The 2021 NXT WarGames was the fifth annual and final NXT WarGamesprofessional wrestlingpay-per-view (PPV) and livestreamingevent produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's NXTbrand division, which reverted to being WWE's developmental territory in September. The event took place on December 5, 2021, at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, and was the first WarGames to livestream on Peacock. It was also the last WWE PPV and livestreaming event to carry the term "pay-per-view" as WWE began to use the term "premium live event" for these major events beginning with Day 1 the following month.
This was NXT's first WarGames event to not carry the NXT TakeOver name, as the events from 2017 to 2020 were held as a subseries of TakeOvers titled "TakeOver: WarGames". It was subsequently NXT's first PPV and livestreaming event following the discontinuation of the TakeOver series, and subsequently NXT's first event to not be promoted under the TakeOver name since Halftime Heat in February 2019. It was also the brand's first PPV and livestreaming event held following its restructuring as NXT 2.0, which reverted the brand to its original function as WWE's developmental territory. This was also NXT's last major event to air on traditional PPV, as in 2022, WWE shifted to only broadcasting NXT's major events on the livestreaming platforms. In 2022, the WarGames concept was moved to the main roster as part of Survivor Series with the NXT WarGames event being replaced by NXT Deadline.
From 2017 to 2020, WWE's NXTbrand held an annual subseries of events under the TakeOver series titled WarGames, based around the WarGames match. In September 2021, the NXT brand went through a restructuring, being rebranded as "NXT 2.0", reverting, in part, to a developmental territory for WWE.[1] In October, it was speculated that the company may end the TakeOver series as another TakeOver event was not scheduled for 2021 after TakeOver 36 in August.[2][3]
On November 9, 2021, NXT's fifth WarGames event was announced to be held on December 5, 2021, at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The announcement confirmed that the event would not be a TakeOver event, thus marking NXT's first event to air on pay-per-view (PPV) and via livestreaming following TakeOver's discontinuation, as well as the first non-TakeOver to air on any of these broadcast outlets since Halftime Heat in February 2019. It was also the brand's first PPV and livestreaming event held following its rebranding as "NXT 2.0".[4][5] It was also the first WarGames to livestream on Peacock after the American version of the WWE Network merged under Peacock in March; other countries maintained the WWE Network service.[6] On the day of the event's announcement, WWE had originally made a post on Twitter that had the event titled as "TakeOver: WarGames"; however, the tweet was quickly deleted and WWE reposted the announcement with the "TakeOver" title removed.[7]
Storylines
The card included matches that resulted from scripted storylines. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the NXT brand, while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television program, NXT.[8][9]
At NXT: Halloween Havoc on October 26, Raquel González lost the NXT Women's Championship to Mandy Rose after interference from Dakota Kai.[10] A match between González and Kai was later scheduled for the November 16 episode of NXT, which ended in a disqualification win for González after interference from Toxic Attraction (Rose and NXT Women's Tag Team ChampionsGigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne). After the match, Cora Jade attacked Dolin and Jayne, only for Rose to overpower her. Io Shirai then grabbed a crutch from the injured Zoey Stark and attacked Kai and Toxic Attraction with it, sending them retreating. Shirai, Jade, and González then challenged Toxic Attraction and Kai to a WarGames match at NXT WarGames.[11] A day later, the match was made official.[12] The following week, Rose lost to Jade in a non-title match after interference from Kay Lee Ray, who later joined Shirai, Jade, and González's WarGames team.[13] On the November 30 episode, Ray defeated Kai in a ladder match to earn her team the WarGames advantage.[14]
At NXT: Halloween Havoc, Tommaso Ciampa defeated Bron Breakker to retain the NXT Championship.[10] On the November 23 episode of NXT, Halloween Havoc hosts Grayson Waller and LA Knight engaged in a brawl that spilled backstage. Later that night, Carmelo Hayes retained the NXT North American Championship against Johnny Gargano and Pete Dunne in a triple threat match after interference from Tony D'Angelo. After the match, the brawl between Waller and Knight returned to the ring before Ciampa sent Hayes, D'Angelo, and Waller retreating. However, Breakker appeared and sided with Hayes, D'Angelo, and Waller. They then challenged Ciampa, Knight, Dunne, and Gargano to a WarGames match before the two teams brawled as the show ended.[13] A day later, the match was made official for NXT WarGames.[15] On the November 30 episode, Breakker defeated Gargano in a ladder match to earn his team the WarGames advantage.[14]
