Saturday will be the 30th NXT TakeOver in history!
A lot has changed since Adrian Neville and Tyson Kidd headlined the first TakeOver event, on May 29th 2014.
The black and gold brand has gone from being WWE's 'developmental' territory to the company's third show and many fans consider it better than flagship programs - Raw and SmackDown.
While NXT has been losing the 'Wednesday Night Wars' to All Elite Wrestling's Dynamite, 36 weeks out of 45, the build up to this historic show has been good.
The feuds have been booked well and TakeOver's always bring out the best in the NXT roster. It has the potential to be a great night of action.
Five matches have been announced so far and the event will take place from Full Sail University, the action starts at midnight (British Summer Time), on the WWE Network.
Io Shirai (c) Vs Dakota Kai (NXT Woman's Championship).
The issues between these women began when the challenger attacked the champion after she had successfully defended the NXT Women's Championship against Tegan Nox - on the July 15th episode of NXT.
A week after that ambush - Dakota Kai called out Io Shirai saying it felt good to "knock her off her pedestal" and that she was coming for her title. Kai had made her intentions very clear, the time for talking was over.
Shirai and Kai were set to face each other in a tag team match, on the July 29th episode of NXT. Shirai's tag team partner was Nox and Kai allay was Candice LeRae but Kai attacked Shirai during her entrance and later abandoned her partner.
Kai claimed she was "owed" a title shot but that's not how NXT General Manager, William Regal, runs things and the Leader of Team Kick had to earn her match against The Genius of the Sky by beating Rhea Ripley in a number one contenders match. Kai did win, after assistants from Mercedes Martinez, and the title match was set for TakeOver XXX.
On the last stop before Saturday's show - Kai cut a promo claiming she was "in the head" of Shirai and was going to be the next women's champion. Shirai interrupted and a brawl ensued. The champion was getting the better of her rival until Raquel Gonzalez appeared out of nowhere and helped her partner lay Shirai out.
Since turning heel last November, Kai's career has been on an upwards trajectory, she's no longer a vanilla face. She hasn't lost a one-on-one singles match since March and has been positioned as a credible threat to Shirai's title.
On the other hand, Shirai has had a good run with the title so far and impresses every time she steps in a NXT ring. It took her two years to win the title and is only two months into her first reign as champion - I don't envision her losing the belt so soon.
Winner: Io Shirai.
Adam Cole Vs Pat McAfee.
The problems between Adam Cole and Pat McAfee go far back as March 2018 - when the latter cost the former a match against Aleister Black at a NXT live event.
Nothing much happened in between until July 2020 when McAfee invited Cole onto his podcast and continuously took shots at the leader of the Undisputed Era, calling him "small" and claiming his 403 day run as NXT Champion was due to Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong. Cole unloaded several expletives on the former National Football League placekicker, pushed one of the show's producers and stormed off the set.
The segment has been viewed 1.1 million times, on YouTube, and the footage set social media a blaze with people questioning if it was a work or a shoot.
It became clear it was a story line when Triple H, NXT's Executive Producer, went onto McAfee's podcast and called the host a "professional button pusher" while claiming Cole was "overly-sensitive". The Game also invited the two time Pro Bowl winner to a future NXT show to sort out his issues with The Panama City Playboy, an invite he took up on the August 6th episode of NXT.
On that show - McAfee was on commentary, while Cole was at ringside, during Fish and O'Reilly's NXT Tag Team Title Match against Imperium. McAfee, knowing Cole was in ear shot, sent jabs at him and Cole eventually confronted the podcaster. Words were exchanged and a host of NXT officials made their way to the ring to keep things calm however McAfee added fuel to the fire when he told Cole "nothing is ever going to change, for the rest of your life, you are going to be a tiny itty bitty b****". Clearly incensed by the disrespectful comments, Cole attempted to swing for his foe but missed and as he was laying across the announcers table - McAfee struck with a punt kick to the head. Cole was out cold.
The next day - Triple H, on the behalf of Adam Cole, challenged McAfee to a match at TakeOver XXX. McAfee accepted and said he was going to "beat Cole's a**" on the night.
A week after being punted in the skull - Cole told McAfee that he was in "way over his head" and that he was going to get his "a** whooped" at TakeOver XXX. He demanded McAfee meet him in the ring in seven days time.
On that show - McAfee and Cole came face to face. McAfee claimed he was on "another level as a human being" to Cole and he was going to punt kick him again this Saturday. Cole promised to make McAfee his "b****".
Cole has been the cornerstone of NXT, in the past year, and it would be disappointing if he loses to McAfee - a non wrestler on such a huge night.
McAfee has wrestled before, against WarPig in 2009, and three years ago claimed it was his "dream" to become a professional wrestler. Footage has emerged of McAfee training for this match but he has no business being in the ring with a star like Cole.
Cole should win convincingly but in the back of my mind, I have a feeling the Undisputed Era could turn on him and cost him the match. I hope I'm wrong though.
Winner: Adam Cole.
Johnny Gargano Vs. Damian Priest Vs. Bronson Reed Vs. Cameron Grimes Vs. The Velveteen Dream (North American Championship Ladder Match).
After Keith Lee relinquished the North American Championship, when he became a double champion on night two of NXT: The Great American Bash, NXT General Manager William Regal announced a series of triple threat matches - with the winners going onto TakeOver XXX to battle for the title in a 5-Way Ladder Match.
