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With the conclusion of NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2021, it's once again clear that the black and yellow brand produces some of the best overall product in WWE. Even with this particular NXT not being the brand's strongest TakeOver of all time, the show was still enjoyable from the opening bell to the final one.
Between its well constructed matches and even better shaped storylines, WWE's third brand is still king to many of its fans. NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2021 offered us a quality card with a star-studded main event that could rival nearly any NXT TakeOver special event in recent memory.
With that said, it's time to rank every bout on the 5 match card.
#5 NXT's Xia Li makes quick work of Mercedes Martinez
Although this match is ranked last on this list, this does not insinuate that this was a bad match by any stretch of the imagination. Although it was the shortest match on the card at just under 8 minutes, the bout served it's purpose as a showcase for Xia Li, who was facing her most challenging competition to date in the veteran Mercedes Martinez. While also introducing a new chapter in the Tian Sha storyline in NXT.
The match was built around the story of Li exacting revenge on Martinez for handing her a loss over four years ago during the opening rounds of the first Mae Young classic tournament. Li's goal was to try and rid herself of the shame of the "embarrassing loss" and that this new and more dangerous Xia Li would set the record straight.
The match began with Li inflicting a firm offensive assault on Martinez, specifically attacking her ribs and midsection that had been targeted in recent attacks by Li on NXT. The match turned slightly in Martinez's favor when Li missed a big kick on the outside.
Li kicked the ring post instead of Martienz; thus injuring her right leg and neutralizing one of the most dangerous features of Li's arsenal. However this was short lived, as a Cyclone Kick by Li out of nowhere would seal Martinez's fate, with Li getting a pin-fall victory.
The most interesting part of the segment took place after the final bell had rung. Xia Li instructed fellow Tian Sha member Boa to get her a steel chair, to continue her assault on Martinez. Martinez managed to fight off both Li and Boa, but would eventually find herself staring face to face with Mei Ying, the mysterious leader of the group, who would eventually toss Martienz off the entrance ramp.
What this match ultimately means for Tian Sha and their future in NXT isn't quite clear yet. What is clear, however, is that Xia Li's stock is only rising and it wouldn't be surprising if we saw her in a NXT Women's Championship match sometime in the not so distant future.
#4 NXT Champions MSK and Bronson Reed survive 'Winners Take All' Match
NXT always likes to start off its TakeOver specials with a fast paced, high-octane explosive match, and this match fit the bill. With Bronson Reed's NXT North American title and MSK's NXT Tag Team titles on the line against Legado Del Fantasma. If any member of the NXT champions' team was pinned or submitted, Legado Del Fantasma would automatically become the new champs.
The match began with neither team taking control right away, but soon MSK and Reed began settling into a groove. Santos Escobar sought to avoid a direct confrontation with Reed right away, as the former NXT Cruiserweight Champion, kept tagging partners Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde to escape the wrath of the powerfull NXT North American Champion.
The match would reach its zenith when Reed hit a massive suicide dive outside the ring onto all the other competitors, prompting announcer Beth Phenoix to scream "It's Raining Men!", which might be the greatest call in NXT TakeOver history.
After the high spot, Legado Del Fantasma took control for a significant amount of time by cutting the ring in half and isolating MSK member Wes Lee, keeping the force of nature Reed out of the match for as long as possible. However, their plan would eventually go up in smoke, as Reed took out Escobar on the outside by bulldozing the leader of Legado Del Fantasma through the barricade after he seemingly tried to escape the match with the NXT North American title itself.
Shortly after, MSK and Reed would stand tall after the trio picked apart the rest of Legado Del Fantasma, with the NXT North American Champion hitting the 'Tsunami' finisher off the top rope. While this was not the greatest 6-man Tag Team match we've ever seen on a NXT TakeOver special, it was an entertaining match for sure.
While the stipulation of 'Winner Take All' was done to keep fans on the edge of their seats, the outcome was fairly predictable and most fans were pretty secure in knowing that the reigning NXT North American and Tag Team Champions would leave the match with their titles firmly in hand.
#3 NXT Women's Champion Raquel González defeats veteran Ember Moon
In only her second title defense, NXT Women's Champion Raquel González took on NXT fan favorite, and extremely hungry, Ember Moon in a highly competitive and chaotic match.
The match had several solid story elements going into it. On one hand, you have The NXT Women's Champion González, and her need to continue the incredible roll she has been on for the last 12 months. With NXT constantly pushing the narrative that she is the brand’s "Most Improved Wrestler" of the last year, the pressure was on González to prove that she can defend her title successfully on an NXT TakeOver special.
On the other hand, you have Ember Moon who since returning to NXT has seemingly been trying to find her way back to the main event picture of the black and yellow brand's women's division. While she has had recent success, winning the NXT Tag Team Championships back in March, she has made it clear that her goal was to climb back up to the top of the mountain and be a significant force in the division once again.
The match would prove to be a hard-hitting affair, as both women refused to back down from one another. The powerhouse moveset & fast-pace style of the NXT champ González against the experience and caution-to-the-wind style of Ember Moon gave us a quality match, making fans think Moon could capture the gold once again.
Alas, the involvement of Dakota Kai would prove to be a key difference maker in the match, as she would interfere multiple times in the bout, including pulling the NXT Womens Champion's foot on the bottom rope just in-time to stop the ref's three-count after a devastating Eclipse by Moon. Even the return of Shotzi Blackheart wouldn't be enough to even the odds, as the damage was already done.
As Kai and Blackheart battled up the ramp, Moon would attempt another Eclipse from the top rope, but González had too much time to regroup and was able to stop Moon midsequence and hit her deciding slam to win the match.
Overall, the match was exactly what fans hoped it would be, and what NXT needed it to be. Under normal circumstances, this would be the second-best match on this card. However, it was one-upped by a Million Dollar Legacy
#2 NXT's Grimes and LA Knight are MONEY
NXT over-delivered on a spectacular ladder match at TakeOver: In Your House. The build-up to this match had no business being this good, and the match itself certainly did not have to be this entertaining, but here we are.
NXT has always known that they have something with Cameron Grimes, but they could never quite figure it out until they landed on his "To The Moooooon" gimmick. The Doge Coin/Gamestop Stock "millionaire" has become one of NXT's best characters, with fans moving from indifference to pure unadulturated love for Grimes in less than a year.
Meanwhile, fans have also been waiting to see what NXT's true purpose for LA Knight, FKA Eli Drake. Since making his debut on the NXT roster, he seemed to be a bit directionless, however after NXT TakeOver: In Your House, the roles and route of these two characters is clear as day, and fans should be excited about it.
The build-up to this match has been fun to say the least, highlighted by an intense video package that NXT did NOT have to go that hard for. On the WWE main roster, the re-introduction of a gimmick championship like The Million Dollar title would probably be built on complete comedy and treated as somewhat of a joke.
In NXT? The title has been treated with serious respect, with both Grimes and Knight putting on an absolute barn-burner of a ladder match to compete for the title.
LA Knight completely embraced the very best of his heel traits, as Grimes had arguably the loudest positive reaction from the packed Capital Wrestling Center he has ever received during his time in NXT. Fans were engaged from bell to bell, even during some of the match's slower spots.
Both Grimes and Knight fought valiantly, being super creative with their use of ladders, outside weapons, engagement with Ted Dibiase who was sitting ringside, and even the structures around them.
In the end, with Grimes seemingly all alone in the ring, fans cheered as victory seemed inevitable. However, Knight would slither his way back into the ring, pushing off Grimes into a set-up ladder on the outside, helping ensure that he would leave the CWC with the Million Dollar title.
The title now has real value, being won in a hard-fought match, and now Grimes has something to work towards, instead of hitting the ceiling right away. LA Knight will be an excellent antagonist for Grimes in the weeks and months ahead, with the eventual rematch between the two having even more hype than their first encounter.
Overall, NXT proves that every title in NXT matters.
#1 NXT Champion Karrion Kross retains against a stacked field
In what many are calling the most starstudded main event in NXT history, NXT Champion Karrion Kross walked into NXT TakeOver: In Your House, set to defend his title against four very game opponents in: Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly and Pete Dunne in an epic five-way title match.
The storytelling leading up to this main event was supurb, with every man who entered the contest coming into it with different things to prove.
Johnny Gargano, for example, wanted to prove without a shadow of a doubt that he is NXT's Shawn Michaels. Beyond just his Heartbreak Kid inspired ring gear, Gargano wanted to show that NXT TakeOvers are his domain, and that he could he could come up big amongst the best that NXT had to offer. Adam Cole (bay bay) was hell bent on adding onto his impressive NXT resume, hoping to be only the fifth man in NXT history to hold the championship twice.
Pete Dunne went into the match hoping to show that his dominant two-year reign as NXT UK Champion was not just a fluke, and that the Brusierweight is more than just the baddest man in NXT. Then there's Kyle O'Reilly, whose desire is to prove that he is a real main event star, and not in the shadow of his former brother in arms, Adam Cole. Finally, we have the champion himself, Karrion Kross.
While Kross is booked as one of the single most powerful forces in NXT history, he needed to prove that he was more than smoke, mirrors, and special light shows. Up to this point, the hype around Kross was (and still is) very real, but due to injury, Kross never had a real chance to defend his NXT Championship. Tonight was his opportunity to prove that the hierarchy in NXT is not up for grabs, and instead sat firmly in the hands of Kross himself.
The match itself was fantastic. Everyone played their role beautifully, and at the end of the day, everyone came away looking like credible suiters for the NXT Championship.
Kross looks like the beast, Pete Dunne and Johnny Garagano are workhorses to the stars, Cole was top-notch and in TakeOver mode, and O'Reilly went from the lowest man on the totem pole, to being the closest one to taking the title off of Kross. The match ended with Kross choking out the former Undisputed Era member as he refused to unlock a submission lock on his former leader.
At the end of the day, the NXT Championship scene is stronger than it's ever been, all four other competitors looked like a million bucks, and Kross proved he is more than just hype; he's an absolute killer.
