Takeover: In Your House 2021: Return Of The Karate Fighters

Takeover: In Your House 2021
Date: June 13, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Beth Phoenix, Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph

We’re back to this series but in this case, the card isn’t looking like the strongest in the world. That has been the case for some of the last few of these have not exactly had a great build. I’m not sure what to expect from this one, as the main event is a five way match for the NXT Title. Let’s get to it.

The opening video is a pretty standard look at every match on the card.

Naomi Fox performs the theme song live.

There seems to be a full capacity of fans here, making the show feel much more like classic NXT.

Here’s Todd Pettengill (who looks and sounds the same, albeit with a beard) to welcome us to the show.

Tag Team Titles/North American Title: MSK/Bronson Reed vs. Legado del Fantasma

Legado is challenging and it’s winner take all. We get a nice shot of Legado putting their masks on the apron before Lee and Mendoza go with a fast pinfall reversal sequence to start. Lee flips out of a headscissors to land on his feet and it’s off to Wilde to send Carter into the corner. A dropkick sends Wilde into the corner so Escobar comes in for the big staredown with Reed.

As expected, Escobar tags Mendoza back in rather than face the monster. A blind tag brings Escobar back in for a cheap shot to the head, but for some reason Escobar tries a slam. This goes as badly as expected and it’s MSK taking turns on Wilde. MSK holds Wilde up for a running backsplash from Reed but Carter gets sent outside. The parade of alternating dives is on with Reed’s big one knocking out everyone else. Back in and Lee gets taken down, including an elevated 450 from Wilde.

Lee manages to roll over for the tag to Reed though and house is cleaned in a hurry. Reed wants Escobar, who somehow manages a Michinoku Driver to stun Reed for two. It’s already back to Carter, who gets caught in the Russian legsweep/running boot to the face. Lee dives in for the save in a pretty hot near fall but Reed comes back in to wreck things. The big charge sends Escobar through the set, leaving Wilde to take the Blockbuster Hart Attack. Reed adds the Tsunami to retain at 12:29.

Rating: B-. This took some time to get going but there were some hot near falls, including a good false finish with Carter. Reed is a force of nature though and that Tsunami is an awesome finisher which looks great every time. It was a hot choice for an opener here and while I’m not surprised at the result, Reed vs. Escobar should be a good singles match down the line.

Earlier today, Kyle O’Reilly nearly got in a fight with the Way in the parking lot but security broke it up.

Todd Pettengill throws us to a video (as in a tape) of Xia Li losing to Mercedes Martinez in the 2017 Mae Young Classic, but McKenzie Mitchell says it’s all digital now. Todd calls her Stephanie Wiand in a joke a lot of people probably won’t get.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Xia Li

Boa is here with Li. Martinez starts fast and knocks Li to the apron but Li ties her up in the ropes. They head outside with Li sending her into the post, starting the XIA LI chants. Martinez’s bad ribs are wrapped around the post and a running dropkick sends her outside again. Back in and Martinez gets smart by kicking at Li’s legs to give her an opening.

Li manages to send her back into the corner but charges into a hot shot. Something like a Razor’s Edge Dominator gets two on Li and Martinez hits a running knee to the face to send her outside. Boa’s distraction doesn’t do much for Li, who is backdropped onto the floor. Back in and Martinez loads up the Air Raid Crash but Li slips out for the spinning kick to the face and the pin at 7:40.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what that was as it felt like they were getting into another gear and then the match just ended. Li is a monster and beating Martinez means something but it wasn’t exactly a match that felt like it belonged on Takeover. This could have been a fairly hot TV match but the sudden ending and pretty short run time hurt it a bit.

Post match Li grabs a chair but Martinez takes it away and drops Boa. Some chair shots put Li down but Mei Ying gets up for the staredown. Martinez gets caught in a Tongan Death Grip and, after shrugging off some chair shots, throws Martinez into a cage wall to leave her laying.

Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher are REALLY fired up to fight the Grizzled Young Veterans on Tuesday.

Ted DiBiase narrates a video on the history and value of the Million Dollar Title. It matters the most because it costs the most and now it is time to find someone to carry on its legacy. That will be either Cameron Grimes or LA Knight, who can fight for it in a ladder match.

Million Dollar Title: LA Knight vs. Cameron Grimes

Ladder match for the vacant title, which Ted DiBiase and some lackeys bring to the ring in a case. They shove each other to start and the fans are behind Grimes. Some chops have Knight staggered and a clothesline puts him down. Grimes knocks him to the floor and grabs the ladder but Knight gets in a cheap shot. The ladder is thrown at Grimes but only hits the floor, meaning Knight settles for a hard clothesline instead.