At NXT: Halloween Havoc, Cameron Grimes was invited to Duke Hudson's Poker Room on the following week's episode,[10] where he beat him with a full house of 2's against his Aces.[16] On the November 16 episode of NXT, Hudson challenged Grimes to a poker showdown where he lost again due to his bluff, and powerbombed him through the poker table before trimming his beard and ponytail.[11] The following week, a short-haired Grimes challenged Hudson to a hair vs. hair match at NXT WarGames, which he accepted.[13]
On the November 23 episode of NXT, Malcolm Bivens and the Diamond Mine confronted Joe Gacy in the ring for stealing the spotlight away from them last week, and wanted to take it back by asking him to leave the ring so that Ivy Nile could have her match. Gacy respected Nile's right to have a match but had no respect for NXT Cruiserweight ChampionRoderick Strong, saying his name invoked "toxic masculinity" and that the cruiserweight division divided people by promoting exclusivity and "weight shaming". Strong said he wanted to embarrass Gacy, leading Bivens to set up a match between the two at NXT WarGames.[13] The following week, Gacy (accompanied by Harland) hosted an all-inclusive invitational in response to the Cruiserweight division being a "toxic environment" that left out "height, weight, and gender bias." After Gacy's matches against two enhancement talents, Gacy left Strong lying following a handspring clothesline before retreating with Harland.[14]
The actual event began with the women's WarGames match, which saw Cora Jade, Kay Lee Ray, Io Shirai, and Raquel González take on Toxic Attraction (Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin, and Jacy Jayne) and Dakota Kai. Kai and Ray started the match. Ray dominated the first few minutes. As Ray's team had the WarGames advantage, Jade entered next. Ray performed a KLR Bomb on Kai onto a trash can wrapped around Dolin before Shirai entered next. She brought multiple chairs and another trash can into the cage. However, Kai performed a Pump Kick on Shirai as she entered the cage. Kai and Dolin then dominated Shirai and Jade. Dolin then sent Jade into the cage wall before Jayne entered next. She brought a table into the cage while Dolin set it up. After the tide shifted, Shirai, Ray, and Jade placed Jayne onto the table, and Jade performed a Senton from the top of the cage on Jayne through it, dislocating her left shoulder in the process. Shirai then placed Jade's shoulder back into place, after which, González entered next with Rose entering last. Rose set her sights on the injured Jade until Shirai attacked her. After Rose, Dolin, and Jayne dominated González, Jade broke up a pinning attempt with a kendo stick. Rose performed a Bicycle Knee to Jade's injured shoulder, but Jade kicked out. In the climax, González performed a Chingona Bomb on Jayne, after which, González and Dolin took each other out. Jade then pinned Jayne to win the match for her team.[18]
In the second match, Imperium (Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel) defended the NXT Tag Team Championship against Kyle O'Reilly and Von Wagner. In the closing moments, after an evenly contested match, O'Reilly applied a Kimura Lock on Aichner, who made it to his feet, and he and Barthel performed the European Bomb on O'Reilly to retain the titles. After the match, Wagner attempted to attack O'Reilly, but O'Reilly saw it coming and attacked Wagner before doing The Undisputed Era handsign and crotch drop. O'Reilly then brawled with Wagner as he walked away.[18]
In the third match, Cameron Grimes took on Duke Hudson in a hair vs. hair match. In the closing moments, Hudson attempted a Razor's Edge on Grimes, but Grimes countered into a hurricanrana into the turnbuckle and rolled up Hudson to win the match. After the match, Hudson performed a Clothesline on Grimes and attempted to shave his hair, but Grimes recovered and performed a Cave In on Hudson before shaving his hair.[18]
Following this, it was announced that NXT: New Year's Evil would take place on January 4, 2022.[18]
In the penultimate match, Roderick Strong (accompanied by Diamond Mine) defended the NXT Cruiserweight Championship against Joe Gacy. During the match, Gacy performed a Brainbuster on Strong for a one count. Strong performed an Angle Slam on Gacy for a nearfall. Strong applied a Boston Crab on Gacy, who escaped. Gacy then applied a Crossface on Strong, who also escaped. Gacy performed a Tope Con Hilo on Strong and The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed). In the climax, Harland appeared and lifted up Ivy Nile, but Gacy told him to put her down. Gacy then performed a Gutwrench Powerbomb on Strong for a nearfall. Strong then performed a Jumping Knee and an End of Heartache on Gacy to retain the title.[18]
Before the main event, Kyle O'Reilly was interviewed backstage about his attack on Von Wagner, and also talked about not being in a WarGames match for the first time since WWE began using the concept. O'Reilly then challenged Wagner to a Steel Cage match for the following episode of NXT.[18]
Main event
