NXT Review and Aftermath Thread

[Jack-Hammer]

NXT - December 20, 2017​

1. NXT Tag Team Championship: SAnitY vs. The Undisputed Era - This was a good tag match between them, it wasn't as strong as I'd hoped it'd be but it was still very solid featuring good work from both teams. Both teams got in a good amount of offense and, overall, I think Killian Dane was probably the most impressive; Dane does a good job as the athletic big man, though he doesn't try to do anything insane as he keeps it relatively simple but impactful. Both Adam Cole and Nikki Cross made their presence felt during the match, Nikki mostly by beating the snot out of Cole to the delight of the crowd. The ending comes about the 15 minute mark when Eric Young, after beating up on Cole a bit more, gets back into the ring only to eat a Total Elimination from Fish & O'Reilly to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions. ***

2. Fatal Fourway #1 Contenders Qualifying Match: Roderick Strong vs. Lars Sullivan - A short but very hard hitting, physical bout that was better than Sullivan's bout against Kassius Ohno at the last TakeOver event. The match only went about 6 minutes, but Strong got in a lot of believable, physical offense against Sullivan, including taking him off his feet a couple of times, while Sullivan continues to look like this savage brute. Strong may have looked better here than he has in a while as he endured Sullivan's physical onslaught and kept coming back, including hitting his biggest offense as the match went on including a Superplex and an Angle Slam, which earned a believable near fall. They were able to generate enough drama to make it seem like Sullivan might be vulnerable if Strong proved able to hit one of his patented backbreakers but it never got to that; late in the match, Sullivan catches Strong off the ropes for the pop up powerslam before delivering the Freak Accident for the clean win just a bit before the 6 minute mark. Strong gave Sullivan his best match to date and Sullivan continues to make the most of each given opportunity. It was short, but very good for the time it had. ***1/4

3. WWE United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate - I've been looking forward to this match since it was announced last week. This was the third time these two have clashed in either a televised title match and once again they delivered a genuine MOTY candidate. The chemistry these two have can't be overstated because it just works on every level as the match delivered a lot of hard hitting, physical action coupled with great storytelling, high flying offense and technical knowhow; I always cringe a little bit when Dunne works on his opponent's fingers because he makes it look like it hurts so badly, and it could really with the application of just slightly more pressure and that's something your mind registers. Bate comes off as a likeable, traditional babyface while Dunne is a premiere heel, he doesn't try to be a cool heel nor does he play up to the crowd to get a pop out of them as though he's a babyface like you'll see with the Young Bucks or Omega. Each man did hit his finisher on the other once in the match with the other being able to kick out, which I think is okay to do every once in a while, depending on the match, and as long as you don't run it into the ground during the match. The end comes with Bate delivering a German Suplex to Dunne off the top, only for Dunne to flip and land on his feet before quickly pulling Bate into position for the Bitter End, which he hits for the 2nd time and for the win at about the 23 to 24 minute mark to retain the UK Championship. Just fantastic. ****3/4

Final Thoughts - This was a classic episode of NXT and is probably a prime example of why NXT may well be the best pro wrestling program of the decade. The usual for NXT is that everything that happened on the show had a purpose, including advancing storylines, hyping matches for next week that include an NXT Women's Championship bout between Ember Moon and Sonya Deville and the big Fatal Fourway #1 Contenders match featuring Gargano vs. Black vs. Sullivan vs. Dane, promoting the upcoming debut of Shayna Baszler and setting up a program between Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss and Heavy Machinery. Also, the overall tone of the NXT product as a whole is a much more serious one than we see on the main roster and that makes a massive amount of difference; too often, Raw and SmackDown come off like they're just TV shows because that's how Vince wants them treated whereas NXT comes off more like competition, which is how wrestling should be treated. We all know that NXT is a TV show as well, we all know it's not "real", but it just works a lot better when you don't have grown men dressed up as reindeer wrestling in matches. As for the matches themselves, you had a very solid tag bout leading to a title change, a short but very strong singles bout that made both men look good and title bout main event that's a match of the year candidate. The Undisputed Era are the new NXT Tag Team Champions, which works just fine for me as you can tell that NXT creative has been setting them up for the big matches and defenses. Lars Sullivan is a great, believable beast while Roderick Strong, second only to Johnny Gargano, is the bright, shining light of NXT. Pete Dunne may be the best young heel in wrestling, he and Bate have delivered a trifecta of MOTY candidates and I think if this match had a little more build, maybe a few video packages and a couple of sit down interviews with both men, it would've been a genuine 5 stars. This is a must see episode of NXT, one of the overall best and probably the longest as it went to about 13 minutes past 9 pm last night, whereas most episodes often finish up with 5 to, every once in a while, 10 minutes to spare.