They pull each other off the ladder until Knight uses it to knock him outside. Grimes sends him outside, where Knight grabs his own ladder to begin the ladder jousting. Knight gets knocked outside in a heap with the ladder being driven into his ribs. For some reason Grimes goes after him and gets laddered down as well. Knight strikes the pose on the steps and sends Grimes into the barricade (Knight to the fans: “YOU WANT TO MEET HIM???”).

Back inside and Knight hits a slingshot shoulder but Grimes sends him into the corner. A crotching with the ladder misses though and Knight neckbreakers him onto the ladder. The big ladder is set up with Grimes being sent face first. Grimes is right back with a whip to send Knight face first into the ladder in the corner and it’s time to kick at Knight’s chest. Knight gets tossed over the top and onto a bridged ladder, so Grimes wants THAT GOLD! He means the gold ladder and gets his hand on the title but has to shove Knight off the ladder.

That’s fine with Knight, who shoves the ladder over for the big crash. A double knockdown leaves them both on the mat before Knight sends him onto the ramp. They fight to the floor, with Grimes being sent into a ladder, which he climbs in a hurry. Grimes climbs onto the set to dive down onto Knight for another knockdown. Knight makes a save but gets knocked down and hurricanranaed out to the floor. That lets Grimes climb but Knight knocks him over with the big crash onto a ladder on the ramp. Knight pulls down the title for the win at 19:25.

Rating: B. It checked all of the ladder match boxes but that’s about all I can give this one. Ladder matches are just so completely played out in WWE and NXT these days and it’s hard to get excited about another one. This had dives, drama and crashes, but almost nothing that you haven’t seen in a more memorable version elsewhere. Knight winning makes sense, though I’m hoping Grimes wins something sooner rather than later.

DiBiase presents Knight with the title.

Hit Row interrupts Todd Pettengill’s merchandise shilling and plugs their new song.

We recap Ember Moon challenging Raquel Gonzalez for the Women’s Title. Moon has been back for a little while now and wants the title back. Gonzalez is ready to destroy her to continue her legacy, but the Eclipse is a dangerous weapon.

Women’s Title: Raquel Gonzalez vs. Ember Moon

Gonzalez is defending and has Dakota Kai in her corner. Moon starts fast by hammering away in the corner but has to counter the lifting powerbomb. Gonzalez sends her outside and hard into the barricade for two back inside. A sunset flip doesn’t work for Moon and Gonzalez tosses her into the corner again. There’s a side slam to set up a twisting Vader Bomb for two more on Moon, followed by the Canadian backbreaker.

Moon gets out and fires off some kicks, including a superkick into a Code Red for two. Kai has to save Gonzalez from the modified STF so Moon is back up with a suicide dive to knock Gonzalez over the announcers’ table. Back in and a running Downward Spiral gives Moon two but Kai offers another distraction to break up the Eclipse. Gonzalez is right back up with a superplex but the lifting powerbomb is countered into a rollup for (another rather slow) two.

A big boot gives Gonzalez two so she loads up a suplex, which is countered into a spinning Stunner. The Eclipse connects but Kai puts the foot on the rope. Cue Shotzi Blackheart to chase Kai off as Moon tornado DDTs Gonzalez onto the ramp. That gets a rather delayed two so Moon tries a headscissors, only to get caught in Snake Eyes. The lifting powerbomb retains the title at 12:07.

Rating: B. I was getting into this one a good bit and the time helped it. What mattered here was Moon felt like someone who might have had a chance to win the title, which is hard to do against a monster like Gonzalez. Beating Moon means something for her too, so it was a good way to go for both of them, as Gonzalez gets a nice title defense and Moon looks like a player again.

Todd Pettengill plays Karate Fighters (now that feels like it belongs on this show) with Dexter Lumis but makes the mistake of asking him about his love life. Lumis stops the game and crushes one of the fighters, with Todd declaring him the winner.

We recap the NXT Title match with Karrion Kross defending against most of the main event scene. Kross wants to fight everyone at once and it has been near chaos as everyone wants to go after each other.

Johnny Gargano is on his way to the ring and sees Shotzi Blackheart having to be held back from Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez. William Regal continues to lose control.

NXT Title: Karrion Kross vs. Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly

Kross is defending and it is one fall to a finish. It’s a big brawl to start (of course) with Kross tossing people around. O’Reilly goes for a kneebar to slow Kross down but he powers out without much trouble. Gargano is back in to strike away at Kross, setting up a running hurricanrana. Dunne pulls Gargano down and ties him into the ring skirt to hammer away but Kross is back up to suplex both of them at once.

