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Tonight, we saw yet another memorable WWE NXT TakeOver 31 pay-per-view unfold during which the Superstars of the Black and Gold brand were at their usual best. A total of four titles including NXT Championship, NXT Women's Championship, NXT North American Championship, and NXT Cruiserweight Championship were on the line.
Although none of those titles changed hands, WWE NXT delivered a solid show overall. Between the end of long-term feuds and the beginning of a few new ones, we saw a lot of interesting things that will dictate the storylines moving forward.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the best and worst parts of the WWE NXT PPV tonight. So, without further ado, let's begin.
#1 Best of WWE NXT TakeOver 31: The Main Event
The main event of TakeOver 31 witnessed Finn Balor put his WWE NXT Championship on the line against Kyle O'Reilly. Their in-ring encounter tonight surpassed every expectation as both Superstars engaged in one of the best main events that we have seen in a while. Everything between the hard-hitting moves and the storytelling was simply brilliant throughout this match.
Both Balor and Kyle O'Reilly took turns in taking control of the match. Special props to the champion for going above and beyond to make O'Reilly look all the more promising inside the ring. They both dug deep down to bring their most brutal moves to establish their dominance. By the end of the match, both Balor and O'Reilly's mouths were bleeding.
O'Reilly looked slightly nervous in the beginning, and it was understandable considering this was the first time when he main-evented a TakeOver in a Singles action. Everyone from The Undisputed Era looked really supportive of him, and even Finn Balor made sure to put over the former tag team champion of the brand. In fact, he even shook hands with O'Reilly to show his respect once their match ended and it was a great moment.
But that was not all. We also saw the arrival of Ridge Holland, who came with a brutalized Adam Cole hanging over his shoulder. He went on to dump the leader of UE over the barricade and disappeared before others could make their way to the ring. It is now clear that WWE NXT will now build upon this feud, but it was all the more interesting to see Balor and UE almost on the same page for once.
#2 Best of WWE NXT TakeOver 31: The return of a former Champion
After Io Shirai successfully retained her WWE NXT Women’s Championship against Candice LeRae, she found that there were a few surprises lined up for her on the Black and gold brand. While LeRae is expected to challenge the Champion for the title once again, there are new names in the mix, and they look keen to compete for the gold.
Firstly, we saw Toni Storm make an appearance via a video in which she made it clear that she is going to come after Shirai’s title soon. But she was not the only WWE NXT Superstar whose surprise appearance had the fans buzzing. It was, in fact, the return of Ember Moon that sent the fans into a complete frenzy as the popular star made a special entrance during the show.
It was reported that Ember Moon might be forced to seek retirement from in-ring action after sustaining serious injuries. However, the Superstar fought against fate and made a much-anticipated return to WWE NXT. Io Shirai looked pleased to Ember Moon, an emotion that resonated with all the spectators of the show tonight.
#3 Best of WWE NXT TakeOver 31: The Rise of Kushida
WWE NXT Superstar Kushida had a rough start to his run on the Black and Gold brand after he sustained an injury that almost immediately after making his debut in the promotion. As a result, he was out of action for a while and finally returned to find himself involved in a feud with Velveteen Dream who had viciously attacked Kushida a few weeks ago.
Dream turned heel with that move and wouldn’t let go of any chance to torment Kushida. So much so, that Kushida was given a chance to end this feud once and for all at WWE NXT TakeOver 31. It would be an understatement to say that he made the full use of his opportunity and finally established himself as a strong contender on the brand.
It is no secret that this match would essentially push Kushida into the WWE NXT Cruiserweight Championship picture. After picking a huge victory over Velveteen Dream via submission, Kushida indeed established himself as one of the names that should dominate the cruiserweight division in the coming weeks. It will be interesting to see what the creative have in store for this WWE NXT Superstar following tonight’s PPV.
#4 Best of WWE NXT TakeOver 31: The continued build-up for the 'prophecy'
In the weeks leading up to WWE NXT TakeOver 31, Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae made it clear that they want to rule the Black and Gold brand as a power couple. Both Superstars shared a prophecy that they would win their respective title matches and become the new champions together. Even though that's not how things went for Gargano and LeRae, it appeared that they are inching closer towards turning that prediction into a reality.
Johnny Gargano challenged Damian Priest for the WWE NXT North American Championship, and both Superstars locked horns in a brutal encounter. Mr. Johnny TakeOver also used a low blow to turn things into his favor, but Priest managed to fight his way through the pain. The Champion ultimately prevailed and put an end to Gargano's title hopes for the night.
Similarly, Candice LeRae challenged Io Shirai for the WWE NXT Women's Championship. One particular spot in that match saw the match official accidentally getting hurt which prompted Gargano to walk out as the new referee as he tried to help Candice on winning the match. But those plans didn't pan out well and, in the end, Shirai successfully retained her title.
Ever since Gargano and LeRae turned heel in WWE NXT, it's been evident that the couple will eventually get hold of titles in their respective divisions. But they want to be the champions together and believe that they are meant to dictate the terms on the brand as the ultimate power couple. Tonight, their respective matches showed us how desperate both these WWE NXT Superstars are to fulfill their prophecy, and it will be interesting to see where this particular angle takes them in the coming months.
#5 Worst in WWE NXT TakeOver 31: No Tag Team Championship match
Honestly, I didn’t stumble across any part of the show that made me want to classify the segment under ‘worst’. The pay-per-view was short, action-packed from start to end, and didn’t have any filler spots. But if I had to pick one shortcoming of this PPV, it would be the fact that WWE NXT Tag Team Championships were not on the line.
Ever since Tyler Breeze and Fandango defeated Imperium for the tag team titles, the duo has been great on the Black and Gold brand. Even though they are not that intense when not competing inside the ring, one can’t deny that Breezango is exceptionally entertaining and are like a breath of fresh air in the current tag team division of WWE NXT.
That said, it is understandable why the WWE NXT Tag Team Title match was not on the card tonight. The current champions are yet to find themselves in a compelling title feud, and it will certainly come their way in the next few weeks. Needless to say, we hope that Breezango gets to compete in at least one good match at TakeOver before they eventually drop their titles.
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