It’s finally here. NXT TakeOver: XXX has been built up very well over the last few weeks, and the matches on offer look great on paper. The pre-show match saw Breezango defeated Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan and El Legado del Fantasma to become the number one contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championship. As for the main show, there was the ladder match to decide the new North American Champion, Io Shirai and Keith Lee were defending their titles, and Pat McAfee and Adam Cole would finally settle their differences. First up was Finn Balor and Timothy Thatcher, and it set the tone for a great PPV.

Finn Balor vs Timothy Thatcher

Balor ran over to Thatcher and started punching him, and whilst Thatcher tried to lock him in a submission, Balor refused to get caught. Thatcher soon found his feet with some headlocks, but Balor threw him over the top ropes. Back inside, Thatcher once again took control with an ankle lock and then a bow and arrow submission. Balor tried his hardest to get out, but whenever he escaped Thatcher, he’d get sucked back in. Thatcher used every move in his arsenal, using a Kimura and the rings of Saturn, followed by a crossface.

Thatcher’s transitioning was excellent, but after locking in a double chicken wing, Balor turned it into a suplex to try and pin Thatcher. The two then came to blows, with Balor hitting an overhead kick and flooring Thatcher. Balor dropped a double stomp, and after some counters, he locked in the abdominal stretch and turned it into a reverse front suplex. After a failed Coup de Grace, Thatcher took advantage of Balor’s injured left leg. These two guys were giving it everything. Every time Balor tried to lock in a submission, Thatcher was there to reverse it. Balor hit another double stomp, but he was nursing his injured left leg.

Balor managed to connect with the Coup de Grace, then drilled Thatcher with 1916. What a fantastic start to the match. Balor took a lot of damage at the hands of Thatcher, but after a hell of a fight, he managed to earn his 12th TakeOver victory, the most of any other Superstar in the black and gold brand’s history. I love watching Timothy Thatcher’s matches. Despite the loss, he brought his famous style of catch wrestling and pushed Balor in ways he’s not had to deal with before.

Winner: Finn Balor Rating: 8/10

Ladder Match for the North American Championship: Damian Priest vs Johnny Gargano vs Bronson Reed vs Cameron Grimes vs Velveteen Dream

Before the bell rang, Priest hit Dream to the ground after he shoved him out the way during his entrance. Dream hit a Fameasser on Gargano, a DDT on Priest, and a superkick on Reed. Dream went outside to grab a ladder, but Grimes knocked him over. Grimes went to pull out a ladder, but it was only a small one. Priest pulled out a proper ladder, but Grimes kicked him in the head from the apron. Back in the ring, Reed launched Priest over his head. Priest and Dream set up two ladders and both tried to climb up, but Grimes pushed them both over. Grimes then got caught climbing between the ladders as Dream and Priest pulled them apart, making Grimes spread his legs in the middle of them. Reed knocked Grimes down as Dream and Priest pushed the ladders together, hurting Reed in the process.

Dream and Gargano took out Grimes with a ladder, and Reed took them both out afterwards. Reed tried to set up a ladder, but Gargano tried to climb it. Reed went for a powerbomb on Gargano as Priest tried to chokeslam him as well, but Grimes and Priest took them out. They then both kicked Reed in the head. The heels worked together until Gargano threw a ladder at Dream as he stood on the turnbuckle. Reed powerbombed Grimes as Priest sat on Grimes shoulders with Dream in a suplex. Utter carnage. With the ladder set up, Grimes tried to climb it, but Priest stopped him. Priest almost grabbed the belt, but Dream managed to stop him at the last minute. Priest used his kicking expertise to take out Grimes, but got booted by Gargano as he went for a spinning cannonball from the second rope.

Dream threw the ladder over the ropes into Priest and the barrier. Gargano hit One Final Beat on Reed into the ladder, knocked Dream outside the ring then hit the suicide dive on Reed outside the ring. Outside, Grimes hit a Spanish fly on Gargano. Dream then hit Gargano and Grimes with a dive, as Reed then hit a dive on all of them. All five men lay flat out outside. Grimes was first to his feet and grabbed a ladder. He tried to set it up, but Priest kicked the ladder into his face. As the ladder lay against the ropes, he ran up it and hit a cannonball on Reed, Dream, and Gargano outside. Candice LeRae came out to check on Gargano. As Grimes tried to climb the ladder, LeRae grabbed him. She pushed the ladder over, then attacked Grimes. She hit a hurricanrana on Grimes, then threw him into Priest and Dream. Gargano set up the ladder, but Reed climbed as well. Reed stood on top of the ladder, but LeRae climbed up to try and stop him. With LeRae on his back, Reed dived off and splashed Gargano.

