Recap of WWE Worlds Collide 2020(NXT vs. NXT UK)
In 2018, Worlds Collide became a part of Royal Rumble weekend but it wasn’t a live show. The last two years Worlds Collide was a tournament to see who was the best among NXT, NXT UK and 205 Live. It was also a taped show that aired later. Typically, there be an NXT Takeover the night before the Rumble, but due to NXT getting a Takeover in February Triple H decided to make this a special live event on the WWE Network. I had high hopes and high expectations going into this event, but before I tell you if my expectations were met, here are the results of Worlds Collide:
-Kickoff Show: Kay Lee Ray defeated Mia Yim
-Finn Balor defeated Ilja Dragunov
-Jordan Devlin defeated Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Angel Garza and Travis Banks to become the new NXT Cruiserweight Champion
-DIY defeated Moustache Mountain
-Rhea Ripley defeated Toni Storm to retain the NXT Women’s Championship
-Imperium defeated Undisputed Era
The Kickoff Show featured NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray taking on Mia Yim. These two women were engaged in a hard hitting and aggressive battle that really set the tone for the night. I really hope these two face off again due to how they’re rivalry started back in November leading up to Takeover WarGames. The main shocked started Finn Balor taking the young upstart Ilja Dragunov. Back in August, Dragunov proved he could hang with the top performers in the world when he went toe to toe with Cesaro. Ilja has a very unorthodox that really can throw you off. He’s not afraid to take risks which makes him a very dangerous competitor. On the hand, Balor has become more dangerous than ever with how vicious he’s become. These two left each other bloody and damn near broken, but in the end it was Balor coming out on top. Make no mistake about Ilja Dragunov because I think his stock rose again with hanging in there with another elite performer. I look for many big things in his future.
One of the great things NXT has done has brought back the importance of the Cruiserweight Division. The Cruiserweights have been on fire since they were moved to NXT. Angel Garza has been on a roll, Swerve keeps being a hightlight reel, Banks always delivers and Jordan Devlin has been a made man since he took on his mentor Finn Balor last year around this time. The action was fast and furious as I knew it would be, but I was pleasantly shocked and surprised that Devlin became the new Cruiserweight Champion. With Devlin as the Cruiserweight Champion, I’d expect to see him featured on NXT Television in some big time matches heading into Wrestlemania season. When it comes to big time matches and dream matches there was none bigger than DIY vs. Moustache Mountain. DIY have been the heart and soul of NXT and Moustache Mountain have been the heart and should of NXT UK. All four men are world class performers and they did everything in the match that make a great match. DIY came out on top but Moustache Mountain has nothing to be ashamed of. I only hope one day they have another match and tear the house down again.
Two competitors that have had multiple matches against each other have been Toni Storm and Rhea Ripley. They feuded over the NXT UK Women’s Championship and now they have taken the rivalry to NXT. These two have had some really great matches in the past, but this felt like a really fast match that ended to quickly. They had a good match but it was not as good their previous championship matches. The Main Event of Worlds Collide was the highly anticipated match between Undisputed Era and Imperium. These factions dominate their respective shows and the respect each faction has from the fans is off the charts. Early on, there was a scary moment where Alexander Wolfe got knocked out and had to be helped to the back. This match was absolutely chaotic and as fast paced as you can get. If you want a hard hitting match this match was definitely for you. This match actually scared me with how hard hitting and physical it was. The night ended with Imperium coming out on top and standing tall.
Worlds Collide lit the pro wrestling world on fire tonight. A lot of people were skeptical of this event taking the place of a Takeover. I will no longer be skeptical of an event like this after watching this Worlds Collide. Triple H and his crew continue to produce a great product that produces magic. There were some great side stories on the show as well that included Tegan Nox attacking Dakota Kai, Balor attacking Gargano backstage and Bianca sitting ringside for the Women’s Championship match. A lot of momentum was built for both shows tonight and heading into Wrestlemania season that momentum is extremely important. Tonight, worlds collided and it’s only the beginning of a collision course on the Road to Wrestlemania Weekend.
