Kevin’s NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day Review

The Kickoff Show was going along as normal until Eli Drake made a surprise appearance to interrupt the panel. He disses Wade Barrett and the other panelists before hyping the fact that he signed. His name is apparently L.A. Knight.

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez vs. Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart

Ember and Shotzi have matching entrance gear and comes out together on the tank. Shotzi starts with Raquel and slams her down with ease. Ember also cannot overpower her but tries an Octopus Stretch only to get sidewalk slammed down. They go after her together and fare better but not well enough. Kai enters but misses the running boot and gets her legs trapped before she’s slammed down and put in a Texas Cloverleaf. Ember nails a slingshot splash on Kai to put them in control. Kai fights out but gets rolled into a half crab. Soon after, Ember enters and also works a kneebar. Shotzi gets tagged as they struggle in the hold but Raquel distracts the referee so he brings Ember back in. She goes to an ankle lock that Dakota rolls out of and sends her to the corner. Raquel gets the hot tag(?) and runs over Ember. She dominates and tags Kai, who goes up and gets an assist on a flying clothesline. Shotzi enters and gets going but is then launched with a swinging powerbomb into the plexiglass and barricade. Ember powerslams Kai and lays into Raquel with forearms. Kai dropkicks Ember as she’s held in a bearhug, which gets two. With Shotzi out, Ember is isolated inside but survives. Ember gets going and hits a leg lariat on Raquel that makes her DDT Kai at the same time. She goes up for the Eclipse and hits it on Raquel but Kai distracts the referee. That’s enough time for Raquel to kick out. As Ember and Kai go at it, Raquel picks Ember up for the powerbomb but Shotzi returns with a missile dropkick for two. A short kick from Ember also gets two. Shotzi is legal and hits the spinning TKO/knee spot on Kai for a near fall. Raquel in and takes Shotzi up top but Shotzi hits a Sliced Bread of sorts. Kai breaks up the pin and is sent outside by Ember. Shotzi nails a tope suicida through Ember’s legs. Neckbreaker and Codebreaker combo on Raquel. Shotzi adds a sunset flip bomb of sorts for two. Kai gets up put Shotzi sets her up on her shoulders and works with Ember for a Doomsday Device cross body to the outside. Raquel runs Shotzi over but eats a dropkick outside. Moon kicks Raquel in the knee to take her down and woks a submission that Kai breaks up with a pump kick. Tag to Shotzi and Kai. They trade shots and Kai-Ro-Practor connects on Shotzi for two. Tag back to Raquel and assisted GTK sees a pin broken up. Raquel ENDS Shotzi by launching her out onto the new aisle they’ve set up and then shoves her off of it. Inside, Shotzi with a springboard splash to her back for two. The numbers game is too much for her and Raquel press slams Kai from the aisle onto Shotzi. One-armed Powerbomb ends Shotzi and both opponents cover.

Winners: Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez in 17:39 [A fantastic opener. There was a spot or two that didn’t click but it was mostly tremendous. Shotzi looked more crisp that usual, Ember is really getting back to form, Raquel has improved so much, and Dakota continues to be the unheralded MVP of the division. I loved the switch on traditional tag formula too. ****1/4]

William Regal comes out to present the trophy to the winners, complete with pyro and confetti.

