NXT returns tomorrow night (February 14) with his TakeOver: Day of Vengeance especially on the WWE Network.
It is the 33rd TakeOver and the brand has not yet put a bad one. There is little reason to think that this will be the first, but there does not seem to be much excitement for Vengeance Day. Maybe it’s because people don’t think NXT or Women’s titles are going to change hands. Or perhaps it is because 2/5 of the card presents correspondences for future tag title photos.
Whatever the reason, or even if you are already CRAZY PUMPED, I decided to offer some things that I am excited about in every game. In addition to the usual Cliffs Notes version of the story behind all five fights.
Finn Bálor (c) vs Pete Dunne for the NXT championship
Appearing on the European wrestling scene, young Brit Dunne 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 doesn’t want to wait for Bálor to pass the torch like the biggest star on the other side of the Atlantic. He intends to catch you.
For that, the Bruiserweight teamed up with Pat McAfee, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. McAfee is taking care of WarGames wounds, but with NXT Tag champions Lorcan and Burch, Dunne targets Finn and his reluctant allies Undisputed ERA. The Prince and Kyle O’Reilly managed to defeat the Brit-Am Brawlers, but the champion took a beating from Dunne in the construction for TakeOver. Sunday night it’s just the two of them … and probably Lorcan, Burch and some guys from the ERA.
In addition, Edge will watch while he claims he can use his Royal Rumble win to challenge the winner. But mostly just Dunne and Bálor.
Reasons to be excited
Between the end of his long reigning title in the UK and the forced closure of the BritWres pandemic, Dunne lost some momentum. But he is talented and a favorite of Triple H and William Regal, so while he is an underdog here, expect this to be the start of great things for Bruiserweight.
It took a while to find balance, but since his departure with Timothy Thatcher in TakeOver XXX, the NXT style and his teenage character have been a rejuvenating mix of career for Bálor. The confrontation with Dunne should allow him to deliver yet another violent and instant classic alongside his pair of fights 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 on Wednesday.
Edge will simply not be one of them.
Io Shirai (c) vs. Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Martinez for Women’s NXT Title
Storm and Martinez arrived at the NXT Prime who wanted gold, and were targeting the female champion of the November WarGames. Their mutual enemy led to a brief team for the Dusty Classic, but that just made it easier for Shirai to hit both at the same time.
Like most feuds during Io’s impressive run as champion, there isn’t a ton of history here. She says she is the best, and anyone can try to prove that she is wrong.
There’s a little more depth due to Storm’s Mae Young Classic’s victory over Shirai in the 2018 finals. And a real-world reason to root for 40-year-old Martinez as a tough pioneer, despite her high-heeled character. But mostly, just two talented fighters trying to get the Genie from Heaven off his throne.
Reasons to be excited
They are two talented fighters trying to take the Genie from Heaven from his throne. Whatever the criticism of Io’s eight-month reign in the storytelling department, the only complaint about the matches is that there is not enough. Enjoy twenty minutes or more of Shirai going full steam ahead with two women who can accompany almost anything she can offer them.
Kushida vs. Johnny Gargano (c) for the North American Championship
This came about since the last dispute for the title of Gargano, since Leon Ruff needed a partner when Karrion Kross sent Damian Priest to Raw. It became increasingly personal when it was briefly doubled to the rivalry of Candice LeRae and Shotzi Blackheart for a mixed brand in New Year’s Evil, and was woven into the Dusty Classic. Kushida and Ruff knocked out Johnny and his protégé Austin Theory, so the duo The Way overcame the Japanese star and his young friend after losing in the next round.
Deciding that Kushida was his last curse (after breaking those associated with successful wheels and title defenses), Gargano tried to fake an injury to escape this fight. But general manager Regal said it was ridiculous – he was using a wheelchair because of a broken arm. When Johnny gave up the charade to help Theory in his fight against Kushida, the legendary Super-Junior defeated them with the assistance of Dexter Lumis, who was chasing the former Evolve champion for unknown reasons.
Reasons to be excited
This is the most exciting game on the discreet card. Gargano signaled a change from the hilarious heel mode to annoy Johnny TakeOver after Wednesday’s defeat, and that means two fantastic fighters ready to rock and roll in singles action for the first time with a minimum of fuss.
It is likely that some members of the Path will get involved, but Kushida has achieved enough allies along the way, there is a decent chance that this will be resolved by the two legal men. NXT has marked Kushida’s rise for a while, and the prospect of a reward with his first WWE title is very exciting. Whatever happens, it will be at the end of an exciting match.
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WWE Network
Young gray-haired veteran vs. MSK
It is a tournament. These are the finals.
Former NXT UK champions Tag Drake and Zack Gibson beat Ever-Rise, Kushida & Leon Ruff and Timothy Thatcher & Tommaso Ciampa to get here. Former AAW, CZW and PWG champions Tag Wes Lee and Nash Carter defeated Swerve Scott and Jake Atlans, Drake Maverick and Killian Dain and Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde of Legado Del Fantasma on their way to Sunday’s match.
The winner has a chance in the NXT Tag Team championship, currently played by Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch.
Reasons to be excited
A fascinating stylistic combination between quarrelsome but technical Englishmen and creative and acrobatic Americans. The kind of thing that would have been a fantasy reserve exercise until Triple H allocated half the globe to its territories. A direct story of babyface vs. heel. This should be fun, and that’s not to mention that men’s fights have a history of stealing the show on TakeOvers.
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WWE Network
Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon vs. Raquel González and Dakota Kai
It is a tournament. These are the finals.
The newly formed expensive team beat Marina Shafir & Zoey Stark and Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell to get here. Heel’s established duo defeated Aliyah & Jessi Kamea and Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter on the way to Sunday’s final showdown.
The winner has a chance at the WWE Women’s Tag Team championship, currently played by Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler.
In fact, there is a bit more of a story here, as all four women were on opposite sides of the WarGames match, where LeRae’s team defeated Blackheart’s. And Moon has had disagreements with Kai & González since returning to the black and gold brand. She had her number in tag matches, but lost one case of singles to each.
Reasons to be excited
There is a little bit of everything in this game, and two teams that got along well after being formed (although Dakota and Raquel obviously have more experience working together).
Although I didn’t have much knowledge or affinity with Shotzi before her WWE signing, she became one of my favorites, and I’m not alone. I don’t think she participated in a game at NXT that I didn’t like very much. The rocket is tied to it and to the Texan power González. Ember and Dakota are great fighters that we will be complaining about being underutilized in the main cast someday. We actually did that with Moon … but you know what I mean.
Add the possibility that this could finally lead to NXT Superstars holding on to the tag belts, and this must be a blast.
You can find a set of predictions for TakeOver: Day of Vengeance on here.
Feel free to tell us why you’re excited in the comments below and join us tomorrow night at 7:00 pm Eastern time. We will have coverage of all the action and consequences of Vengeance Day!