Grade: A+

 

[Jack-Hammer]

NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia​

1. NXT Tag Team Championship: The Undisputed Era vs. The Authors of Pain - I thought this was a very strong, smartly wrestled match that showcased the contrasting and meshing of two different styles extremely well. The Authors are a pair of big, overwhelmingly powerful bruisers who often manhandled Fish and O'Reilly while they had to be resourceful, scrappy and a little sneaky in order to stay with things. Fish and O'Reilly kept working on Akam's left knee throughout the match and it'd pay dividends at the end. At the end of the match, the Authors are going for the Super Collider and execute most of it, when the backs of Fish and O'Reilly connect, Fish eats the powerbomb from Rezar while Akam's knee buckles. O'Reilly then rana's Akam into Rezar, knocking him out of the ring, and rolls Akam up for a schoolboy for the win at the 15 minute mark. Great work from both the teams and the right team went over. ****

2. Kassius Ohno vs. The Velveteen Dream - While this match wasn't remotely on the level of Dream vs. Black at TakeOver: WarGames, given that there wasn't any build up or story to it, this was still an entertaining bout between two guy who're really over with NXT fans. I can't say enough how far Dream has come in such a short time and the fans were into this from start to finish. Dream's claim that he'd knock Ohno out in 30 seconds and the crowd counting when the match started was a lot of fun, as was the huge pop when Dream knocked Ohno down about 25 seconds into it. The match did go longer than 30 seconds, of course, it went about 11 minutes in fact, and was a really physical outing with Dream holding his own against Ohno. The end comes after Dream manages to hit Ohno with the rolling Death Valley Driver before climbing to the top rope, then stepping back onto the LED ring post and jumps a good halfway across the ring to deliver the Purple Rainmaker elbow for the clean win. It's obvious that Ohno is the gatekeeper in NXT and Dream needed a high profile win after back to back losses against Black and Gargano in two of the best matches of the year. ***1/4

3. NXT Women's Championship: Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler - I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this match. I felt that if Baszler lost that she'd lose some of her mystique yet she's not ready to be champion. This match told a great story and that's what it was really all about: the story. Baszler plays the role of a bully very well and Moon was a good, courageous babyface who didn't back down from her. Around the middle of the match, Baszler stomped on Moon's left arm in the manner we saw in Baszler's match against Dakota Kai a few weeks ago and Ember sold the hell out of it throughout the rest of the match. Moon eventually rallies and manages to hit the Eclipse on Baszler but can't follow up with the story being that doing the move, which requires her to use both arms, exacerbated the injury done to her left arm. The last few minutes of the match were spent with Baszler and Moon rolling around the canvas with Baszler locking in the Cross Armbreaker with Moon showing a lot of guts by constantly trying to get to the ropes or fighting the hold. The fans were really into it by then as there was a ton of great drama here. The end finally comes with Moon, still trying to get free, manages to stack Baszler and get the three count. She sells disbelief in the ring for a few minutes as trainers help Moon out of the ring only for Baszler to jump her from behind and choke her out. Part of me would have liked to have seen Baszler win here, but she was protected in that Moon's stacked pin looked sorta flukey and she's not ready to be champion. Maybe in another few months, we'll see it happen. ***1/4

