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Last night's NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day saw the black and gold brand's stars come together to deliver a stellar series of matches.
The winners of both the men's and inaugural women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournaments were crowned. Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai defeated Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart to earn a shot at the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships. Later in the show, NXT newcomers MSK beat Grizzled Young Veterans for an NXT Tag Team Championship shot.
On the same night, Io Shirai retained her NXT Women's Championship over her rivals Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez. Johnny Gargano also defeated Kushida to continue his reign as NXT North American Champion.
In the main event, Finn Balor successfully defended the NXT Championship against Pete Dunne. After the match, fans were stunned when Adam Cole attacked both Balor and Undisputed Era stablemate, Kyle O'Reilly.
Here are the top performers from NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day.
#5 NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai
After the three women had antagonized one another over the past few weeks on NXT, Io Shirai came face to face with her rivals Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez in a Triple Threat match. They hit hard in a fast-paced match, but the NXT Women's Champion slightly outshone her rivals.
In the match, Io Shirai put her body on the line to keep the NXT Women's Championship. In one standout spot, the star scaled a lighting rig and dove onto both Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez.
In the end, Io Shirai retained the NXT Women's Championship with a moonsault to Mercedes Martinez from nowhere before securing the pin. The match's finish may set up a further one-on-one feud between Shirai and Toni Storm, which would be great to see.
#4 NXT Dusty Classic winner Raquel Gonzalez
Raquel Gonzalez made NXT history last night. Along with tag team partner Dakota Kai, they became the first-ever team to win the women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai took on Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart in the tournament's final, which opened up the show.
The women faced off in a chaotic showdown. At the start, Blackheart and Moon dominated Dakota Kai, but the tables appeared to turn after Gonzalez managed to tag in.
Towards the end of the match, Gonzalez tossed Ember Moon out of the ring, and Kai helped her target Shotzi Blackheart.
The end of the match came when Raquel Gonzalez hit Shotzi Blackheart with a one-arm powerbomb. She then pinned her for the three-count with Dakota Kai also on top.
All four women did great things in the first-ever women's Dusty Classic tournament finale. However, Raquel Gonzalez was the standout star amongst the others, and should be a potential future champion in NXT and beyond.
#3 NXT Champion Finn Balor
Current NXT Champion Finn Balor has enjoyed a strong reign. He has previously defended the title against Kyle O'Reilly, with who he later aligned.
Over the past few weeks, former NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne has challenged Balor for the championship. In doing so, current NXT Tag Team Champions Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch have backed him up.
On the night of NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day, the NXT Championship match was the main event. Pete Dunne repeatedly applied his signature joint manipulation to Balor and almost got the three-count on the champion multiple times.
After an intense back and forth, Balor finally managed to overcome his challenger. He reversed Dunne's Bitter End into the 1916, followed by the Coup de Grace and another 1916 before pinning the Brit for the victory.
Following the match, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch joined Pete Dunne for a post-match beatdown of the NXT Champion until the Undisputed Era came to his aid.
For a brief moment, it appeared as though Finn Balor was about to join the Undisputed Era. However, Adam Cole then delivered a shock superkick to both Balor and his ally, Kyle O'Reilly, to end the show.
#2 NXT Superstar Kushida
For a few weeks on NXT, Kushida has had his sights set on Johnny Gargano and the NXT North American Championship. The popular star had been battling with Johnny Gargano and The Way during the build-up to the title match at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day.
At the pay-per-view, Kushida pulled out all the stops against his rival. The star dominated most of the match. He spent much of it targeting Gargano's left arm, often applying his Hoverboard Lock submission hold.
Despite spending most of the bout overpowering his rival, Gargano eventually retained the NXT North American Championship.
Despite not being successful on the night, Kushida was one of the whole night's standout performers. It was great to see him go against Gargano without shenanigans from The Way or any interference from the heel faction.
At NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day, Kushida showed that he could become one of the top competitors on NXT in 2021. It would be great to see his rivalry with Johnny Gargano continue.
#1 NXT Dusty Classic winners MSK
MSK only came to NXT in late 2020 and made their debut on TV a month ago. The pair entered the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament as mystery competitors.
The pair put on stellar performances throughout the tournament. They defeated big NXT talents, including Legado del Fantasma and Drake Maverick and Killian Dain, on their way to the finals.
In the final at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day, both MSK and the Grizzled Young Veterans put up a good fight. In the end, it was Wes Lee and Nash Carter who shone and managed to overcome their rivals to win the Dusty Classic. With it, they also won a shot at the NXT Tag Team Championships.
The future appears to be bright for MSK in NXT. Winning the Dusty Classic mere weeks after their debut on the brand is a huge achievement. The duo have stood out for their in-ring chemistry and unique skills both throughout the tournament and at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day.
