Sean Ross Sapp's NXT Takeover XXX Live Blog, Discussion

Top Contender Match
Breezango defeated Legado Del Fantasma and Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch

• Breezango are hard for me to take serious. Not because they aren't good, not because of the comedy gimmick, it's because they're constantly throttled and not given any big wins. This goes a long way in changing that. I don't think they're winning the titles, though.
• Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch are in that same spot. I never expect them to walk away with a win in any big matches.
• I think Breezango were the right picks to win this. LDF have the hot stable going, and Lorcan & Burch will keep doing their thing.

Finn Balor defeated Timothy Thatcher
6.25/10

• Vic Joseph in the house for NXT Takeover XXX.
• Thatcher grounds Finn Balor really well. It's cool to see Finn Balor working this style.
• Balor does the 1916, but his leg gave out on the Coup De Grace.
• Thatcher goes back to work on it. Balor applying some new submissions.
• Thatcher almost tapped out Balor with a half crab at one point.
• Balor picks up the win. Surprised they beat Thatcher, but not surprised they even anyone out at this point, since it's become Wednesday Night Raw. Balor losing twice in a week would have been bad too, though. A hard situation to book around.

NXT North American Championship
Ladder Match
Damian Priest defeated Finn Balor, Velveteen Dream, Bronson Reed, Johnny Gargano for the title
7/10

• Bronson Reed's gear rules. It's an ode to Bam Bam Bigelow.
• Priest and Dream make Cameron Grimes do the splits on a ladder.
• Priest gets upside-down superkicked by Gargano off a springboard.
• Dream throws a ladder into plexiglass
• Cameron Grimes catches Gargano with his Collision Course, but Bronson Reed is right behind with a dive.
• Damian Priest does a huge dive onto the pile running on a leaned ladder. Damian Priest willed that spot into happening.
• Gargano cracks Grimes with a ladder and helps Candice huracanrana Grimes onto a pile.
• Bronson is on the ladder, and Candice is on his back. Reed jumps off and splashed Gargano. That spot was amazing.
• There's a great shot of Priest emerging behind Dream on the ladder.
• A corkscrew sunset flip bomb on a bridged ladder from Gargano to Grimes almost goes awry, but looks great.
• Dream Valley Driver onto Gargano ON TOP of Priest, off the apron on a bridged ladder.
• Dream is knocked off a huge ladder over the barricade through tables.
• Grimes and Gargano are battling on top of the ladder, but Priest ends up grabbing and winning it!
• Priest should have been unbeaten and untouched since the Balor match.
• Damian Priest got into that hot tub with leather pants! What a high spot!

Adam Cole defeated Pat McAfee
7.5/10

• McAfee's GOONS are out there. This leads to an insane flip dive spot onto a pile from Pat.
• Pat is really good for a first match. Basic stuff. Kicks, punches, body slam.
• Cole fights back and is letting McAfee have it. Cole looks surprised when McAfee kicks out of an Ushigoroshi.
• Pat McAfee does a full backflip and lands on his feet off the ropes and jumps to the top rope for a superplex.
• McAfee ends up kicking the stairs on accident and Cole works over the leg with a Figure Four.
• McAfee kicks Cole in the sack and punts him!
• What more could you ask for out of a debut -- on Takeover against COLE!? I knew he'd end up looking good, but damn
• WHERE ARE THE PAT MCAFEE DOUBTERS!? WHERE ARE THE DOUBTERS?! SHOW YOURSELVES.
• Adam Cole vs. Pat McAfee is already on the very short list of greatest celebrity matches of all time.
• Cole wins with Panama Sunrise. Unreal.

NXT Women's Championship
Io Shirai defeated Dakota Kai (w/ Raquel Gonzalez)
6.75/10

• This is just downright good action.
• Kai's Scorpion Kick and Schoolboy Bomb hit well.
• The leaps Dakota Kai has made this year alone are insane.
• I hate the Del Rio stomp spot and will never enjoy it.
• Shirai has it won with a beautiful moonsault, but the referee is knocked out. Shirai's yell is hilarious.
• Raquel plans Io with a Tornado Bomb.
• Io kicks out and hits another great moonsault for the win.,
• Raquel attacks, but Rhea Ripley comes to make the save.
• I think Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Gonzalez qualifies as a Sirloin Beef Sunsabitches match.
• I hope they either don't have Ripley and Raquel touch each other until they have a match, or have them unable to be in the same building without a brutal war breaking out. No in between.

Other Stuff

• Tommaso Ciampa is back this week.

NXT Championship
Karrion Kross (w/ Scarlett Bordeaux) defeated Keith Lee (c) to win the title
6/10

• Lee accidentally punches out a piece of plexiglass, so the arm is gonna get worked over tonight.
• That's what happens. Several holds, throws into the buckle and such.
• Keith Lee breaks out of one armbar with a single arm powerbomb.
• This match is good, but definitely a slower pace than the rest of the night.
• It looks like Kross' shoulder is hurt. He still powers through a Saito Suplex.
• It seems like he's about to choke out Lee, but Lee is alive.
• Karrion Kross wins with a Doomsday Saito off the turnbuckles.
• I think Kross' shoulder is messed up.

Rating Guide
10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor

Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a "star rating," which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive "TV match" lands at a 5. The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones that may change upon a second viewing, or sitting on the match for a period of time. Don't take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!