NXT had its first two-night takeover event and kicked things off with a pair of title matches for Night One on the USA Network before coming to WWE’s new home on Peacock for Night Two.
Knight One Action had a solid performance as two new champions were crowned and we came to know that Johnny Gargano would defend his NXT North American title against Knight Knight.
Here’s how it all went down.
Pete Dune Diff. Kushida
There was no reason for this match to happen but no one needed to care about it. Wrestling is what NXT does really well and Kushida and Dune are not much more of a tricky option than giving us a wrestling clinic. Initially, it was Pete Dunne, who was Kushida-ing (yes, I did that) with Kushida making the simultaneous submission and former NJPW standout holding out. Gotta say how incredible Dune has looked since the epidemic. He has become quite thin and sees every bit of ring tactician he has created himself. As for Kushida, she has always been great but she feels stuck in the middle of a very overcrowded roster.
Nevertheless, Kushida worked back into a match and sank off the top rope into a beautiful hoverboard lock that Dunn barely escaped. But Dunne eventually knocks Kushida down with the manipulation of her finger, ending the hell out of Kushida’s hands, landing her bitter end and getting the pin. It was not a classic, but it was a great opener to warm up the crowd.
grade B
Bronson Reid Wins Gaunt Eliminator for NXT North American Championship Opportunity
It is difficult to invest in the match to see who will challenge Johnny Gargano when no one outside Dexter Loomis takes an angle. For whatever reason, he decided to go with Bronson Reid, who has no history with Gargano on NXT’s biggest show of the year.
This match was fine in itself, but we were never given all-out action, which we have been expecting from NXT. And once Loomis was eliminated, it was a struggle for anyone to be the winner.
Swar Scott and Leon Ruff made some great exchanges until Bronson Reid entered and used his size to bully his opponents. Reid showed his strength, but pulled together a German superplex over Scott and Ruff. Cameron Grimes and his illustrious millionaire gimmick entered next. He attempted to pay Scott to work together in an attempt to eliminate Reid and Ruff. Ruff would be eliminated by Scott as Dexter Loomis followed by La Knight. Amazingly, LA Knight and Grimes join forces to eliminate Loomis. Reid then got rid of La Knight. Reid, Grimes and Scott had a good order until Scott finished Grimes. With Reid and Scott gone, we had a good sequence, until a decent sequence with a series of nearly-to-finish Reid made a big splash off the top rope to finish the work.
Unfortunately, the match felt like filler for an unnecessary two-night show. Reid and Gargano could certainly deliver but it does not feel like a match produced for the biggest takeover of the year.
Grade: C
Walter Diff. Tommaso Simpa to retain NXT United Kingdom Champion
It was a tough match to invest in given that Simpa gets a title shot with a bit of speed with one of the most prominent champions in WWE.
Both of them worked hard, but Siapa received a huge amount of crime. Probably too much.
The story here is that Walter had injured his right hand and was unable to use his debilitating chops to take out Simpa. This led to a competitive match where Walter was interrupted by an injured hand. The work was solid but the finish was never in doubt. Considering that the match has been dominated by the champion for nearly two years, Walter was seen to be reckless during the match in order to sell Simpa. But if we think we are getting Simpa a few years back when he was the NXT champion, maybe it makes more sense.
Once Walter kicked Vido’s bell, the match struck another gear. The second rope led to another production, with another fall from an air raid. Some brutal chops from Simpa followed but Walter used his left hand to chop his opponent. A pair of powerbombs from Walter could not seal the deal as Simpa continued to kick out. It was not until a sleeper suplex was cut that Walter found work.
This grade is tough because no one thought Simpa had a chance to win. The work was solid but we did not find just one angle where we could think that NXT would change hands with the UK Championship. It would be great to see Walter there against one of the best talents in NXT and hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later.
grade B-
MSK defeat young legend and Legado del Fantasma grizzled for NXT Tag Team Championship
We knew that this match was going to be fun for the moment it was booked. MSK, Legado del Fantasma and Grizzled Young Veterans are the perfect team to reboot a division that has been a little stagnant over the past few months.
The action was swift and furious with the open bell as everyone got time to shine. Trying to drive the action down will make the match a disservice. Just know that the pacing was absurd with some breathtaking moves.
Like this…
and this…
After the Legado del Fantasma was taken out, MSK and the Grizzled Young Veterans made it out in a re-performance of their Dusty Rhodes classic finale. MSK got the upper hand and their finisher was crowned as the new NXT Tag Team Champion. Get out of your way to watch this match.
Grade: B +
Defeated Rakil Gonzalez. Io Shirai for NXT Women’s Championship
It is the dawn of a new era in the NXT Mahila Mandal.
Raquel Gonzalez took everything that Ayo Shirai had, including a whole lot of divers from the top of the stage, the best match of Gonzalez’s career.
It is also a testament to how unprecedented Shirai was. One wonders whether she has now moved to Raw or SmackDown, which feels a bit crowded at the moment.
It was the athleticism of Shirai vs. Gonzalez’s power and the two played each other brilliantly. Gonzalez is not nearly as experienced as Shiri, but his power made everything believable as Shiri tried his best to avoid him. This was an outstanding performance of violent ballet by Shirai as he found ways to outwit his powerhouse rival and gain the upper hand.
But it was all about Gonzalez’s coronation and Shiri gave him everything he needed to begin his journey as a champion.
In one particular sequence, Shirai saw Munsal on the outside of Gonzalez and hit him with a knee. Shirai then climbed to the top of the stage and dived over Gonzalez, causing an audible gasp from the crowd as the two hit the ground loudly.
Shirai would hit his trademark Moonsault back in the ring but Gonzalez kicked out. It was the first time that any of Shirai’s rivals drove him out of Monazole.
Gonzalez catches Shiroi with a powerbomb on the outside, brings him back in and crushes the larvae. Another armed Powerbomb followed and Gonzalez pinned Shiri to become the new NXT Women’s Champion.
No one is certain whether Gonzalez can hold this division. But the same can be said for Shayna Buszler, who was a prominent reign and won the people with a similar style that relied heavily on violence. One thing to note is how Dakota Kai lives in Gonzalez’s shadow.
grade A-
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