NXT TakeOver: Portland Results, Grades, and Analysis; Cole retains thanks to Gargano

Dakota Kai vs. Tegan Nox- Street Fight

As Nox made her way down the ramp, Kai came out and attacked her from behind! This led to a brawl through the crowd. Nox speared Kai through the barricade and picked her up in a fireman’s carry, but Kai countered into a DDT onto that same rail. She rolled her back in and the match officially began.

Kai then started throwing a bunch of weapons in the ring before she yanked Nox out and threw her into the stairs.

With Kai laying prone on the steps, Kai delivered a pair of thrust kicks before retrieving a cricket bat from under the ring. She swung it at her former tag team partner, but Nox blocked it, recovered, and threw Kai back first into the same stairs.

Nox then grabbed a trash can, placed it over Kai’s head and torso, and delivered a cannonball while she was still lying against the steps, which scored a nearfall once Nox rolled her back in the ring. Nox then set up a table on the opposite side of the ring. She tried to suplex Kai through it on the outside, but Kai blocked it.

Nox tried to charge in, but Kai avoided her and landed another shot with a trash can lid. She tried for her running kick, but Nox moved out of the way. She then hit her with the trash can again and crushed Kai with a high-angle German on the same wastebasket for a nearfall.

Kai hit her Chiropractor finisher for another nearfall. She then goes for a top rope move, but Nox catches her in chokeslam position. Kai wriggles out, however, and hits a kick. Both of them end up in the corner, where Kai attempts a superplex, but Knox chokeslams her off and hit a Molly Go Round(!) for a nearfall.

Dueling Nox/Kai chants become audible as Nox sets up a chair mid-ring in a seated position. Conflicted, Nox eventually wedges Kai’s head between the seat and goes for a running punt. But Kai ducks out at the last second, grabs the chair, tosses it to Nox, and pump kicks it into Nox’s face.

With Nox now on the outside, Kai then gets some tape from under the ring and used some to fasten Nox’s arm to the post. This allowed Kai to hit a couple more kicks. She then went over to the timekeeper’s area and secured a laptop, swinging it at Nox, but Nox blocked it and hit Kai in the surgically-repaired knee with the computer.

Nox then grabs a chain, hits Kai a few times with it, grabs a chair, wedges it between Kai’s knee and steps on it a couple of times. She then hit the Shiniest Wizard, but instead of going for the cover, proclaims that she isn’t done with Kai and brings Checkov’s table back into the ring. She placed Kai on the table and wedged the chair between Kai’s neck. But before she could Pillmanize her former bestie, Raquel Gonzalez hopped on the apron and distracted her!

With Kai now off the table, Gonzalez tossed Nox off the top buckle and onto the table, which didn’t break and didn’t look fun. Kai then covered Nox for the tainted fall. Afterward, Gonzalez raised a confused Kai’s arm in victory.

Winner: Kai via pinfall

Rating: ****. This was a very good, heated street fight. As for the finish, it made sense that Nox would want to do more than just win considering she already got a measure of revenge a few weeks ago. Her having the match in hand and Gonzalez’s interference protects her while giving Kai a needed win and perhaps the bodyguard she needs to make this heel character work. 

We then got a Finn Balor/Johnny Gargano video package. Gargano, decked in Trail Blazer red, came out first to a good reaction. Balor entered to an equally strong pop.