The main event was the men's WarGames match, which saw Team 2.0 (Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Tony D'Angelo, and Grayson Waller, accompanied by Trick Williams) take on Team Black & Gold (Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, LA Knight, and Tommaso Ciampa). Hayes and Gargano began the match. Team 2.0 had the WarGames advantage as Waller entered next. Williams tossed a chair into the cage and attempted to climb the cage, only for Gargano to use the chair to knock Williams off. Dunne entered next. Waller then performed Stunners on Dunne and Gargano before D'Angelo entered next. Williams brought kendo sticks, a table, and a trash can in the cage before Dexter Lumis, who Hayes and Williams viciously attacked a few weeks earlier, appeared from underneath the ring, sending Williams running. D'Angelo padlocked the cage shut before Knight entered next. He climbed the cage and dominated D'Angelo, Waller, and Hayes himself. Referees unlocked the cage with bolt cutters before Breakker entered next. Breakker proceeded to dominate Team Black & Gold until Ciampa entered last. Notable moments that occurred after WarGames officially began included Knight performing a belly-to-belly suplex from the top rope on Waller through a table, Waller performing an elbow drop from the top of the cage on Knight through another table, D'Angelo removing Dunne's mouth guard before performing a neckbreaker with an assist from a crowbar, and Gargano and Ciampa performing their old DIY finisher, Meeting in the Middle, on Breakker. In the closing moments, Hayes performed a low blow on Gargano, after which, Ciampa knocked out both men. As Ciampa went for a Fairytale ending on Hayes, Breakker performed a Spear on Ciampa through a table positioned in the corner. Breakker then performed a Military Press Powerslam on Ciampa to win the match for his team.[18]
Reception
John Moore of Pro Wrestling Dot Net gave praise to both WarGames matches, highlighting the women's bout for telling a "multi-part dramatic story", and called the NXT Tag Title match the "best Tag Team Match NXT has had in a long long time". He concluded by calling the event "a great show and definitely a Takeover which I'm glad they're sticking with formula-wise for now".[18] Matthew McFarlin of Slam Wrestling reviewed the event and gave it 4 out of 5 stars. He wrote: "Rarely is NXT 2.0 an enjoyable watch, but NXT WarGames certainly was. In fact, it was pretty captivating. The utter carnage of both WarGames matches is an annual tradition, and in between were some solid cageless matches. The legitimate scenarios regarding contract statuses and the state, in whole, of NXT gave NXT WarGames the genuine emotion that the weekly programming just doesn't have".[19] Chris Mueller of Bleacher Report called the men's WarGames match the "biggest highlight of the show", praised the Hair vs. Hair bout for being a "pretty good showcase" for Grimes and Hudson, felt the women's WarGames match had "poorly planned" spots, and criticized the "overall pace and story" of the Cruiserweight Championship bout, concluding that: "This was a decent show but when you compare it to most TakeOvers, it had a lot less excitement".[20] Thomas Hall of 411Mania gave the event a 7.5 out of 10, which was lower than last year's event that got an 8.5 out of 10.[21] He was critical of both WarGames matches having long runtimes and being mostly filler until the final minutes, saying the women's bout would have been "better suited as an elimination tag" and was more "dull than actively bad", and felt the NXT Tag Title match lacked importance on the card but saw both teams putting in the effort. He called the event "far from some disaster or even that bad a lot of the time," but questioned how the NXT brand will do once the veterans leave, concluding that, "[T]he show is still holding it together and as usual, things are better when they focus on wrestling, but the future isn't exactly looking bright".[22]
Aftermath
On the following episode of NXT, Kyle O'Reilly and Von Wagner faced each other in a Steel Cage match, where Wagner was victorious. Wagner viciously attacked O'Reilly with the cage door after the match.[23] This ended up being O'Reilly's final WWE appearance, as his WWE contract expired after the event and chose not to renew it.[24][25] O'Reilly then made his All Elite Wrestling debut at AEW Holiday Bash later that month.[26]
Also on NXT, Johnny Gargano addressed the NXT fans and talked about his future, only for Grayson Waller to viciously attack him with a steel chair. Waller ended the attack after planting Gargano with a Powerbomb through the announce table.[23] This was also Gargano's final WWE appearance, as his contract expired after the event,[25] but he returned on the main roster as part of the Raw brand on the August 22, 2022, episode of Raw.[27] Gargano then returned to NXT at NXT: Roadblock on March 7, 2023, where he was revealed as Waller's opponent at that year's Stand & Deliver,[28] where Gargano was victorious.[29]
On the December 14 episode of NXT, after Bron Breakker defeated NXT Cruiserweight Champion Roderick Strong in a non-title match, Tommaso Ciampa appeared and laid out Breakker with Willow's bell before standing tall with the NXT Championship as the show ended.[30] The following week, Ciampa told Breakker that he would get another shot at the NXT Championship at New Year's Evil.[31] At the event, Breakker defeated Ciampa to win the title for the first time.[32]
