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It shouldn't come as a surprise that NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2021 was a success. The black-and-gold brand delivered some solid action, with a couple of interesting moments.
From chaotic five-ways to entertaining Ladder Matches, every match did well in front of a packed Capitol Wrestling Center. Also, NXT ended TakeOver: In Your House with a potentially game-changing cliffhanger. Did we just witness the end of an era?
Here are the main positives and negatives from NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2021
#1 Best: An incredible 5-way headlines NXT TakeOver: In Your House
The main event of NXT TakeOver: In Your House saw Karrion Kross put his NXT Championship on the line against four of the finest competitors on the black and gold brand. Johnny Gargano, Kyle O'Reilly, Pete Dunne and Adam Cole all got a shot at the title.
While the journey to this point was not the most storied, all five men put on a show and a half at TakeOver: In Your House. Some of the spots in the ring were incredible, with the likes of Cole and Gargano in the thick of the action. The two of them have had their own classics for the NXT Championship in the past.
Cole's rivalry with O'Reilly was also on full display, as the two of them laid into each other with some stiff strikes. The former friends may face each other at the next TakeOver: event, especially with their roles in the final moments of this match.
Kyle O'Reilly put Adam Cole in a leg lock, nearly submitting him in the process. However, Karrion Kross locked in the Kross Jacket from behind and caused the valiant babyface to pass out. This was a chilling way to end such an action-packed match, with the rest of the field looking on in disappointment.
Every superstar got time to shine at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, with no man being worse off having unsuccessfully challenged Kross. The champion proved his dominance tonight, despite being teamed up on and taken out multiple times during the match. He doesn't look like dropping the NXT Title anytime soon.
This was as much of a win for the black and gold brand as it was for Karrion Kross.
#1 Worst: NXT misses a huge opportunity with Legado del Fantasma at TakeOver: In Your House
NXT TakeOver: In Your House opened with a fast-paced Winners Take All Match, pitting Legado del Fantasma opposite MSK and Bronson Reed. The NXT Tag Team and North American Champions defended their respective titles against the heel trio.
Santos Escobar has been a solid presence on NXT for a while now. His reign as Cruiserweight Champion was great and a North American Title win would have represented the perfect step up from last June's In Your House event.
Alongside him, Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde have been around the NXT Tag Team Title scene for quite a bit. They had unsuccessfully challenged MSK for the belts and probably should have won them tonight.
The black and gold brand may have missed a trick by not putting Legado del Fantasma over at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. The faction would have been incredible as one of the most dominant forces on the brand. Nevertheless, MSK are still solid Tag Team Champions.
Escobar could yet have a full-blown feud with Bronson Reed over the North American Championship. But, NXT should have pulled the trigger on him winning here, even if the reign would not have lasted very long. The Colossal One did not even need to be pinned to lose the title at NXT TakeOver: In Your House.
#2 Best: LA Knight and Cameron Grimes put in a Million Dollar performance at NXT TakeOver: In Your House
The 'Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase was ringside to witness one hell of a Ladder Match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, as LA Knight defeated Cameron Grimes to become the Million Dollar Champion. In doing so, he is only the third man not named Ted DiBiase to hold the belt.
The story between Knight and Grimes was pretty entertaining, with the two of them fighting for the WWE Hall of Famer's endorsement over the past few weeks on NXT. The match was even better. Their Ladder Match was intense, with a lot of brutal spots.
LA Knight and Cameron Grimes were both fuelled by contrasting reactions from the fans at TakeOver In Your House, with the recent NXT arrival yielding significant heat. We saw innovative usage of the ladders, while Grimes brought the golden ladder on the stage to the ring.
NXT's resident "hillbilly" looked to go to the moon as he dived onto Knight from the scaffolding on the outside, but it was the heel who picked up the victory and the Million Dollar Championship. DiBiase presented LA Knight with the revived belt after he climbed the golden ladder to retrieve the glass case containing it.
The storyline doesn't look to be over until Cameron Grimes becomes the Million Dollar Champion. With the match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House proving to be a hit, expect more hilarious shenanigans from Grimes and Knight on Tuesday.
#2 Worst: While good, the action at NXT TakeOver In Your House was predictable
The action at NXT TakeOver: In Your House ranged from solid to exceptional, but there weren't any real surprises that took place in front of the fans at the Capitol Wrestling Center. Every match had a predictable winner, even if one or two of them may not have been the right choice.
This issue was exemplified in the two women's matches at TakeOver: In Your House. NXT's stacked division was showcased here, with both bouts delivering in the ring. However, nobody believed that Mercedes Martinez and Ember Moon had any chance against Xia Li and Raquel Gonzalez, respectively.
Some shenanigans surrounded both matches, though. Martinez was the victim of a post-match assault from the mysterious Tian Sha, which left her laying. Meanwhile, Shotzi Blackheart made her return to NXT during the Women's Championship match between Gonzalez and Moon.
There wasn't much jeopardy at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, even in the main event. It always seemed like Karrion Kross would retain his title, even if it wasn't set in stone. A title switch in the opening six-man tag team match could have livened up a predictable card, but it wasn't to be.
Still, we cannot complain too much as the action was still great. NXT did leave one surprise for after the main event was finished, which somewhat saved this show and gave it some intrigue.
#3 Best/Worst: Did William Regal just quit NXT at the end of TakeOver: In Your House?
There was a running theme backstage during NXT TakeOver: In Your House. Several fights took place, with security being required to break them up. Johnny Gargano and Kyle O'Reilly got into one upon arrival, while Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon had to be pulled apart from Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai.
Throw in another instance involving Karrion Kross and Pete Dunne, with William Regal losing his mind throughout the night. At the end of it, following all the chaos, he hinted at the end of his time as NXT General Manager while leaving the building. That is how TakeOver: In Your House went off the air.
Regal has been a steady presence over the past seven years, serving well as the general manager of the black and gold brand. He cited backstage madness as grounds for "a change."
This could mean he is quitting his position on NXT, with a replacement coming in. Somebody with as much authority and legitimacy as William Regal, or perhaps the Englishman could simply introduce an enforcer to maintain order at the Capitol Wrestling Center.
If Regal does leave, it would be a crying shame. He is among the greatest authority figures in wrestling history, not once abusing his power or taking away from the show. Hopefully, he remains in the job with some help from a new figure. Somebody who has been a part of NXT before.
What if Samoa Joe was brought in to become the new general manager of the black and gold brand? Maybe even as William Regal's new enforcer?
The end of NXT TakeOver: In Your House may have planted a few seeds for Joe's return two months after he was released from WWE.
What did you think of NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2021? How would you like to see Samoa Joe return to NXT, should he do so? Let us know by sounding off in the comments below.
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