4. Extreme Rules Match - Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole - A great brawl that made great use of the Extreme Rules format. They used a little bit of everything here including kendo sticks, trash cans, tables and even a ladder while beating the crap out of each other. Both men received several cuts along their bodies during the match, nothing deep or anything, but enough that the refs were a little cautious at time but the wrestlers were really smart about it. For instance, while the ref was checking on Adam Cole, Black was busy setting up tables at ringside to keep fan focus on him. Both guys took some really nice looking spots, including Black going through the tables stacked outside, Black putting Cole through the announce table and delivering an AA on Cole that saw Cole land on the stiff backs of two steel chairs rather than the seats. As expected, Fish and O'Reilly interfered in the match and beat the crap out of Black, this took place before he spot that saw Black put Cole through the announce table, but SAnitY made the save. The end of this match comes about the 23 minute mark with both guys selling exhaustion and Cole ready to waffle Black with a steel chair only for Black to pop up and hit Black Mass before falling into the cover for the win. Black Mass didn't look as crisp as usual, the kick caught Cole under the arm but it was at an awkward angle as Cole had his arms up over his head ready to deliver an overhead strike with the steel chair. Part of me questions not having Cole go over but, as would be shown later in the night, it makes sense for Black to go over if he's the next challenger for the NXT Championship. ****1/4

5. NXT Championship: Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Johnny Gargano - This was nothing short of spectacular, it's just really, really, really difficult to imagine a match being better than this one as it had everything that you could ask for. It had top notch storytelling, psychology, great back and forth action, dramatic near falls, a distinct lack of the overuse of finishers and a massively invested crowd hanging on everything that the wrestlers were doing. The crowd was feeling this match from bell to bell and it had them on the edge of their seats. It's hard to imagine anything topping Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate at TakeOver: Chicago last year, but this did it as it was just an epic encounter. If Dave Meltzer doesn't give this bout 5 stars, then I don't see how he can retain any credibility as this was hands down the best match of 2018 thus far, in any promotion. Zelina Vega mad her presence known as she attempted to help Almas around the middle of the match by delivering a hurricanrana into the ring steps, she'd try to interfere again only to be speared to the ground by Gargano's wife, Candice LaRae, and basically beaten out of the arena towards the back. Gargano was selling the crap out of Almas' offense, I don't know that anybody can sell the dazed, glassy eyed look better than Gargano. The end comes about the 32.5 minute mark when Gargano, about 90% dead at this point, is pulled to where he's dangling off the top turnbuckle and Almas delivers the hammerlock DDT for the 2nd time in the match for the win. Post match, as LaRae is helping Gargano up the ramp, Tomasso Ciampa, sporting the wild beard look, attacks him from behind by striking him across the back with a metal crutch. iIf you didn't like this match, you've got no business watching professional wrestling. *****

Final Thoughts - As has been the case with every TakeOver, this one delivered in a major way. From an overall standpoint, I'd probably have to give this a slight edge over WarGames. I felt that the "weakest" matches on the cards were still strong 3.25 star bouts while the tag team and Extreme Rules match both were at least 4 stars and I gave the NXT Championship match a full 5 stars. The main event may have been the greatest match in NXT history and possibly all of WWE in quite a long while and this was one of the rare times in a TakeOver event in which the NXT Championship match wasn't outshined by something else on the card. If nothing else, watch the last two matches on the show but especially the main event.

Grade: A+

 

[Psykohurricane55]

For the first time ever, I didn't watch it live mostly because I found the product boring and un imaginative since It's always the same formula they use for every big event. But that's just my personal taste. Having said that, I PVR it and I did watch it.

I enjoyed the opening match, it was a really good way to start the night and help made the undisputed era look like a big threat.

Velveteen dream vs kassius ohno was pretty much a tv match to make Velveteen look good nothing else to say about this one.

