NXT TakeOver 36 - Ranking the buildup to every match

#2 Adam Cole vs. Kyle O'Reilly in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Undisputed Finale Match (NXT TakeOver 36)

ADAM COLE TURNS ON KYLE O’REILLYUndisputed no more?(via @WWENXT)pic.twitter.com/FoOrRkEcjx

— B/R Wrestling (@BRWrestling) February 15, 2021

The final showdown between former Undisputed Era members Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly goes down at NXT TakeOver 36 in a two-out-of-three falls match. This bout is being billed as "The Undisputed Finale" because it marks the end of an era. Back at TakeOver: Vengeance Day, Cole betrayed O'Reilly with a shocking superkick to end their dominant stable that reigned over the black-and-gold brand for four years.

This surprising turn led to a brutal Unsanctioned Match at TakeOver: Stand and Deliver during WrestleMania 37 week. The 4- minute clash saw O'Reilly defeat Cole with a flying knee drop with a chain wrapped around his knee. The feud was far from over, though. Cole returned to NXT in June and immediately attacked his former friend.

"I'm a once-in-a-lifetime Superstar." - @AdamColePro #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/r8cuJDwyAA

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) August 18, 2021

The two men were involved in the Fatal Five-Way main event for the NXT Championship, but their animosity led to them both losing. Things escalated further when Cole defeated O'Reilly in a straight-up wrestling match at the Great American Bash to even their series. This outcome opened up a new side to O'Reilly, who brutally assaulted Cole in order to set up a final battle at NXT TakeOver 36.

General Manager William Regal made the rematch a two-out-of-three falls contest with a different stipulation for every fall at NXT TakeOver 36. O'Reilly wanted another straight-up wrestling match to get revenge for the last meeting, while Cole wanted a street fight to beat down his rival. Regal made the final fall, if necessary, a steel cage match.

This will be the culmination of a rivalry that started in February, and it will come to a head here. The booking of the matches felt off, as the Unsanctioned Match felt like a blowoff. But these two stars have gotten the fans to care about this rivalry again.

NXT TakeOver 36 could go down as Adam Cole's final show as a WWE wrestler. If it is, his looming exit only adds to the conclusive feeling surrounding this big-time encounter.