NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2020 aired live from the Capitol Wrestling Center tonight. Undisputed Era battled the Kings of NXT in a WarGames match in the main event.
WarGames Results
- Team Candice def. Team Shotzi
- Tommaso Ciampa def. Timothy Thatcher
- Dexter Lumis def. Cameron Grimes
- Johnny Gargano def. Leon Ruff, Damian Priest to become the new North American Champion
- Undisputed Era def. Kings of NXT
Here are the takeaways from the PPV:
Team Candice Won An Epic WarGames Match
Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez and Toni Storm) & Team Shotzi (Ember Moon, Io Shirai, Rhea Ripley and Shotzi Blackheart) battled in a WarGames match to begin the show.
Dakota Kai and Ember Moon began the match. Kai got Moon in a Sleeper Hold in the middle of the ring. Ember broke free and sent Kai to the corner of the ring. Moon connected with a Splash and followed it up with a kick to the face. Ember hit Kai with a Senton and Dakota tried to escape to the other ring.
Kai caught Moon with a Clothesline and unloaded some punches to the face. Moon sent Kai to the apron and hit her with a Crossbody into the cage. Moon climbed to the top rope but Dakota connected with a kick to the face. Dakota booted Moon to the canvas and followed it up with the Kairopractor.
Shotzi then entered the match and brought a crowbar and a tool box into the ring. Shotzi hit Dakota with a Dropkick and followed it up with a Bulldog. Ember lifted Kai up in the Electric Chair and Shotzi connected with a Dropkick as an “NXT!” chant broke out.
Raquel Gonzalez entered the match and Moon & Shotzi teamed up on her. Raquel knocked them both to the canvas with a Clothesline and a big boot. Gonzalez Powerbombed Shotzi into the cage. Raquel put Dakota on her shoulders and swung her around for a kick to Ember’s face.
Kai booted Ember in the face again and Raquel followed it up with a Powerslam. Dakota leaped from one ring to the other and leveled Moon and Blackheart. Rhea Ripley entered the match and had a stare down with Raquel. Kai attacked Rhea from behind but she sent her to the canvas with a punch.
Ripley booted Gonzalez in the face and unloaded a few knee strikes on Kai. Rhea and Raquel traded punches on the partition between the two rings as the countdown began for the next superstar. Toni Storm entered for Team Candice and she brought some kendo sticks into the ring.
Storm planted Ripley with a German Suplex and then hit her in the ribs a couple times with the kendo stick. Storm exposed the turnbuckle and slammed Ripley into it. Toni planted Ember with a Suplex as Raquel beat Shotzi down with a kendo stick in the corner.
NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai was the final member of Team Blackheart to enter the match. Io slid a ladder into the ring but Raquel slammed the door in her face. Io got up and brought some chairs into the ring as well. Shirai tried to enter the ring but Raquel kicked her in the face and shut the door once again.
Io tried to climb up the cage but Raquel sent her back to the floor by Powerbombing Shotzi into the cage. Candice LeRae was the final superstar to enter the match. Indi Hartwell attacked Io from behind and then locked the cage with Shirai still on the floor outside the ring.
Candice, Dakota, and Raquel beat the hell out of Shotzi with kendo sticks as booed echoed throughout the Capitol Wrestling Center. Io Shirai put a garbage can over her head and leaped onto everyone from on top of the cage and the match officially began.
Shirai spiked Raquel to the canvas with an awesome DDT and followed it up with a Flapjack to Candice. Ripley launched Toni into the steel cage as Moon slammed Kai to the canvas. Shirai hit Raquel with a Dropkick and followed it up with a Moonsault. Io went for the cover but Team Candice broke it up at two.
Shotzi hit Candice with a chair and followed it up with a couple shots to Storm with the kendo stick. Kai sent Shotzi to the mat but turned around into a Dropkick from Shirai. Storm put Io back in the trash can and Kai hit her with a Double Stomp off the top rope for a two count.
Moon slammed Kai’s face off a steel chair and then hit the Eclipse onto two chairs. Ember went for the cover but Toni Storm broke it up by hitting Moon with a trash can. Toni hit Storm Zero onto the trash can and went for the cover but Io broke it up at two.
Ripley got Storm in the Cloverleaf and Io hit Toni with a Dropkick for a near fall. Shotzi and Candice battled on a ladder and Blackheart sent LeRae to the canvas. Io hit another Moonsault but Toni was able to break up the cover at two. Shirai went for a Hurricanrana but Raquel blocked it and Powerbombed the NXT Women’s Champion through a ladder for the pinfall victory.
Ciampa def. Thatcher In A Physical Match
Tommaso Ciampa faced Timothy Thatcher tonight at WarGames. Thatcher controlled the action early and brought Tommaso to the canvas. Thatcher kept Ciampa grounded for several minutes. Ciampa tried to fight back but Thatcher planted him with a Belly to Belly Suplex for a two count.
Thatcher absolutely leveled Ciampa with an uppercut and the referee checked on Tommaso to make sure he could continue. Ciampa connected with a Jawbreaker to finally give himself some breathing room. Ciampa hit a couple chops but Thatcher shrugged them off and knocked Tommaso to his knees with a chop to the chest.
