WWE produced five NXT TakeOver events from the United States in 2020. The action kicked off with TakeOver Portland on February 16, 2020. The final TakeOver of the year took place in the form of WarGames on December 6.
All of these TakeOver pay-per-view events were filled with non-stop action, with stars like Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano putting on Match of the Year contenders. For this list, I’ve picked five individual matches from the five TakeOver PPV events.
On a side note, this doesn’t include matches from UK TakeOvers or the Worlds Collide crossover special because they deserve their separate list. Let’s take a look at the best NXT Takeover matches of 2020 (in chronological order):
Keith Lee vs. Dominik Dijakovic (NXT TakeOver: Portland)
The NXT TakeOver action kicked off with an incredible opener between Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic. The match had Lee’s NXT North American Championship on the line. The two big men absolutely tore the house down with their performance.
Both men showcased incredible athleticism and agility. They pulled off moves men of their size aren’t supposed to do. From Dijak’s moonsault outside of the ring to Lee’s overall performance, this match had the audience on their feet from bell to bell.
Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Io Shirai (TakeOver: In Your House)
Charlotte Flair defeated Rhea Ripley to win the NXT Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 36. The Nightmare got a huge opportunity to reclaim her title. However, she soon found that Io Shirai’s had got herself involved in the mix as well.
The three collided in the main event of NXT TakeOver: In Your House. The match featured plenty of incredible spots. Io Shira delivered the highlight of the night with her dive from the top of the PPV set.
The Genius of the Sky went on to capture the NXT Women’s Championship after some hard-hitting action.
Bronson Reed vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Damien Priest vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Velveteen Dream (TakeOver XXX)
Keith Lee had voluntarily relinquished his NXT North American Championship in the lead-up to NXT TakeOver XXX. General Manager William Regal announced a series of triple threat qualifiers for the Ladder Match at the PPV event.
Bronson Reed, Cameron Grimes, Damien Priest, Johnny Gargano, and Velveteen Dream punched their ticket to the event. This emerged as one of the best NXT TakeOver matches of 2020.
All five men showed incredible creativity with the use of the ladder. The match came down to Gargano and Priest. The Archer of Infamy would eventually come out on top to kick off his run with the North American Championship.
Finn Bálor vs. Kyle O’Reilly (NXT TakeOver 31)
Fans didn’t have high expectations for this match because of the rushed build-up and a disappointing anniversary special. They ended up getting a show stealer between these two great competitors.
Bálor and O’Reilly didn’t pull any punches in this match. The champion showcased his ruthless side against the very aggressive challenge from the Undisputed Era. This match would eventually lead to O’Reilly’s heated feud with Adam Cole.
Men’s WarGames Match (NXT TakeOver: WarGames)
Pat McAfee surprised fans and peers alike with his incredible performance against Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver XXX. The former star punter assembled his own team in the lead-up to December’s WarGames PPV event.
This WarGames match put emphasis on storytelling while still having a great work rate. Cole’s exchange with McAfee was solid in particular. The future SmackDown commentator pulling off a Shooting Star Press from the top of the cage was a huge surprise.
Honorable Mentions
- The Broserweights vs. The Undisputed Era (NXT TakeOver: Portland)
- Finn Bálor vs. Damian Priest (TakeOver: In Your House)
- Pat McAfee vs. Adam Cole (TakeOver XXX)
- Io Shirai vs. Candice LeRae (NXT TakeOver 31)
- Women’s WarGames Match (TakeOver: WarGames)
Also read: Best NXT PPV Matches Of 2021
