NXT TakeOver 36
NXT TakeOver 36 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Promotion | WWE | ||
Brand(s) | NXT | ||
Date | August 22, 2021 | ||
City | Orlando, Florida | ||
Venue | WWE Performance Center | ||
WWE Network event chronology | |||
| |||
NXT TakeOver chronology | |||
| |||
NXT major events chronology | |||
|
NXT TakeOver 36 was the 36th and final NXT TakeOver professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The event took place on August 22, 2021, from the Capitol Wrestling Center, hosted at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
The event was held during that year's SummerSlam weekend, but was held the night after SummerSlam, which was held on Saturday while TakeOver 36 was held on Sunday. It was NXT's final major event in which the Performance Center's arena was called the Capitol Wrestling Center, as following NXT's restructuring as NXT 2.0 in September, the name was discontinued, with future events simply billed as being held at the Performance Center. The TakeOver series itself was discontinued in late 2021 after the rebranding to NXT 2.0. It would in turn be NXT's last major event in which the brand was considered WWE's third main brand, as with the restructuring to NXT 2.0, the brand reverted to being WWE's developmental territory.
Six matches were contested at the event, including one on the Kickoff pre-show. In the main event, Samoa Joe defeated Karrion Kross to win the NXT Championship for a record-breaking third time; this was Joe's final WWE match. In the penultimate match, Kyle O'Reilly defeated Adam Cole 2–1 in a two-out-of-three-falls match; this was also Cole's final WWE appearance. In other prominent matches, Ilja Dragunov defeated Walter by submission to win the NXT United Kingdom Championship ending Walter's record-setting reign at 870 days, and in the opening bout, Cameron Grimes defeated LA Knight to win the Million Dollar Championship with the added stipulation that if Grimes lost, Ted DiBiase would have become Knights' butler.
Production
[edit]Background
[edit]TakeOver was a series of professional wrestling shows that began in May 2014, as WWE's NXT brand held their second WWE Network-exclusive event, billed as TakeOver.[1] In subsequent months, the "TakeOver" moniker became the brand used by WWE for all of their NXT live specials. While originally exclusive to the WWE Network, NXT TakeOver events also became available on traditional pay-per-view (PPV) beginning with TakeOver 31 in October 2020,[2] and then also on Peacock after the American version of the WWE Network merged under Peacock in March 2021.[3]
Titled for being the 36th NXT TakeOver event and announced during the July 20, 2021, episode of NXT, TakeOver 36 was scheduled to be held on Sunday, August 22, 2021, the night after WWE's SummerSlam PPV for Raw and SmackDown. This in turn made TakeOver 36 the first TakeOver to air the night after one of WWE's main PPVs instead of the night before. Additionally, while Raw and SmackDown resumed live touring during the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-July, NXT continued to run its shows from the Capitol Wrestling Center, hosted at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.[4] The Capitol Wrestling Center was initially NXT's version of the WWE ThunderDome bio-secure bubble that had been used for Raw and SmackDown during the pandemic; however, the arena became the brand's home base, with nearly all COVID-19 restrictions having been lifted with the previous TakeOver event, TakeOver: In Your House.[5]
Storylines
[edit]The event comprised six matches, including one on the Kickoff pre-show, that resulted from scripted storylines. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the NXT brand, while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television program, NXT.[6][7]
On the October 29, 2020, episode of NXT UK, Walter defeated Ilja Dragunov to retain the NXT United Kingdom Championship.[8] On the June 24, 2021, episode, Dragunov earned another opportunity to challenge Walter for the championship by defeating Rampage Brown and Joe Coffey in a triple threat match.[9] The title match was then scheduled for the July 22 episode of NXT UK. A contract signing for the match was held during the July 15 episode, but later that same episode, Walter injured his hand in a backstage altercation. It was then announced that the championship match had been postponed.[10] During the July 22 episode, NXT executive Triple H, NXT UK producer Shawn Michaels, and NXT General Manager William Regal announced that the NXT United Kingdom Championship match would take place at TakeOver 36.[11]