Ciampa and Thatcher traded punches in the middle of the ring. Both superstars collided after going for a headbutt at the same time and crashed to the mat. Ciampa hit Thatcher with a several Clotheslines and then perched him up on the top turnbuckle. Ciampa planted Thatcher with a Superplex and went for the cover but Timothy was able to power out at two.
Tommaso went for the Fairy Tale Ending but Thatcher blocked it and hit a chop to the throat. Thatcher tried to choke Ciampa out but Tommaso broke free and tackled Timothy out of the ring. Back in the ring, Ciampa applied a Headlock in the center of the ring as blood poured out of Thatcher’s ear.
Thatcher broke the hold with a German Suplex and smiled into the camera. Thatcher connected with another German Suplex and Tommaso rolled to the apron. Ciampa blocked a German Suplex but Thatcher knocked him down with a forearm to the face. Tommaso tied up Thatcher in the ropes and unloaded a bunch of chops to his chest. Ciampa planted Thatcher with the Willow’s Bell DDT for the pinfall victory.
Dexter Lumis Tapped Out Cameron Grimes
Cameron Grimes faced Dexter Lumis in a Strap match. Grimes brought his own strap and said they had to use it for the match. Grimes attacked Lumis before the match and sent him into the barricade. Dexter battled back with an uppercut that knocked Grimes to the floor.
Lumis slammed Grimes into the barricade a few more times. Grimes battled back and sent Lumis flying over the barricade. Grimes blindfolded Lumis and hit him several times with the strap. Back in the ring, Lumis connected with a Spinebuster. Cameron pulled on the strap and Lumis went flying into the ring post.
Cameron Grimes connected with a German Suplex into the turnbuckle. Lumis hit a Fallaway Slam and then the two superstars traded punches. Dexter tripped up Grimes and his face bounced off a steel chair. Lumis locked in Silence and Cameron tapped out.
Gargano Captured The North American Title
Leon Ruff defended the NXT North American Championship against Damian Priest and Johnny Gargano in a Triple Threat match. Gargano knocked Priest out of the ring and tried to roll up Ruff but the North American Champion kicked out at two. Johnny hit Priest with a Dropkick that sent him back out of the ring but then turned around into a Dropkick from Leon.
Ruff connected with a Hurricanrana and followed it up with another Dropkick. Garagano and Ruff teamed up for a bit and beat Priest down. Gargano leveled Ruff with a Spear and went for the cover but Leon kicked out at two. Ruff went for a Crossbody but Damian caught him. Priest put Leon down and told him to get out of his way.
Priest hit Ruff with the Razor’s Edge that sent the champion through the barricade. Damian said he was sorry to Ruff as referees helped him up. Gargano capitalized on the distraction and hit Priest with a DDT on the floor. Back in the ring, Damian hit Gargano with a Clothesline and both superstars fell to the canvas.
Leon Ruff sprinted down the entrance ramp and hit Gargano with a Crossbody. Leon delivered a Dropkick to Damian and followed it up with a Cannonball off the apron. Ruff connected with a Cutter on Gargano and went for the cover but Johnny was able to kick out at two.
Ruff caught Gargano with a Clothesline for another near fall. Damian leveled Ruff with a boot to the face and followed it up with a Flatliner. Priest went for the Razor’s Edge but Gargano escaped and sent Damian into the ring post. Gargano then launched Leon Ruff onto Priest in the corner.
Gargano tied Priest up in the ropes and went after Ruff. Leon connected with a Crucifix Bomb for a two count. Ruff went for a Frog Splash but Gargano got out of the way. Johnny locked in the Gargano Escape but Priest escaped the ropes and broke up the hold. Priest climbed to the top rope and hit Gargano with a spinning heel kick.
Ruff avoided a Splash and went for a Clothesline but Priest didn’t budge. Gargano hit Leon with a Superkick but Priest hit him with a Choeslam. Three men in ghostface masks attacked Priest but Damian took them out. Priest then leaped onto another three people dressed as ghostface and then Chokeslammed Johnny on the apron. Leon hit Gargano with a Frog Splash and went for the cover but Priest broke it up at two.
Priest turned Ruff inside out with a massive knee to the face. Gargano connected with a Superkick but Priest stayed on his feet. Priest booted Johnny in the face and set up for the Reckoning but ghostface hit him with a pipe. Gargano planted Ruff with the One Final Beat for the pinfall victory. Johnny Gargano is the new NXT North American Championship. Austin Theory was then revealed to be ghostface.
Undisputed Era Picked Up The Win
Undisputed ERA (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly) faced The Kings of NXT (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch) in a WarGames match in tonight’s main event.
Pete Dunne and Kyle O’Reilly started the match off. Dunne locked in a submission hold on the partition between the two rings. O’Reilly escaped but Dunne caught him with a kick to the back of the head as McAfee applauded from the entrance ramp. Dunne stomped on Kyle’s hands and hit him with another kick to the face.
O’Reilly locked in a Sleeper Hold and then followed it up with a knee to the chest. Dunne locked in an Armbreaker but Kyle countered into a Heel Hook. Oney Lorcan entered the match next and traded punches with O’Reilly. Lorcan sent Kyle to the corner and hit him with a Splash.
