WWE NXT TakeOver: XXX Results: Reviewing Top Highlights and Low Points

NXT TakeOver: XXX boasted an impressive card worthy of celebrating this milestone in the black and gold brand's lineage.

With the North American Championship up for grabs in a ladder match, NXT champion Keith Lee seeking revenge for a fireball to the face from Karrion Kross and Pat McAfee's in-ring debut, there was a lot to be excited about.

With that potential for massive success in mind, how did it all play out?

Which segments stood out as the best and worst of the event? What disappointments fell short of the hype, and which matches exceeded expectations?

Presented in order of appearance, here are the highlights and low points from WWE NXT TakeOver: XXX.

WWE NXT TakeOver: XXX Results

• Breezango defeated Legado del Fantasma and the team of Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan by pinfall to become the No. 1 contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championship.
• Finn Balor defeated Timothy Thatcher by pinfall.
• Ladder Match: Damian Priest won the vacated North American Championship.
• Adam Cole defeated Pat McAfee by pinfall.
• Io Shirai defeated Dakota Kai by pinfall to retain the NXT Women's Championship.
• Karrion Kross defeated Keith Lee by pinfall to win the NXT Championship.

Plenty of feuds could have filled the pre-show spot on this card, but WWE opted to go with a No. 1 contenders match to determine the next in line for a tag team title opportunity.

While this was not as grandiose as if the belts were on the line, this still was a match with stakes and not just a throwaway exhibition.

All three teams are talented and overlooked in their own ways, so it was a no-lose scenario. With Breezango scoring the win, they have set themselves up for what should be a quality match against Imperium down the line.

There's not much to break down for this match other than that it was a solid contest with six talented Superstars that made the kickoff far more fun than if it were just recap analysis.

It was a smart move opening the show with Finn Balor vs. Timothy Thatcher. They wrestled a different style match than the rest of the card with Thatcher focusing on targeting Balor's body for potential submissions.

Had this followed the more energetic and frenetic ladder match, for instance, there's a chance it could have been viewed as boring in comparison. Going first let it set the tone and the rest of the card to ramp things up afterward.

That more direct approach to finding a victory was interesting to see, though. It wasn't a match about spots or kicking out of finishers. It was just a story of two guys wanting to beat the other and keeping it simple. Sometimes, that's all you need.

Admittedly, its a little disappointing Thatcher didn't get the win, as that could have helped give his credibility a massive boost. However, losing to Balor—a former NXT, universal and intercontinental champion—is nothing to be ashamed of.

Here's hoping there's more to this feud than just this one-off match, as they showed they have enough chemistry to work together at least once more.

It's rare for a ladder match to not be fun as it's perhaps the most reliable gimmick in pro wrestling to have dangerous spots, exciting tension and innovative maneuvers.

This match had no shortage of that, with one of the most chaotic being Velveteen Dream soaring off the ladder and top rope onto a table. That was brutal, as was Johnny Gargano's powerbombing Cameron Grimes off and onto a ladder.

Calamities like this are always fun from start to finish, as they never stop giving.

Its fair to say this didn't capture the same magic as the original ladder match to crown the inaugural North American champion, but a big part of that was likely the missing crowd. If you could transplant this exact match and put it in front of an actual audience, it would have had the fans in attendance on their feet, for sure.

Damian Priest should make for a good champion. He's got the stature and athleticism to be a tall mountain to climb.

Bronson Reed and Cameron Grimes proved themselves to be worthwhile contenders, too, while Gargano and Dream continued to establish why they're reliable anchors for the brand.

How surprisingly smooth and incredibly talented was Pat McAfee in this match?! That was such a welcome shock!

Right out of the gate, McAfee looked like he fit here and that this wasn't his first rodeo. Even his silly ring gear was fitting for his character.

He showcased skill in both in-ring athleticism and psychology to levels that some people who have been training at the WWE Performance Center for years can't grasp.

Granted, it's understandable if you're not fond of this because you don't like the idea of the longest-reigning NXT champion struggling against a non-wrestler. That's worth a debate.

However, it's not as though McAfee was coming into this an out of shape nobody. He's still a professional athlete who had the size advantage.

Plus, if Cole had just squashed him, the complaint would be that it wasn't even much of a match.

Instead, they told a story of McAfee doing a much better job than most expected, doing some outstanding moves like his swanton, moonsault and standing leap onto the top rope, as well as holding his own through the minutia.

Cole got the win, as he deserved, but this was a standout performance from McAfee, who WWE should consider hiring for a regular spot on the roster.

Early on in this match, Io Shirai landed awkwardly on her head, which could have ended things right then or at least negatively impacted this segment's quality. Thankfully, it was just an awkward moment and things picked up from that point forward.

This was a hard-fought match. Dakota Kai looked particularly ferocious and bloodthirsty in her quest to win the NXT Women's Championship, while Shirai showed a champion's resolve to ensure that didn't happen.

When the referee took a shot, there was enough tension to think a title change could take place, which made for a fun exchange.

Ultimately, Shirai nailed another one of her beautiful moonsaults to score the victory and add another notch to her title reign. The more matches she has like this, the better she'll look as champion by the time her run is over.

Karrion Kross is no slouch and has been built up as a true monster, so he'll provide a fine impossible hurdle to overcome as champion. It isn't a low point that he won the title, it's who he had to beat to become champion.

Keith Lee's reign atop the NXT roster was so short that he basically didn't get a run with the title. After having such a feel-good ascension and making history as the first person to hold two singles titles at the same time on the black and gold brand, he basically peaked from the start.

This has become a trend in NXT. All too often, babyfaces have an arduous journey to the top and once they achieve their goals, they're pushed aside in favor of the next big heel.

It happened to Bayley, Ember Moon, Sami Zayn, Johnny Gargano and others, with Lee being the latest in this line.

It's a shame WWE couldn't hold off on this match until later this year or possibly 2021 in order to give Lee a proper title reign. Here's hoping there are plans to give him something worthwhile to make up for it, like a main event spot on Raw or SmackDown in the next draft.

Outside of not having Mauro Ranallo on commentary, this was the only real gripe about the show. Even still, Kross winning the title is likely a highlight for lots of fans, so it's not all bad, either.

Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.