NXT War Games 2021 - Star rating for every match
NXT War Games 2021 marked the first major offering from the brand not to be under the "TakeOver" banner. It was also the first major event for NXT since the 2.0 rebrand. The shift has been greeted with polarizing opinions from the fans and critics alike, but the show went a long way towards dictating how everyone views the third brand of WWE.
Although it isn't a TakeOver, the "War Games" name has plenty of equity behind it with NXT adopting the signature stipulation of WCW since 2017. It has become synonymous with the brand and delivered on the match type that was made famous after being created by Dusty Rhodes.
🚨 The cage is being lowered. 🚨
#NXTWarGames starts NOW! https://t.co/2qZoCUSzwx
With the pay-per-view now in the books, it is time to dissect what went down between the ropes and whether the roster delivered with their in-ring action. More than anything, the high workrate matches were what NXT was always known for. In this article, let's take a look at the star rating for every match at NXT War Games 2021.
Team Gonzalez (Raquel Gonzalez, Cora Jade, Kay Lee Ray & Io Shirai) vs. Team Kai (Dakota Kai, NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose, NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne of Toxic Attraction) in the Women's War Games Match -- NXT War Games 2021
🤯 HardCORA HAS ARRIVED 🤯
#NXTWarGames @CoraJadeWWE @jacyjaynewwe https://t.co/Vh0MylEqBJ
NXT War Games 2021 kicked off with the latest installment of the Women's War Games Match. Over the past two years, the female superstars of the brand have arguably outperformed the men in the titular match type and delivered the most replayed highlights as well. It left lofty expectations for the ladies to meet on the night.
The action started out well with the workhorses of this War Games, Kay Lee Ray and Dakota Kai, but the booking hurt this contest NXT War Games 2021 quite a bit. As soon as Cora Jade entered the bout to give the babyfaces the advantage, the story suffered as a result. Fans immediately got behind the heels and cheered for Toxic Attraction, specifically Gigi Dolin.
All ten women performed admirably and appeared to stand out ahead of the pack. Io Shirai was her usual brilliant self and was a consistent highlight throughout. The Women's War Games Match was focused heavily on elevating Cora Jade with her suicide swanton bomb off the cage on Jacy Jayne through a table. Her arm injury became the story in the latter half of the bout.
Raquel Gonzalez was at her powerhouse best and proved to be the difference maker, hitting a massive Chingona Bomb on Jayne before Cora Jade scored the deciding fall to give her team the win. This NXT War Games 2021 opener showcased the new stars of their women's division and put a spotlight on Jade, who could have a bright future.
Star rating: ***1/2