Dunne held up O’Reilly and Lorcan hit him with a series of chops before planting Kyle with a DDT. O’Reilly hit Dunne with a Dragon Screw and made his way to the top rope. O’Reilly hit Lorcan with a Knee Drop but Dunne sent him back to the canvas with a Dropkick.
Bobby Fish entered the match and sent Dunne flying onto Lorcan with an Exploder Suplex. Fish hit Oney with a Spinebuster as O’Reilly hit Dunne with a knee to the face. O’Reilly and Fish beat Dunne and Lorcan down in opposite corners of the ring. Danny Burch entered the match next and brought a couple of cricket bats into the ring.
Burch planted O’Reilly with a German Suplex and then hit him in the ribs with the cricket bat. O’Reilly got Burch in a Heel Hook but Dunne quickly broke it up with a kick to Kyle’s face. Burch hit O’Reilly across the back with the bat and Kyle collapsed to the canvas.
Roderick Strong entered the match next and was immediately attacked by Lorcan and Burch. Strong battled back and hit Oney with a Dropkick. Strong planted Dunne with a Backbreaker and delivered an Angle Slam to Burch. Lorcan slammed Roderick into the steel cage and followed it up with an uppercut.
Team McAfee controlled the next couple minutes and beat down Undisputed Era. Pat McAfree slid tables into the ring with “Fish, O’Reilly” written on them. McAfee threw some chairs into the ring and then tables with “Strong and Cole” on them. McAfee climbed to the top rope and hit a Moonsault on Strong through a table.
Adam Cole entered the match last as McAfee, Dunne, Burch, and Lorcan waited for him. Cole sprayed them with a fire extinguisher and then grabbed a chair. Cole hit Lorcan with the chair and then planted Dunne with a Backstabber. Adam hit Burch with a Neckbreaker as Pat hopped in the other ring.
Cole walked towards McAfee but Pete Dunne got in his way. Dunne went for Bitter End but Cole countered into a DDT. McAfee help up Cole from behind and Dunne booted him in the face. O’Reilly bashed Dunne in the back with a steel chair and dared McAfee to fight him.
McAfee asked O’Reilly to put the chair down and Kyle olidged. Cole hit McAfee from behind with the chair and a brawl broke out between the two teams. Strong caught Dunne with a knee to the face for a near fall. Pat hit Cole from behind with a chop block to the back of his knee.
Pat locked in a Figure Four but Cole reversed it. Dunne broke it up just in time as Pat was about to submit. Dunne went for an Armbar but Cole escaped and connected with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Fish and O’Reilly Powerbombed Dunne on top of Burch but the table didn’t break. Roderick Strong then hit a Splash that sent Dunne and Burch through the table.
Cole and McAfee battled on the top turnbuckle. McAfee went for a Superplex but Cole blocked it and sent Pat crashing through a table in the ring. Undisputed Era set up Dunne, Lorcan, and Burch against the cage and took turns beating them down. McAfee tried to escape out of the cage as Undisputed Era surrounded him.
Undisputed Era stomped the hell out of McAfee before launching him into the cage several times. Dunne, Lorcan, and Burch got back in the action and attacked Undisputed Era. O’Reilly and Lorcan battled on the top rope and Oney got the better of the exchange with an uppercut.
Cole hit Dunne with a Neckbreaker as Roderick Strong planted McAfee with a Superplex. Another brawl broke out as McAfee climbed to the top of the cage. McAfee leaped onto everyone with a Swanton Bomb. Dunne and O’Reilly were the first two up and traded punches.
O’Reilly hit Dunne with a massive forearm to the face and followed it up with a kick to the back of the head. Dunne snapped back O’Reilly’s fingers and hit Kyle with the Bitter End for a two count. O’Reilly planted Dunne with a Suplex on the steel partition for another near fall.
Kyle set up Dunne’s head on a steel chair and made his way to the top rope. McAfee hit Kyle in the knee with a steel chair and O’Reilly fell to the mat. Cole ducked under a chair shot and punched McAfee in the face several times. Cole went for a chair shot but McAfee caught him with a low blow.
McAfee went for the Punt but Cole dodged it and booted Pat in the face. Cole climbed to the middle rope but Burch dragged him down. Cole hit Burch with a Superkick and then Fish Speared Danny through a table. McAfee set up for Panama Sunrise but Cole caught him with a Superkick. Cole then hit McAfee with Panama Sunrise and went for the cover but Pat was able to kick out at two.
Cole took his knee pad down and went for the Last Shot but Oney Lorcan took it instead of McAfee. Dunne came out of nowhere and hit Cole with the Bitter End on a chair. Strong broke up the cover and hit Dunne with a Backbrear. O’Reilly hit Lorcan with a Knee Drop with a chair on top of his face for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: Every match delivered in it’s own way tonight at TakeOver: WarGames. The Strap match was much better than anticipated and the women’s WarGames match was my favorite of the night. The main event was awesome and Pat McAfee continues to impress with the limited time he has had in the ring. As to be expected, NXT put on another excellent TakeOver event tonight.