NXT returns tomorrow night (February 14) with their TakeOver: Revenge Day especially on WWE Network.
This is the 33rd TakeOver and the brand has not fared badly yet. There’s little reason to think this will be the first, but there does not seem to be a huge buzz for Vengeance Day. Maybe it’s because people do not think that the NXT or women’s titles are likely to change hands. Or maybe it’s because 2/5 of the card contains matches for future title recordings.
Whatever the reason, or even if you are already INDUSTRIED, I thought I would present a few things in every game that I am excited about. In addition to the regular Cliffs Notes version of the story behind all five games.
Finn Bálor (c) against Pete Dunne for the NXT Championship
The young Brit Dunne, who appears in the European wrestling scene, has always heard of an Irishman named Devitt who paved the way for guys like him to reach greener pastures in Japan and America. He does not want to wait for Bálor to pass the torch as the biggest star coming across the Atlantic. He intends to take it.
To do so, Bruiserweight connected him to Pat McAfee, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. McAfee is nursing his WarGames wounds, but with NXT Tag champion Lorcan & Burch, Dunne’s targeted Finn and his reluctant allies are Undisputed ERA. The Prince and Kyle O’Reilly managed to defeat the Brit-Am Brawlers, but the champion took a few beats from Dunne in the build to TakeOver. Sunday night it’s just going to be the two of them … and probably Lorcan, Burch and some ERA guys.
On top of that, Edge will look at how he claims he can use his Royal Rumble victory to challenge the winner. But mostly just Dunne and Bálor.
Reasons to be excited
Between the end of his long British rule and the strike of BritWres forced by pandemics, Dunne lost some momentum. But he’s talented and a favorite of Triple H & William Regal, even though he’s an underdog here, you should see this as the beginning of the big things for the Bruiserweight.
It took him a while to find his feet, but since his match with Timothy Thatcher on Take over XXX, the NXT style and its tweener character was a rejuvenating blend for Bálor. The showdown with Dunne should enable him to deliver another immediate and violent classic on the same level as his few games with O’Reilly. And there are enough moving parts in the title scene that whoever wins on Vengeance Day will have interesting challengers waiting for them.
Edge will not really be one of them.
Io Shirai (c) v Toni Storm v Mercedes Martinez for NXT Women’s title
Storm and Martinez both went to NXT Prime to look for gold, targeting the women’s champion who came out of the November WarGames. Their mutual enemy led to a short team for the Dusty Classic, but that made it easy for Shirai to beat them both at the same time.
Like most feuds during the impressive champion of Io, here is not a big story. She says she’s the best, and anyone is welcome to try to prove her wrong.
There’s a little more depth due to Storm’s Mae Young Classic victory over Shirai in the 2018 finals. And a real world speech for 40-year-old Martinez as a groundbreaking judgment despite her heel character. But mostly just two talented wrestlers trying to knock the Genius of the Sky off her throne.
Reasons to be excited
These are two talented wrestlers trying to knock the Genius of the Sky off her throne. Despite the criticism of Io’s eight-month reign in the story section, the only complaint about the matches is that there are not enough. Enjoy about twenty minutes of Shirai getting bored with two women who can keep up with almost anything she can throw at them.
Kushida vs. Johnny Gargano (c) for the North American Championship
This one stemmed from Gargano’s last feud, as Leon Ruff needed a mate when Karrion Kross sent Damian Priest to Raw. It became increasingly personal as it was briefly folded into Candice LeRae and Shotzi Blackheart’s competition for a mixed label during New Year’s Evil, and woven into the Dusty Classic. Kushida and Ruff knocked out Johnny and his protégé Austin Theory, then The Way duo jumped the Japanese Superstar and his young friend after losing in the next round.
With the decision that Kushida was his latest curse (after breaking those related to wheels and successful title defense), Gargano tried to drop an injury to get out of this match. But Regal, general manager, revealed that, due to the ridiculousness, he was using a wheelchair for a broken arm. When Johnny dropped the charade to help Theory in his match with Kushida, the legendary Super-Junior took them out with an assistant from Dexter Lumis, who stalked the former Evolve champion for ambiguities.
Reasons to be excited
This is the most exciting game on the map. Gargano has signaled a shift from the hilarious heel mode to Johnny TakeOver’s rage following Wednesday’s knockout, meaning two fantastic wrestlers ready to play in singles for the first time, with a minimum of brilliance.
Some members of The Way are likely to get involved, but Kushida has picked up enough allies along the way, and there’s a good chance the two legitimate men can fix it. NXT has been discussing Kushida’s rise for a while now, and the prospect of a payout with his first WWE title is quite exciting. Whatever happens will be at the end of an exciting match.
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WWE Network
Grizzled Young Veteran Teen MSK
This is a tournament. This is the final round.
Former NXT UK champions James Drake & Zack Gibson beat Ever-Rise, Kushida & Leon Ruff, and Timothy Thatcher & Tommaso Ciampa to come here. Former AAW, CZW and PWG champions Wes Lee and Nash Carter defeated Swerve Scott and Jake Atlans, Drake Maverick & Killian Dain and Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde of Legado Del Fantasma on Sunday’s showdown.
Winner gets a chance at the NXT Tag Team Championship currently hosted by Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch.
Reasons to be excited
A fascinating stylistic adaptation between the quarrelsome technical English and the creative, acrobatic Americans. The kind of thing that would have been a fantasy discussion exercise until Triple H reported half of the world for its territories. A straight-forward babyface versus whole-story. This one has to be fun, and it’s even without remembering that men’s matches have a history of stealing the show at TakeOvers.
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WWE Network
Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon vs Raquel González & Dakota Kai
This is a tournament. This is the final round.
The newly formed face team beat Marina Shafir & Zoey Stark and Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell to come here. The established hack duo defeated Aliyah & Jessi Kamea and Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter on their way to Sunday’s power play.
Winner takes a chance on the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship currently hosted by Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler.
There’s actually a bit more of a story here, as all four of these women were on either side of the WarGames game where LeRae’s team scored Blackheart’s. And Moon’s have been in touch with Kai & González since their return to the black-and-gold brand. She had their number in number matches, but each lost a single.
Reasons to be excited
There’s a bit of everything in this one, and two teams that both worked well together shortly after they were paired (although Dakota & Raquel obviously have more experience working together).
Despite not having much knowledge of or affinity with Shotzi prior to her WWE signing, she has become one of my favorites, and I am not alone. I do not think she was already in a game on NXT that I did not enjoy. The rocket was attached to her as well as the Texan power station González. Ember & Dakota are great wrestlers we will complain about one day being underutilized in the main roster. Actually, we’ve already done this with Moon … but you know what I mean.
Throw in the possibility that this could eventually lead to NXT Superstars holding the Tag belts, and it should be an explosion.
You can find a set of forecasts for TakeOver: Revenge Day here.
Feel free to let us know what you’re excited about in the comments below, and join us tomorrow night at 7pm Eastern. We will have coverage of all the actions and dropouts Revenge Day!