NXT TakeOver: In Your House - Ranking the build-up to every match

NXT TakeOver: In Your House is the first TakeOver event since February.
NXT TakeOver: In Your House is the first TakeOver event since February.

NXT TakeOver: In Your House is all set to air tonight. It will be the first TakeOver event since February's NXT TakeOver: Portland. Therefore, expectations are pretty high from the Black and Gold brand to deliver a quality Pay-Per-View.

One of the main reasons why fans look forward to a Pay-Per-View is that it features blowoffs to the feuds they have been closely following for weeks and even months. Imagine witnessing two of your favorite superstars in a heated rivalry finally getting to settle their differences at a PPV. Pumps up the adrenaline, doesn't it?

Similarly, NXT TakeOver: In Your House features different matches with a considerable history behind them. While the build-up to some of these matches has been exceptional so far, the story behind others could have been developed more on NXT.

So, without any further ado, let's rank the build-up to every single match that is being currently advertised for tonight's big show!


#6 NXT TakeOver: In Your House - Mia Yim, Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox vs. Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai and Raquel González

This match features multiple storylines. Dakota Kai and Tegan Nox have been feuding since November. Their rivalry began when Kai betrayed Nox at last year's WarGames event. Up until now, the Queen of Kicks has been getting the best of her former best friend, thanks to her association with Raquel González. Nox, on the other hand, has found an ally in Shotzi Blackheart.

As for Mia Yim and Candice LeRae, their rivalry is fairly new. It began shortly after LeRae turned to the "dark side" after helping her husband win against his arch-rival, Tommaso Ciampa. LeRae and Gargano have been feuding against Mia Yim and Keith Lee simultaneously. The "Poison Pixie" even outsmarted Mia Yim this past week on Wednesday during a mixed tag bout. So, expect the HBIC to seek retribution tonight.

#5 NXT TakeOver: In Your House - Finn Bálor vs. Damian Priest

There's no doubt that this contest will be a hard-hitting one. However, the actual build-up hasn't done justice to the "big fight" feel this match carries going into NTX TakeOver: In Your House. The story can be dated back to the April 22, 2020 edition of NXT on which the Prince was scheduled to face Velveteen Dream in a singles match. However, as soon as the show kicked off, it was reported that Finn Bálor was involved in a "locker room" incident and was nowhere to be found, confirming an attack.

A few weeks later, Damian Priest revealed himself as the attacker and cost Bálor his match against Cameron Grimes. The two haven't interacted a lot to add heat to their rivalry. Instead, they have been promoting the fight via vignettes and social media posts.

It will be interesting to see whether the former NXT Champion avenges the heinous attacks launched on him over the last couple of months or the Archer of Infamy makes an example out of the lone wolf.

The intrigue is there. However, the build-up could have been better.

#4 NXT TakeOver: In Your House - Keith Lee vs. Johnny Gargano for the NXT North American Championship

"Johnny Wrestling pursuing gold" has always made for a good and wholesome story. However, the circumstances are different this time around. The NXT Grand Slam champion has been portraying a different character lately from the one he has been playing for most of his WWE run so far and is once again hungry for gold on NXT TakeOver tonight.

After Johnny Gargano took care of his arch-nemesis, Tommaso Ciampa, he set his sights on the valuable prize that Keith Lee proudly carries over his shoulder. While there's no doubt that Lee and Gargano are capable of putting on a stellar match for the fans, they could have benefited more if there was a unique and well-crafted storyline to support the program too.

However, NXT has done a fairly good job so far with this rivalry, considering the amount of time it had to build up this feud from scratch. Gargano even got heat on the most recent edition of NXT as he laid out the champ with a sneak attack.

I would recommend you to check the "in-house" segment in which Keith Lee and Mia Yim took not-so-subtle shots at Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae.With all four members of these power couples working at NXT TakeOver tonight, it's a must watch.

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#3 NXT TakeOver: In Your House - Adam Cole vs. Velveteen Dream in a Last Chance Backlot Brawl for the NXT Championship

There are several reasons why this is one of the most highly anticipated NXT TakeOver matches for the fans. For starters, it is for the top prize of the Black and Gold brand. Moreover, it is expected to be a unique fight that will be cinematic in nature. Lastly, the feud between Velveteen Dream and the Undisputed Era can be dated back to last summer when Velveteen Dream retained his North American Title in a Triple Threat against Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne at NXT TakeOver: Toronto..

The feud gradually turned into Dream vs. the Undisputed Era. The golden boys of NXT were even credited for injuring the former Tough Enough contestant in October last year. Upon the Dream's return earlier this year, the feud resumed. After facing Roderick Strong a couple of times, the Dream made his intentions clear of going after the top prize, the NXT title.

Adam Cole defeated Velveteen Dream in a highly entertaining back-and-forth match a few weeks ago, thanks to an assist from his UE stablemates. However, a loss didn't stop the Dream from haunting Adam Cole. Therefore, a Backlot Brawl between the two was set up for NXT TakeOver: In Your House with the stipulation that if Cole wins, then Dream wouldn't be able to challenge for the NXT title until it's in the possession of the former Bullet Club member.

Expect the mysterious Dexter Lumis to do everything in his power to ensure that a fair fight ensues between the champion and challenger.

This match surely has our attention. Will Dream finally be able to secure his position at the top or will the longest reigning NXT champion continue to dominate his kingdom (no pun intended)? So many questions will be answered with this clash!

#2 NXT TakeOver: In Your House - Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Io Shirai for the NXT Women's Championship

Talk about a match with star power, an actual story behind the rivalry, and high expectations. This triple threat match is going to be one for the ages. When three of the most talented women on the WWE roster battle, expect a lot of drama to follow. After dethroning Rhea Ripley at Wrestlemania 36, Charlotte Flair has been running rampant across NXT, RAW, and SmackDown (occasionally).

Enter Io Shirai, who became the #1 contender for the NXT Women's title after winning a highly competitive ladder match back in April. However, her match with the Queen didn't have a clear result. In the meantime, the previous champion, Rhea Ripley made her return and set her sights on the championship. This caused friction between Shirai and the Nightmare as well.

Until now, all three superstars have done their part to make this feud seem like a big deal with a proper build-up. It will be interesting to see how things unfold tonight when the Queen defends her title against Rhea Ripley and Io Shirai.

#1 NXT TakeOver: In Your House - Karrion Kross (with Scarlett) vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Topping this list is the blood feud between the Blackheart and NXT's new prospect, Karrion Kross. To say that the build-up to this match has been anything short of spectacular would be an understatement.

After teasing their NXT debut for a while, the Herald of Doomsday and Scarlett appeared on the scene by taking out Tommaso Ciampa. There's no doubt that Karrion Kross is being groomed as the next big thing. And kicking off his NXT journey by going after one of Black and Yellow brand's top superstars is a sure indication of that.

Expect Karrion Kross to absolutely dominate the former NXT Champion tonight and continue his journey to the top of the food chain.

Although the two superstars involved in the feud in question haven't been brawling every single week, their feud is apparently the most heated one going on across all three WWE brands. The promo work has been excellent from both ends. The vignettes have been stellar. And finally, top-notch entrances will serve as the icing on the cake to make this feud a memorable one.

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Edited by Greg Bush
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