A non-title match between Dexter Lumis and NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes took place on the following episode of NXT, where Lumis won via disqualification after interference from Trick Williams. After the match, Lumis attacked Williams before Hayes saved him and retreated.[23] Two weeks later, Lumis defeated Williams.[31]
Tony D'Angelo taking Pete Dunne's mouth guard during the men's WarGames match would start a rivalry between the two. On the December 14 episode of NXT, Dunne took his mouth guard back from D'Angelo.[30] A match between the two took place the following week, where Dunne won. Following the match, however, D'Angelo attacked Dunne with a crowbar.[31] A Crowbar on a Pole match between the two took place on the January 11, 2022, episode of NXT, where D'Angelo won.[33] On the January 25 episode, D'Angelo lost a match to determine the number one contender for the NXT North American Championship after interference from Dunne.[34] Eventually, a weaponized steel cage match between the two was scheduled for Vengeance Day,[35][36] where Dunne won to end the feud.[37]
Also on the following episode of NXT, Duke Hudson, who was wearing a blonde wig, talked about his loss to Cameron Grimes at WarGames when Grimes interrupted. Hudson told Grimes that he cheated to win and challenged him to a No Holds Barred match for the following week, and Grimes accepted.[23] On that subsequent episode, Grimes defeated Hudson to end the feud. After the match, Grimes removed Hudson's wig to reveal his bald head.[30]
Cora Jade took on Dakota Kai on the December 14 episode of NXT, where Jade was victorious. After the match, however, Kai attacked Jade, but Raquel González sent Kai retreating. Moments later, Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne distracted Jade, allowing Mandy Rose to attack her. Later that night, González and Kai were being pulled apart by referees while in the parking lot. Afterwards, González challenged Kai to a street fight for the following week, which was later made official.[30] On that subsequent episode, González defeated Kai. Following the match, González called out Rose to demand a title rematch but got Jade instead. Moments later, Rose appeared on the TitanTron and challenged both of them to a triple threat match for the NXT Women's Championship at New Year's Evil.[31] On the December 28 episode, Rose arranged a tag team match pitting Jade and González against Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray for that episode's main event, where the winning team got to challenge her for the NXT Women's Championship at New Year's Evil. The match was won by Jade and González.[38]
The 2021 NXT WarGames would be the final WWE PPV and livestreaming event to carry the term "pay-per-view", as beginning with Day 1 the following month, WWE began to use the term "premium live event" for all of their events airing on pay-per-view and their livestreaming platforms. In addition, the 2021 NXT WarGames would be NXT's last major event to air on traditional PPV as beginning with the 2022 calendar year, NXT's major events became only available via WWE's livestreaming platforms.[39] In 2022, the WarGames concept was moved to the main roster as part of Survivor Series, with that year's event rebranded as Survivor Series: WarGames.[40] This subsequently ended the NXT WarGames event, which was replaced by NXT Deadline.[41]
Cheree Georgina Crowley is a New Zealand professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Dakota Kai, where she is a member of Damage CTRL. She is a former two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion with Iyo Sky. She is also known for her time in NXT, where she won the inaugural Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and is a former two-time NXT Women's Tag Team Champion.
NXT TakeOver: Portland was the 28th NXT TakeOver professional wrestling livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The event aired exclusively on the WWE Network and took place on February 16, 2020, at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. It was also the first NXT TakeOver to be held on a Sunday.
Victoria González is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Raquel Rodriguez. She is a former 3-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion, 1-time NXT Women's Champion and a record-tying 2-time and inaugural NXT Women's Tag Team Champion.
The 2020 NXT TakeOver: WarGames was the 32nd NXT TakeOver and the fourth annual NXT WarGames professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The event took place on December 6, 2020, from the Capitol Wrestling Center, hosted at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. It was the first WarGames event to air on traditional PPV in addition to the WWE Network. The 2020 event ended the show's tradition of being held as part of Survivor Series weekend. It was also the final WarGames held under the TakeOver series, which was discontinued in late 2021 with WarGames held as its own event that year.
Samantha De Martin is an Australian professional wrestler. As of November 2019, she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Indi Hartwell. She is a former one-time NXT Women's Champion and a former one-time NXT Women's Tag Team Champion with Candice LeRae. She was a member of The Way stable.
