NXT Takeover: In Your House

NXT Takeover: In Your House

Orlando, FL - June 2020

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, NXT's first "pay-per-view" of the quarantine, Adam Cole is the NXT Champion, the NXT North American Champion is Keith Lee, the NXT Women's Champion is Charlotte Flair, and the NXT Tag Team Champions are the Undisputed Era.

NXT Takeover: In Your House kicked off with a fun opening from Todd Pettengill that harkened back to the In Your Houses of the mid-90s in graphics and delivery. Unfortunately, any good will that the opening video package got from me was then ruined by the awful metalcore song that went on for what seemed like 10 years. 

Starting things off, we got a six-woman tag - Shotzi Blackheart, Tegan Nox, and Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, and Raquel Gonzalez. For some reason, the "fans" in attendance started a "This is Awesome" chant before the match even started. No, it isn't, boys. A series of high-flying moves to the outside led to an "NXT" chant in the early going, but there was nothing too special on display. I was far more impressed by Shotzi Blackheart's shoulder submission moments later. This match had some good moments but quite a few noticeable hiccups too - telegraphed topes, mistimed pin breaks, nothing remarkable in terms of storytelling or showcasing a particular talent. (2.5/5)

Another "throwback" moment as we got a commercial for WWE Ice Cream Sandwiches done with Lord Alfred Hayes-style voiceover. I liked it.

Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor followed. Is there a more irrelevant wrestler in the WWE than Finn Balor? Remembering a time when Balor was actually considered a could-be WWE main eventer, a potential "top guy" feels like remembering a fever dream - like you can recall glimmers of it, weird memories, but it doesn't quite feel like it ever truly happened. I had not seen any of Damien Priest's work before the last Takeover and generally liked what I saw from the guy, though he still strikes me as a work-in-progress, a solid worker with a good look but not a discernible character. Balor, meanwhile, suffered from a heel turn that was essentially cooled not because Balor's work deteriorated, but because it didn't go anywhere or propel him to any new heights. A "This Is Awesome" broke out and again it just felt forced and unearned, actually highlighting just how unremarkable this match was. Now, that's not to say there weren't good moments or that either guy was half-assing anything - they were obviously working hard - but this was just back-and-forth, you're turn-my turn wrestling. The best moment was the ridiculous Damien Priest back bump onto the stairs, an absolutely nasty spot that should've ended the match but inexplicably didn't (instead, Balor got the clean win following a pair of Coup De Gras double-stomps). (2.5/5)

Keith Lee defended his NXT North American Championship against Johnny Gargano next. I'm a big Lee fan, but am considerably cooler on Gargano's heel work. Lee and Gargano had great chemistry, though, and Gargano played the rag doll well. I also liked that, unlike the preceding match, there was an actual story here as Gargano had to rely on dirty tactics to overcome the size and power advantage of Lee, going after Lee's right eye and fingers. The best spot of the match was Lee pouncing Gargano through one of the social distancing plexi-glass walls, though it was quite as GIF worthy as when he did it to Cole some months back. As Lee carried Gargano back into the ring, Candice LeRae showed up, only to get taken out by Lee's real-wife girlfriend, Mia Yim (who was also sporting a cool BLM shirt). As the ref dealt with the warring women, Gargano pulled a key out of his tights and jammed it into Lee's eye, but he still couldn't get a 3 count! Johnny maintained control for a minute, but Lee hit his Spirit Bomb and then a Big Bang Catastrophe to finish him off. This was a smartly worked match marred only by some of the annoying chants coming from the phony crowd and a run time that felt just a tad too long. The best match of the night so far and maybe Gargano's best heel performance (that I've seen), but still not a must-watch. (3/5)

I wasn't expecting it, but the next match was the Backlot Brawl for the NXT Championship - Adam Cole defending the strap against Velveteen Dream. This was shot in "cinematic" fashion like the Boneyard Match, but the setting was more traditional - a black wrestling ring set up in a parking lot surrounded by a bunch of cars and hollering "fans." Dream and Cole came dressed for a brawl, neither guy wearing their traditional wrestling tights (thank god). This match was a confused mess from the start, kicking off with Dream just trying to get a quick pin (despite this being the culmination of a blood feud) and then transitioning to "action movie" intensity (Cole hiding in a sports car that Dream then smashed up with a baseball bat) before a brief moment of levity (an Uber joke) all within the first 10 minutes. Again, the crowd noise was more distracting than anything, especially the unspirited chant of "Velveteen" by some deep-voiced dude. Velveteen's usually-entertaining theatrics made no sense in this context, nor did either guy's decision to attempt double axehandles from the ring to the ground (which were countered, both times, by the other guy hitting a superkick in what I imagine was supposed to be clever "mirror" work). As Dream set up a ladder and looked to elbow drop Cole on the hood of a car, the rest of Undisputed Era showed up - only to see Cole call from the ladder through the front windshield of the car. Strong, Fish, and O'Reilly jumped Dream and then got to work filling the ring with chairs. Surprise, surprise, though - Dexter Loomis was under the ring for some reason! Loomis managed to take out Strong and Fish, shoving them into the back of a car and driving off with them. Meanwhile, Cole continued to sell the damage to his arm. With Dream in the ring, Cole attempted a Panama Sunrise onto the bed of chairs, but Dream countered it into a Dream Valley Driver for 2. While Dream looked like he may have been nearing victory, Cole ended up surviving a bit longer and hitting the Panama Sunrise on the bed of chairs to get the win. While this was not as bad as the Edge/Orton match, it was still a disappointment and neither guy came out of this match looing like a star - especially not Dream, who was beaten straight-up and is now, like so many others in NXT/WWE, "just another guy" after being a "can't miss prospect" a couple years ago. There was fear that going to the main roster would "ruin" Velveteen Dream, but staying in NXT certainly hasn't helped either. (1.5/5)

