NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day aired from the Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando. Finn Balor defended the NXT Championship against Pete Dunne in the main event. Eli Drake (LA Knight) showed up during the Kickoff Show before the PPV. The finals of the men’s and women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament took place during NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day as well.
NXT TakeOver Vengeance Day Results
- Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai def. Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon to win the women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
- Johnny Gargano def. Kushida to retain the NXT North American Championship
- MSK def. Grizzled Young Veterans to win the men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
- Io Shirai def. Toni Storm & Mercedez Martinez to retain the NXT Women’s Championship
- Finn Balor def. Pete Dunne to retain the NXT Championship
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Kai & Gonzalez Won The Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez faced Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon in the finals of the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Shotzi went for a Sleeper Hold but Raquel threw her to the canvas. Ember tagged in and went for a Waist Lock but Gonzalez shoved her away. Gonzalez connected with a Sidewalk Slam and Blackheard tagged herself back in.
Raquel launched Moon out of the ring and slammed Shotzi to the canvas for a near fall. Kai tagged in and Shotzi trapped her in a Texas Cloverleaf in the middle of the ring. Dakota battled through the pain and was able to reach the bottom rope to break the hold. Ember tagged in and hit a Splash for a two count.
Blackheart tagged in and locked in a Half Crab in the middle of the ring. Ember tagged in and continued to work on Dakota’s knee by applying a submission hold in the middle of the ring. Gonzalez tagged back in and sent Ember Moon flying across the ring with a Fallaway Slam.
Dakota Kai connected with a Flying Clothesline off the top rope and went for the cover but Shotzi broke it up at two. Gonzalez brought Shotzi out of the ring and Powerbombed her into the barricade. Gonzalez went for a Clothesline but Moon ducked and Raquel leveled Dakota Kai.
Ember made her way to the top rope and hit Gonzalez with the Eclipse and went for the cover but Dakota distracted the referee. Moon leveled Raquel with a Dropkick and tagged in Blackheart. Kai tagged in as well and Shotzi hit a Gutbuster for a two count. Raquel tagged back and walked into an Enziguri from Shotzi. Gonzalez and Blackheart then battled on the top turnbuckle. Shotzi connected with Sliced Bread and went for the cover but Kai broke it up.
Blackheart took out Kai with a Suicide Dive and tagged in Ember Moon. Moon hit a Codebreaker for a near fall and then went back to the top rope. Shotzi lifted Dakota up in the Electric Chair and Moon hit a Crossbody. Ember Dropkicked Gonzalez into the steel steps and rolled her back into the ring. Kai booted Ember in the face and tagged back in.
Kai hit Shotzi with the Chiropractor for another near fall. Raquel launched Ember Moon onto the entrance ramp and then off the stage. Back in the ring, Shotzi hit a knee to the face and went for the cover but Gonzalez kicked out at two. Shotzi sent Gonzalez out of the ring and then sent Dakota on top of her with a Back Body Drop. Raquel tossed Dakota onto Shotzi for a Splash and then planted Shotzi with a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory. Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai are the winners of the first women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
Gargano Retained In A Great Match With Kushida
Johnny Gargano defended the NXT North American CHampionship against Kushida tonight at Vengeance Day. Kushida brought Gargano down to the canvas and applied a Heel Hook in the middle of the ring. Gargano escaped and but Kushida quickly took him back down with a Headlock. Gargano sent Kushida out of the ring and threw him into the steel steps.
Kushida connected with a Suplex on the floor and then rolled Gargano inside the ring. Kushida hit Gargano with a Dropkick to the left arm and then slammed it on the mat several times. Gargano battled back and planted Kushida with a Neckbreaker. Johnny regrouped and then applied another Headlock to Kushida in the middle of the ring.
Kushida escaped the Headlock and applied an Octopus stretch. Gargano and Kushida traded roll-ups before hitting each other with a Clothesline at the same time. Kushida connected with a German Suplex and went for the cover but Gargano was able to kick out at the last moment.
Gargano climbed to the top rope but Kushida caught him with a boot to the face. Kushida joined Gargano on the turnbuckle and went for a Superplex but Johnny countered into a Suplex of his own. Gargano followed it up with a DDT for another two count. Kushida and Gargano traded punches and both superstars fell to the canvas.
Kushida applied the Hoverboard Lock but Gargano was able to escape. Kushida Suplexed Johnny into the turnbuckle and then locked in an Armbar in the middle of the ring. Gargano was able to get his boot on the bottom rope to break the hold. Gargano brought Kushida out of the ring and threw him into the barricade.
Kushida hit Gargano in the left arm but Johnny responded by slamming Kushida’s neck into the top rope. Gargano planted Kushida with the One Final Beat DDT on the entrance ramp and rolled the challenger back inside the ring. Gargano hit the One Final Beat for a 2nd time for the pinfall victory. Johnny Gargano is still the NXT North American Champion.
MSK Won The Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
MSK (Nash Carter & Wes Lee) faced Grizzled Young Veterans (Zach Gibson & James Drake) in the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Nash Carter sent James Drake into the turnbuckle and hit him with an elbow to the face. Wes lee tagged in and hit Drake with a Bronco Buster in the corner of the ring. Gibson tagged in and walked into a Hurricanrana from Wes Lee.
