#1 Bronson Reed vs. Damian Priest vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Velveteen Dream in a Ladder Match for NXT North American Championship
This is the definition of a high-impact show-stealer. The Ladder Match for the NXT North American Championship got a considerable amount of hype heading into TakeOver: XXX. With the Triple Threat and Second Chance qualifiers, the build to the Ladder Match had been a highlight of the past month on WWE NXT. We have seen new Superstars highlighted as well as resurgence for others. The five participants each made a worthy case to become the next North American Champion.
However, with the lofty expectations set the Ladder Match back at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans that determined the first champion, many questioned if this match could be just as great. The short answer is yes. This high stakes, physical contest delivered in every possible way. For over 20 minutes, the five competitors were highlighted and each of them performed some fantastic sequences and spots that ramped up the intensity in every moment.
We saw Cameron Grimes show off his stellar charisma and comedy with a unique spot where he was forced to do a split between two ladders. We witnessed Bronson Reed's awesome agility for a man over 300 lbs. with a huge splash off the top of a ladder on to Johnny Wrestling with Johnny's wife, Candice LaRae, on his back. Johnny Gargano and Velveteen Dream both showed their heel characters with being conniving and sneaky throughout, while Damian Priest delivered some high impact strikes and offense in this one.
There was so much innovation in this NXT North American Title contest as well. The Tower of Doom in which Reed powerbombed Grimes while Cameron performed a German Suplex to Gargano, who gave Dream a Superplex, was one of many highlights of that in this epic. Another standout highlight had to be Gargano giving Grimes a sunset powerbomb onto a ladder bridge, which Cameron barely grazed. Every individual also showed their distinct characters and were elevated due to the performances in this match.
In the end, it looked as if Cameron Grimes would launch "to the moon" by winning, only for Johnny Wrestling to cut him off and knock him off the ladder. However, Gargano could not win a tug of war with Damian Priest, who nailed the former NXT Champion with a huge kick to knock him off the top. The Archer of Infamy then took down the gold to win his first singles title in NXT.
This Ladder Match delivered the best match on NXT TakeOver: XXX. It elevated each competitor, the NXT North American Championship and the entire event as a whole. That is quite the accomplishment for a match that had huge shoes to fill. Damian Priest is a worthy successor to former champion Keith Lee as well. As a character who has been chasing the North American Championship for some time now, Priest gives us a champion that has many feuds that would entertain and a young star who can elevate his game in the process.