NXT TakeOver WarGames Results

Written by Liam Stewart • Published 6th December 2020
NXT TakeOver WarGames Results

NXT TakeOver: WarGames Live Results will be updated live as they occur so check back throughout the show!

Keep up with all of tonight’s WWE NXT TakeOver: WarGames results, as NXT’s annual Winter PPV returns for the fourth year running, this time emanating live from The Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida.

Already announced for tonight’s show:

  • Timothy Thatcher vs Tommaso Ciampa
  • Dexter Lumis vs Cameron Grimes in a Strap Match
  • Team Undisputed ERA vs Team Kings of NXT in a WarGames match
  • Leon Ruff vs Johnny Gargano vs Damien Priest for the NXT North American Championship
  • Team LeRae vs Team Blackheart in a WarGames match

Also rumoured for the show is the return of former NXT Champion Karrion Kross and the potential reveal of the second Ghost-face.

Team LeRae defeat Team Blackheart in a WarGames Match via pinfall in 35:22

  • Sam Robert’s confirms on the TakeOver Pre-Show that Team Shotzi vs Team LeRae will open tonights PPV.
  • Although Meltzer reported shortened entrance times, the five minute intervals remain.
  • Dakota Kai enters the match first for Team LeRae.
  • Shotzi debuts a newer, bigger, blacker tank complete with functioning rocket launcher.
  • Ember represents Team Blackheart to kick things off.
  • The opening five minute-segment features a back and forth battle for control with Moon gaining the advantage as the countdown reaches it’s climax.
  • As Shotzi enters the match she makes a quick detour to grab a variety of weapons including a tool box and a Crowbar.
  • Ember and Shotzi are able to dominate Dakota for the five minute interval before Raquel Gonzalez enters, clearing house and changing the tide of the match.
  • Dakota clears herself, Shotzi and Ember out with a huge dive, leaving Raquel standing alone as Rhea enters the ring for a battle of giants.
  • Ripley wields a mini sledgehammer to take out Kai before removing her belt and begging to whip her back repeatedly.
  • The newly heel Toni Storm makes her way to the ring next, making a stop to bring in a handful on Kendo Sticks to beat down Team Shotzi and regain control.
  • As Io attempts to enter the ring with a Ladder, Raquel Gonzalez lays her out and locks the Joshi Judas outside the ring.
  • The next five minutes takes the form of Io Shirai attempting to enter the match only to be isolated on the outside by Raquel and Team LeRae.
  • CLR attempts to enter only for Shirai to approach her, however, Indi Hartwell makes a surprise appearance to lay Shirai out with a Steel Chair.
  • Before exiting WarGames, Hartwell ties the door closed with a steel chain…guess Shirai will have to climb her way up.
  • Blackheart receives a five-on-one Kendo Stick beat down as Team LeRae dominate Team Blackheart.
  • Candice attempts to pick up the win, however, as Shirai has not entered the match it has not begun.
  • Io Shirai climbs the Steel Cage, places a Steel Trash Can over her head and upper body before jumping off the cage onto the performers below.
  • Team Blackheart follow up with Shirai hitting the ‘Over the Moon-sault’ on to Raquel however only achieving a two count.
  • Dakota Kai takes Shirai out with a double stomp onto the Steel Trash Can, the camera crew make a poorly timed cut to Shotzi hiding the pinfall attempt.
  • Must See Spot – Ember Moon hits the Eclipse onto Kai over a set up Steel Chair driving the top of the chair into Kai’s throat
  • Raquel Gonzalez hits the single arm power bomb onto Shirai through a prone ladder to pick up a huge win.

Analysis: A very strong opener to the show, plenty of storyline moments paying off throughout and a monster moment for Raquel Gonzalez. The individuality surrounding NXT’s immense women’s division shone bright here with individuals such as Indi who are new to the division playing important roles in the matches outcome. The Bin-a-cide dive and the Eclipse onto the chair and must see moments from an in-ring POV however the full match start to finish was thoroughly enjoyable. Raquel Gonzalez vs Io Shirai for the Women’s Championship must surely be on the cards now as she picks up the pinfall over the reigning champion, and I for one welcome that match and the rising of our future Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez.

Tommaso Ciampa defeats Timothy Thatcher via pinfall in 16:30

  • Ciampa debuts a new black-and-gold gear representing the brand that he has called his home for the best part of five years.
  • The early exchanges of the bout see Thatcher and Ciampa exchange heavy strikes and grapples reminiscent of fundamental amateur wrestling manoeuvres
  • Thatcher is winded midway through the match as Ciampa turns a butterfly suplex into a modified front flip/splash
  • The former NXT World Champion swings momentum in his favour with some of his signature aggression
  • The Master of Thatch-as-Thatch-can locks in a No-Gi Guillotine Choke, however, Ciampa uses his power to spill both competitors through the middle rope to the outside breaking up the hold in the process.
  • A heavy series of strikes for Ciampa busts Thatchers ear and mouth open who begins to bleed heavily from his lobe.
  • Ciampa follows a ring assisted guillotine choke up with Willows Bell to pick up the win over Timothy Thatcher.

