Recap and Review of NXT Takeover: In Your House
NDuring this pandemic, the pro wrestling industry hasn’t quite been the same without actual fans. It has forced everyone to get creative and think outside of the box. Some ideas have been great while others not so much. NXT has been the best show in WWE for quite some time now. It has given us nostalgic things like War Games and the Fight Pit. Both have been done right and have been successful. When WWE announced In Your House as the next Takeover I was excited. It was throwback and a blast from the past from my childhood. Before I begin my thoughts on tonight’s event, here are the results of NXT Takeover In Your House:
-Tegan Nox, Mia Yim and Shotzi Blackheart defeated Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzales
-Finn Balor defeated Damian Priest
-Keith Lee defeated Johnny Gargano to retain the NXT North American Championship.
-Adam Cole defeated The Velveteen Dream in a Backlot Brawl to retain the NXT Championship
-Karrion Kross defeated Tomasso Ciampa
-Io Sharai defeated Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair to win the NXT Women’s Championship
The opening match of Takeover was the six woman tag team match. One side featured Tegan Nox, Mia Yim, and Shotzi Blackheart. On the other side of the ring was Candace LeRae, Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzales. All six women brought it tonight and showed why NXT has the best Women’s Division in pro wrestling. All six of them have a great future under the NXT umbrella. I will be curious to see which of these women steps to the plate to get a shot at the NXT Women’s Championship. All of them have the ability to lead the division into the future.
I loved the entrances of Damian Priest and Finn Balor with the old school In Your House stage. The house looked on fire when Priest came out, but when Balor came out the fire was out and all there was left was smoke. It might not have been intentional but I liked the symbolism. When Damian was in Ring of Honor as Punishment Martinez, I feel like he wasn’t used to his fullest potential. Since he’s come to NXT he has gotten better and we are seeing just how great his potential is. Even in defeat there can be victory and that’s what Priest had tonight. I know fans put a lot of emphasis on wins and losses but losing is not always bad if done right. Tonight it was done right.
When it comes to the households of NXT, two of them have been in a rivalry that was brewing leading up to tonight. As we saw earlier, Mia Yim and Candice LeRae were on opposite sides. Keith Lee and Johnny Gargano continued that rivalry for the North American Championship. Gargano tried everything in his power to cheat his way to try and become the first two-time NXT North American Championship. Keith Lee used his brute strength and determination to keep the title around his waist. Keith Lee probably gave us a new gif with what he did during the match so make sure you’re on the lookout for that. The Gargano Way failed tonight so it makes me wonder which way Gargano will go from here.
As I mentioned earlier, NXT has brought back War Games and The Fight Pit(Lions Den) in the past, which have both been successful. Tonight on this nostalgic show, they brought the Backlot Brawl. The original Backlot Brawl took place at Wrestlemania 12 between Goldust and Rowdy Roddy Piper. Adam Cole and Velveteen Dream fought for the NXT Championship in match that similarities to Wrestlemania 12 and the Street Fight John Cena and Eddie Guerrero had in 2003. This match was chaotic, crazy and full of carnage. We even saw interference from Undisputed Era and Dexter Lumis. Both Cole and Dream took a lot of punishment, but at the end of it all the undisputed reign of Adam Cole continued. With Velveteen Dream no longer being able to challenge for the NXT Championship, I believe a move to Raw or Smackdown is very likely.
One of the biggest free agent signings that NXT has had in recent years has been Karrion Kross(formerly Killer Kross of Impact Wrestling). He had his first big test tonight and it was against former NXT Champion Tomasso Ciampa. Kross looked like he had the Brock Lesnar vibe because he ran through Ciampa like it was absolutely nothing. Everyone sees big things for Kross in NXT and WWE. If tonight was any indication, they are absolutely right. The big question mark for me right now is Tomasso Ciampa. He’s done everything that he could possibly do in NXT, so what’s next? He’s stated many times that he won’t go to Raw or Smackdown. Only time will to see what happens to Ciampa’s career going forward.
The main event tonight was for the NXT Women’s Championship Match. Charlotte. I was genuinely shocked when Charlotte won the title at Wrestlemania, but she has elevated the title by appearing on all three shows and being in some very meaningful matches. Charlotte gets her fair share of unfair criticisms, but you cannot deny she is an in-ring general. Rhea Ripley and Io Sharai have been doing incredible things during their entire time in NXT. This match was another chapter in the evolution and elevation of the Women’s Division in the NXT. As the show closed, Io Sharai stood tall as the new NXT Women’s Champion which has been well deserved and long overdue.
NXT Takeover In Your House was everything that it needed to be. The throwback commercials, the nostalgia and Todd Pettengill made this show entertaining in between the matches. NXT took something that was done twenty five years ago and made it even better. I truly hope NXT makes this a yearly tradition because I believe it’s great for nostalgia and for fans who love to look back on their childhood. Nostalgia is great when it is done right and like everything on this show, it was done right. I got to enjoy NXT Takeover In Your House in my house like many others. NXT brought the house down as they always do and tonight it breathed new life into an old school pay-per-view.