After being released from his WWE contract in April 2021, Samoa Joe re-signed with NXT that June. Joe made his formal return to the brand during the June 15 episode of NXT under the agreement that he would be the enforcer for NXT General Manager William Regal, as Regal had essentially lost control of the wrestlers. Additionally, Joe would not be an active wrestler and could not attack any member of the active roster unless provoked. That same episode, Joe came face-to-face with NXT Champion Karrion Kross.[12][13] Over the following month, Kross would attempt to provoke Joe. During the July 13 episode, Joe served as the special guest referee for Kross' championship defense. After Kross retained the title, he attacked Joe.[14][15] The following week, Joe called out Kross, who appeared backstage, showing that he had attacked Regal; Joe headed backstage but Kross retreated in a car when Joe got to Regal.[16][17] On the July 27 episode, Regal had intended to fire Kross for his actions, but Joe had a different plan that Regal accepted. Joe resigned as Regal's enforcer, was reinstated as a member of the active roster, and was scheduled to face Kross for the NXT Championship at TakeOver 36, marking Joe's first match since February 2020.[18]
At TakeOver: Portland in February 2020, Raquel González made her NXT debut, helping Dakota Kai defeat Tegan Nox.[19] Over the following months, González would accompany Kai to her matches, forging an alliance and becoming Kai's "bodyguard". During the women's WarGames match at TakeOver: WarGames in December 2020, González picked up momentum after pinning reigning NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai.[20] She then continued racking up victories with Kai by her side. Kai and González then won the inaugural women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament,[21] becoming the first-ever NXT Women's Tag Team Champions, although they lost the titles the same night they were awarded them.[22] González then entered into a feud with Shirai and defeated her at Night 1 of TakeOver: Stand & Deliver to win the NXT Women's Championship.[23] On the July 27 episode of NXT, González, with Kai by her side, issued an open challenge for the championship but no one answered. Kai then praised González but then attacked her from behind, subsequently turning González face in the process. Kai then said she would challenge González for the title, which was scheduled for TakeOver 36.[18]
At TakeOver: In Your House, LA Knight defeated Cameron Grimes in a ladder match to win the vacant Million Dollar Championship that had been reintroduced by WWE Hall of Famer and "The Million Dollar Man", Ted DiBiase.[24] On the following episode of NXT, DiBiase formally presented the Million Dollar Championship to Knight. After an emotional promo, Knight turned on and attacked DiBiase, who was saved by Grimes; in a video uploaded to WWE's YouTube channel, it was shown that Grimes had apologized to DiBiase following the match at In Your House.[12] Knight then defeated Grimes in a rematch at NXT: The Great American Bash; as per the stipulation of the rematch, Grimes became Knight's personal butler.[25] Grimes, however, would annoy Knight during this time. DiBiase then returned, encouraging Grimes to go after the Million Dollar Championship. During the August 10 episode of NXT, Knight agreed to defend the championship against Grimes at TakeOver 36 under the condition that if Knight won, DiBiase would replace Grimes as Knight's personal butler. Although Grimes was against it, DiBiase agreed to the terms.[26]
Another notable feud heading into TakeOver 36 was the conflict between former Undisputed Era members Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly. It began at TakeOver: Vengeance Day, where Cole attacked O'Reilly at the end of the event.[21] They faced each other in an unsanctioned match at Night 2 of TakeOver: Stand & Deliver,[27] where O'Reilly won.[28] At TakeOver: In Your House, O'Reilly and Cole failed to win the NXT Championship in a fatal five-way match.[24] On the following episode of NXT, the two brawled backstage, and NXT General Manager William Regal announced a rematch between the two for NXT: The Great American Bash,[12] where Cole won.[25] On the July 27 episode, after Cole's match, O'Reilly attacked Cole, suplexing him onto the steel ring steps.[18] Two weeks later, O'Reilly and Cole had a face-to-face confrontation where they agreed to a two out of three falls match for TakeOver 36. O'Reilly picked a singles match for the first fall, Cole picked a Street Fight for the second, and Regal picked a Steel Cage match for the final.[26]
Event
[edit]Role: | Name: |
---|---|
Commentators | Vic Joseph |
Wade Barrett | |
Beth Phoenix | |
Spanish commentators | Carlos Cabrera |
Marcelo Rodríguez | |
Ring announcer | Alicia Taylor |
Referees | D.A. Brewer |
Jessika Carr | |
Aja Smith | |
Interviewer | McKenzie Mitchell |
Pre-show panel | Sam Roberts |
McKenzie Mitchell | |
Rob Armstrong |
Pre-show