Christian Brigham is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT and SmackDown brand under the ring name Carmelo Hayes. He is a former one-time NXT Champion, a former two-time and longest combined reigning NXT North American Champion, and the final NXT Cruiserweight Champion, having unified it with the North American Championship.
NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day was the 33rd NXT TakeOver and ninth Vengeance professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The event took place on February 14, 2021, from the Capitol Wrestling Center, hosted at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The event revived WWE's Vengeance PPV name, thus was the first Vengeance held since 2011. The event's name is also a play on Valentine's Day, as the event was held on the holiday. It was the first Vengeance to livestream on the WWE Network, as well as the final NXT TakeOver event and only Vengeance to air on the American version of the WWE Network before its merger under Peacock in March. It would also be the final Vengeance to air on PPV, as the following year's event was held as a television special, and while the 2023 event returned to livestreaming, NXT's major events as of the 2022 calendar year no longer air on PPV.
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver was the 34th NXT TakeOver and inaugural Stand & Deliver professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The event took place during WrestleMania 37 week on April 7 and 8, 2021, and was broadcast from the Capitol Wrestling Center, hosted at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. It was the only TakeOver to take place over the span of two nights. Both nights aired on the WWE Network internationally, and was also the first WWE in-ring event to air on Peacock in the United States, following the shutdown of the aforementioned service's standalone American version on April 4. The first night also aired on the USA Network in NXT's weekly Wednesday night timeslot, making it the only TakeOver to air on television as well as the final NXT broadcast on Wednesdays before moving to Tuesdays on April 13, while the second night aired on traditional PPV in addition to the livestreaming services.
NXT TakeOver 36 was the 36th and final NXT TakeOver professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The event took place on August 22, 2021, from the Capitol Wrestling Center, hosted at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
Toxic Attraction was an American heel professional wrestling stable in WWE on the NXT brand. The group originally consisted of Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin, and Jacy Jayne. After Rose was released from her WWE contract in December 2022, Toxic Attraction became a tag team of Dolin and Jayne before they split in February 2023, ending the group.
The 2021 NXT Halloween Havoc was the second annual Halloween Havoc professional wrestling event produced by WWE, and 14th Halloween Havoc event overall. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The event aired as a special episode of WWE's weekly television series NXT, broadcast on the USA Network. It took place on October 26, 2021, at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The television special was hosted by Chucky in a crosspromotion for the Chucky TV series, with NXT wrestlers Grayson Waller and LA Knight also serving as hosts.
Taylor Grado is an American professional wrestler signed to WWE, where she performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Jacy Jayne. She is a former record-tying two-time NXT Women's Tag Team Champion. Grado began her career under the name Avery Taylor, and had previously performed World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW).
The 2022 NXT: New Year's Evil was the second annual NXT: New Year's Evil professional wrestling television special produced by WWE, and third New Year's Evil overall. It was held primarily for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The event took place on January 4, 2022, at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida and aired live as a special episode of WWE's weekly television series NXT on the USA Network. This was the final event to feature the NXT Cruiserweight Championship, as it was unified into the NXT North American Championship at this event.
Joseph Ariola is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Tony D'Angelo. Performing with a mafia gimmick, he is the leader of The D'Angelo Family stable as "The Don of NXT". He is a former two-time NXT Tag Team Champion.
Matthew Farrelly is an Australian professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Grayson Waller. He is currently in a tag team with Austin Theory as A-Town-Down Under where he is one half of the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions in his first reign. Before signing with WWE, he previously wrestled on the independent circuit under the ring name Matty Wahlberg.
The 2022 NXT Stand & Deliver was the second annual Stand & Deliver professional wrestling livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held primarily for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The event took place on Saturday, April 2, 2022, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas as part of WrestleMania Weekend, being held the same day as WrestleMania 38 Night 1 with a special start time of 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
The 2022 NXT Vengeance Day was the 10th Vengeance professional wrestling event produced by WWE, and the second annual held for the promotion's NXT brand division. It took place on February 15, 2022, at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. It aired as a special episode of NXT. In lieu of its normal channel, the USA Network, the television special aired on Syfy due to USA's broadcasting of the 2022 Winter Olympics in NXT's normal slot.
The 2022 NXT Roadblock was the third Roadblock professional wrestling event produced by WWE. It was held primarily for wrestlers from the NXT brand division. Unlike the previous two Roadblock events, NXT Roadblock aired as a special episode of NXT on the USA Network. The television special took place on March 8, 2022, at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The event's title is a reference to its position on the road to NXT Stand & Deliver, NXT's WrestleMania week event. This was the first Roadblock event since Roadblock: End of the Line in December 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
