NXT TakeOver: Orlando
1. Tye Dillinger, Roderick Strong, Kassius Ohno & Ruby Riot vs. SAnitY - I thought this was a fun opener and though it was the weakest match on the card, in my opinion, it was still entertaining. No Way Jose was supposed to be in this match but an angle was done earlier in the day during a WrestleMania Axxess event in which Eric Young & company "injured" him, so Kassius Ohno replaced him. The fans were into the match from bell to bell and it was a little chaotic at times, though I thought that was a good overall part of the story given that SAnitY has been a thorn in the sides of the babyfaces for a while. I have to say that I wasn't overly impressed with the women here, they just sort of seemed to be there and were lost among the men just tearing into each other. The end comes about the 12.5 minute mark when Killian Dane, amidst all the wild brawling, puts Dillinger in what looks like a modified Michinoku Driver for the win.
***
2. Aleister Black vs. Andrade Cien Almas - I thought this was a hard hitting affair that introduced fans to Black in a really solid way. I was glad that this wasn't a glorified squash, like so many of these matches for debuting stars often have been, as it gave us a chance to see a good deal of what Black brings to the table. Also, Almas is one of the most consistently strong in-ring guys on the NXT roster and deserved better than being squashed. Black's in-ring style sort of put me in mind of a mix of Daniel Bryan and Shinsuke Nakamura in that he does a lot of striking mixed with submission with a dash of high flying tossed in. He also has a unique look and his persona comes off as darkly mysterious. Both men got in a lot of offense here and while the outcome was never in doubt, it was still surprising to see how strong they made Almas look here. The ending came around the 10 minute mark, though it felt longer in a good way, as Black hits a spinning roundhouse kick named Black Mass.
***1/2
3. NXT Tag Team Championship: The Authors of Pain vs. #DIY vs. The Revival - This match entertained the hell out of me and the fans were just flat out red hot for it from bell to bell. It was chaotic at times, though it's nice to see a little chaos every so often as we're so used to seeing the relatively paint by the numbers formula Vince likes for tag team matches on the main roster. I thought they told a great story with #DIY as the traditional babyfaces, the Revival as these throwback heels and the AOP as these badass destroyers and it lead to some really fun moments with #DIY and the Revival working together. In my opinion, the Revival's overall characters coupled with their in-ring work, their timing and the personalities make them the best tag team in wrestling and I really liked how even though they were working with #DIY through a good portion of the match, they still had that snake in the grass aura about them in which you were just waiting for them to stab the babyfaces in the back at the most opportune time. The mistrust eventually got the better of #DIY as they eventually focused back on the Revival and it eventually cost them as they were eliminated about the 19 minute mark. It was then down to the AOP and the Revival with the Revival sorta cast in the role of babyfaces and there were times in which they almost had them as there were some great near falls and near submissions throughout the match. Eventually, however, the AOP managed to hit their double powerbomb finisher for the win about the 24 minute mark.
****1/2
4. NXT Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Ember Moon - I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this match, but it was far better than I anticipated and Ember Moon definitely came off as someone who's been the biggest threat Asuka's ever faced. This was a really physical match with the ladies going all out; Moon had a nice combination of physicality and athleticism while Asuka was a wrecking machine. Asuka's cocky persona works for her because she's someone who comes across as backing it up, she feels like a legit badass and it makes every cocky smirk and gesture feel deserved. The end comes about the 12.5 minute mark as Ember Moon is perching on the top rope, setting up for the Eclipse, as Asuka is climbing back to her feet. Asuka then uses her first 100% genuine heel tactic that I can recall in a match as she shoved the referee into the ropes, causing Moon to lose her balance and fall to the canvas. As Moon is recovering, Asuka lets out a war cry and "knocks out" Moon with a savage looking kick for the win. Moon came out of this looking like a star and I like that they seem to be setting up for more of these two later down the line in which I'm guessing Asuka drops the title to Moon sometime over the summer or at the next TakeOver event during SummerSlam weekend.
***3/4
5. NXT Championship: Bobby Roode vs. Shinsuke Nakamura - This match started off a little slow, though it's understandable that they were feeling each other out and Roode especially feeling out Nakamura's "injured" knee, but it picked up and there was a lot of really good storytelling and drama packed into a near 30 minute match. I like how they sold this match ultimately being about who they thought wanted it more as it helped keep the outcome ambiguous. As we've come to expect, there was some good physical action from both men while both also utilized submissions at various points in the match. Roode worked on Nakamura's knee throughout while Nakamura focused on Roode's left shoulder as he put him in a cross armbar a couple of times. About the 24 minute mark, Roode manages to hit the Glorious DDT for a good near fall. Roode goes outside and grabs the ring bell and brings it into the ring as he and the ref play tug of war with it; Roode dares the ref to disqualify him as Nakamura is recovering and lands a big kick after the ref takes the bell from him before landing the reverse exploder suplex to set up for the Kinshasa. As Nakamura goes for it, Roode counters with a spinebuster for another good near fall. They go at it for a bit more before Roode hits a chop block on Nakamura's knee before setting himself up on the top rope. He pulls Nakamura to him and it looks like he's going for a tornado DDT, but Roode uses the momentum to deliver another wicked looking Glorious DDT for the win about the 29 minute mark. Hard found match that didn't fail to entertain.
****
Final Thoughts - In my opinion, this was the best TakeOver event since the one in Dallas last year during WrestleMania weekend though I thought this one was the better event. For me, there wasn't a single weak match on the card, though the title matches were the bigger standouts. Given their failure to defeat the AOP, I suspect that the Revival, #DIY or possibly both is main roster bound soon and I've no doubt the Revival is ready. Aleister Black's debut was fun, I think they should work to keep him as this dark, mysterious character and his match with Almas was quite good. I thought the tag title match was the overall match of the night with a ton of great storytelling and action. I think Ember Moon gave Asuka the best match she's had in NXT to date and while it's easy to be disappointed in that Asuka doesn't look like she's headed to the main roster soon, I do like that this program will continue with Moon ultimately capturing the gold. The main event was another high quality outing from Roode and Nakamura; now that Nakamura has failed to regain the title, I honestly see no reason why he shouldn't be headed to the main roster sometime within the next few months. He's been in NXT for just over a year, he's established himself as probably the most popular guy in the history of NXT so the time's right. All in all, the main roster's gonna have to work pretty hard at WrestleMania to keep from being outshined by TakeOver once again.
Grade: A
