8 WWE NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2020 Impulse Reactions

2. Tick Tock

Karrion Kross
WWE

An intimidating shot of a vulture (a carrion bird) was a unique visual accompaniment to what felt like the first overt teaser of Karrion Kross' eventual return. That it came after Finn Bálor's own warning shot indicated just how little he cared about what the Champion had to say.

This bodes well.

Kross showed patience nor fear for both Tommaso Ciampa and Keith Lee when he first arrived, paying zero respect to the legacies of the former and then-current NXT Champion respectively. Bálor is both of these things, and the man that has been permitted to keep the title with an injury - a luxuary Kross has not been afforded.

He might not be the first opponent for 'The Prince' following the titleholder's return. But his shot at the gold (and/or The Demon) feels as inevitable as his initial rise. Minor quibbles with the quality of the TakeOver: XXX match aside, his run on the brand has been excellent. Here's to more of the same when he's fully fit.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett