5 things WWE got right at NXT TakeOver 31
WWE delivered a great event in the form of NXT TakeOver 31 on Sunday, where all four of the singles Championships of the brand were up for grabs. Io Shirai put her NXT Women's Championship on the line against Candice LeRae, while Johnny Gargano challenged Damian Priest for the NXT North American Championship.
Santos Escobar faced Isaiah "Swerve" Scott to defend his NXT Cruiserweight Championship, while Finn Balor defended his NXT Championship against Kyle O'Reilly in the main event of NXT TakeOver 31.
That wasn't all, as KUSHIDA faced The Velveteen Dream in singles action, while we saw two surprise returns and an even more surprising attack to end NXT TakeOver 31.
With so much action and drama during the night, there were several things NXT did very well to keep the fans entertained.
In this article, we will look at the five things NXT got right at TakeOver 31.
#5 KUSHIDA picks up a big victory at NXT TakeOver 31
KUSHIDA faced The Velveteen Dream in a singles match at NXT TakeOver 31 after weeks of animosity on NXT. The more aggressive KUSHIDA came in with a different energy and looked to put away Dream from the get-go.
In typical fashion, Dream mocked another one of his opponents with his ring attire, as he came out dressed as Doc Brown from Back to the Future to poke fun at KUSHIDA's Time Splitter persona.
The Japanese Superstar attacked Dream before the opening bell, but Dream was soon able to break his momentum by using his size and power advantage.
The fans seemed to be behind KUSHIDA as he targetted Dream's arm once again and pulled him shoulder-first into the ring post a couple of times. He then delivered a dropkick to the stairs into Dream's arm.
Later on, His Purple Highness attempted the Purple Rainmaker, but KUSHIDA countered with an arm breaker. Dream made it to the ropes and poked his opponent in the eye. He delivered a powerbomb for two, following which KUSHIDA applied another armbar.
Dream finally hit the Purple Rainmaker but could not take full advantage because of his injured arm. KUSHIDA then pulled off a great move with Dream off the top rope to apply the Hoverboard Lock. Dream delivered the Dream Valley Driver, but KUSHIDA held on and forced Dream to tap out to pick up the victory at NXT TakeOver 31.
The match was good, and it was KUSHIDA who came out as the real star in this one. Dream proved to be the perfect opponent for him, and his new attitude shone out in this contest. KUSHIDA added insult to injury by viciously attacking Dream after the match and had to be stopped by the referees. With his new attitude, it looks like it only a matter of time before KUSHIDA is on top of the NXT roster.