'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
NXT TakeOver 31 was another amazing effort from the Black and Gold brand that delivered the best major event of this Pandemic Era in WWE. The newly christened Capitol Wrestling Center created a beautiful, gritty atmosphere for this show that made it stand out from Full Sail University. The mix of real and virtual fans along with crowd sweetening gave us a sense of old that has been taken away over this year.
The NXT roster delivered good to great matches from top to bottom on this card. NXT TakeOver 31 had many performers stand out on this big stage and even some returns that will shift where the brand goes next. It was such a highly memorable TakeOver event on this night.
There were no bad contests on this five-match card, with every encounter delivering something different and entertaining. In this article, we will be ranking every match from NXT TakeOver 31.
NXT TakeOver 31: KUSHIDA vs. Velveteen Dream
The second contest on NXT TakeOver 31 was KUSHIDA facing Velveteen Dream. KUSHIDA having his first appearance on a TakeOver event, was well overdue here. He more than made a statement in this showcase match for him, which showed off his new aggressive attitude. His focus on the arm of his opponent created an intriguing in-match story.
Velveteen Dream has had a rough year especially considering his off-screen incidents, but he has also not delivered on screen with less than stellar performances throughout 2020. Despite feuding with Undisputed Era and being positioned at the top of the card, Dream hasn't been able to have a standout match or get back to his previous standard prior to his injury last year. Here at NXT TakeOver 31, we saw glimpses of the Velveteen Dream of old.
Although the match was most engaging when KUSHIDA was in control, Velveteen Dream made for a very suitable foil to his opponent. The selling of his arm put over KUSHIDA's vicious attack on his arm. The aftermath of this NXT TakeOver 31 encounter may foreshadow Dream taking some time off, but he can hang his hat on an entertaining contest coming out of this event.
NXT TakeOver 31: Damien Priest vs. Johnny Gargano for the NXT North American Championship
There was little build heading into the NXT North American Championship match at NXT TakeOver 31. Damian Priest just won this title back at the last event, TakeOver 30, in a five-man Ladder match also featuring Johnny Gargano. Gargano more or less got this opportunity based on his reputation as one of the greatest performers on the TakeOver stage. This match here once again proved why he always delivers on these events.
Gargano and Priest showed off excellent chemistry with one another in this NXT TakeOver 31 opener. Although the babyface and heel alignment may have been off at first glance, they made this work very well. With Johnny playing a sneaky yet smart heel to Priest's badass babyface persona, this encounter was compelling throughout and delivered a hot opener elevated by the vocal Capitol Wrestling Center crowd.
This featured strong performances from both men, with Priest countering One Final Beat into the Reckoning to gain the victory. Gargano added another terrific contest to his legendary TakeOver resume, while Priest established himself as North American Champion with a standout win over a former NXT Champion here at NXT TakeOver 31.
NXT TakeOver 31: Io Shirai vs. Candice LaRae for the NXT Women's Championship
Io Shirai and Candice LaRae had arguably the best women's match in all of North America in 2019 back at TakeOver: Toronto. That was an amazing effort from the two ladies that gave Shirai a victory that propelled up the card and made her on the cusp of the NXT Women's Championship. Although Shirai has had solid to very good matches during her current reign as Women's Champion, this encounter against LaRae at NXT TakeOver 31 had to be her best title defense yet.
These two ladies' chemistry was well established from their previous contest, but the different dynamic added a bit to this one. Candice played an effective heel with hard-hitting offense, while Shirai was exhilarating on offense with her speed and high flying ability on NXT TakeOver 31. The selling skills of both women made for an engaging NXT Women's Championship match that honestly didn't need all the shenanigans that occurred.
Shirai and LaRae were on the verge of going to an even higher gear when the referee went down. This did result in Johnny Gargano getting involved with a referee shirt trying to secure his wife the victory, but the match would have probably been better off without all of this. Despite that, the two ladies delivered on high expectations here at NXT TakeOver 31.
NXT TakeOver 31: Santos Escobar vs. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship
The NXT Cruiserweight Championship was defended for the first time on TakeOver here at NXT TakeOver 31. Both Santos Escobar and Isaiah "Swerve" Scott would have to deliver a strong encounter to guarantee that this title gets more opportunities on this major show. These two men more than gave us a memorable match.
Swerve and Escobar have had solid encounters on WWE NXT television, but they saved their very best for this Cruiserweight Title match at NXT TakeOver 31. Swerve, in particular, had a standout performance showing off his wide variety of abilities in the ring. However, the champion was highlighted as a compelling heel and leader of the Legado Del Fantasma stable.
We saw the members of that faction get involved as well as Ashante Adonis to help even the odds for Scott late in this contest, but this didn't take away, instead adding to what was an entertaining affair.
Escobar took advantage of the exposed buckle to get the victory with a unique double underhook facecrusher onto his knee to successfully defend the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. This was a high octane match that gave this event a jolt of energy heading into the final two title matches of the night.
NXT TakeOver 31: Finn Balor vs. Kyle O'Reilly for the NXT Championship
The NXT Championship main event between Finn Balor and Kyle O'Reilly was an absolute war. Both men came out highly motivated and delivered on lofty expectations heading into NXT TakeOver 31 to produce a fantastic closing match. This was what every NXT Championship match should give you.
The two men started this NXT TakeOver 31 encounter off tentative to establish control. We witnessed excellent technical wrestling from both men as well as focused in-ring psychology. Kyle O'Reilly looked to attack the leg of the champion with variations of the dragon screw wearing him down. He also used several different holds looking to get the submission win.
Balor used his hard-hitting ability to strike O'Reilly with all his might. His mid kick to the gut winded Kyle and focused his attack on the rib cage of this match. A strike to the mouth led to Kyle bleeding from the bottom lip, which gave us a tremendous visual when Balor locked him in the sharpshooter. O'Reilly gave Balor a receipt late into this NXT TakeOver 31 battle with a knee that broke the jaw of the champion, forcing him to the hospital immediately following this brutal NXT Championship encounter.
In the end, Balor hit a series of standing foot stomps followed by the Coup De Grace from the top for the win. The abrupt finish withstanding, this delivered one of the best WWE matches of the entire year. This felt like a long, old school world title war that was bloody, hard-hitting and truly compelling from bell to bell. Balor vs. O'Reilly was the best NXT match of 2020 and gave us a fitting end to NXT TakeOver 31 in every way possible.