Karrion Kross (and his manager Scarlet Bourdeaux) make his Takeover debut next - taking on former NXT Champion, Tommaso Ciampa. The first time I saw Kross's entrance I thought it was cool, but by the second go-through, I didn't find it to be all that amazing or "different" than what we see from Bray Wyatt or Aleister Black or what we once got with the Brood. The "Fall and Pray" chant might be cool in the future, but in this setting, hearing and seeing a half-dozen dudes doing it felt ultra nerdy (and not in a hip way). Kross no-sold Ciampa's early offense, but eventually Ciampa was able to get some real shots in and stop Kross in his tracks. On the outside of the ring, though, Kross eventually sent Ciampa into the apron with a double-choke toss and then followed it up with a big suplex. Kross followed it with another one and then delivered some knees to Ciampa's face in the corner. All the while, Mauro Ranallo brought up the Japanese wrestling influence, but I didn't see anything I haven't seen anyone else do. Ciampa rallied, though, even hitting his Willow's Bell for 2. Ciampa attempted his Fairy Tale Ending, but Kross countered it into a fireman's carry release slam (not too dissimilar to the F-5) and then locked in the Kross Jacket to force Ciampa to tap. I liked that this match didn't go too long and Kross came out of it looking like a big threat, but anyone heaping any sort of praise on this is just drinking too much of Kross Kool-Aid. (3/5)

Main event time - Charlotte Flair defending the NXT Women's Championship against Rhea Rhipley and Io Shirai. After the bell rang, Flair ducked out of the ring to allow the challengers to square off, only inserting herself into the fray once she saw a clear advantage. As has become something of a trope, Flair provided her own running commentary during the match, trash talking her way through the action. Shirai looked very small compared to Flair and Rhipley, essentially becoming the underdog based on that fact alone (and because her aerial skills are hard to root against). There were some good sequences in this match, but nothing too overly choreographed, which I appreciated. Still, when the "crowd" began chanting "This Is Awesome" it felt apropos of nothing, obligatory and unearned. What exactly had happened that was awesome? Flair almost got the win with a Natural Selection on Shirai, but Io managed to get the shoulder up. Flair applied the Figure 8, but Rhipley broke it up by pulling Flair out of the ring by her hair. As they battled on the outside, Shirai recovered and hit an awesome crossbody on the floor to Rhipley. Finally we got to see someone go through part of the In Your House set as Flair tossed Shirai through the glassless "window." Rhipley and Flair brawled by the plexi-glass, but it was Shirai who got the spotlight as she climbed atop the set and came down on both women with another crossbody! It wasn't the craziest move I've ever seen, but it was a cool visual. Back in the ring, Shirai looked to finish Flair off with a moonsault but Rhipley denied her. Rhipley attempted a superplex, but Shirai escaped and attempted a Frankensteiner, only to get stopped by Charlotte. Flair hit some huge chops on Rhipley in the corner, but as she attempted a superplex, Rhipley countered it with a pseudo-Riptide off the top rope. Shirai stopped the count, but ended up in the Prism Trap. Flair grabbed a kendo stick and started unloading on both women, which would typically be a DQ - but because this was a No DQ/No Countout match, it was perfectly legal. Flair applied the Figure 8, but Shirai came out and clocked Rhipley with a moonsault  that connected straight on her face! Shirai made the cover while Flair was trying to maneuver out of the Figure 8 and we've got a new NXT Women's Champion! Another okay match, but nothing great. (3/5)


With a Kwang Score of 2.58-out-of-5, this is the first Takeover show I've reviewed that didn't offer a single match I'd consider a WWE Match of the Year Candidate. While one could argue that this could've been partially caused by the setting, I wouldn't agree - this was just a "ho-hum" show with questionable booking and, in the case of the NXT Championship match, at least one abject flop. The opener was good, but felt like a "TV match," as did the Karrion Kross/Ciampa match. The main event was good-not-great and Priest/Balor was forgettable save for a single ridiculous spot. Coming out of this show, I'm not excited about any current NXT storyline or character aside from Keith Lee, who really should be at the top of the card. Inessential viewing.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver