Finn Balor took on Timothy Thatcher in the opening contest. This was a strong technical contest with Thatcher shining in particular. Unfortunately, the match was hamstrung by being (at best) a tweener/tweener match. As the match progressed, it became clear that Thatcher's style lends itself to a heel role while Balor, even if I like this new "cool" Finn much more than the constantly grinning Balor of old, is an effortlessly sympathetic seller when he's fighting from underneath. As the story of this match was all about Thatcher inflicting a ton of punishment and taking out the legs of Balor, seeing Finn survive all sorts of nasty submissions and try to land his signature offense made him the de facto hero, but because that wasn't supported by their characters, the match had to settle for being very good instead of being truly great. (3/5)
The vacant North American Championship was on the line in the next match - a 6-man ladder bout between Johnny Gargano, Damian Priest, Bronson Reed, Johnny Gargano, and Cameron Grimes. I didn't have a particular favorite for this match; though I guess you could describe me as being firmly in the "Anyone But The Sex Predator" camp. As could be expected, this match was all about spotlight moments for each guy in rapid succession, Reed showing off his strength, Gargano his agility, Grimes his over-the-top hillbilly persona, and so on. In front of a live crowd, this would've been a real crowd-pleaser as their were some great multi-man moments (including a fun spot where Grimes ended up doing the splits between two ladders), but the artificial environment just does not work for these type of spectacle matches. Is there anything more eye-rolling than hearing a single shrieking "fan" scream "Fight forever!" repeatedly? Candice LeRae eventually showed up to prevent Grimes from assured victory and then, with help from her husband, delivered a hurricanrana on Grimes that sent him into two other competitors on the mat. I've not seen lots of Grimes work, but from the little I've seen, he strikes me as a guy that would benefit from a female manager that he could play off of as he definitely has a unique charisma. LeRae would also play a role in one of the cooler spots on the match - a massive splash from Reed onto Gargano from the top of the ladder. There was a glaringly poor moment when Velveteen clearly had the match won but forgot how to unhook a championship belt, but it was soon forgotten after Gargano hit an absolutely insane powerbomb on Grimes from one ladder into another set-up horizontally. Dream had another shot at grabbing the built soon after, but this time Bronson Reed stopped him - tilting the ladder and sending Dream through a...well...the camera didn't quite capture it and the replay barely did either. Whoops. Grimes and Gargano fought over the belt at the top of the ladder, Grimes eventually sent off, but Priest then took hold of it and secured the strap. I'm not 100% behind Priest - I think he's lacking something in the character department and I'm still not sure what being "The Archer of Infamy" is - but he's got a good look, size, and surprising agility. There's a "cool factor" in there that has yet to be fully exploited too. All in all, a fun match with some great moments, but hurt by the lack of a live crowd. (3.5/5)
Next up - former NFL punter Pat McAfee vs. Adam Cole. The build-up for this match stemmed from McAfee and Cole's (fabricated) argument on Pat McAfee's talk show. McAfee continued to mock Cole's size but things also got physical when McAfee punted Cole's head like a football, knocking him out cold on an episode of NXT. Before the match, McAfee cut a rather brilliant-but-brief mini-promo, proclaiming his thigh the greatest thigh in the "history of humans" - which is a pretty nice tag line. I loved that McAfee was also backed-up by a trio of nameless dudes, wisely bringing back up to even the sides with Cole's Undisputed Era buddies. McAfee looked green at moments - but for the most part, McAfee was impressive. His heeling was spot on and, when it was time actually start performing some offense, he clearly knew how to deliver the maneuvers he needed to. His punches weren't terrible. His stomps were fine. He hit a great senton from the top rope onto the entire Undisputed Era at one point. Was his headlock cinched in tight enough? Did he get enough height on his dropkick? At times, he was "playing wrestler" and it came across that way, but considering that this was his first match, he was much better than one would expect. Of course, the greater issue is really the booking of a feud of this type. McAfee was the outsider heel, but Cole is an unrepentant prick too (even if he was fighting for the honor of pro-wrestling). By not being able to put away McAfee quickly, Cole's credibility took yet another hit. In another questionable decision, though, McAfee also seemed to suffer from inept NXT booking as Cole got to kick out of his should-be/would-be finisher (a direct punt kick to the skull) after what should've been a finishing sequence based on McAfee suffering serious damage to his leg. The finishing sequence was also a bit jarringly convoluted as McAfee went from selling ankle/shin damage on the mat to hunching over unnaturally and stumbling towards the corner so that Cole could hit him with the Panama Sunrise. This match started out strong, but then became too ridiculous for its own good - a trait that has become a trend for Adam Cole matches. I'm still going to heap some points on this because, for what it was and considering McAfee's inexperience, it was still better than I expected and enjoyable. (2.5/5)
