10 NXT TakeOver: Portland Impulse Reactions
9. Keith Lee (c) Vs. Dominik Dijakovic
An on-brand banger that should temporarily put their incredible series to bed, the Portland opener between Keith Lee and eternal opponent Dominik Dijakovic was a relentless study in elevation.
The match itself was an elevation from some of their NXT TV scorchers, with both men making unique use of their environment to inform a subtext that their feud had received overdue elevation to the TakeOver stage. A period of the battle fought by the announce tables was an elevation of the violence beyond just using their own mass as a weapon against one another.
Their matches made them both stars in PWG before either came to the black-and-gold brand, but their 2019 scuffles represented a turning point for Lee's perception amongst fans patiently awaiting his elevation. After scoring the victory, he used his freakish strength not to inflict more damage on his war-torn rival but to elevate him. Noosting Dijakovic onto the top rope to soak up his own cheers for what will presumably be their last clash for a while was a sweet way to say farewell. For now.