Reed tried to climb again, but Priest was there as well. As the two battled, Grimes climbed up a bigger ladder. Once again, nobody reached the belt. Grimes got caught up in a ladder that rested between the ropes and the bigger ladder. Dream climbed up, but Priest climbed as well and knocked him off. Grimes hit a Cave In on Priest, then tried to climb up to grab the belt. Gargano tried to stop him by landing an insane spinning powerbomb through the same ladder Grimes was trapped. Dream hit the Dream Valley Driver on Gargano, right on top of Priest who lay on a ladder outside. Dream climbed the ladder, but Reed knocked him off over the barrier and into oblivion. Reed climbed up, but Grimes knocked Reed off.

Grimes climbed the ladder, but Gargano stopped him. Gargano almost grabbed it, but Priest knocked him off as he took the title for himself. Damian Priest is the new NXT North American Champion. I honestly don’t know how I managed to keep up. This was incredible from start to finish. As far as ladder matches go, this was a perfect ten. All the build-up over the last month was totally worth it. Congratulations to Damian Priest as well. I’m speechless.

Winner: Damian Priest Rating: 10/10

Adam Cole vs Pat McAfee

Before McAfee came to the ring, he was backstage saying how great his kicking leg was. He then came to the ring with his NFL friends. Cole took control with a headlock, but McAfee managed to break out by pulling his hair. McAfee almost ate a superkick, but he managed to avoid it. He got Cole in a headlock of his own, but Cole broke out. McAfee continued to mock Cole with his friends, but Undisputed Era ran down to even the odds. From nowhere, McAfee jumped off the top turnbuckle and laid everyone out.

McAfee grabbed Cole and threw him in the ring. He landed some kicks on Cole in the corner, then wrenched at his eyes. Cole was knocked to the mat after a big right hand, then kicked in the face. McAfee slammed Cole to the mat after being cocky once again. McAfee continued to take control of Cole with a headlock and a dropkick. What was going on? The two traded blows, and finally, Cole took control with a pump kick. He stomped on McAfee in the corner, then dropped him with a Death Valley Driver onto the knee.

Cole climbed the turnbuckle, but McAfee knocked him off the top. He went for a superplex, but Cole pushed him off. McAfee landed on his feet after flipping off, then leapt back up and hit the superplex, almost getting the win. McAfee went for a punt kick on Cole, but he moved out the way and Pat hit the steel steps. Cole kicked his injured leg and locked in the Figure Four. McAfee grabbed the ropes and managed to break off the submission. Cole kicked at McAfee in the corner, but McAfee hit a low kick unbeknown to the ref. McAfee hit a huge kick to Cole’s chest and went for the pin, but Cole kicked out.

McAfee jumped off the turnbuckle, but Cole caught him with a superkick. Cole almost went for the Last Shot, but instead went for the Panama Sunrise and picked up the win. As much of an idiot Pat McAfee is, he was very impressive. I was expecting a lot less, but this match was pretty decent. It would have been a travesty if Cole had lost, but thankfully he came through in the end, Bay Bay.

Winner: Adam Cole Rating: 7/10

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Dakota Kai W/ Raquel Gonzalez vs Io Shirai (C)

Shirai took advantage after a dragon screw and various kicks to Kai as she lay in the corner. Shirai hurt her arm on the ring post after Kai shoved her into it. In the ring, Kai was in control, trying to do damage to Shirai’s left arm. Shirai went for the 619 and missed, allowing Kai to boot her in the face from outside. Kai kicked Shirai in the face, and went for the pin, only grabbing a two-count. Kai forced her knee into Shirai’s left shoulder as she wrenched at her arm, then landed some kicks in Shirai’s sternum. Shirai almost got a surprise pin, but Kai fought back and continued to lock in a submission on her injured left arm.

Shirai hit a palm strike on Kai and knocked her over, then dropped her with a backdrop and a 619. She nearly got the pin after a dropkick, but Kai kicked out. Kai almost hit a German suplex off the apron and into the barricades, but Shirai double-stomped instead. Kai started kicking Shirai in the centre of the ring, but Shirai didn’t react. Out of nowhere, Kai hit a Scorpion kick, but Shirai recovered with three running knees in quick succession. With Kai in the tree of woe, Shirai landed a double stomp, then went for another pin which was unsuccessful.

