6 Biggest Takeaways From NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day

Last night, NXT put on another stellar TakeOver event.

When wrestling fans have conversations about the best TakeOver moments in history, there is no doubt that Vengeance Day’s matches will be mentioned.

Each match felt like it could be the main event and as a result, this made the closing angle that much more satisfying.

If you spent Valentine’s Day eating a fancy meal with a loved one, then you were doing it wrong because NXT TakeOver delivered the best takeaways last night…

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6. Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Winners Are Crowned

Two of the big marquee matches of the card displayed tag action on an epic scale as the sixth annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic was underway. This prestigious tournament emphasised its importance with the addition of the first women’s bracket.

The women’s final saw the makeshift duo of Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart battle the formidable team of Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez to open the show.

This was a tremendous way to get the adrenaline pumping and the “NXT” chants roaring. With huge power spots like Gonzalez slamming Blackheart into the barricade or innovate spots like the Kai-ropractor from Dakota Kai, it was obvious a new team in the women’s division was established.

Kai and Gonzalez won the trophy and scalped their names into the spotlight as the first ever female Dusty Classic winners. However, don’t subtract anything from the team of Moon and Blackheart. Even in defeat, they were put over strong.

Firstly, Moon hit an eclipse on Gonzalez. Which the ref was too distracted to witness allowing Gonzalez to barely survive. As well as both Gonzalez and Kai toppling on each other for the double-bodied pin to gain the victory. Any other night and this trophy could’ve been riding home on a tank.

With this win, the Women’s Tag Team Championship is in Kai and Gonzalez’s future. Whether that being against current champions, Baszler and Jax or Lana and Naomi, it is an exciting prospect to think that the tag titles can go to the black and gold brand.

This classic proved that they have some tremendous teams to battle for that prized possession.

On another note, MSK defeated Grizzled Young Veterans to win the Dusty Classic in their first TakeOver match. They literally debuted a month ago so this is a big win to kick their NXT careers off.

The match undoubtedly was going to be incredible, but it exceeded expectations. Gibson trash-talking is always music to our ears and MSK are highly charismatic and flip like gravity is non-existent.

With MSK now in line for a tag team championship match against Burch and Lorcan, the team of Wes Lee and Nash Carter potentially could go the distance.

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5. Johnny Gargano Retains NXT North American Championship

Vengeance Day saw Kushida seek out vengeance on NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano, but he wasn’t successful.

Nevertheless, the match was intense and saw two of the roster’s best wrestlers doing the best kind of wrestling.

Both men pull off moves that hurt my brain just thinking about how they were successful. How in the world can Kushida lock in an armbar from any direction?!

To really get a feel for how tense the attitude of this match was, you must watch it yourself. It saw both men raise the bar for North American Title contention and Gargano actually retained, which is quite an uncommon feat.

The title still being strapped around Johnny Wrestling’s waist is probably because he has a bigger contender lurking in the shadows.

Prior to this match, the Way was making their entrance as per usual. Then you could say that Austin Theory got more than lost in the moment as Dexter Lumis kidnapped him.

Gargano couldn’t focus on this much due to the threat of Kushida, but with that behind him, Lumis seems to be the story going forward.

• TakeOver: Vengeance Day
• Undisputed Era
• Finn Balor
• nxt

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