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NXT TakeOver: WarGames was expected to deliver, and it did exactly that. Right from the beginning with the women's WarGames match to the main event WarGames match between The Undisputed Era and The Kings of NXT, fans were in for a treat with some amazing action.
At the same time, NXT TakeOver: WarGames was not a flawless show and there were certain aspects that could surely have been improved. We saw a new champion being crowned, a Strap match, and a technical masterpiece between Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher.
Unfortunately, with such high-risk action, there is always a risk of someone getting injured, and the same seems to be the case tonight. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda for more updates on the possible injuries at the pay-per-view.
For now, let's take a look at the best and worst of NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2020. Be sure to let us know your thoughts and opinions of the show in the comments section below.
#1 Best - Raquel Gonzalez gets the big victory at NXT TakeOver: WarGames
NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2020 kicked off with the women's WarGames match as Team Shotzi (Shotzi Blackheart, Rhea Ripley, Ember Moon, and Io Shirai) took on Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Toni Storm, and Raquel Gonzalez). In what was an intense match, the most memorable moment was Io Shirai's leap from the top of the cage with a trash can.
The Black and Gold brand has created some huge Superstars over the years and at NXT TakeOver: WarGames tonight the same was done with Raquel Gonzalez, who pinned Io Shirai to win the match for her team. This happened after she put Shirai through an elevated ladder in the middle of the two rings.
Undoubtedly, that was the biggest win of the career of Raquel Gonzalez, who has impressed throughout this year with her performance. From the looks of it, she might have just become the new No. 1 contender for the NXT Women's Championship.
It will be interesting to see how this affects her alliance with Dakota Kai and whether she can be the one to dethrone Io Shirai as the new NXT Women's Champion. The future looks bright for Raquel Gonzalez.
#2 Worst - Leon Ruff loses his title at NXT TakeOver: WarGames
Leon Ruff winning the NXT North American Championship last month was one of the most surprising decisions by the Black and Gold brand of WWE. At NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Ruff took on Johnny Gargano and Damian Priest in a triple threat match.
While the match was amazing with some thrilling action, the ending of the match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames saw Gargano pin Leon Ruff to end his title reign and win the North American Championship for a record third time. Of course, he was assisted by a group of 'ghost faces', the leader of whom was revealed to be Austin Theory.
Johnny Gargano has achieved everything possible on NXT and he doesn't really need yet another title reign. On the other hand, Leon Ruff getting a win tonight would have solidified his babyface run. The fact that he took the pin instead of Priest adds to the problem. It is to be seen whether Ruff or Priest or both continue their feud with Gargano after NXT TakeOver: WarGames or not.
Leon Ruff winning the NXT North American Championship was an amazing feel-good story but the brand could have kept the title on him a little longer.
#3 Best - The main event delivers at NXT TakeOver: WarGames
Both the WarGames matches at NXT TakeOver: WarGames tonight were incredible. While there were some fans who wanted the women's match to have main-evented the pay-per-view, no one can take away anything from the match that we got as The Undisputed Era took on The Kings of NXT.
In a match that seemed to just not end with countless near-falls, it was Kyle O'Reilly who finally picked up the victory for his team by pinning one-half of the NXT Tag Team Champions, Oney Lorcan. It could be argued that the match could've ended a little earlier but all eight men involved put their bodies on the line to put on a thrilling match.
A special mention to Pat McAfee who gave an incredible performance in what was just his second NXT match ever. The Swanton Bomb off the top of the cage was a thing of beauty and he just seems to be a natural at pro wrestling. So good was the heel work of McAfee that fans really wanted to see Adam Cole and The Undisputed Era beat him up.
With The Undisputed Era wearing a red attire at NXT TakeOver: WarGames, there were discussions whether this could be a foreshadowing of the faction moving to Monday Night RAW soon.
#4 Best/Worst - No Major Surprises at NXT TakeOver: WarGames
NXT TakeOver: WarGames had a lot of pressure to deliver after what was a 'game-changing' show of AEW last week that saw some massive surprises. The arrival of Sting and the teased cross-promotional storyline between AEW and IMPACT Wrestling had everyone talking about it.
NXT TakeOver: WarGames had its fair share of surprises as well. We saw Shotzi Blackheart reveal her new and improved tank at the beginning of the show. Later, Austin Theory was revealed as the 'ghost face' who helped Johnny Gargano win the NXT North American Championship. The biggest one of the night was the return teaser of former NXT Champion Karrion Kross, who has been out of action since suffering a shoulder injury at TakeOver: XXX and now looks set to be returning to the Black and Gold brand soon.
But none of these surprises were even close to being compared to the ones we saw on AEW last week. The expectations were really high and that's probably the reason why some fans were left a little disappointed to not see a major twist at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. Nonetheless, the show was really amazing. It was just really tough for them to one-up AEW after that incredible 'Winter is Coming' show.
#5 Best/Worst - The match card for NXT TakeOver: WarGames
NXT TakeOver: WarGames continued the trend of the Black and Gold brand of WWE putting up some incredible matches. All the matches on the card delivered in their own sense with some intense action and wrestling. Both the WarGames matches were a treat to watch but the others were impressive as well. Special mention to Tommaso Ciampa who proved yet again just how good he is during his match against Timothy Thatcher.
Yet, the match card of NXT TakeOver: WarGames could have certainly been much better. The fact that there was just one championship match on the show is what puts it in the 'Best/Worst' category. Neither the NXT Championship nor the NXT Women's Championship was on the line in what was surely one of the biggest shows for the brand this year.
NXT, however, did a great job in establishing some upcoming storylines. NXT Champion Finn Balor made his presence felt, letting everyone know that all eyes will be back on him once NXT TakeOver: WarGames is done and dusted. Will we see Karrion Kross return this week and go straight after The Prince of NXT? We shall find out on the fallout episode of NXT this week.
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