NXT TakeOver XXX (2020): The Ladder Match Soars While the Main Event Stumbles

The pre-show triple threat tag match gives TakeOver XXX a brisk start and a useful reason to care about a crowded six-man format. Breezango bring the most established crowd-friendly chemistry, Lorcan and Burch supply the rugged exchanges, and Legado del Fantasma add speed and opportunism. Because the match is only a little under seven minutes, the action rarely settles into a traditional tag structure, but that works in its favor. The teams cycle through quick combinations and interrupted pin attempts until Tyler Breeze catches Oney Lorcan with the Super Model Kick for the victory. The result gives Breezango a clear path to Imperium and keeps the opener efficient.

Bálor and Thatcher open the main card with the night's most purely technical match, and the contrast between their styles gives the bout a distinct identity immediately. Thatcher repeatedly attacks limbs and forces Bálor to fight from uncomfortable positions, while Bálor responds by creating space and turning brief openings into sudden bursts of offense. The match remains grounded without feeling slow because every hold advances the larger struggle for control. Thatcher comes close to making the submissions decisive, but Bálor survives, creates separation and finishes with Coup de Grâce followed by 1916. It is an excellent opener that rewards viewers who prefer technical escalation over spectacle.

The five-way ladder match is the in-ring peak of TakeOver XXX because it combines the expected stunt spectacle with clear individual roles for every participant. Bronson Reed supplies the power, Cameron Grimes keeps finding opportunistic routes toward the title, Johnny Gargano adds desperation and Candice LeRae's interference, while Damian Priest wrestles like the man most ready to leave as champion. Several sequences are genuinely wild, including Reed diving with LeRae on his back and Grimes being powerbombed from one ladder onto another. The final climb belongs to Priest, who knocks Gargano away and unhooks the championship. The result feels like both a match victory and a genuine career elevation.

Cole and McAfee wildly outperform the skepticism surrounding a celebrity-adjacent wrestling debut. McAfee enters with a real athletic base and enough arrogance to make every successful sequence feel like an extension of the feud rather than a rehearsed exhibition. His leap from the floor to the top rope, the moonsault escape from Cole's superplex attempt and the dive onto the crowd outside all give the match moments that would be ambitious even for an experienced wrestler. Cole anchors the structure and keeps the bout from becoming a collection of stunts. He eventually catches McAfee and wins with the Panama Sunrise, giving the newcomer credibility without sacrificing the former NXT Champion.

Shirai and Kai deliver another strong TakeOver women's title match by letting Kai's preparation and Raquel González's presence create real danger without taking the championship away from the wrestling. Kai targets the arm, lands the Kairopractor for a near-fall and uses the referee bump to create the opening for González's interference. Shirai survives the resulting cover, then raises the pace and finally takes both Kai and González out with a moonsault on the floor. A second moonsault inside the ring ends the match cleanly enough to keep Shirai strong. Rhea Ripley's post-match save also gives the division an immediate next direction rather than allowing the show to stall after the defense.

Lee and Kross close the show with a match that has major consequences but never reaches the level expected from a TakeOver main event. Kross controls long stretches by attacking Lee's arm and leaning on submissions, while Lee's comebacks rely on explosive power and the Spirit Bomb. The pacing is deliberate, but unlike the earlier technical opener it rarely develops enough urgency to justify the length. Kross survives Lee's strongest comeback, traps him in the Kross Jacket and eventually meets him on the ropes for a top-rope Doomsday Saito that wins the NXT Championship. The title change is decisive, but Kross' legitimate shoulder injury immediately complicates the intended payoff.