Whenever an edition of NXT TakeOver comes up, fans rejoice. The shows are typically among the best of the year, featuring some tremendous matches from top to bottom. Although 2020 was quite different from most years, it still played host to some spectacular bouts at the various TakeOver events, including the one hosted by NXT UK.
Of course, not every match can be great. TakeOver was the sight of some disappointing matches in 2020. None of them, even the worst of the bunch, would be considered awful but they're still not on the level of the best stuff that the NXT brands delivered.
10 Worst: Cameron Grimes vs. Dexter Lumis - TakeOver: War Games
This is a case of a match that isn't bad but pales in comparison to what the rest of NXT was delivering. Cameron Grimes stands out in NXT because he's such an over the top character. Watching his wild expressions as he shouts that he's going, "TO THE MOON!" will never get old.
His feud with Dexter Lumis peaked with the hilariously entertaining match at Halloween Havoc. However, they kept it going for this Strap Match at TakeOver: War Games. It had entertaining bits but just couldn't live up to what they had done just a month or so prior.
9 Best: Jordan Devlin vs. Tyler Bate - TakeOver: Blackpool II
The card for TakeOver: Blackpool II was dominated by two stellar outings. There was the great Kay Lee Ray vs. Toni Storm vs. Piper Niven triple threat that nearly made this list and this one on one encounter. Jordan Devlin, a few weeks shy of winning the NXT Cruiserweight Title, met Tyler Bate.
It was a big opportunity for Devlin, as Bate was the first United Kingdom Champion and he had just headlined the previous NXT UK TakeOver. Together, they wowed the audience with a thrilling match filled with big spots and near falls. Bate secured the win but it was a star-making performance for Devlin. The strong show proved how good NXT UK can be.
8 Worst: Karrion Kross vs. Tommaso Ciampa - TakeOver: In Your House
As a debut, this worked out really well. Karrion Kross had been hyped for months and when he first showed up by attacking former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa, you could tell he would be a big deal. They were set to collide in Kross's first official match at TakeOver: In Your House.
To prove he was serious business, Kross dominated Ciampa. He basically squashed him, beating one of the brand's top stars in just a few minutes. While it made for an impactful debut that did what it was meant to, it didn't make for an interesting or entertaining match.
7 Best: Dakota Kai vs. Tegan Nox - TakeOver: Portland
Fans of Dakota Kai and Tegan Nox waited a long time to see them compete at a TakeOver. They just probably expected them to be teammates when that happened. It was supposed to take place at TakeOver: War Games 2019 but Kai brutally turned on Nox before they could enter the ring.
That set the stage for this Street Fight. The women came out dressed for war rather than a typical wrestling match, which was appropriate given how this went down. They used weapons, attacked each other with aggression, and it was all capped by Raquel Gonzalez aligning herself with Kai to defeat Nox.
6 Worst: Joe Coffey vs. WALTER - TakeOver: Blackpool II
There's no denying that WALTER is one of the best wrestlers in all of WWE. Reigning as the United Kingdom Champion entering TakeOver: Blackpool II, he was set to face off with a tough opponent in Joe Coffey, who also had a title shot in the main event of this same event a year prior.
Much like that match, this one lacked. These two brutes could've done well in a short, hard-hitting affair. Instead, this dragged on for longer than it needed to be, clocking in at nearly 30 minutes. That led to a disappointing main event but one that still wasn't flat out bad.
5 Best: The Broserweights vs. The Undisputed Era - TakeOver: Portland
TakeOver: Portland was arguably the best event put on by the brand in 2020. It was filled with great matches from top to bottom but the best of them was this NXT Tag Team Title clash. The Undisputed Era put their gold on the line against the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic winners, The Broserweights.
The oddball pairing of Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle worked better than expected. This match was masterful, filled with high drama and close calls galore. Dunne and Riddle continued their impressive hot streak by winning the titles. Unfortunately, they never got a proper run as champions as Dunne couldn't travel to the United States for most of the year.
4 Worst: Adam Cole vs. Velveteen Dream - TakeOver: In Your House
For a good chunk of 2020, cinematic wrestling was all the rage. From AJ Styles and The Undertaker fighting in a graveyard to the Firefly Funhouse match to Stadium Stampede to Britt Baker and Big Swole brawling in a dentist's office, it was everywhere. It produced mixed results.
One of the worst cases of it came at TakeOver: In Your House, when Adam Cole defended the NXT Championship against Velveteen Dream in a Backlot Brawl. It had some charm and fun spots but not much more. The whole thing was kind of a drag.
3 Best: Team Candice vs. Team Shotzi - TakeOver: War Games
In 2019, NXT put their incredible women's division inside of War Games and they stole the show. With the division only improving in 2020, they got the opportunity again and once more, they put on the best match of the evening.
This time, Candice LeRae captained Dakota Kai, Toni Storm, and Raquel Gonzalez against Shotzi Blackheart's team of herself, Ember Moon, Io Shirai, and Rhea Ripley. This had some awesome moments, including a sick Eclipse onto an open chair and Shirai's garbage can dive off the cage. Gonzalez pinned Shirai to win in a shocking result.
2 Worst: Karrion Kross vs. Keith Lee - TakeOver: XXX
When Keith Lee won the NXT Title at The Great American Bash to become a double champion, it was an epic moment in the brand's history. However, the fun was quickly spoiled. Karrion Kross began a feud with him where Scarlett did most of the interactions and Lee felt like such a bigger star than him.
Alas, they competed in the main event at TakeOver: XXX for the NXT Title. Kross is booked to be dominant but this match came across like a slog where it took 22 minutes to get to the point. Kross won the title, prematurely ending Lee's reign and sending him to the main roster. It didn't help that Kross got injured during this bout.
1 Best: Finn Bálor vs. Kyle O'Reilly - TakeOver: 31
With Kross on the shelf, a new champion needed to be crowned. Finn Bálor won it and then Kyle O'Reilly stunned many when he came out on top of a great Gauntlet Eliminator to earn a major title shot.
O'Reilly went toe to toe with Bálor on the big stage and showed the world that he was just as good in a singles environment as he was in tag matches. This was physical, stiff, and led to both men getting hurt, including a broken jaw for the champion. Bálor retained the title in this classic.