[edit]During the Kickoff pre-show, Ridge Holland took on Trey Baxter. Holland quickly won the match after performing a headbutt and a brainbuster on Baxter. After the match, Holland challenged Timothy Thatcher to a match on the upcoming episode of NXT.[29]
Preliminary matches
[edit]In the opening match, LA Knight defended the Million Dollar Championship against his butler Cameron Grimes with a stipulation that Ted DiBiase would become Knight's butler if he won. Grimes tried to win with the Dream Street, but Knight escaped. Knight tried to leave with the title, but DiBiase stopped him and threw the title into the ring. While the referee was trying to take the title away from Grimes, DiBiase applied the Dream Street on Knight and threw him back into the ring. Grimes performed a Cave In on Knight to win the title, becoming free from being Knight's butler, and keeping DiBiase from becoming the butler.[29]
Next, Raquel González defended the NXT Women's Championship against Dakota Kai. Kai performed a Codebreaker on González for a nearfall. In the end, Kai went for a Yakuza Kick, but González caught the foot and dragged Kai to the top rope with her and performed a Chingona Bomb off the top rope to retain the title. Afterwards, NXT UK's Kay Lee Ray returned and confronted González from the stage.[29]
Then, Walter defended the NXT United Kingdom Championship against Ilja Dragunov. Dragunov exerted control with a headlock and later a keylock, but Walter placed Dragunov on the top rope, chopped him to the floor, and powerbombed him onto the ring apron. Both men exchanged chops, forearms, lariats, knees, kicks and suplexes. Walter countered Dragunov's Torpedo Moscow and performed a sleeper suplex, but Dragunov continued with a Torpedo Moscow to the back of Walter's head, and then a regular Torpedo Moscow for a nearfall. Walter performed a shotgun dropkick and a powerbomb for a nearfall, then another powerbomb and a diving splash for another nearfall. Dragunov escaped Walter's sleeper hold and performed a diving headbutt. Dragunov overwhelmed Walter with strikes and sleeper holds, with Walter submitting on the third sleeper hold application, ending Walter's 870-day reign as champion.[29][30][31]
In the penultimate match, Adam Cole took on Kyle O'Reilly in a Three Stages of Hell match, a type of a two-out-of-three falls match in what was called The Undisputed Finale. The first fall was a Singles match. O'Reilly quickly won the first fall after countering a Panama Sunrise into a roll-up. The second fall was a Street Fight. O'Reilly sat Cole in a steel chair, placed a trash can over his head, and performed a running dropkick off the apron. As O'Reilly went to the top rope, Cole kicked him off and Kyle hit his ribs on the apron. The two fought to the stage where Cole applied a guillotine choke, but O'Reilly escaped and threw Cole off the stage into the plexiglass. As O'Reilly went for the top rope knee drop, Cole threw O'Reilly onto two standing chairs and performed a Last Shot to win the second fall. The final fall was a Steel Cage match. Cole threw O'Reilly into the cage multiple times and Kyle would catapult Cole into the cage as well. Cole had a pair of handcuffs and attached O'Reilly to the top rope. Cole performed a superkick, but O'Reilly grabbed the foot on a second attempt and applied a heel hook, forcing Cole to submit to win the match. Afterwards, Cole was helped to the back by officials.[29] This was Cole's final WWE appearance, as his WWE contract expired shortly after the event.[32][33] Cole made his All Elite Wrestling (AEW) debut at All Out.[34]
Main event
[edit]In the main event, Karrion Kross defended the NXT Championship against Samoa Joe. Joe performed a Suicide Dive on Kross on the outside. Joe performed a Senton off the top rope for a nearfall. Joe applied the Coquina Clutch, but Kross escaped. Kross applied the Kross Jacket, but Joe escaped as well. Joe performed a Uranage and placed Kross on the top rope. Joe performed a Muscle Buster on Kross to win the title for a record-setting third time.[29]
Reception
[edit]The event was met with critical acclaim. Kevin Pantoja of 411Mania gave the entire event a 8.5 out of 10 ratings and gave the Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov match a perfect 5 star out of 5 ratings, with the reviewer declaring Walter as "the best wrestler on the planet".[35] Kevin Berge of Bleacher Report praised all the matches except the Ridge Holland vs. Trey Baxter which was graded C, their lowest graded match from the event. Raquel González vs. Dakota Kai, Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov, and Kyle O'Reilly vs. Adam Cole were particularly praised, with Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov being awarded the highest grading of A+ and being called the potential match of the year.[36] Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov became the highest-rated WWE match of all times according to Cagematch.net, with a rating of 9.69 out of 10, surpassing the previous record held by Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25.[37] Fans all over the world took to Twitter and praised the Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov match.[38] Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter praised the event and gave the Ilja Dragunov vs. Walter a rating of 5.25 stars, making it only the fourth match in WWE history to exceed the 5 star ratings system.[39]