It’s O’Reilly getting back up to strike away at everyone, including some shots to Cole’s face. The cross armbreaker goes on but Dunne grabs one on O’Reilly to break it up. Gargano gets in on the parade of holds until Kross breaks it up. Kross wants Cole, who bails up the ramp. That nearly earns him a powerbomb on the ramp but Cole rakes the eyes to save himself. Gargano and Dunne shove Kross through the house door in the set.

Back in and Cole hits the fireman’s carry neckbreaker for two on O’Reilly but Gargano comes back to put Cole in the Tree of Woe. Dunne is back too but the Bitter End is countered into a DDT to give Gargano two. We get an accidental Undisputed Era reunion as some double teaming puts Dunne down but everyone gets dropped. Cole is smart enough to cover Gargano for two and it’s time to get back up for the next Cole vs. O’Reilly slugout. O’Reilly gets kicked into the ropes, where Kross is back up to pull him to the floor.

That means Kross can wreck everyone until he is left alone with Gargano. A huge release F5 sends Gargano flying for two but Dunne makes the save. Gargano knocks Dunne outside for a suicide dive, earning himself a superkick from Cole. The slingshot spear is countered but so is the Panama Sunrise, with hitting a sunset driver for two. Everyone pulls themselves back up so it’s time for a string of oddball double teamings until Gargano has to break up O’Reilly’s fisherman’s belly to back suplex on Cole.

Kross is back in to hit a bunch of running corner clotheslines but everyone gets together to take him down again. Another series of strikes gives us another five way knockdown for a breather. It’s Kross up first again with a German suplex on Cole, setting up some posing. Cole and O’Reilly get together one more time to powerbomb Kross onto the announcers’ table, leaving everyone but Kross to slug it out inside. Dunne and O’Reilly grab holds but opt to slug it out instead.

O’Reilly gets the better of it until Cole comes back in for the brainbuster onto the knee for two. Dunne’s enziguri hits Gargano (though he was aiming for Cole) so Gargano and Cole double superkick his moonsault out of the air. Gargano is back in with One Final Beat to Cole for two and it’s a double Gargano Escape. O’Reilly breaks that up but gets shoved off the top. Cole hits the Panama Sunrise on Gargano but walks all the way around to cover so Dunne can pull him out at two (that looks so dumb).

Kross is back up to slug it out with Dunne, who grabs the Bitter End for two of his own. A triangle choke has Kross out but everyone else makes the save. It’s time for Dunne to start hurting fingers but Kross Doomsday Saitos Dunne and Cole at the same time. The Krossjacket Choke is countered with a snapped finger and there’s the One Final Beat to drop Dunne.

Kross is back up with the Krossjacket Choke to Gargano but that’s broken up as well. O’Reilly hits the top rope knee to Kross with Cole making the save. Cole gets pulled into O’Reilly’s heel hook but Kross grabs the Krossjacket Choke to knock O’Reilly out and retain at 26:15.

Rating: B+. This was all action and fun, but I never could shake the feeling that it was all a big exercise until Kross retained the title. They did a good job of giving everyone a moment, even if it was finding ways to slow Kross down. The interesting thing now is who faces Kross next, as it isn’t like anyone is going to be seen as a serious threat to him one on one. I’m not sure how many of these guys are going to be sticking around NXT with the return to the road coming soon for WWE, but more than one of them seem ready for the call up.

Kross and Scarlett pose with the title.

We cut to William Regal leaving, but first he says that he has never seen such bedlam in his time in NXT. Maybe it’s time for a change. Regal walks off to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. That’s going to put it on the lower end of Takeovers, though it was certainly a good show. The problem here is there was no must see match, with a bunch of above average though not exactly blow away stuff. The main event was the best part of the show, but it didn’t quite feel like anything significant happened (save for the end, which is going to get some more attention on Tuesday). Overall, it’s another more than fine Takeover, but they need some kind of a big story to energize things around here.

Results

Bronson Reed/MSK b. Legado del Fantasma – Tsunami to Wilde

Xia Li b. Mercedes Martinez – Spinning kick to the face

LA Knight b. Cameron Grimes – Knight pulled the title down

Raquel Gonzalez b. Ember Moon – Lifting powerbomb

Karrion Kross b. Pete Dunne, Kyle O’Reilly, Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano – Krossjacket Choke to O’Reilly

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