Kevin’s NXT Review 8.12.20

We open with a recap of the Adam Cole/Pat McAfee angle from last week. There’s also a clip of the less interesting Karrion Kross stuff.

Danny Burch vs. Karrion Kross

This stems from Kross attacking Burch last week. Burch demands the bell rings and charges at Kross but is quickly put on the ground. He does manage a big dropkick that sends Kross back a bit but doesn’t keep him down. The same goes for the German suplex. Kross hits the Doomsday Saito a few times and then wins with the Krossjacket.

Winner: Karrion Kross in 3:59 [Mostly a squash to showcase Kross. I still don’t get it with him. NR]

Keith lee comes to the ring with purpose and he has a clipboard in hand. Kross and Scarlett exit. Lee reminds Kross that he agreed to face him. So, Kross keeps avoiding him because he’s a bitch. Since Kross is scared, Lee agreed to not lay a hand on Kross before their match and he drops the contract with his and Regal’s name. Scarlett brings it to Kross, who signs. Scarlett issues the contract and leaves it for Lee. He picks it up and opens it as a fireball explodes from it. Oh, so Scarlett has mythical powers? Medics run in to check on Lee as his face burns.

Drake Maverick vs. Killian Dain

As these guys made their entrances, we got a split-screen of Lee still being checked on. As we go full-screen, it goes back to split for commercial. Lee and Mia Yim leave in an ambulance. The Undisputed Era arrive after the break. Drake is fighting hard against his larger opponent. The match proves pointless as Undisputed Era hit the ring and take out both men for a no contest.

No Contest in 5:12 [While it wasn’t a squash, we barely saw this. The focus was on Keith Lee and commercials. NR]

They dispatch of Drake easily but it takes a few to get down Dain, capped by the Last Shot. Cole addresses Pat McAfee, telling that he’s in way over his head. He kicked him because his arms were behind his back. At TakeOver, he’ll face the longest-reigning NXT Champion. Cole promises to beat that ass.

A KUSHIDA vignette runs where he says he’ll b the next North American Champion.

Santos Escobar vs. Tyler Breeze

Santos sends his boys to the back to do this alone. Breeze comes out aggressively but is floored by a dropkick. They fight outside where Santos stays in control and targets the knee heading into break. Returning, things haven’t changed much. Breeze avoids the Phantom Driver and gets going, hitting a pair of corner forearms and the supermodel kick. El Legado del Fantasma run out and Breeze takes them out. However, it lets Santos hit the Phantom Driver.

Winner: Santos Escobar in 7:51 [A solid match but nothing to write home about. **1/2]

A battered Fandango comes out with his arm in a sling and a weapon. He does well but then Escobar takes him out with an enziguri. They keep up the beating until Isaiah Scott makes the save. Commentary reminds us that he’s the only man who has a win over Escobar.

A video package runs to hype Dakota Kai. She says that everyone has placed Io Shirai on a pedestal. She doesn’t believe it and has figured out how to beat her. She’s in Io’s head and keeps outsmarting the so called genius. At TakeOver, our captain becomes champion.

Indi Hartwell vs. Mia Yim

Mia says she barely got back from the hospital in time for this. Maybe she’s distracted as Hartwell starts off well until Mia goes after her knee. She gets two after the corner cannonball. Hartwell wears her down with a chinlock for a while but then starts slapping Yim around. Yim finds a way to roll Hartwell into a creative looking submission that ends it.

Winner: Mia Yim in 4:35 [Hartwell continues to do fine work in NXT, while Mia was her usual self. **]

A Finn Balor vignette runs where he explains that he’ll win the second chance North American TItle match qualifier.

Bronson Reed vs. Damian Priest

HOSS FIGHT. That’s the theme early on. It’s each guy trying to one up the other and showcase their power. Priest is first to go to athleticism for an advantage. They are evenly matched heading into break. Returning, Reed hits an avalanche but then Priest starts in with kicks, only to get hit with a fallaway slam and senton for two. Springboard somersault senton by Priest, keeping the back and forth going. Priest gets two on the Broken Arrow. He is caught springboarding into a powerslam. Reed misses the splash. Priest wants the Reckoning but Reed counters into a jackknife pin to win.

