after being an afterthought for so long. We had many false finishes and many attempts at outside interference.
The finish was when Scott hit the exposed ring post. This allowed Escobar to pick up the victory on the dazed Scott. It has become pretty apparent now that whoever wants to get their hands on the Cruiserweight Championship will have to first go through El Legado del Fantasma stable.
After the great match on Sunday night at NXT TakeOver 31, here is hoping we see a lot more Cruiserweight matches going forward.
#2 Two surprising returns at NXT TakeOver 31
It seems the Garganos will be in a very foul mood going forward after the events of NXT TakeOver 31.
The NXT Women's Championship match between Io Shirai and Candice LeRae was a solid one between two of the best and most talented on the NXT Women's roster. Io Shirai is coming into her own as a Women's Champion and Candice LeRae has been thriving as an obnoxious heel in recent months. These two just seem to have good in-ring chemistry with each other. The ending of the match was pretty impressive, with many unsuccessful cheating attempts by Johnny and Candice. Io Shirai pulled off another emphatic victory at NXT TakeOver 31.
The two most surprising moments occurred after the match. On the big screen, Toni Storm appeared to challenge Io Shirai. These two have a long history dating back to their excellent Mae Young Classic final two years ago. After such a long absence during the pandemic, it is nice to see Toni Storm coming back into a WWE ring.
If that wasn't enough, we had an even bigger surprise. The vignettes we had seen for a returning champion were finally answered at NXT TakeOver 31. While most people assumed it was a male NXT Champion, it was truly shocking to see Ember Moon back on the Black and Gold brand.
Ember Moon had been out of action for nearly a year. It seemed her injuries were so severe, it might be a long time before we ever saw her again. The NXT Women's Division was already strong and now it is going to incredible.
#1 The brutal nature of the NXT Championship match at NXT TakeOver 31
Finn Balor has had mixed success since returning to NXT in October of 2019. He has had some solid matches but didn't seem to be presented as the big star on the NXT brand. With the injury to Karrion Kross, he finally got back his NXT Championship after a nearly four-year break. Could he put on a big main event performance? After Sunday night at NXT TakeOver 31, it is safe to say that debate is settled.
Kyle O'Reilly and Finn Balor put on an incredible performance on Sunday night at NXT TakeOver 31. For nearly 30 minutes, they put on one of the best TakeOver main events. The match was filled with submissions and counters. It was filled with brutal physical strikes. This main event was the sort of match that would have fit in perfectly in Japan. Both competitors were literally blooded as the match ended.
Kyle O'Reilly certainly earned the respect of the professional wrestling world for sure. After that performance, it wouldn't really be surprising if he gets another chance at the title in the near future. But with the Ridge Holland attack on Adam Cole after the main event, we will have some exciting new feuds to look forward to in the months to come after NXT TakeOver 31.
NXT is as strong as ever.
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