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The final episode of WWE NXT before NXT TakeOver: XXX took off right away. In the first match of the night, NXT veteran, Johnny Gargano, and newcomer, Ridge Holland, competed for a spot in the NXT North American Championship Ladder match.
The night only got better from there as big matches with high stakes took place one after the other. Rhea Ripley and Shotzi Blackheart overcame The Robert Stone Brand. Meanwhil, Dakota Kai looked to send a message to the NXT Women’s Champion, Io Shirai.
Later, Adam Cole got a chance to stand in the same ring as the man who punted him a couple of weeks ago and cost The Undisputed ERA the NXT Tag Team Championship. Then, Breezango teamed up with Isaiah "Swerve" Scott to compete against Legado del Fantasma in one of the best matches of the night.
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The final match of the night ended in chaos where The Velveteen Dream managed to bag another big opportunity, while Finn Balor likely met his next competitor.
Let's take a look at the five things WWE NXT got right on the episode before TakeOver: XXX.
#5 Dakota Kai regains her advantage heading into WWE NXT TakeOver: XXX
Dakota Kai took on Jessi Kamea on this week’s episode of NXT. She used her usual underhanded tactics throughout the match, but Kamea showed a lot of heart during the fight.
Kamea avoided the straight jacket and rolled up Kai for a two count. She continued the attack on the number one contender for the NXT Women’s Championship, but couldn't stay on the offense for too long.
"The Captain of Team Kick" picked up the victory moments later when delivered the Go To Kick and pinned Kamea.
After the match, Kai couldn't help but taunt the NXT Women’s Champion, Io Shirai. "The Joshi Judas" didn't care and looked to teach her challenger a lesson.
However, Raquel Gonzalez made a surprise return and delivered a big boot to Shirai. The two heels laid out the NXT Women’s Champion and stood tall at the end of the segment.
Gonzalez had been off of television for some time. Her return will bolster Kai’s chances of defeating Shirai for the NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver XXX. Now, the field seems uneven with the return of Kai’s bodyguard. This match will be much more exciting as the heels will have an advantage over the champion.
#4 Six men of WWE NXT put on a great tag team match
A big six-man tag team match took center stage on WWE NXT this week as Breezango teamed up with Isaiah "Swerve" Scott to compete against Legado del Fantasma.
Drake Maverick teamed up with Breezango against the same team several weeks ago in an unsuccessful attempt to halt the rise of the new stable.
The action started with a brawl. Afterward, the babyfaces seemed to have the upper hand. However, that didn't last for too long as Santos Escobar distracted Fandango which allowed Joaquin Wilde to knock him from the top rope.
After taking some punishment Fandango made the tag and Swerve was able to take the fight back to the heels. While he was setting up for a victory, an accidental tag to Tyler Breeze ruined the party. "Prince Pretty" could not carry on the momentum and Escobar caught him with a Phantom Driver to pick up the victory.
At this point, Escobar and his crew seem to be unstoppable. It will be interesting to see how Swerve does against the villainous character as he continues to chase the NXT Cruiserweight Championship.
#3 Johnny Gargano heads to WWE NXT TakeOver XXX
Ridge Holland prepared for his first singles match in WWE NXT against none-other-than the first Grand Slam Champion of the brand, Johnny Gargano. Both men looked to earn their way into the NXT North American Champion Ladder Match for TakeOver XXX.
Holland used his size and power well during the contest as he easily overpowered the much smaller Gargano. However, "The Rebel Heart" delivered a suicide dive to get back in the game and relied on his speed and experience to wear the larger man down.
A scoop slam went horribly wrong as Gargano landed awkwardly and looked daze. However, he showed why he’s the best in the business when got back up to his feet and got down to business again.
After a distraction from Candice LeRae, Ridge took a low blow behind the referee’s back. Afterward, Gargano picked up the victory with One Final Beat.
This was a good match but that one bad botch scared the WWE Universe. Holland is still new to the game. NXT did well to give the man a good chance and protected him in the finish.
Gargano needs to continue to be a fixture with NXT. It’s good to see him en route to TakeOver for another big match. After all, what’s NXT TakeoVer without Johnny TakeOver?
#2 Adam Cole and Pat McAfee get in the ring before WWE NXT TakeOver XXX
It’s been a long time since Adam Cole hasn't been champion heading into a big event, but that doesn’t mean that "The Panama City Playboy" won’t get a big match for WWE NXT TakeOver XXX.
After Pat McAfee punted Cole a couple of weeks ago, the former NXT Champion called out the NFL Pro to the middle of the ring this week. McAfee answered the call without hesitation and brought a few NFL buddies with him to even the odds against The Undisputed ERA.
Both men agreed to leave their boys outside the ring and started trash-talking. McAfee told Cole that he was on a different level compared to the former NXT Champion, and he will shut him up for good at TakeOver XXX.
Cole tried to get in his challenger’s face, but security had to step in and take the fall to save the action for the big event.
This was a good setup for a match that will likely draw more attention than usual. Allowing the two men to speak their minds without getting physical allows NXT to keep the action fresh for Saturday where the former NXT Champion could have some trouble against an NFL Pro.
#1 Velveteen Dream slays The Prince to head to WWE NXT TakeOver XXX
After Velveteen Dream returned to WWE NXT last week and turned heel following his Triple Threat Match against Cameron Grimes and KUSHIDA, he had a second chance against Finn Balor.
Both men looked to secure the final spot in the NXT North American Championship Ladder Match at NXT TakeOver XXX. There was no telling who had the upper hand heading into the contest.
While Balor had control, Grimes arrived to taunt both the men and distracted them for a while. The distraction allowed Dream to superplex Balor off the top rope to take advantage.
Johnny Gargano walked out to tip Grimes off the ladder and chaos ensued. Balor and Dream took out Grimes while Bronson Reed and Damian Priest arrived to lay out Gargano. Priest then turned his attention to the "Thicc Boi" and took him out with a big kick.
During the chaos, Timothy Thatcher slipped in and attacked Balor, allowing Dream to hit a Death Valley Driver followed by the Purple Rainmaker to pick up the victory.
After the match, AusZilla took out everyone and stood tall with the NXT North American Championship.
This was a good match that allowed all the Superstars booked for Saturday’s match to get involved. Having Thatcher attack Balor was a good move as it protects the bigger Superstar and allows him to build towards his next rivalry. As for Dream, he needs to do something big to become a crowd-favorite once again.