Analysis: I stated in the build up to this NXT TakeOver WarGames results piece that I thought this match could save the current NXT career for both competitors. This was not the case, this match lacked any real substance or spice, it felt like ten-fifteen minutes of slow repetitive wrestling. Pure wrestling has a important place in modern wrestling, however, this was not ZSJ or even Jonathan Gresham it lacked anything special to make it pick up and grasp my attention. Definitely one of the weakest TakeOver matches of all time.

Dexter Lumis defeats Cameron Grimes via submission in 15:55

  • The match is officiated by the ‘Zombie Ref’ from NXT TakeOver 31
  • Grimes jumps Lumis with the strap before the match and before the two and tied together
  • When the match eventually gets underway Lumis is quick to gain control using his superior strength and size advantage
  • The Caveman is thrown into the barricade as he attempts to run away, the impact of the clash causes the NXT barricade to break,
  • Lumis is dumped head first onto the concrete behind the barricade allowing Grimes to gain control once again.
  • Grimes reveals a silk sack with a second strap inside, Lumis is blinded inside the bag as Grimes uses the second leather strap to beat down his opponent.
  • Momentum is switched again as Lumis’ six sense allows him to hit a spinebuster whilst blinded
  • We get a double down as the two men collide with a strap assisted Spanish Fly.
  • Grimes is lucky to be alive as Lumis sweeps his feet with the strap causing the former Evolve superstar to land neck first on a set up steel chair.
  • Lumis then locks in his signature submission to end the match and pick up the win.

Analysis: Another disappointing match on this show, the match that needed to focus on comedy and not drag out did the exact opposite of that. This match went too long and featured far too much lack luster wrestler. The finishing spot its self was fantastic however it came about ten to fifteen minutes too late. It is going to be an upwards battle from here to regain momentum on the show.

Karrion Kross Return Teased

  • As Vic Joseph and Bennet are advertising a breakable WarGames toy, the lights begin to flicker and a clock appears on ring with a countdown to the Vulture.

Analysis: Triple H heavily teased Kross’ return during a interview with FOX Sport’s Ryan Satin, I thought he would appear fully on the show possibly attacking Balor, however, with the announcement earlier in the show that Balor will return to NXT in-ring this Wednesday Night we possibly will get the encounter then.

Johnny Gargano defeats Leon Ruff and Damien Priest via pinfall for the NXT North American Championship in 17:11

  • Gargano immediately isolates Ruff in the ring whilst forcing Priest to stay on the outside.
  • The current North American Champion utilises some of his signature offence to take Gargano down.
  • Priest refers to Ruff as an annoyance, telling him to go home and see his fiancee , he doesn’t need to be involved
  • This disrespect angers the NA Champion who immediately fires back at rest.
  • Finally having enough of Ruff’s shenanigans priest hits the Razer’s Edge onto Ruff through a plexiglass barricade which collapses on impact [and causes a nearby barricade knock over a unexpected security guard]
  • Ruff is taken to the back due to injury as Priest says he is sorry and Gargano says he told Ruff he couldn’t hang.
  • Priest hits a clubbing lariat to take Gargano down as the two former North American Champions face-off one on one.
  • Ruff makes a brave return to action, channeling the heart of NXT to hit a series of high octane strikes onto Gargano and Priest
  • A Corkscrew Cutter gets Ruff a near fall over Gargano.
  • A two for one Flatline Special puts Priest back in the driving space as the match begins to pick up pace.
  • Gargano ties Priest up in the ropes of the second ring before turning round into a Cruxific Bomb from Ruff for a two-fall.
  • The Gargano Escape nearly ends the match, however, as Ruff attempts to tap out Priest catches his hand and break up the pinfall.
  • Must See Spot: Priest Irish Whips Ruff through the ropes who is caught with a SuperKick by Gargano.
  • 6 Ghost-faces appear to beat down Priest who manages to wipe one half of them out with a tope before wiping the remaining three out with an over the turnbuckle dive.
  • Leon hits the splash as Priest rolls Gargano into the ring however he is only able to steal a two count.
  • Gargano counters The Reckoning into a Superkick however Priest is able to hit a series of strikes
  • A final Ghostface appears striking Priest with a Steel Pipe and taking him out
  • Gargano hits the One Final Beat over Ruff to puck up the win and regain the NXT North American Championship becoming a record three-time champion.
  • Post match the lead pipe wearing Ghostface unmask and its Austin Theory
  • Theory speaks down the camera stating “It was me all along, Austin”.