Aftermath
[edit]This would be Karrion Kross' final NXT match. Prior to TakeOver 36, Kross debuted on Raw on July 19, where he lost to Jeff Hardy in under two minutes.[40] On the Raw after TakeOver 36, Kross was moved to the Raw brand, where he performed without Scarlett and wore a gladiator helmet and suspenders during his entrance. This attire and character direction was criticized, with many deeming those changes unnecessary and poorly thought out.[41] On November 4, Kross and Scarlett were released from their WWE contracts,[42] although they did return on the August 5, 2022 episode of SmackDown.[43]
This would be Samoa Joe's final WWE match. On September 12, Joe relinquished the NXT Championship due to what WWE reported as an unspecified injury,[44][45] and was released from his WWE contract on January 6, 2022.[46] In March 2022, Joe stated that the real reason he relinquished the title was because he tested positive for COVID-19, as well as Vince McMahon wanting to change the overall direction of NXT with the rebranding to NXT 2.0 and the reverting to being WWE's developmental territory (see below).[47] After the NXT Championship was vacated, a fatal four-way match for the vacant title was announced for the September 14 episode of NXT.[48] The match was won by Tommaso Ciampa, making him a two-time NXT Champion.[49]
Ridge Holland and Timothy Thatcher had their match on the following episode of NXT, where Holland was victorious. After the match, Holland attacked Thatcher, but Tommaso Ciampa made the save. However, Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch, and Pete Dunne overpowered Thatcher and Ciampa, ending the attack with Dunne striking Thatcher in the throat.[50] This ended up being Thatcher's final WWE appearance, as he was released from his WWE contract on January 5, 2022.[51]
TakeOver 36 would be the final NXT event held under the TakeOver series. In September, the NXT brand went through a restructuring, being rebranded as "NXT 2.0", reverting, in part, to a developmental territory for WWE. The Capitol Wrestling Center name was also phased out, with events just being billed as held from the Performance Center. Those changes went into effect beginning with the September 14 episode of NXT.[52] In October, it was speculated that the company may end the TakeOver series as another TakeOver event was not scheduled for 2021 after TakeOver 36.[53][54] On November 9, 2021, NXT's next PPV and livestreaming event was announced as NXT WarGames to be held on December 5. WarGames was previously held under the TakeOver series from 2017 to 2020, however, the announcement confirmed that the event would not be a TakeOver event, thus ending the TakeOver series.[55][56][57] However, the Mat Men Podcast reported that WWE may use the TakeOver name again if an NXT event is held in a large venue, such as sharing the same venue with one of WWE's major events, and held as a support show for one of those events, like several previous TakeOvers have done.[58]
Results
[edit]No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[29] | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1P | Ridge Holland (with Pete Dunne) defeated Trey Baxter by pinfall | Singles match[59] | 1:45 | ||||
2 | Cameron Grimes (with Ted DiBiase) defeated LA Knight (c) by pinfall | Singles match for the Million Dollar Championship[60] Had Grimes lost, DiBiase would have become Knight's butler. | 16:31 | ||||
3 | Raquel González (c) defeated Dakota Kai by pinfall | Singles match for the NXT Women's Championship[61] | 12:24 | ||||
4 | Ilja Dragunov defeated Walter (c) by submission | Singles match for the NXT United Kingdom Championship[62] | 22:03 | ||||
5 | Kyle O'Reilly defeated Adam Cole 2–1 | "The Undisputed Finale"
Two-out-of-three-falls match[63]
| 25:20 | ||||
6 | Samoa Joe defeated Karrion Kross (c) by pinfall | Singles match for the NXT Championship[64] | 12:24 | ||||
|
References