NXT North American Championship: Johnny Gargano [c] vs. KUSHIDA

No Austin Theory with The Way. They all search for him and then Johnny chooses to hit the ring on his own. I had to switch devices and I missed that Dexter Lumis kidnapped Theory in the back. Anyway, they work the mat to start and jockey for position. KUSHIDA gets the first upper hand and switches between working the leg and moves to the arm. He remains a step ahead of Johnny. The pace quickens and KUSHIDA misses the kick to the arm while Johnny rolls into a crucifix only to get trapped in the Gargano Escape. he scatters to the ropes. As they move outside, KUSHIDA uses a Falcon Arrow (HE DID THE DEAL) to set up an armbar but he breaks the countout. Inside, KUSHIDa dropkicks Johnny’s elbow and puts the focus there. Johnny gets an opening with a neckbreaker on the ropes. Johnny holds serve for a bit and hits a front suplex before kicking KUSHIDA’s arm and mocking his taunt. After a fantastic series of reversals, they collide with a double clothesline. KUSHIDA hits the hip toss/cartwheel/dropkick/fastball punch combo but Gargano survives. KUSHIDA catches the Slingshot Spear and rolls it into a hammerlock suplex with a bridge. It looked incredible. Johnny hits an enziguri on the apron but KUSHIDA drives him shoulder first into the turnbuckle. Still, Johnny starts in with offense and picks up some near falls. KUSHIDA slips out of the setup for Gargano Escape and does his own but then they trade exchanges trying to get it. Johnny gets a pin for two. They collide on a clothesline and then slap each other on the way down. Now they’re on their knees trading forearms. As they get up Gargano cuts off the handspring elbow and puts on the Gargano Escape. KUSHIDA counters into a submission and their next exchange sees KUSHIDA get a pin for two. Superkick and right hand are traded. Gargano hits the Lawn Dart to stop KUSHIDA from getting his arm in a submission. Chicken Wing suplex into the corner comeback for KUSHIDA. KUSHIDA takes him up top and flips over into the Hoverboard Lock. Johnny clenches the hands to block it but KUSHIDA breaks his grip. Johnny seems on the verge of tapping but he rolls enough to get to the ropes. KUSHIDA refuses to let go and they head outside where Johnny drives him into the apron. He still won’t let go until sent into the baricade. KUSHIDA runs down the old school aisle and hits the kick to the arm. He applies the banging Hoeverboard Lock but Johnny gets to the ropes to break it, whipping KUSHIDA’s neck on the ropes. Johnny hits One Final Beat on the ramp and adds another inside to retain.

Winner: Johnny Gargano in 24:48 [Outstanding stuff. This was the Johnny TakeOver that I don’t think we’ve seen since he won the NXT Title. Smooth wrestling, marvelous counters, and some nail-biting late drama. it took a ton to beat KUSHIDA too, so he doesn’t look bad in defeat. ****1/2]

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: Grizzled Young Veterans vs. MSK

The teams get off to a basic start where they each show their strengths. MSK win out first with a tandem move that results in a Carter Bronco Buster. Gibson enters and doesn’t fare better, getting lit up by MSK’s ridiculously fast offense and strikes. Lee with a Sasuke Special to take out both opponents and then Carter uses Lee as a springboard to take out Drake. Gibson then runs him over and they’ve got the upper hand. They cut the ring in half on Carter and isolate him. Carter nearly escapes but is destroyed by a Drake clothesline for two. Lee finally gets the tag and sends Drake packing. He fires off strikes and kicks on Gibson and adds a dropkick to the back. GYV take a powder and he takes them out with a tope con hilo over the ring post. Backflips into a backflip kick inside gets two. Drake cuts off Lee on top, which lets Gibson knock him down. Lee manages to tag Carter before a heat segment and Carter gets two on a big springboard move. Lee is legal again and hits an enziguri but his next flip move is cut off with a kick. Helter Skelter and 450 combo on Lee but it only gets two. Lee avoids Doomsday Device with a victory roll but the pin is broken. Ticket to Mayhem is cut off and Lee shoves Carter’s standing SSP over Drake and onto Gibson. Poison rana on Drake. Carter with a swanton and Lee with a Spiral Tap. That only gets two somehow. Lee gets MURDERED by a Doomsday Device tope suicida clothesline. Carter somehow kicks out of tandem offense inside and gets slapped for it. Lee interrupts Ticket to Mayhem and they nail stereo superkicks. Springboard Blockbuster/Hart Attack ends it.

Winners: MSK in 18:25 [Another welcome change of a pace. This was absolutely wild. I saw a tweet that said GYV are who people thought The Revival was and that ain’t far off. They worked the technical stuff but pulled out aerial and hard hitting action. MSK capped a fantastic run in the best possible way. ****1/4]

A music video plays to plug Cameron Grimes being rich. Josiah Williams (who also rapped the intro) performed and it’s spectacular.