After a word from special guest Drew McIntyre, it was time for the NXT Women's Championship match - Io Shirai defending the gold against Dakota Kai (backed up by Raquel Gonzalez). The pressure was on a bit for these two as this was probably the least heralded NXT Women's Championship in years, neither talent being an established "name" star in the US. Dakota Kai's new(ish) heel persona is 90% of the way there, though I do wish she had changed up her look a little bit more - specifically ditching the color on career and maybe taking on something a little more unique. Kai tried to keep the match on the mat in the early going, but Io was just too much for her, springing to life with counters and speedy offense. Speaking of Shirai's offense, it was consistently hard-hitting and awesome; Shirai made a strong case for being among the top 5 women's wrestlers in the entire company in this match. An errant big boot led to a ref bump, but Shirai kept the pressure on, hitting her Over The Moonsault for a full count with no one to actually make it. At this point, Gonzalez came in and hit her massive chokeslam - but Kai only got 2! Unfortunately, we've seen that false finish too many times for me to bite on it. Kai hit a short-arm knee-to-the-face that should be her finisher and then followed it up with a pair of moonsaults (one to the outside and the other back in the ring) to score the clean victory. 5 years ago, this match would've been considered an instant classic, but it just goes to show how high the bar has been raised since the days of the Divas Era that this could only be called really, really good. Hopefully Shirai will get a nice long run with the title because she is an ultra-talented worker. During the post-match, Rhea Ripley returned from a lengthy absence and stared down Gonzalez, alluding to a potential tag match in the future (and maybe even an eventual showdown between herself and Shirai). (3.5/5)
Main event time - Keith Lee vs. Karrion Kross for Lee's NXT Championship. I'm a Keith Lee fan, but Kross had momentum coming into this match as well so it was a genuine toss-up for how this would end with most people agreeing that neither man could afford a definitive loss. Kross targeted Lee's left arm early and kept that as part of his strategy from then on out. I liked the psychology, especially because it also allowed Lee to do something he excels it despite his size and power - selling and showing vulnerability. In front of a live crowd, building lengthy segments around arm bars may have led to some "boring" chants, but I thought they worked them well and kept things intense by making sure there was always struggle there. There weren't a ton of high spots, but even that feels like a bit of fresh air after what the NXT Championship scene had become when it was generally being contested between Cole, Gargano, and Ciampa. After exchanging strikes in the center of the ring, Kross looked to be close to wrapping things up but Lee caught him with a huge clothesline off the ropes that left them both on the mat. Kross attempted a big boot but Lee sidestepped and looked like he might have a rally of his own only to eat a side suplex for 2. As Lee got to his feet, Kross aplied his Kross Jacket submission, essentially a rear naked choke. Lee looked like he might be put out by the submission, but Lee got to his stomach and crawled to the ropes. Back on his feet, Kross came in to close things out but Lee landed a double slap, a headbutt, and then a Spirit Bomb for 2. Lee dragged Kross to the corner and looked to be setting him up for an aerial attack, but Kross got up in time for the two to end up brawling on the 2nd rope in the corner. Kross hit a huge side suplex from the 2nd rope and, in a bit of shocker, got the 3 count! Is that even his finisher? A bit of a deflating ending to an otherwise solid match that may have been even better with an extra minute or two and more definitive closing sequence. I wouldn't call this a "must see" match, but it was above-average and kept me invested from beginning to end. (3/5)
I've written before and I'll write it again - the NXT crew and the WWE roster in general is too talented in 2020 to produce a show that is void of good wrestling. I mean, any card featuring Io Shirai, Timothy Thatcher, and Keith Lee is going to be good. Those ingredients make for a good meal. However, the WWE's booking is so horrendous that it limits what could be/should be a remarkable product. Not a single match on this show is something I would actively recommend a fellow fan to seek out - especially casual viewers who would be even less invested than I was. The Thatcher/Balor opener was solid but lacked character. Ditto for Shirai/Kai. The multi-man ladder match had some terrific spots, but was hindered by its crowdless context. The main event was the right match at the wrong time - Lee's momentum has been needlessly stalled while Karrion Kross's victory fell flat because he's just not established enough to stand as the focal point of the brand. Cole/McAfee was a mixed bag because while McAfee was impressive in certain regards, the fact that an "untrained" wrestler in his debut match pushed a former NXT Champion to his limit defies all logic. With a Kwang Score of 3.1-out-of-5, NXT Takeover XXX delivered in terms of in-ring performance - as the NXT brand routinely does - but never came close to being "must see."
FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand
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