Kai headbutted Shirai then landed the Kairopractor. She locked in yet another armbar, but Shirai wouldn’t quit. Shirai hit Kai’s head into the turnbuckle as she stood on the apron, but Kai hit the Go To Kick. The referee got hit by Kai, and Shirai connected with a moonsault after taking advantage of the situation. Gonzalez came in and attacked Shirai. She pulled Kai on top of Shirai, then grabbed the ref, but Shirai kicked out. Shirai locked in the crossface, then hit her in the face with a big knee. After a moonsault to Gonzalez and Kai to the outside, she hit the Over the Moonsault to Kai in the ring and picked up the victory.

Gonzalez attacked Shirai after the bell, but Rhea Ripley ran out and squared off against her. They stared each other down for a while until Kai pulled Gonzalez away. It was a great match, but I wish Ripley hadn’t come out as it took the shine away from Shirai retaining. When Shirai did manage to celebrate, Ripley stood on the ramp, staring her down.

Winner: Io Shirai (Still NXT Women’s Champion) Rating: 8/10

After the match, NXT aired a promo for the return of NXT UK, coming back on September 17th.

It was also announced straight after that Tommaso Ciampa would be returning to NXT this Wednesday. Two big announcements in the space of a few minutes.

NXT Championship Match: Karrion Kross W/ Scarlett vs Keith Lee (C)

Keith Lee hit a succession of punches to Karrion Kross’ body, then a crossbody. As Kross went outside, Lee followed him and hit his head into the apron. Kross hit some big forearms, then missed with one and punched the plexiglass. Lee missed a punch and hit the plexiglass as well, then hit his arm into the ring post. Kross worked on the injured arm in the ring with an arm lock, hyper-extending his elbow. Kross wrenched Lee’s armed and sent him to the mat, then booted the arm as Lee lay on the mat.

Kross continued to hurt the arm, driving Lee into the turnbuckle after a failed powerslam. He whipped Lee into the corner a further two times, then lay on top of Lee whilst punishing Lee’s injured left arm. It was worrying seeing how dominant Kross was, refusing to ease the punishment on Lee’s arm. Lee fought back, but Kross once again locked in an armbar. Lee almost rolled over and pinned Kross, and after an unsuccessful attempt, Lee deadlifted Kross into a powerbomb. Lee managed to use his fists to knock Kross over, then landed a spinning powerslam.

Kross hit two big kicks and a DDT, but couldn’t put the champ away. Lee headbutted Kross and hit a suplex, but only managed a two-count. Kross levelled Lee with a clothesline, and after another unsuccessful pin, the two traded blows. Kross hit plenty of forearms, but Lee knocked him down with a clothesline. Both men lay on the floor and struggled to get back to their feet. Kross hit the Doomsday Saito, but Lee kicked out of a pin. This was a war, and Lee wasn’t going to give up easily.

Kross locked in the Kross Jacket in the centre of the ring. Lee was fading away and almost passed out, but he came back and got out of the move that nobody else has since Kross debuted on NXT. The resilient Lee got to his feet and hit the Spirit Bomb, but Kross kicked out. Lee ascended the turnbuckle, but Kross caught up to him. They fought up high, and Kross managed to hit the Doomsday Saito off the turnbuckle to get the victory. Keth Lee tried his best to fight back throughout, but Kross was an assassin. He decimated Lee at every turn and deserved the win. I’m gutted that Lee didn’t retain, but Kross was a machine.

It’s even more amazing that Kross managed to finish the match with a separated acromioclavicular joint in the shoulder. It was revealed in the post-PPV conference call by HHH that Karrion Kross picked up the injury about halfway through, and would be getting an MRI to see how much damage was done. He could be back in a few weeks or in a few months (up to 3 months). Who knows what that means for the next few months, but the main event told a great story and was thoroughly enjoyable to watch.

Winner: Karrion Kross Rating: 9/10

After The Bell

NXT TakeOver: XXX was an excellent PPV. Every match was great, although the ladder match and the main event stood out by miles. It’s a shame Keith Lee couldn’t retain, but Kross was the better man, especially after suffering such a dangerous injury. Damian Priest is the new NXT North American Champion. Although Bronson Reed didn’t get the win, Priest has worked hard recently, and he deserved the win.

Dakota Kai and Io Shirai had a good match, despite Ripley coming out to take away from Shirai’s victory. Finn Balor’s monumental victory was deserved, and now I hope we’ll get him back in the big title picture. As for Adam Cole and Pat McAfee, it wasn’t the best match of the evening, but it was still an impressive debut from Pat. Let’s hope it’s over now, though.

Star of the Show: Karrion Kross Overall Rating: 9/10

All images and videos courtesy of WWE

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