NXT Women’s Championship: Io Shirai [c] vs. Mercedes Martinez vs. Toni Storm

The fancy intros are cut off when Martinez levels Io and sends her packing. She then slams Toni and wails on her. Io returns with Meteora for one. Toni runs over Io, who Matrix ducks a boot and wins a quick exchange with a face slam and double stomp. Martinez gets back into it with a twisting DDT of sorts that pulls Toni to the outside. Io misses an Asai moonsault and hits the barricade before Martinez launches her over it. Inside, Martinez has a trio of suplexes cut off by Io with a missile dropkick. Toni cuts off her Meteroa with a Big Bossman Slam. Toni with a hip attack but she runs into a spinebuster for two. Io breaks a submission and puts one on of her own. That crsossface is broken by Martinez putting her in a dragon sleeper of sorts. Io breaks and takes a reverse suplex. 619 comeback by Io and a springboard missile dropkick. Soon after, Martinez hits Toni with a spider German Suplex. Io goes up, knocks her into the tree of woe and hits a diving double stomp. Outside, Martinez drives her into the plexiglass with a Samoan Drop style move and then Toni takes out Martinez. She goes to clear off the announce table and it just breaks. Martinez hits a DDT and Io has climbed the structure for a diving cross body on both of them. Martinez sends Io into the steel steps to stop her momentum. Inside, she hits a running knee on Toni. She adds Kamigoye but Toni kicks out. Toni stops her with a headbutt and connects on Storm Zero for two. Toni adds a diving headbutt  but then Io breaks up the pin with a moonsault and pins Mercedes to retain.

Winner: Io Shirai in 12:14 [A disappointment of sorts. Toni still hasn’t had that standout NXT match yet and this didn’t help. It fell victim to plenty of triple threat tropes and was awkward at points. It was still very good but nothing near great. ***1/4]

The LA Knight signing is shown.

NXT Championship: Finn Bálor [c] vs. Pete Dunne

They stare each other down and then go into an intense exchange of mat work and jockeying for position. Neither man is able to get the upper hand for long. Dunne flips into his standoff, showing off a bit. Dunne wrenches on the fingers for point manipulation and then pulls him into a triangle choke of sorts. Dunne moves over into a sickening looking armbar with Finn’s other arm trapped. He rolls to freedom and is in pain in the corner. Finn can’t get going as Dunne is picking him apart. It takes a while but Finn finally gets free and applies an angled half crab. Dunne fights back with a twisting brainbuster of sorts where he somewhat lost the grip on Finn. The pace quickens and they start with bigger offense as Finn hits a big clothesline. Finn stomps on him a bunch with more aggression and then applies an STF with added forearms to the back of the neck beforehand. Dunne survives and their next exchange is physical before Dunne stomps on his head, hits a headbutt and gets two on a sitout powerbomb. Finn comes back with a series of moves including a reverse DDT. He calls for the John Woo dropkick and nails it. Coup de Grace is caught into a triangle choke though. Finn reaches the ropes but is loopy. He gets stomped on the head but counters Bitter End. He applies an abdominal stretch and goes to the mat for a submission. Dunne breaks it by snapping the ingers. Finn fires off forearms. Dunne hits Bitter End and covers but Finn kicks out. Dunne stomps on both of his heads twice and kicks him in the head. Finn counters a powerbomb into a DDT. JohnWoo is cut off by ane nziguri and Finn hits the Pele. Dunne bounces off the ropes with a kick. Finn counters Bitter End into 1916. They’re both down but Pete clings to Finn’s fingers. He snaps them and Finn still comes back. He rips the mouthpiece out and nails a dropkick. Coup de Grace connects but Finn can’t cover in time. 1916 is added and Finn retains.

Winner: Finn Balor in 25:11 [Big match Finn delivers again. That man’s character is pretty lame right now but in the ring, he’s delivering with each defense. A technical masterclass at times and a brutal war at others. Remarkable pro wrestling. ****1/2]

Post match, Finn Balor’s celebration on the ramp is cut off by Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan attacking him. They get him back in the ring to beat on him. The Undisputed Era’s music hits and they run out to clear the ring. Dunne, Burch, and Lorcan escape to the stage. Kyle checks on Finn and they have an intense staredown.  Kyle helps him up and they shake hands. Finn looks at Roddy and Adam and all three throw up the UE sign before Cole superkicks Finn. Kyle is mad and gets in Adam’s face as Roddy tries to calm things down. Cole then superkicks Kyle! Roddy looks on from between his fallen friend and his other one walking away.