Winner: Bronson Reed in 11:27 [It got interrupted by the commercial, like everything tonight. However, after returning from break, it was filled with action. Like a mini version of Lee/Dijakovic. ***1/4]

It’s time for Io Shirai’s video response to Dakota Kai. She got Dakota’s message but doesn’t know why she’s acting like a big star. Before she turned on Tegan, nobody cared about Dakota. Io says that Dakota uses people. When she looks at Dakota, she still sees the scared girl who couldn’t stand up to Shayna Baszler. At TakeOver, she’ll be terrified of Io, too. Io says Dakota’s not in her head, she just pissed her off.

A Cameron Grimes vignette ran to hype him ahead of the main event.

Aliyah and Mercedes Martinez vs. Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter

Robert Stone cuts a promo about how hot his brand has been. He offers Kacy a spot on the team, saying she hangs out with the wrong people. She goes to slap him and as he ducks, she kicks him in the leg. Then, she snaps off a rana on Martinez to start. Kayden and Kacy work a really fast double team series of moves on Aliyah, capped by a Kacy senton. They do another series, capped by stereo superkicks. Martinez gets the tag and kicks ass going into break. Returning, Martinez directs traffic to lead Aliyah and they isolate Carter. Kacy gets the hot tag and is fun at it but Martinez ultimately puts her down with an Air Raid Crash.

Winner: Mercedes Martinez in 7:51 [I really like Kacy and Kayden together, while Martinez and Aliyah worked well together. This was good. **3/4]

Aliyah celebrates in a big way but Martinez acts like she’s been there before. Rhea Ripley’s music hits and Martinez steps in front of Aliyah to handle it. Robert and Aliyah leave the ring but Martinez charges. She eats a boot and Rhea gets going until Aliyah interrupts. Then, Shotzi Blackheart shows up and evens the odds, sending the Robert Stone Brand packing.

We’re invited to the Gargano home. They do their goofy slow motion gimmick again. Candice tells a fairytale and Johnny calls himself the Wednesday Knight as he climbs a ladder. He says Priest and that THICC BOI guy is good but they’re no Johnny Gargano. You can’t have a TakeOver without Johnny TakeOver. He faces Ridge Holland next week.

Timothy Thatcher gives another lesson in Thatch’s Thatch Can.

NEXT WEEK ~ Adam Cole and Pat McAfee face to face! Breezango and Isaiah Scott vs. Legado del Fantasma! Plus, the second chance qualifying matches!

NXT North American Championship Qualifying Match: Cameron Grimes vs. KUSHIDA vs. Velveteen Dream

Dream is the mystery entrant. Quick start with everyone getting in offense. The highlight was KUSHIDA with a swinging DDT on Dream to the outside. Grimes crotches him heading into break. Returning, the fast action continues. Grimes and Dream end up trading blows outside until KUSHIDA takes Dream out with a somersault. Inside KUSHIDA slaps on a submission on Grimes. Dream interrupts and escapes the Hoverboard Lock. However, KUSHIDA gets it back on as a counter to the DVD. Grimes then takes KUSHIDA out with the Cave In and sends Dream outside to beat KUSHIDA.

Winner: Cameron Grimes in 8:56 [It felt rushed and was kind of ho-hum, with nothing special about it. **1/2]

After Grimes leaves, Dream enters the ring and slaps KUSHIDA. He chases a referee away and attacks KUSHIDA again. His blonde goatee must’ve made him heel. Finn Balor hits the ring for a standoff as they meet next week.

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

There wasn't anything that stood out this week, unlike Rhea/Dakota last week. It did do a lot with vignettes and such to build towards TakeOver. The Kross stuff remains corny and there were a few solid matches to make this a relatively easy watch.