Analysis: This was more like it, a fantastic triple threat between three superbly talented performers. Plenty of great in-ring action as well as a plethora of storytelling throughout including the Ghostface reveal. Austin Theory made perfect sense and the throw back to the Higher Power angle was hilarious. Ruff has been elevated massively by this two month story and that is a true sign of the incredible talented of the NXT Writing Team.

Undisputed Era defeat Kings of NXT in a WarGames Match in 45:45

  • Pete Dunne and Kyle O’Reilly kick off the action with an impressive exchange of technical holds and strikes [similar to what Thatcher and Ciampa attempted to achieve]
  • Lorcan comes out next and both members of McAfee’s Team are able to beat down and isolate the former ROH World Champion.
  • The focus of the match becomes working over O’Reilly’s legs and grounding the renowned striker
  • Bobby Fish comes in next to give us our ReDrAgoN reunion and former the second arch of the match.
  • Burch comes in next bringing a Cricket Bat to the ring to clear house and ‘Take Over’
  • Roderick Strong evens the odds however significant damage has been done to the legs of O’Reilly
  • It appears at this point that we are building to a heel turn within the UE
  • As UE gain control, the face of the brand, Pat McAfee makes his way in with a series of UE marked tables with designated tables for each member.
  • McAfee sits atop the turnbuckle waiting for his men to fetch him the UE.
  • A picture perfect Moonsault from McAfee puts Strong through the table as the Kings of NXT set their sights on Adam Cole
  • Cole fetches a fire extinguisher from under the rind and utilises the smoke created by it to take out all of the KON except McAfee
  • Pete Dunne proves effective once again putting himself between Pat and Cole.
  • We get a teasing camera angle as Kyle stands alone with Pat, Steel Chair in hand an Adam Cole on the ground beside them
  • No heel turn yet as Cole and O’Reilly beat down McAfee and TKON
  • Dunne is confidently presented as the true threat of the group and commentary are quick to suggest he could be World Champion under McAfee.
  • In Ric Flair fashion McAfee locks in a Figure-Four onto Cole, however Cole reverses the momentum and thus pressure of the hold forcing the break.
  • McAfee over shoots a table bump landing head fist through the ‘Cole’ marked table
  • After overcoming the odds, Pat is alone with the four members of the UE surrounding him.
  • Pat receives a brief beatdown before Dunne makes the save once again setting McAfee up to hit a top cage Senton from the top of the cage onto everyone below.
  • We go full circle as the two competitors who start the match off [O’Reilly and Dunne] face off alone in the ring with both teams down around them.
  • Incredible near fall as Dunne connects clean with a Bitter End onto Kyle O’Reilly
  • As Cole attempts to strike McAfee over the head with a chair, Pat hits Cole with a sneaky low blow.
  • McAfee proves his worth kicking out of a Panama Sunrise from Adam Cole
  • Dunne strikes Adam Cole with a Bitter End onto a steel chair, however, Kyle hits a chair assisted flying knee to Lorcan off the ropes to pick up the win.

Analysis: This went long, way too long. The action within the match was great to start, especially O’Reilly vs Dunne and McAfee once again impressed. However, this did not need to go nearly one hour and I am not sure that The Kings Of NXT should be losing this early into their dominance. The presentation of Dunne as a legitimate threat and a monster was fantastic and Kyle was shown to be a truly routable babyface. The lack of any heel turn within the UE was shocking to myself and felt like a strange decisions as its now hard to tell were the UE go from here.

Overall this was arguably one of NXT’s weakest TakeOver shows to date, a fantastic opener and excellently constructed NA Championship bout saved the show from being a massive disappointment. The more concerning factor is that the show was not weak due to necessarily shockingly poor performances but rather matches that were predictably not well suited to a TakeOver format. Ciampa and Thatcher lacked an adequate build, story or character behind it to be anything more than fine and Lumis vs Grimes have succeeded only when allowed to move away from the realms of long form wrestling matches. The two highlights of this show, the Women’s WarGames and the NA Triple Threat featured the strongest stories and complete characters going into the show and benefited massively from the ability to tie in references, call backs and progression to several characters and storyline events. The Austin Theory reveal and Gonzalez huge win are fantastic momentum shifters that give us a new direction on Wednesday nights however the main event failed to deliver any such thing. The UE said they would win, they won and TKON are delegitimised as a in-ring threat less than 6 weeks into their existence of Wednesday Night’s, this was the perfect moment for Cole to turn on O’Reilly and build O’Reilly as the new baby face underdog of NXT leading to an incredible TakeOver match between the two down the line. Instead we leave the show with no clear path moving forward.

Hopefully actions and events occur on Wednesday that set the wheels in motion to pick the pace up for NXT, Balor and Kross both looking set to appear and the possibility of beginning the build to Shirai vs Gonzalez make for a promising show.

If you enjoyed these NXT TakeOver WarGames Results, check out tomorrow night’s Monday Night RAW results or visit back on Wednesday for live results of the follow-up episode of WWE NXT.