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WWE NXT was ready to rule Sunday nights once again as NXT TakeOver: In Your House ended up exceeding the expectations of the WWE Universe. Three Championship matches were scheduled for the night, while three non-title matches managed to shine even brighter than the title matches.
Karrion Kross made an impressive TakeOver debut as he competed against NXT’s Blackheart, while Damian Priest tried to punch his ticket to the big leagues with a match against the Prince of NXT.
Johnny Gargano competed against Keith Lee to try and win the NXT North American Championship once again, while Velveteen Dream was set for a final chance to become the NXT Champion after previous unsuccessful attempts.
However, the women of NXT stole the show with some great performances, with the NXT Women’s Championship match between Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley, and Io Shirai taking the cake.
The entire show was enjoyable from beginning to end as WWE ensured that no filler matches would consume a spot and slow down the event. They made up for the lack of audience with some enjoyable segments and moments to remember for the fans back at home.
In this article, we will look at the five things WWE got right at NXT TakeOver last night.
#5 The Prince of NXT shows his class
Damian Priest believed that his ticket to success went through Finn Balor and he decided to battle against the Prince of NXT to prove his point.
However, things did not begin smoothly for the big man as Balor managed to get the early advantage in the match and never looked intimidated by Priest’s size and strength even once.
The Archer of Infamy hit the Broken Arrow but could not finish the job as he wasted too much time and allowed Balor to recover and get back in the game. The two men battled outside the ring where Priest hit Balor with a Razor’s Edge onto the ring apron, as the big man continued to dominate Balor in the middle of the match.
After Priest suffered a bump outside the ring onto the steel steps, Balor hit him with a Coup de Grace in the ring to pin him and pick up his 11th TakeOver victory - the most for any WWE Superstar.
This was a good grudge match that allowed the two men to get extremely physical before allowing the man with the momentum to pick up the win. Priest got a big match on a big stage against the biggest Superstar of NXT and he won’t be losing any value after putting up a very credible performance.
#4 Keith Lee retains the NXT North American Championship
Johnny Gargano was ready to become the NXT North American Champion once again as he walked out to face NXT’s Limitless One in a one-on-one match. Gargano went after Keith Lee’s injured eye while wearing him down early on as the mammoth Superstar tried to fight his way back into the match.
Gargano matched Lee’s size with his skills, speed, and tactics. He halted Lee every time he tried to make a comeback and put the former NXT Champion away.
A body-check by Lee to Gargano outside the ring brought him back into the match as Gargano went through the Plexiglass and into the NXT talent watching the match.
Candice LeRae arrived to help her husband but Mia Yim was not too far away to put her away and allow the match to continue. Gargano used the key to the eye tactic once again followed by a few Superkicks, but could not get the three count.
The Limitless One finally got back and hit Gargano with a Spirit Bomb and a Big Bang Catastrophe to put the former NXT Champion away and retain his title in a match where he seemed to be on the back foot.
This was a good match that allowed Lee to retain while giving Gargano all the offense and making him look like a legit threat to the big man. Will Gargano try to get his hands on the title once again?
#3 Velveteen Dream's NXT Championship hopes over
NXT Champion Adam Cole and Velveteen Dream were set for a Backlot Brawl where Cole arrived in a Shock the System monster truck while Dream arrived in a sports car.
The two men were ready to beat each other down and use the stipulation to their advantage, while talent watched on from their cars while illuminating the ring with the vehicles' headlights.
After the two men traded some blows, Cole tried to leave after claiming that Dream didn’t deserve the match. Dream managed to stop him and the two men continued to brawl. From there on, the two men were seen using several weapons, as Cole tried to get away from Dream throughout the fight.
Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish of The Undisputed Era showed up to support Cole, but they were kidnapped by Dexter Lumis who crawled out from under the ring and locked them in the trunk of a car before driving off.
Dream then hit the NXT Champion with a Dream Valley Driver and a Purple Rainmaker but he was unable to put away the greatest NXT Champion of all time. Cole then managed to hit Dream with a low blow and finished him off with a Panama Sunrise onto the steel chairs in the ring to retain his title and end His Purple Highness’ NXT Championship dream.
This was a good match but the cinematic route took a lot away from what these two men are capable of doing. Dream seems ready to move to the main roster, while NXT seems to have built Cole as the invincible one who can give the man who ultimately defeats him the push of his life.
#2 Karrion Kross’ breathtaking NXT TakeOver debut
Karrion Kross made his in-ring debut on NXT a few weeks ago and immediately got in the zone for his first big TakeOver match against former NXT Champion, Tommaso Ciampa.
Kross had attacked Ciampa backstage during an interview and had continued to send warnings to the veteran ever since.
Ciampa wanted revenge and went after Kross as soon as the match began. He tried to get control over the bigger Superstar but a big kick from Kross helped the new guy show what he’s made of.
Ciampa was treated to a few massive suplexes but he managed to get back up and take down Kross. A knee to the face followed by some more big strikes allowed Ciampa to continue his dominance until Kross made a comeback and trapped NXT’s Blackheart in a Kross Jacket to put him to sleep and pick up the victory.
This was a good quick match that allowed Kross to make a big initial impact without exposing too much of himself. WWE is looking to make him a big star and have him pick up quick victories to become a dominant force.
A victory over the former NXT Champion has done enough to bring Kross to the forefront of NXT and it will be interesting to see where he heads over the next few weeks.
#1 The Genius of the Sky lands in NXT
The main event of the night was one that every wrestling fan should go back and watch again. NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defended her title against Io Shirai and former Champion Rhea Ripley to close out TakeOver: In Your House.
Flair was the premier heel in the fight and bailed from the ring to allow Ripley and Shirai to go at each other. However, she got back in the ring soon after and went after her opponents to get the momentum in the match.
The match was booked well as all three women got their high points as they tried to impress the entire WWE Universe with their skills. NXT’s Nightmare came close to a victory after hitting Flair with a Riptide from the second rope, but Shirai managed to break up the pin.
After watching herself lose the grip on the match, The Queen of WWE decided to bring in a Kendo Stick and beat down Ripley with it. She then locked Ripley in the Figure-Eight leglock, but Shirai climbed to the top of the ropes and delivered a moonsault to pin Ripley and pick up the victory.
This match was nearly perfect in every way and allowed the company to protect Flair while giving the NXT Women’s Championship to The Genius of the Sky who very well deserves it. Ripley was the only one who lost it all in the fight and it will be interesting to see where the company heads with her in the coming weeks.
Flair can go back to RAW in a full-time capacity where she can fill the void left by Becky Lynch. Io Shirai is one of the best wrestlers in the world and can easily carry the NXT women’s division for the next few months.