The women's match was really good,especially as far as storytelling is concern and at the end made me interested in seeing where the story goes from there.

The extreme rules match was the matches of the night for me, I fell they did some unnecessary spots that they will regret doing when they grow older especially the DVD on the chair that Adam Cole took but still awesome match and I respect both guys for what they went through.

The main event for me was just o.k. probably because I never felt like Johnny gargano had a chance of winning the title once and giving them the same type of match that they always give the main event matches for theses specials didn't fit. I found myself fast forwarding through a big part of the match just to see how gargano would lose and the aftermath that I was expecting.

In the end, I had more fun watching this show that way because if I started to get bored with something, I could just fast forward it and it made for a more enjoyable experience. Also, I'm glad to see EC3 in NXT, I'm guessing he probably will start officially when the episode of impact where he gets fired air so to not confuse why he's still wrestling on impact while being in NXT.

 

[The Life Of Pablo Ren]

My. God.

Unfortunately I was busy for most of Takeover so I didn't really have my full attention on it. But luckily I was freed up just as the main event started. I won't review the first four matches in detail... well because I can't but I can give my quick thoughts on what I saw.

Authors of Pain vs. Undisputed Era - I saw almost none of this match sans the final 2-3 minutes. There's really not much to say.

Dream vs. Ohno - Pretty good. Dream has been on an absolute roll lately in terms of putting on near classic matches, and while this fell quite short of a "classic" it was still very solid. I loved the way it started. It was sloppy at a few points but nothing too dreadful. This is what was needed to get Dream back on track... I wonder what's next for him though.

Moon vs. Baszler - This was a little baffling for me. Even though the match was the shortest on the show, it still went longer than I expected... even though the last few minutes were basically just Moon in the armbar. I guess I like the story that was told here but I still think Baszler should've gone over. She looked a lot better than I thought she would, and I can't help but think her aura took a bit of a hit by not winning. The post match assault helped and it feels like another match NEEDS to happen but Takeover: New Orleans is still quite a bit away. We have about 10 weeks, and it feels like if a second match happens, it should be much more immediate. Still good though, probably the weakest overall though.

Black vs. Cole - Unfortunately I didn't get to see much of this one either. I missed a lot of the big spots but from what I did see, it didn't disappoint so I doubt the rest of the match did. Black is coming for that title... which leads me into...

Almas vs. Gargano - I can't sing the praises of this match enough. I've literally been gushing about it all night and into the morning. This is EASILY the greatest match ever contested for the NXT Championship and I think overall it's the greatest match NXT's ever had... it's in rarified air as far as WWE matches are concerned. I've never seen a match go this long and be so so smooth, I mean honestly... it was a perfect match, I can't remember a single move that wasn't executed flawlessly. I remember there was this one spot about 20ish minutes in where Gargano went for a reverse frankensteiner and he started to slip off of Almas' back way too early and I was thinking to myself, "Yikes this is going to look ugly" but somehow Almas adjusted and made it look absolutely perfect. I read a stat earlier that said it's the first non-gimmick WWE match to go beyond 30 minutes since Rock/Cena from WrestleMania 28 which I consider kind of amazing considering that was almost six years ago. What Zelina's done for Almas' career has been nothing short of phenomenal. They're my favorite act in NXT right now so even though I was sorta pulling for Gargano, the result didn't upset me in any way whatsoever and I really hope that for the people who were disappointed, they can look past that to see the true brilliance of this match. It deserves ALLLLLLLLLLLLL of the stars.

 

[#hamler]

The main event for me was just o.k. probably because I never felt like Johnny gargano had a chance of winning the title once and giving them the same type of match that they always give the main event matches for theses specials didn't fit. I found myself fast forwarding through a big part of the match just to see how gargano would lose and the aftermath that I was expecting.

What in the actual fuck?

