NXT Takeover Vengeance Day 2020 Report Card: Grades Are In!

It’s Valentine’s Day, so WWE went with NXT Takeover Vengeance Day 2020. So, let us get right to the grades on what is supposed to be a romantic eventing. 

NXT Takeover Vengeance Day 2020 Report Card: Grades Are In!

North American Championship: Johnny Gargano vs. Kushida

In a short time, Kushida has shown an aggressive side that will help him standout in WWE. Johnny Gargano was there to show why is known as Mr. Takeover.

Kushida and Gargano made for great opponents. They have a similar size, but their styles do mesh well together. 

On this night, Gargano was simply better. Two one final beats, one in and one outside of the ring, was enough to keep the title in place. Grade: B+

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon vs. Raquel González & Dakota Kai. 
Winners receives a future WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match.

For the time ever, the female NXT Superstars got a chance to compete in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Meanwhile, we had two of the biggest faces taking on some rising heels.

Dakota Kai relied heavily on her larger tag team partner Raquel González to push the pace. Plenty of tags were made by Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon, but the strength played the defining role.

Then, the match unfolded as expected, with González playing the biggest factor. Raquel & Kai make history by becoming the first female winners of the tournament. Grade: B+

Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson) vs. MSK (Nash Carter & Wes Lee)
Winners receives a future NXT Tag Team Championship match.

Last year, the Grizzled Young Veterans made it to the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. This year, they met MSK, who just debuted on NXT TV and have a following from Impact Wrestling.

Both teams looked good. But, MSK are still being introduced to the WWE fans.

The doomsday device on the outside by the Grizzled Young Veterans show why they have held gold in NXT UK. With MSK getting the win, they are headed for a title shot and big push in NXT. Grade: B+

NXT Women’s Championship: Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Martinez

The women’s division in NXT has changed drastically within months. The division felt flat after Io Shirai ran through opponents.

Then, Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez were inserted right into the title picture within weeks apart. Io Shirai continues to bring high-risk moves to the next level.

In a compelling bout, Io Shirai proved why she is the NXT Women’s Champion. Still, Storm and Martinez made a case as future title holders. Grade: B+

NXT Championship: Finn Bálor vs. Pete Dunne

Finn Balor enters with six straight NXT Takeover wins, while Pete Dunne looks to duplicate his NXT United Kingdom Championship reign. Plus, it is the first time these two are meeting and it took place at Takeover Vengeance Day. 

To no surprise, Dunne focused on joint manipulation; which is always fun to watch. They focused on chain wrestling, but where not afraid to rely on stiff shots.

I thought the match was easily going to steal the show, although that did not become clear until the final ten minutes. It was entertaining, but nobody thought Dunne would win.

Firstly, no Karrion Kross was a bit surprising. Then, Adam Cole left an impression though. Grade B+