10 WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House Impulse Reactions
2. Charlotte Flair (c) Vs. Rhea Ripley Vs. Io Shirai
It was crucially important that NXT could offer a total banger as a main event in light of how well most of the show had gone, not least with the heightened stakes of the genuinely prestigious Women's Championship and a triple threat that offered up the best match from the show's best division.
History wasn't necessarily on their side. WrestleMania 35 and Survivor Series 2019 both played host to triple threat women's matches that had more going for them in theory than other clashes on the card, that in theory should have stole the shows, and in theory should have been star-making moments for the winners.
In theory, the contest between Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley and eventual winner Io Shirai should have been great. In practice, it was fantastic. Better than the lofty expectations placed upon it, an action-packed battle never betrayed the psychology of each woman actually trying to win, found creative and believable ways to move the match along into scenarios that spotlighted the skills of all three (Rhea and Charlotte's brawl by the set was filled with fury on its own terms yet still set the stage for Io Shirai's flight of fancy from the roof of the house), and fed itself all the way to the finish.
Shirai's victory was a perfect way to round out the event too - a feel good moment from a feel good show, that whispered notes of a feel good future...