Dude, you make it nearly impossible for anyone to show you respect. You fast forward through the big parts of the match then say the match was just ok? Go back and rewatch it for the storytelling masterpiece it was. If you didn't buy Johnny Gargano winning for one moment you're a better man than anyone on these forums. The false finishes in the match should be noted on the main roster and it's easily the best NXT title match ever. We get it, you don't like NXT because you consider yourself above the smarky audience but you have to give credit where it's due.

 

[Wildcat66]

@Hamler:

I mean, shoot man. I don't watch NXT myself, but unlike wrestling master: I can give credit where it's due to NXT. That match all but brought the house down and forced Meltzer to give it five stars. These two have a bright future in WWE and I have a feeling the two of them are going to lead the way in NXT for a long time to come.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

What in the actual fuck?

Dude, you make it nearly impossible for anyone to show you respect. You fast forward through the big parts of the match then say the match was just ok? Go back and rewatch it for the storytelling masterpiece it was. If you didn't buy Johnny Gargano winning for one moment you're a better man than anyone on these forums. The false finishes in the match should be noted on the main roster and it's easily the best NXT title match ever. We get it, you don't like NXT because you consider yourself above the smarky audience but you have to give credit where it's due.

That what took me out of the match all the false finishes. that'S the same thing they do in every takeover main event and it's becoming boring for me. I give them credit, they gave everything in the ring but this match wasn't for me

Not everybody like the same things about wrestling, that doesn't mean because i didn'T love the match that i'm not giving them credit for what they did in the ring, it's just that i didn't fell in love with that match like most of the peoples on the board and i would be nice that you respect the opinion of peoples that don'T think the same way as the majority.

 

[#hamler]

That what took me out of the match all the false finishes. that'S the same thing they do in every takeover main event and it's becoming boring for me. I give them credit, they gave everything in the ring but this match wasn't for me

I'm curious on what matches you do like then since nearly all great matches have false finishes. And no, I'm not just talking about finisher kickouts.

Not everybody like the same things about wrestling, that doesn't mean because i didn'T love the match that i'm not giving them credit for what they did in the ring, it's just that i didn't fell in love with that match like most of the peoples on the board and i would be nice that you respect the opinion of peoples that don'T think the same way as the majority.

It's fine if you didn't enjoy the match. But you fast forwarded through a "big part of it" and then said the match was just ok. That makes your entire opinion invalid and makes you a fucking moron.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

I'm curious on what matches you do like then since nearly all great matches have false finishes. And no, I'm not just talking about finisher kickouts.

It's fine if you didn't enjoy the match. But you fast forwarded through a "big part of it" and then said the match was just ok. That makes your entire opinion invalid and makes you a fucking moron.

Why does it make me a moron, because i fast fowarded through a part that i got bored with. Really. By the way just look at the Extreme rules match that they had before that match, this was the type of match a loved. they didn't do as many false finish and everything made sense. I feel like that to you, if you don't think or react like everybody else, you're a moron. If i didn't have put the bit about how i fast forwarded through a part of the match that i got bored with, we wouldn't have this conversation right now.

Finally did you notice that i didn't call you a moron or insult you one time through the whole exchange. I wanted too but i think that you have the right to your opinion and i respect your point, why o why can't you just respect mine without having to result to calling me a moron because i didn'T react the same way you did about a match or got so bored about a match that i fast fowarded to see how this match was ending.

 

[#hamler]

Why does it make me a moron, because i fast fowarded through a part that i got bored with.

That's exactly what makes you a fucking moron. You can't have an opinion on a match when you skipped through it. That's like watching the beginning of a movie then skipping until the end then saying that movie sucked. It's literally the most ludicrous thing ever, on this fucking planet.

Really. By the way just look at the Extreme rules match that they had before that match, this was the type of match a loved. they didn't do as many false finish and everything made sense.

That's fine and all.

I feel like that to you, if you don't think or react like everybody else, you're a moron.

