Booker T’s handlebar mustache was the star of the Pre-Show.
0. Triple Threat NXT Tag Team Title #1 Contender’s Match: Breezango vs. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch vs. Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza w/ Santos Escobar
Raul Mendoza kind of rules but who can really make a 7-minute Triple Threat Tag Team Match actually work? They kept things moving and all of these guys got in a bit or two, but that bit has been done in conditions far more favorable to good pro wrestling. **1/2
1. Finn Balor vs. Timothy Thatcher
This would’ve made a sweet TV main event or Cage Fight, but for a TakeOver opener it read kind of flat. Thatcher locks an arm up like nobody else and I liked Balor not having his usual match, but I was waiting to bite and then Thatch just lost. ***
2. 5-Way Ladder Match – NXT North American Title: Bronson Reed vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Damian Priest vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Velveteen Dream
The multi-person Ladder Match in the PC without an audience is one of the saddest matches there is. Bam Bam Bronson and Cameron Grimes had a few moments, but this was just a collection of unnecessarily dangerous spots from a cast of characters still trying to get over. The subtle burials of Dream on commentary (Vic Joseph’s deadpan “…nonetheless” after his big bump) were amusing until I remembered they weren’t. Messy. Redundant. *3/4
3. Adam Cole vs. Pat McAfee
McAfee’s promo before the match ruled and I’m glad he can do a somersault plancha and backflip off the top rope, but why did this happen? It felt like an exhibition match for the brass, one where everybody went backstage and slapped hands without stopping to think where any of it goes in the future. Was it for the ESPN buzzzz? Cause it didn’t feel like buzz. It just felt like Triple H wanted to hang out with NFL guys. A match that exceeded expectations, but not a match that should have been a tentpole of any show. ***1/4
4. NXT Women’s Title: Io Shirai [c] vs. Dakota Kai w/ Raquel Gonzalez
This was a Good Traditional Match, and by that I mean I occasionally liked it but it didn’t always hit. Dakota did some tricky arm work and Io generally rules, but there wasn’t much meat to this feud going into it. ***
NXT UK is back? Uh oh.
5. NXT Title: Keith Lee [c] vs. Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett
Arm work? They did ARM WORK? For the stupid Kross entrance, for the Kross shoulder separation, for the decision to supplement it with 20-minutes of Kross doing arm work… shame on everybody. *3/4
Happy Thoughts: COVID is going to COVID, but TakeOver’s might be bad now. There were a few decent matches but no standout and zero momentum. I legitimately thought the Dynamite opposite this smoked it. 3/10