Lee flipped onto the Grizzled Young Veterans outside the ring. Nash Carter followed it up with a Crossbody onto James Drake but turned around into a Clothesline from Gibson. Back in the ring, Zach planted Carter with a Neckbreaker and tagged in Drake. James applied a Headlock to Carter in the middle of the ring.
Nash escaped but Drake caught him with an elbow to the face for a near fall. Wes Lee tagged in and planted James Drake with a Suplex. Drake battled back and trapped Wes Lee in a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Grizzled Young Veterans went for Doomsday Device but Wes Lee countered into a roll-up for a two count.
Nash Carter tagged in and hit a Swanton on Drake. Wes Lee flipped onto Drake as well but James kicked out at two. Gibson lifted Wes Lee up in the Electric Chair and then Carter hit him with a Suicide Dive. MSK hit Grizzled Young Veterans with double Superkicks and then Wes Lee flipped onto Carter for the pinfall victory. MSK won the men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
Io Shirai Retained The NXT Women’s Championship
Io Shirai defended the NXT Women’s Championship against Mercedes Martinez & Toni Storm in a Triple Threat match. Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez started off back and forth before the NXT Women’s Champion hit them both with a Dropkick. Io applied a Headlock to Storm and then Martinez got Io in a Sleeper Hold at the same time.
Mercedes launched Io across the ring and then went for a boot to the face but the NXT Women’s Champion got out of the way. Shirai hit the 619 and then the action spilled out of the ring. Martinez planted Toni with a DDT on the floor as Io Shirai climbed up part of the stage. Io leaped and took out Martinez and Storm outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Martinez planted Toni with a Fisherman’s Suplex for a near fall. Toni hit a headbutt and followed it up with Storm Zero but somehow Mercedes kicked out at two. Storm made her way to the top rope and hit a Flying Headbutt. Toni went for the cover but Io came out of nowhere with a Moonsault to break up the cover. Shirai then pinned Martinez for the victory and retained the NXT Women’s Championship.
Finn Balor Retained, Adam Cole Betrayed Kyle O’Reilly
Finn Balor defended the NXT Championship against Pete Dunne in the main event of TakeOver: Vengeance Day. Dunne and Balor locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the action. Finn locked in an Armbar but Dunne battled to his feet. Pete escaped and the two superstars circled each other before locking up again.
Dunne hit Balor with a headbutt to his recently broken jaw and started bending back Finn’s fingers. Balor battled back and wrestled Dunne down to the canvas. Pete got the NXT Champion in an Armbar and bent Balor’s fingers back while maintaining the hold. Dunne connected with an Enziguri but Balor responded with a massive Clothesline for a near fall.
Finn unloaded several strikes to the back of Dunne’s head and applied a Crossface in the middle of the ring. Dunne escaped the hold but the NXT Champion beat him down in the corner of the ring. Balor and Dunne traded chops to the chest and then kicks to the face.
Pete Dunne caught Balor and stomped on his face a few times. Dunne followed it up with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Balor was able to kick out at the last moment. Dunne stomped on Balor’s fingers but Finn responded with a boot to Pete’s injured knee. Balor connected with a Backstabber and then a Dropkick.
Balor made his way to the top rope and went for the Coup de Grace but Dunne countered into a Triangle submission in the middle of the ring. Finn was able to get to the bottom rope to break the hold but the NXT Champion also passed out in the process. Pete tried to drag Balor to his feet but he collapsed against the ropes.
Dunne shrugged his shoulders and stomped on Balor’s face. Dunne went for the Bitter End but Balor escaped. Finn went for the 1916 but Dunne blocked it. Balor applied an Abdominal Stretch but Pete broke the hold by snapping back Finn’s fingers. Dunne then hit the Bitter End and went for the cover but Balor kicked out at two.
Pete went for a Powerbomb but Balor was able to counter into a DDT. Balor went for a Dropkick but Dunne was ready and hit an Enziguri. Balor escaped the Bitter End again and hit a reverse DDT for a two count. Dunne once again grabbed onto Finn’s fingers and snapped them back. Balor responded with a stomp on Dunne’s back and ripped out Pete’s mouth guard. Finn hit a Dropkick to the face and then hit the Coup de Grace. Balor didn’t go for the cover and planted Dunne with the 1916 for the pinfall victory. Finn Balor is still the NXT Champion.
After the match, Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan attacked Balor on the entrance ramp. Burch and Lorcan threw Balor into the ring and Dunne joined in on the attack. Undisputed Era rushed the ring and made the save as Lorcan, Burch, and Dunne retreated. Adam Cole then hit Finn Balor with a Superkick out of nowhere and Kyle O’Reilly started arguing with him. Cole leveled Kyle O’Reilly with a Superkick as well and then left the ring. Roderick Strong looked at Finn and Kyle laying on the canvas and then back at Adam Cole on the entrance ramp as TakeOver went off the air.
Opinion: Every single match tonight delivered in my opinion. My only complaint is that I wish the NXT Women’s Championship Triple Threat match was given about ten more minutes. Overall, NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day was a terrific professional wrestling show. There weren’t any gimmick matches or superstars shooting fireballs. It was simply 2.5 hours of everyone giving it their all and beating the hell out of each other.
