NXT Takeover - Vengeance Day

 

The Vengeance name is back for Valentine's day - with a nice little devil horn look to it that works pretty well. Balor faces Pete Dunne in the main event, while Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez face off with Io for the women's title. Dusty Classic finals are tonight and Johnny Takeover battles KUSHIDA - and that should be incredible. The pre-show features a Dusty promo-filled hype video for the Dusty Classic - and shockingly, that makes it a great video.

Eli Drake debuts as LA Knight and he's here to talk to ya. Johnny-KUSHIDA hype video makes their match out to be an epic in the waiting. A Josiah Williams Valentine's day song airs to hype the show up and does that nicely - with him in it visibly too. Women's Dusty cup finals start things off with Dakota and Raquel facing Shotzi and Ember. Shotzi and Ember are so fun together. 

Ember locks an octopus on Raquel, who sideslams her down. Raquel fights off a double-team and throws Ember out and then drops down for 2 on Shotzi to avoid a sunset flip. Shotzi pulls Dakota off the buckle into a cloverleaf, which gets turned into a half crab. Ember takes over for a kneebar, and gets booted. Dakota slams Ember down for 2 before Shotzi sentons her to break it up. Raquel catches Shotzi off an apron rana and powerbombs her into the plexiglass. Shotzi jumps through Ember's legs through the ropes and Ember cradles Raquel for 2. Raquel tosses Ember off the stage and Shotzi double-jumps onto her for 2. 

Shotzi backdrops Dakota onto Raquel on the ramp before Raquel takes her out and she tosses Dakota onto Shotzi. Rampage bomb with a double-person pin ends it. This was good-ish and pretty fun. KUSHIDA-Johnny hype video sets up KUSHIDA out first. Barrett gets in a YOU'RE EITHER NEXUS OR AGAINST US and Beth buries him for that. TREMENDOUS shot of KUSHIDA on the buckle before Barrett asks how to spell core - one R or 2. Great bit there.

Quick martwork starts things off before KUSHIDA goes for the Gargano Escape, but Johnny gets the ropes. FOREARMSAPLENTY! Apron superkick by Johnny, but a cross armbreaker on the mat gives KUSHIDA an edge. Johnny hits a neckbreaker on the ropes to regain the advantage. An Aloha Johnny is avoided and Kushida gets 2 off a sunset flip. SNAP GERMAN by Kushida! Hammerlock northern lights gets 2 for Kushida, who then hits a running divorce court-of-sorts on the buckle. He wants a hoverboard lock off the top, but Johnny avoids it but lands a run-up tornado DDT for 2. Kneeling forearm battle leads to a Johnny Escape, but Kushida turns it into the hoverboard lock. LAWNDART BY JOHNNY! FLYING ARMBAR OFF THE TOP BY KUSHIDA! Hoverboard lock leads to it being done on the floor and Johnny runs him into the barricade. Kushida JUMPS INTO THE KIMURA, but gets tossed off into a slingshot. Brainbuster on the ramp and the outside-in DDT ends it and Johnny retains. This ruled!  

Grizzled Young Vets vs. MSK is up...but first NETWORK ISSUES. They talk about Nash's dad loving wrestling and Gibson works him over on the mat and then Drake does the same with a headlock. Gibson comes in and hammers the neck with elbows before wearing him out with an overhand armlock. Nash Carter's Robert Gibson impression is lacking.  He's just taking a shit-kicking. Wes/Dez tags in and RUNS WILD WITH SLICK K ICKS. He gets worked over before Wentz comes back in and gets beaten up. Ticket to Mayhem, but Wes saves him! Hart attack blockbuster ends it and MSK WINS IT! 

A CAMERON GRIMES RAP AIRS! This is by a wide margin the greatest character video in ages. Mercedes is out, followed by Toni - who just has IT. Triple threat submission is applied but they end it. Double stomp by Io to Mercedes off the top. Io dives off the lighting area mid-way onto  both. V TRIGGERS BY MERCEDES followed by a series of kamigoyes. Fisherman buster gets 2, but Storm  clonk headbutts her.  Storm Zero gets 2 before a diving headbutt hits, but IO'S MOONSAULT HITS! Mercedes drops the fall and Io's reign continues. This was good - but was missing something.

Balor and Dunne is up and Balor works the arm. Dunne locks on a triangle before tearing up the arm on the mat. Network issues. Dunne gets a finger snap and the Bitter End gets 2.9. He goes for another, but eats a reverse 1916 and a double stomp to the back. Balor takes the mouthpiece out and nails a shotgun dropkick and a coup de grace! 1916 hits and it's indeed a Bloody Sunday at Vengance Day. Balor poses, but Lorcan and Burch attack. TUE IS OUT FOR A SAVE! KOR and Finn stare down and KOR TAKES HIM OUT which leads to COLE TAKING HIM OUT. Roddy stands behind for a bit to build up whose side he's on. This was a great finish for the show and a solid cliffhanger for NXT.