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Due to current global health issues, NXT presented just its second TakeOver special of the year on Sunday night. WWE even opted to revive their old "In Your House" pay-per-view name for the first time in over 20 years for the event - an acknowledgment of the fact that much of the viewing audience is currently in lockdown.
The show was not simply a nostalgia trip, though, as no less than three NXT Championships were on the line at TakeOver: In Your House. Both the NXT North American Championship and the NXT Women's Championship were defended, whilst the NXT Championship was up for grabs in the brand's first-ever Backlot Brawl.
In addition, several Superstars received their first major opportunity to shine on NXT's biggest stage. It may not have been on the level of some of the great TakeOver events of the past, but In Your House was still an entertaining show with many newsworthy happenings. Here are 5 things we learned from the event.
#5 The classic "In Your House" branding worked well
In the past when WWE has revived classic pay-per-view names from wrestling's history, they have done little more than just recycle the title of an old event. For example, think of the way that they have used the Starrcade name to promote glorified house shows in recent years.
However, the company spared no expense here and really invested in trying to present this NXT show in the same way that they did when producing the original In Your House pay-per-views years ago.
Former announcer Todd Pettengill opened the show in the same style that he did back in May 1995 at the very first In Your House pay-per-view. Many of the commercials that aired during the event were also shot in an old-school fashion. This TakeOver had a unique feel which definitely helped it stand out from a normal NXT event.
The most noticeable element of the In Your House branding, though, was certainly the entrance set that was used for the show. Featuring a giant house as its backdrop, Johnny Gargano even entered for his match with Keith Lee through the front door of the property.
It was Io Shirai, however, who made the best use of the set. Living up to her billing as the "Genius of the Sky", Shirai flew from the roof of the structure to take out both Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley in the evening's main event.
Given how well received the theme was on Sunday night, we could see TakeOver: In Your House become a regular fixture on the NXT calendar.
#4 Finn Balor might be "Mr. TakeOver", but Damian Priest shows his quality too
In terms of victories, nobody has been more successful at NXT TakeOver events than Finn Balor. His win over Damian Priest at In Your House was his 11th triumph on the Black and Gold brand's biggest stage.
That statistic is even more impressive when you consider that Balor was a main roster Superstar for three years between 2016 and 2019. In fact, Balor's only defeat at an NXT TakeOver show came to Samoa Joe shortly before he moved to the RAW roster.
Balor's record is impressive - and you would think this is something that NXT will continue to highlight on the future TakeOver shows. That way, when an NXT Superstar next beats Balor at TakeOver, his win will be quite significant.
The other side of the equation, though, is the performance of Damian Priest. Yes, he may have lost the match, but the "Archer of Infamy" proved that he belonged on the level of a talent like Finn Balor, delivering one of the finest performances of his career.
Priest impressed many in his most high-profile NXT match to date and looks set to do big things in his immediate future, despite his defeat to Balor.
#3 Adam Cole remains NXT Champion
Just weeks after debuting the Fight Pit match, NXT held another first-time-ever contest as Adam Cole met Velveteen Dream in a Backlot Brawl for the NXT Championship.
The match took place in a parking lot outside the Full Sail University, with a ring surrounded by cars. Much of the bout, however, did not unfold in the ring as the champion and the challenger brawled in the surrounding area, including on top of several vehicles.
Ultimately, though, it was Cole who took the win, pinning his challenger after delivering a Panama Sunrise onto a pile of steel chairs. The leader of the Undisputed Era sees his record-setting NXT title reign extend to 372 days, but Velveteen Dream now finds himself in limbo.
By virtue of a pre-match stipulation, Velveteen Dream can now never again challenge for the NXT Championship whilst Adam Cole holds the title. Of course, there is always the chance that Cole could lose the belt, but the more likely scenario is Velveteen Dream making his way to either RAW or SmackDown shortly.
During a period where NXT has long some key talent, having Cole continue his reign as champion is a smart call, particularly if Velveteen Dream does land on the main roster soon.
#2 Karrion Kross is a major player in NXT
Given that Karrion Kross was making his TakeOver debut at In Your House, it was always likely that he would be given the win over established NXT Superstar Tommaso Ciampa.
Few, however, could have confidently predicted the dominant manner in which Kross would defeat Ciampa. The NXT newcomer, who was on top for much of the fairly short bout, made Ciampa pass out to his modified neck crank submission, known as the Kross Jacket. The one-sided match was the perfect way to cement Kross as a massive threat in NXT.
A former NXT Champion, Tomasso Ciampa has never been put away so easily throughout his WWE career. To put Kross over in this sort of fashion says a lot about how highly WWE think of their new acquisition. Ciampa will not be hurt in the long-term by this loss, but it is an excellent springboard for Kross.
At a time where NXT needs to create some new stars, the brand certainly has a headline act on their hands when it comes to Karrion Kross and Scarlett.
#1 Io Shirai becomes the face of the NXT women's division
In what was a fitting way to end the show, Io Shirai captured the NXT Women's championship, pinning Rhea Ripley to win a Triple Threat match that also included Charlotte Flair.
The former Mae Young Classic finalist now has a chance to establish herself as one of the faces of NXT. Currently being one of the best women performers in all of WWE, Shirai was afforded the main event spotlight at NXT TakeOver: In Your House - and did not let that opportunity slip.
Shirai's dive from the top of the In Your House set will live on in highlights packages for years to come and - despite slightly mistiming the moonsault she hit to win the title - her coronation was one of the best moments to play out at the WWE Performance Center in recent months.
It remains to be seen if Charlotte will pursue a rematch for the Championship, but there is plenty of female talent for Shirai to work with in NXT regardless.
A new era has begun in the NXT women's division - and it is a division that Io Shirai is more than capable of leading.
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