Generation NXT - NXT recap for February 3, 2021

Before the next match, Dakota Kai says that last week was a breeze and that tonight will be a cakewalk, and Raquel Gonzalez says that NXT TakeOver is their next stop.

Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez beat Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter to advance to the finals of the women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Wade Barrett is officially a United States citizen, and is given an apple pie and a picture of "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan by Vic Joseph and Beth Phoenix.

Backstage, Alyse Ashton interviews Toni Storm, who says that Io Shirai has been untouchable for everyone but her, and says that Shirai and Mercedes Martinez cannot stop her for she is at the top of her game and that will be on display tonight.

Backstage, General Manager William Regal is seen talking with Edge.

Austin Theory beats Leon Ruff. During the match, Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell show up to carry Johnny Gargano to the back only to get beaten up by Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon. Ruff then pretends to be hit in the jaw by Gargano as the ref comes back, and the referee ejects Gargano from the match. Nevertheless, Theory is still able to win the match. After the match, Austin Theory hits Leon Ruff with a second ATL, then grabs the ring bell only to have it taken away from him by Dexter Lumis, but puts him in Silence and ends up ripping out a piece of Theory's hair.

We hear from Santos Escobar, who says that Legado del Fantasma (Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, Raul Mendoza) will show how powerful they are when Wilde and Mendoza reach the finals of the men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic while he retains against Curt Stallion. Escobar says that the future is bright for Legado del Fantasma while the end is near for The Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado) and Curt Stallion.

We see a vignette for Tian Sha. The video package tells a tale of a son who killed his father to become emperor only to shame the family, and a daughter who fled into exile, found a dragon and underwent four grueling trials to become a powerful warrior. The daughter killed the son to attain the throne, but soon became the one thing she hated most. It is then that the name of Tian Sha was feared for years to come.

Legado del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza) beat The Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado) to advance to the semi-finals of the men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. After the match, MSK (Nash Carter and Wes Lee) show up and congratulates Legado del Fantasma before saying they will fall to their meteoritic rise in NXT on the road to winning the 2021 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch and Pete Dunne enter the arena.

Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch and Pete Dunne head to the ring. Dunne says Finn Balor did not listen when he said he was not waiting anymore and that he snapped his fingers in response, and warns not to make him make it any clearer than that. Balor shows up and says Dunne is still hiding in line behind Lorcan and Burch. Dunne says he hides behind no one, but Finn Balor begs to differ and Lorcan and Burch leave. Dunne tells Balor to hold on to the NXT Championship, for it will be his the first chance he gets. Balor says it is on at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day. Suddenly, Edge shows up and that while WWE focuses on entertainment, NXT focuses on wrestling. He says he has watches NXT for some time and has seen passion, hunger and fire in eyes and that NXT helped him find his passion to get his career back. Edge says he used that passion to win the men's Royal Rumble match and challenge any champion within in the company, and says he sees two of the best in Dunne and Balor, and a lot of himself in Dunne. Edge says Balor is operating on a different level and is in a zone that is fun to watch. He says he will watch their NXT Championship match at NXT TakeOver, for he has never had the NXT Championship. He says that if he does not make his decision for what championship to challenge for before TakeOver, Dunne and Balor's match may make him make that choice.

Backstage, Alyse Ashton interviews Johnny Gargano, saying Austin Theory showed how to win a match, and that Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell will punch their way to the women's Dusty Cup. When Gargano finds out that he is defending the NXT North American Championship against KUSHIDA at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day, Gargano is furious and demands Ashton and the cameraperson follow him to General Manager William Regal's office.

When Johnny Gargano tries to meet with General Manager William Regal, Gargano runs into - and hits - KUSHIDA, who says Gargano needs an appointment. The ensuing backstage brawl is quickly broken up.

Toni Storm vs. Jessi Kamea ends with Mercedes Martinez brawling with both women. Io Shirai shows up to watch the brawl, then hits both Mercedes and Toni with a top rope moonsault to the outside.

We hear from Curt Stallion, who talks about how he got to his match for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship tonight and calls the match his biggest opportunity, and says that while Santos Escobar has been running, he has him in the corner and will make everyone Texas proud.

We see a video package for Cameron Grimes, who will be live next week.

Santos Escobar retains the NXT Cruiserweight Championship against Curt Stallion. During the match, Scarlett is seen watching from a nearby platform. After the match, Karrion Kross shows up and takes out Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza, then goes up to Escobar and says they have an ever-growing problem before giving him the gift of time to think about the inevitable.

Backstage, Edge fist bumps Bronson Reed, then tells an interviewer that he has yet to make a decision before Karrion Kross shows up and tells Edge that he has a big decision to make and live with for the rest of his life, as he will take back the title he never lost. Edge says words can be motivating, and tells Kross that he may not like that.

Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Martinez vs. Io Shirai for the NXT Women's Championship is official for NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day.

Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa beat The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole and Roderick Strong) to advance to the semi-finals of the men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. After the match, Thatcher and Ciampa are met by Grizzled Young Veterans on the stage only for Ciampa to strike Zack Gibson to close the show.

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!