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NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day was a fantastic show and could very well be the contender for the best pay-per-view of the year when 2021 comes to an end. NXT's creative team wisely kept things straightforward right until the end, where a massive show-closing segment stunned the fans and has created a buzz among the WWE Universe.
The show began with Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez taking on Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart in the finals of the Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Next, Johnny Gargano defended his NXT North American Championship against Kushida.
Apart from that, MSK took on Grizzled Young Veterans in the finals of the Men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament. NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai put her title on the line against Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez in a triple threat match.
In the highly-anticipated main event of the night, Finn Balor defended his NXT title against the former NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne. That said, here in this slideshow, we'll be ranking all the matches on the card in ascending order of their quality. Do share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
#5 Io Shirai retains her NXT Women's Championship against Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez
Io Shirai retained her NXT Women's Championship against Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez in a good match that couldn't match the quality of other bouts on the card. While the Superstars deserve credit for putting in the hard work and coming up with a couple of memorable spots like the double submission maneuver and Shirai's double splash on the outside, the ending was mighty underwhelming.
Though the suddenness of the ending might have been the point of it, the execution was a bit clunky. It didn't look like Shirai connected the Moosault correctly, and even the cameras failed to catch it properly. As praiseworthy as their efforts were, the match was relatively the weakest on the NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day card, which was filled with incredible bouts.
A one-on-one bout between Shirai and either of the two challengers could have been the better option and led to a more coherent and less disjointed title match. As for what we got today, it wouldn't be remembered even by the hardcore fans of these Superstars and of WWE's Black and Gold brand.
#4 Johnny Gargano retains his NXT North American Championship against Kushida
In the second match of the night, NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano defended his championship against Kushida. It was an important match for the challenger as the fans were desperate to see him finally win the title after languishing in the mid-card during his first two years with the company.
As it turned out, Kushida failed to win the title, though the match was expectedly great. Gargano is a proven big-match player and he certainly elevated this bout with his presence. While a lot of fans were a little skeptical heading into the match due to the mostly comedic build it received on NXT television, the Superstars went all out and had a terrific bout with no outside shenanigans.
In recent weeks, Gargano has heavily relied on Austin Theory to win his matches, but it was great to see the latter not get involved here. As for Kushida, he has proven time and again how gifted an in-ring worker he is, though it's frustrating to see him falling short in matches that matter the most.
#3 MSK win the Men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day
In an outstanding tag team match, MSK defeated Grizzled Young Veterans at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day to win the Men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament. The wild tag match that saw MSK use its jaw-dropping aerial offense in perfect contrast to Grizzled Young Veteran's more mat-based offense. The final few minutes were frenzied, where it felt like either of the teams could have walked out victorious.
Though it can be argued that the two teams went a bit overboard with the kick-outs in the final moments, it was nevertheless effective and kept the fans on the edge of their seats. As good as MSK is, they are relatively inexperienced, and Grizzled Young Veterans did a fantastic job of holding the match together.
While many predicted the former NXT UK Tag Team Champions to win the match, considering they were the finalists in last year's tournament as well, MSK winning doesn't come as a surprise.
The newly signed team on NXT have instantly struck a chord with the fans, and the NXT creative has wisely capitalized on their momentum by handing them the win here.
#2 Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez defeated Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day
In what was the best match of the tournament, and arguably the best women's tag team match in NXT history, Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez defeated Shotzi Blackheart to win the Women's Dusty Rhodes Classic tournament.
It was the right decision to let these women open the show, and the match could have been the best of the night if not for the main event.
Unlike the trope followed in typical tag matches, where the heels dominate the middle portions of the bout, it was the babyfaces here that isolated Kai for a large duration. During the final stages of the contest, when Moon locked Gonzalez in a submission, Kai made the save for her team.
Despite Moon and Blackheart putting forth tremendous performances, Gonzalez was the star performer in the match. While many expected Gonzalez to enter the NXT Women's Championship picture, her presence provides legitimacy to this relatively newer division.
Kai and Gonzalez will now be getting a shot at the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships, held by Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax. Though a match between two heel teams doesn't sound very exciting, Baszler has already taken to Twitter to tease an interaction with Kai in the future, which will surely make things interesting.
#1 Finn Balor retains his NXT Championship against Pete Dunne in the main event of the night
Finn Balor retained his NXT Championship against Pete Dunne in a brutal and stiff encounter that was hard to watch at moments due to the sheer physicality on display.
Many fans might compare this bout with the two outstanding championship defenses Balor had against Kyle O'Reilly due to the similar style of match layout and wrestling style presented.
However, while the clash between Balor and Reilly at NXT TakeOver 31 was better on a purely technical level, the match today benefited from a proper face vs. heel dynamic in place. The NXT Champion yet again showed why he deserves to be on top of the card, while the challenger, with his career-best performance, proved he should not be away from the main event scene for the rest of his career.
Despite virtually no one expecting a title change here, Dunne did his best to create a moment or two where it looked he might have legitimately walked away as the NXT Champion. The post-match heel turn by Adam Cole, who laid down Finn Balor and Kyle O'Reilly, might just shift the landscape of NXT from this point onwards.
As convincing as Cole has been as a face, he works best as a heel. Now that he has reverted to his old persona, possible feuds with Balor and Reilly promise to be nothing short of memorable.
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