{"id":113262,"date":"2021-02-12T09:58:38","date_gmt":"2021-02-12T15:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=113262"},"modified":"2021-02-12T09:58:38","modified_gmt":"2021-02-12T15:58:38","slug":"heydorns-take-dont-hold-me-to-this-nxt-takeover-vengeance-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2021\/02\/12\/heydorns-take-dont-hold-me-to-this-nxt-takeover-vengeance-day\/","title":{"rendered":"HEYDORN&#8217;S TAKE: Don\u2019t hold me to this \u2013 NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-2204481293\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>On the surface, NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day is very much a B-level event. Not only is half the card taken up by finals matches for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournaments, but the star power in the other matches just reeks of \u201cthese are good matches, but not necessarily matches we\u2019d put on the marquee if loads of fans were invited.\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2020\/07\/HeadshotHeydorn2020_180.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-102397 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2020\/07\/HeadshotHeydorn2020_180.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"210\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Fair is fair. On the surface, that common sentiment is accurate. Below the surface? Well, that\u2019s a different story entirely. There is a lot happening on this card. In the main event, Finn Balor is getting a brand-new challenger to his championship in Pete Dunne. This is Dunne\u2019s moment and the &#8220;can he or can\u2019t he&#8221; question on him being a main fixture player for the company will start getting answered.<\/p>\n<p>Johnny Gargano finds himself in the perfect match for where his character is at. He\u2019s walked a fine line of being too comedic, but walked it well enough to click thanks to various of degrees of intensity that he\u2019s shown throughout this run with Kushida. Now, we get to see that match and in turn, the coming together of The Way Johnny Gargano and Johnny Takeover. The full balancing act of his heel gimmick will be on display in a big way and he\u2019s got the perfect opponent opposite him to make it shine.<\/p>\n<p>Io Shirai faces Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez in what should be a high-level wrestling match. The outcome doesn\u2019t appear to be in question with this one, but it was thrilling to see a feud solely revolve around a championship in the WWE ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p>The Dusty Classic tournaments have both been used effectively to establish new teams and the future of the NXT tag team division. With that said, both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s finals are loaded with young, up and coming stars that have an opportunity to make a name for themselves on a big stage. Couple that with the stakes that tournaments bring and you get the most impactful Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic finals yet.<\/p>\n<p>Call this a preview, a calm look into the distant future, or a gaze into a wondrous crystal ball; just don\u2019t hold me to anything, ok?<\/p>\n<p><strong><em><u>Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Martinez \u2013 NXT Women\u2019s Championship<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An A to B build, but in the most entertaining and effective way possible. The championship is on the line, two fierce heel competitors want it, and the babyface defends the turf. That\u2019s pro wrestling. Because of all the talent in this match, it\u2019s hard to see this being anything less than really good. Storm and Martinez, while credible contenders, aren\u2019t on a path as of this moment where taking the title makes sense. Shirai retains and retains definitively.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2823864290\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><strong><em><u>MSK vs. Grizzled Young Veterans \u2013 Men\u2019s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Final<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Team to team there isn\u2019t a lot to digest with this. That said, this is an important match. The Dusty Classic is a tool here to get over a new tag team. In a perfect world, the loser gets over in this match, too. Stylistically, these two teams clash, but with both teams new, young, and hungry, I\u2019m expecting the clash to compliment things. I\u2019ll take the Grizzled Young Veterans, but I\u2019m mainly taking the match overall. Maybe a sleeper, but you\u2019re looking at the match of the night with this one.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em><u>Johnny Gargano vs. Kushida \u2013 NXT North American Championship<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Johnny Gargano is a gem as a heel. On this week\u2019s go-home episode of NXT, he was magnificent and showcased just how to walk the line between annoying comedy heel and credible threat heel. The range he showed with his promos was icing on the cake and proves he\u2019s in tune with the character he\u2019s playing. Kushida as an opponent will allow for those points to be accentuated. Kushida will deliver, but in the end it\u2019s the Gargano show until told otherwise. The outcome will emphasize that fact.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em><u>Shotzi Blackheart &amp; Ember Moon vs. Dakota Kai &amp; Raquel Gonzalez \u2013 Women\u2019s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Final<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The tell in this match is Raquel Gonzalez. Based on her recent run in NXT, it\u2019s clear that the top brass view her as a key player. That means singles act. She\u2019s shown amazing growth throughout the last six months and is ready for a more important role on the show \u2013 get ready Io Shirai. Add to that the fact that winner here gets a shot at the WWE Women\u2019s Tag Team Championship and that those titles are currently held by heels and the only logical conclusion is that the babyfaces in Blackheart and Moon go over.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em><u>Finn Balor vs. Pete Dunne \u2013 NXT Championship<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve enjoyed the nuanced build to this match. It\u2019s being treated as a serious affair and both Balor and Dunne have thrived on that foundation. Balor carried most of the build, but Dunne was effective on the mic when he needed to be. Backstage vignettes and pre-tapes helped him tremendously. They\u2019ve gotten through the hard part. Now they can just go in the ring. Go they will. I\u2019m expecting a bruiser of a match, but one that Finn Balor wins handily.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1431428744\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK&#8217;S TAKE:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2021\/02\/04\/heydorns-take-it-was-cool-seeing-edge-win-the-royal-rumble\/\">HEYDORN\u2019S TAKE: It was cool seeing Edge win the Royal Rumble<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-848432623\"><div id=\"pwtor-2105055592\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>On the surface, NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day is very much a B-level event. Not only is half the card taken up by finals matches for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournaments, but the star <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2021\/02\/12\/heydorns-take-dont-hold-me-to-this-nxt-takeover-vengeance-day\/\" title=\"HEYDORN&#8217;S TAKE: Don\u2019t hold me to this \u2013 NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":93791,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,6454,53],"tags":[124,209,6511,71],"class_list":["post-113262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-heydorns-take","category-opinion_stafftakes","tag-nxt","tag-nxt-takeover","tag-vengeance-day","tag-wwe"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2020\/02\/BalorFinn2020WK_3x2_600.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113262"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113262\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":113264,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113262\/revisions\/113264"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}