[edit]- ^ Howell, Nolan (May 29, 2014). "Neville tops Kidd at NXT Takeover". canoe.ca. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ Defelice, Robert (October 3, 2020). "NXT TakeOver 31 To Be Available On Traditional Pay-Per-View". Fightful. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ WWE.com Staff (March 8, 2021). "WWE Network to launch on Peacock March 18". WWE. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ Currier, Joseph (July 20, 2021). "WWE announces NXT TakeOver 36 for August". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ Harris, Jeffrey (June 10, 2021). "NXT TakeOver: In Your House to Have Largest Attendance at CWC Since Before Pandemic". 411Mania. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ Grabianowski, Ed (January 13, 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ "Live & Televised Entertainment". WWE. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
- ^ Hamilton, Ian (October 29, 2020). "Hamilton's NXT UK Review 10.29.20". 411Mania. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ Lopez, Joshua (June 24, 2021). "WWE NXT UK Results 6/24/21". Wrestling Headlines. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ Defelice, Robert (July 15, 2021). "Walter Suffers Hand Injury, NXT UK Title Match Against Ilja Dragunov Postponed". Fightful. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ Currier, Joseph (July 22, 2021). "Walter vs. Dragunov UK Title Match Set for NXT TakeOver 36". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ a b c Moore, John (June 15, 2021). "6/15 NXT TV results: Moore's review of William Regal addresses his future, Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans in a tornado tag match, Kushida defends the NXT Cruiserweight Championship in an open challenge". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on October 17, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ Courrier, Joseph (June 15, 2021). "Samoa Joe returns to WWE NXT as enforcer authority figure". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ Moore, John (July 13, 2021). "7/13 NXT TV results: Moore's review of Karrion Kross vs. Johnny Gargano for the NXT Championship with Samoa Joe as special referee, Ikemen Jiro vs. Duke Hudson in an NXT Breakout Tournament first round match, Gigi Dolin vs. Sarray, Ember Moon vs. Dakota Kai, Tyler Rust vs. Bobby Fish". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ^ Rose, Bryan (July 13, 2021). "Samoa Joe Attacked by Karrion Kross on WWE NXT". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ Moore, John (July 20, 2021). "7/20 NXT TV results: Moore's review of Raquel Gonzalez vs. Xia Li for the NXT Women's Championship, Kyle O'Reilly vs. Austin Theory, Odyssey Jones vs. Andre Chase in an NXT Breakout Tournament match, Kushida and Bobby Fish vs. Roderick Strong and Tyler Rust, Drake Maverick vs. LA Knight". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
- ^ Defelice, Robert (July 20, 2021). "Karrion Kross Seemingly Attacks William Regal, Raquel Gonzalez Retains – NXT Fight Size Update". Fightful. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ a b c Moore, John (July 27, 2021). "7/27 NXT TV results: Moore's review of Adam Cole vs. Bronson Reed, Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher vs. Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan, Carmelo Hayes vs. Josh Briggs in an NXT Breakout Tournament match, Franky Monet and Jessi Kamea vs. Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ Moore, John (February 16, 2020). "2/16 NXT Takeover: Portland results – Moore's live review of Adam Cole vs. Tommaso Ciampa for the NXT Championship, Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair for the NXT Women's Championship, Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly vs. Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne for the NXT Tag Titles, Finn Balor vs. Johnny Gargano". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ Moore, John (December 6, 2020). "NXT Takeover WarGames results: Moore's live review of Undisputed Era vs. Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, and Danny Burch, and Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley, and Io Shirai vs. Candice LeRae, Toni Storm, Dakota Kai, and Raquel Gonzalez in WarGames matches". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ a b Moore, John (February 14, 2021). "NXT Takeover Vengeance Day results: Moore's live review of Finn Balor vs. Pete Dunne for the NXT Championship, Johnny Gargano vs. Kushida for the NXT North American Title, Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Martinez for the NXT Women's Championship, Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic finals". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ Moore, John (March 10, 2021). "3/10 NXT TV results: Moore's review of Finn Balor vs. Adam Cole for the NXT Championship, Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm for the NXT Women's Championship, William Regal's big announcements, Xia Li vs. Kayden Carter". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ Moore, John (April 7, 2021). "NXT Takeover Stand & Deliver results: Moore's live review of night one with Io Shirai vs. Raquel Gonzalez for the NXT Women's Championship, Walter vs. Tommaso Ciampa for the NXT UK Championship, MSK vs. Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde for the vacant NXT Tag Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on October 17, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ a b Powell, Jason (June 13, 2021). "NXT Takeover In Your House results – Powell's live review of Karrion Kross vs. Adam Cole vs. Kyle O'Reilly vs. Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano for the NXT Title, Raquel Gonzalez vs. Ember Moon for the NXT Women's Title, Bronson Reed and MSK vs. Legado Del Fantasma for the NXT North American and NXT Tag Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ a b Moore, John (July 6, 2021). "7/6 NXT TV results: Moore's review of the Great American Bash edition with Adam Cole vs. Kyle O'Reilly, MSK vs. Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher for the NXT Tag Titles, Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell vs. Io Shirai and Zoey Stark for the NXT Women's Tag Titles, LA Knight vs. Cameron Grimes for the Million Dollar Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ a b Moore, John (August 10, 2021). "8/10 NXT TV results: Moore's review of Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly meet face to face, Dakota Kai vs. Sarray, Odyssey Jones vs. Trey Baxter in an NXT Breakout Tournament semifinal match, Ilja Dragunov appears, Raquel Gonzalez first comments since being attacked by Kai". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
- ^ Moore, John (March 24, 2021). "3/24 NXT TV results: Moore's review of NXT UK Champion Walter vs. Drake Maverick, NXT UK Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin vs. Kushida, Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart vs. Aliyah and Mercedes Martinez for the NXT Women's Tag Titles, Karrion Kross vs. Oney Lorcan, LA Knight vs. Bronson Reed". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
- ^ Moore, John (April 8, 2021). "NXT Takeover Stand & Deliver results: Moore's live review of night two with Finn Balor vs. Karrion Kross for the NXT Championship, Adam Cole vs. Kyle O'Reilly in an unsanctioned match, Santos Escobar vs. Jordan Devlin in a ladder match to unify the NXT Cruiserweight Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Moore, John (August 22, 2021). "NXT Takeover 36 results: Moore's live review of Karrion Kross vs. Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship, Raquel Gonzalez vs. Dakota Kai for the NXT Women's Title, Adam Cole vs. Kyle O'Reilly in a best of three falls match, Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov for the NXT UK Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on July 16, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
- ^ Klyn, Parker (August 22, 2022). "NXT TakeOver 36 live results: Karrion Kross vs. Samoa Joe". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ Wells, Kelly (August 22, 2021). "NXT TakeOver 36 8/22: Wells's live results and match analysis for Karrion Kross vs. Samoa Joe, Raquel Gonzalez vs. Dakota Kai, Kyle O'Reilly vs. Adam Cole, Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov, Cameron Grimes vs. LA Knight". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ Johnson, Mike (August 22, 2021). "Adam Cole-NXT Update". PWInsider. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
- ^ "Adam Cole's WWE Contract Set to Expire This Friday". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. August 24, 2021. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
- ^ Powell, Jason (September 5, 2021). "AEW All Out results: Powell's live review of CM Punk vs. Darby Allin, The Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Bros in a cage match for the AEW Tag Titles, Kenny Omega vs. Christian Cage for the AEW Title, Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander for the AEW Women's Title, Chris Jericho vs. MJF". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ Pantoja, Kevin (August 22, 2021). "Pantoja's WWE NXT TakeOver 36 Review". 411Mania. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ Berge, Kevin (August 22, 2021). "WWE NXT TakeOver 36 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "Top Lists Statistics – Matches". Cagematch.net. Archived from the original on August 26, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ Rathi, Ishaan (August 23, 2021). "Twitter erupts as Ilja Dragunov defeats Walter in a stunning match". firstsportz.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "Dave Meltzer 5 Star Matches List (1983 to 2021) - Page 7 of 7". IWNerd. January 1, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ Powell, Jason (July 19, 2021). "7/19 WWE Raw Results: Powell's live review of John Cena's show opening segment, fans return, Charlotte Flair coronation, Symphony of Destruction match, six-man tag match, the Money in the Bank fallout edition". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ Martínez, Sebastián (August 24, 2021). "WWE Raw: Los fans se burlan del nuevo atuendo de Karrion Kross". Solowrestling.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ Conway, Tyler (November 4, 2021). "Report: Keith Lee, Karrion Kross, Nia Jax Among WWE Stars Released from Contracts". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ Powell, Jason (August 5, 2022). "8/5 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of Roman Reigns addressing his next challenger Drew McIntyre, a gauntlet match for a shot at the Smackdown Women's Championship at WWE Clash at the Castle, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ludwig Kaiser for a shot at the Intercontinental Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ Samoa Joe [@SamoaJoe] (September 12, 2021). "Samoa Joe Relinquishes the NXT Championship" (Tweet). Retrieved December 27, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ Sapp, Sean Ross (September 12, 2021). "Samoa Joe Relinquishes WWE NXT Title Due To Injury". Fightful. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ Sapp, Sean Ross (January 6, 2022). "Samoa Joe Released By WWE, Joe Comments". Fightful. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (March 1, 2022). "Samoa Joe Relinquished NXT Title After Positive COVID Test, Vince McMahon Changing NXT Direction". Fightful. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ Rueter, Sean (September 13, 2021). "How NXT will crown Samoa Joe's successor". Cageside Seats. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ Moore, John (September 14, 2021). "9/14 NXT TV results: Moore's review of the NXT 2.0 premiere with Tommaso Ciampa vs. Kyle O'Reilly vs. LA Knight vs. Pete Dunne for the vacant NXT Championship, Indi Hartwell and Dexter Lumis wedding, Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro vs. Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne, B-Fab's in-ring debut". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ Moore, John (August 24, 2021). "8/24 NXT TV results: Moore's review of the NXT Takeover 36 fallout show with new NXT Champion Samoa Joe, Hit Row vs. Legado Del Fantasma, Carmelo Hayes vs. Odyssey Jones in the NXT Breakout Tournament finals, Timothy Thatcher vs. Ridge Holland, Kay Lee Ray in action". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ Guzzo, Gisberto (January 5, 2022). "Road Dogg Among Multiple Performance Center Staff Released By WWE, SVP Released". Fightful. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ Wrestlenomics Staff (October 4, 2021). "The future of WWE NXT 2.0 on the USA Network". Wrestlenomics. Archived from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ Aguilar, Matthew (October 22, 2021). "NXT TakeOver is a No Show on WWE's Updated Calendar". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ Johnson, Mike (October 21, 2021). "WWE PPV Calendar Updates". PWInsider. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ Guzzo, Gisberto (November 9, 2021). "NXT WarGames 2021 Announced During 11/9 Episode Of NXT 2.0". Fightful. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ WWE [@WWENXT] (November 9, 2021). "LFG!!!!! #WWENXT #WarGames Returns Sunday, December 5!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Thomas, Jeremy (November 9, 2021). "Updated: NXT WarGames Set For December, Takeover Name Removed". 411Mania. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ Pro Wrestling Podcast - Mat Men Podcast (November 11, 2021). LIVE - Full Speed to Full Gear Mat Men Podcast. YouTube. Event occurs at 00:21:07. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ Melok, Bobby (August 22, 2021). "Ridge Holland def. Trey Baxter (Pre-Show Match)". WWE. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ Melok, Bobby (August 22, 2021). "Cameron Grimes def. LA Knight to become Million Dollar Champion". WWE. Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ Melok, Bobby (August 22, 2021). "NXT Women's Champion Raquel Gonzalez overcomes Dakota Kai only to come face-to-face with Kay Lee Ray". WWE. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ Melok, Bobby (August 22, 2021). "Ilja Dragunov def. WALTER to become NXT United Kingdom Champion". WWE. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ Melok, Bobby (August 22, 2021). "Kyle O'Reilly bests Adam Cole in The Undisputed Finale Three Stages of Hell Match". WWE. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ Melok, Bobby (August 22, 2021). "Samoa Joe def. Karrion Kross to become NXT Champion". WWE. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2021.