Bronson Reed was the first man to qualify for the match, he defeated Roderick Strong and Johnny Gargano on the July 14th episode of NXT.
Damian Priest was the next man to gain entry into the match, he beat Oney Lorcan and the debuting Ridge Holland on the July 29th episode of NXT.
Two weeks later - Cameron Grimes beat KUSHIDA and the returning Velveteen Dream to put his name in the hat for TakeOver XXX.
After Gargano complained about not being pinned in his triple threat match, Regal announced several "second chance" qualification matches would take place over few weeks and the winners would advance to TakeOver XXX. Gargano took out Holland to secure his spot, it will be his 18th TakeOver, a record for the event.
Dream won a overbooked match against Finn Bálor, on the go-home episode of NXT before TakeOver XXX, to secure the last spot in the Ladder Match.
EVERYBODY has their sights set on the NXT #NATitle!!
— WWE (@WWE) August 20, 2020
Will @FinnBalor or @DreamWWE punch their ticket to #NXTTakeOver: XXX???#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/4ivk4honTW
All of the wrestlers in this match have a chance of becoming the new North American Champion.
Thicc Boi Reed has been on the hottest streak, he pinned Priest two weeks ago, in a singles match. It's unlikely he will win but they have done a good job of making him a credible threat.
Priest is a veteran - who is yet to win any gold during his two year stint in NXT. He's a dangerous competitor and will thrive in this environment, he could be a dark-horse for this match.
Gargano is the self-proclaimed "Mr. TakeOver", if he wins, he will become the first man to hold the North American Title twice.
The master of the Cave In, like Reed, is a underdog going into this contest but Grimes could be involved in a big spot during the contest but will fall short.
Dream is one of the biggest stars in NXT and winning the North American Championship again - would be the perfect way for him to begin his heel run.
Winner: Damian Priest.
Finn Bálor Vs. Timothy Thatcher.
This match was announced two days before TakeOver XXX, less than 24 hours after Timothy Thatcher cost Finn Bálor his match against The Velveteen Dream, a loss that meant The Prince would not be in the North American Championship Ladder Match at the event.
When Bálor returned to NXT, last October, he was propelled into a main event programs with Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole. So far this year - he has had underwhelming feuds with Damian Priest and Cameron Grimes. A man of Bálor's stature should be in the main event of any show that he's on, not in a hastily arranged match on one of the biggest show's of the year.
Thatcher is a solid hand, his rivalry with Matt Riddle was brilliant, one of the best of 2020 to date. He doesn't have bad matches and his 'Thatch-as-Thatch-can' segments have been a highlight of NXT lately.
Both of these men hit hard, this should be a very physical encounter. Bálor is the favorite, Thatcher will put up a hell of a fight but it won't be enough to beat the man who has won more TakeOver matches than anyone else.
Winner: Finn Balor.
Keith Lee (c) Vs. Karrion Kross (NXT Championship).
When Keith Lee became the first man to hold the North American and NXT titles, simultaneously, on night two of NXT: The Great American Bash - all eyes were on him, including Karrion Kross. Kross watched Lee's moment of glory, from a sky box, and it was clear he wanted the first shot at his newly won title.
The mind games, from Kross and Lady Scarlett, began the following week. After Lee defeated his good friend Dominik Dijakovic, Lady Scarlett made her way down to the ring - with remnants of the hour-glass Lee smashed a few weeks earlier. A smiling Scarlett poured the contents of the bag onto the mat and made her way back up the ramp. Her message was obvious, Lee's title reign was on borrowed time, tick tock. Later that night, Dijakovic and Kross had a brawl backstage - that ended when the latter slammed the former on the concrete floor.
The two met on the next show and Kross destroyed Dijakovic so badly that Lee made his way to ringside to help his friend. After Kross put Dijakovic out of his misery - Lee went to check on his fallen comrade and shared an intense stare down with the man desperate for a title shot.
A week later - The Limitless One said Kross had his attention. Lee said Kross had did "extra bull****" to get his title shot and that he was calling him out for a fight. Cameron Grimes interrupted and was disposed of in shot order by the NXT Champion. After getting rid of Grimes - Kross appeared on the big screen and questioned why Lee didn't help Dijakovic last week. Kross told Lee that he could do things the "easy way", by giving him a title shot, or the "hard way" - an option the champion doesn't want to explore. Lee responded by telling Kross to pick the time and place so that he could "whoop that a**".
On the August 12th edition of NXT - Lee said be "begged" William Regal for a match with Kross, at TakeOver XXX, and both of their names were on the contract, only Kross' name was missing. Scarlett collected the contract from Lee, and Kross signed it. Before returning the paperwork to the Texan - Scarlett kissed the clipboard and when Lee opened it, to confirm it had been signed, a fireball exploded in his face. Lee rived around in pain and was taken to a local medical facility, as Scarlett and Kross admired their handwork.
This feud is only six weeks old but it has been tremendous. Lee is usually a gentle giant but Kross has awoken the beast inside him. Kross is undefeated since joining NXT, in April, and has been booked perfectly so far - it's been a while since WWE made a wrestler look this legit from the off. Lee has only been NXT Champion for a month but I can't see his run going any further than Saturday. This match will be excellent, I'm intrigued to see how it plays out, it will be brutal. I'm picking Kross to will win a back and forth contest - doomsday has arrived in NXT.
Winner: Karrion Kross
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