5 Things NXT got right on the episode before TakeOver: Portland (February 12, 2020)
The final episode of NXT before TakeOver: Portland was expected to build towards the matches that will take place on Sunday, and the show did just dad extremely well.
The night kicked off with Roderick Strong taking on a new enemy, and the show then continued to build up the rivalries that were already set.
Dakota Kai battled against Candice LeRae before her clash with Tegan Nox on Sunday, while Johnny Gargano met Cameron Grimes last night before facing Finn Balor at TakeOver.
The NXT Champion also battled against a newer Superstar in a great match to end the night, while Bianca Belair made a statement against Rhea Ripley just before an important match.
In this article, we will look at the 5 things NXT got right on this week’s episode before NXT TakeOver: Portland.
#5 Nox and Kai’s build-up
The former Captain of Team Kick is not going easy on any of her opponents since her heel turn, and this week she took on one of NXT’s best in the form of Candice LeRae.
Dakota Kai tried to start strong in this match and gain the momentum ahead of her clash with former best friend Tegan Nox at TakeOver: Portland.
After trading several blows and suicide dives, LeRae’s nose was busted after a kick from LeRae which proved to work in favor of the heel. LeRae continued to battle but a roll-up from Kai proved to be the turning point in the match as the referee counted to three and handed her the victory.
As the match ended controversially, LeRae wasn’t too happy and went after Kai following the match. Kai, however, grabbed the ring bell and attacked LeRae with it, which led to Tegan Nox coming out to LeRae’ aide.
The two women got into a massive brawl which required several men to pull them apart. This was perfectly done as NXT needed to provide the final blow before their clash on Sunday.
The creatives protected LeRae from a clean defeat which allowed Kai to use her heelish tactics to come out on top right before an important clash.