No. Fast forwarding through something and forming an opinion on it after makes you one. Omega/Okada isnt a match I'd probably watch again but guess what, I sat through it all.

If i didn't have put the bit about how i fast forwarded through a part of the match that i got bored with, we wouldn't have this conversation right now.

Exactly. Maybe next time, watch the match then say it sucked. I still would've thought you were a moron but not for disliking the match.

Finally did you notice that i didn't call you a moron or insult you one time through the whole exchange. I wanted too but i think that you have the right to your opinion and i respect your point, why o why can't you just respect mine without having to result to calling me a moron because i didn'T react the same way you did about a match or got so bored about a match that i fast fowarded to see how this match was ending.

Because you fast forwarded.

 

[Dagger Dias]

NXT Takeover Philadelphia




The Authors of Pain VS The Undisputed Era [NXT Tag Team Championship]
Good match to start off the show with. The end result was the right call and I did not doubt that Undisputed would retain here. The Authors have to be getting a main roster promotion. If so this match is a fitting send-off for them.

Kassius Ohno VS The Velveteen Dream
I didn't have high expectations for this. Velveteen Dream needed a big win and this match accomplished just that. It was nowhere near as good as the matches he had against Black or Gargano, still enjoyable. I hated Dream at first. He's growing on me a lot now with matches like this.

Ember Moon VS Shayna Baszler [NXT Women's Championship]
Probably the weakest match of the night. The ending helped, as I do not think Baszler should win the title so soon. Hope Moon is alright, looked like she had a painful injury after the Eclipse. She got a title retention which she deserved but also needed after her losses to Asuka.

Aleister Black VS Adam Cole [Extreme Rules match]
This was awesome! Loved their spots with the weapons as well as the mind games that were done. Cole has to be headed to an NXT Championship match soon. Would have been my pick for the match of the night had it not been for the main event.

Andrade "Cien" Almas VS Johnny Gargano [NXT Championship]
Wow! What a match. I really dislike Almas but even I have to admit he did a great job here. He earned my respect. Gargano did an amazing job in the match as well. Candice LaRae and Zelina Vega's involvement were very well done. My one and only issue with this match was the ending. Unlike before, Almas has now shown that he does deserve to be at this level. Then Ciampa returns to end the show with an attack on Gargano which will lead to what surely will be an incredible match between the two. Almas VS Cole for the title and Ciampa VS Gargano are likely the two big matches for the next event. Had Gargano won then it would have pushed the match into 5 star territory for me. Still great!

Overall Thoughts
Awesome show. When the only problems with a show are a somewhat weak Women's Championship match and the ending result of the main event, then they are doing something right. NXT Takeover Philadelphia has set the pace for the rest of the year. I doubt that the main roster beats NXT with the Royal Rumble tonight. We shall see. EC3 and Richochet showing up in the audience was cool. Looking forward to seeing what they bring to the table on the yellow brand. Watch this whole show, except for maybe the Women's Championship match, if you missed it. This was a very fun show that no fan should miss out on.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

That's exactly what makes you a fucking moron. You can't have an opinion on a match when you skipped through it. That's like watching the beginning of a movie then skipping until the end then saying that movie sucked. It's literally the most ludicrous thing ever, on this fucking planet.

That's fine and all.

No. Fast forwarding through something and forming an opinion on it after makes you one. Omega/Okada isnt a match I'd probably watch again but guess what, I sat through it all.


Exactly. Maybe next time, watch the match then say it sucked. I still would've thought you were a moron but not for disliking the match.


Because you fast forwarded.

You got the right to you're opinion and I respect that, if you want to call me a moron then good for you. It didn't change the fact that even if I fast forwarded part of the match, I still watch the whole thing because I put it at the slower speed so I could could still see the match and stop it if something interesting happened. So I saw the whole match anyway and It still wasn't my cup of tea.

Also who made the rule that you could have opinion if you didn't sit through the whole thing, must be a new American rule I didn't know.

 

[Navi]

You got the right to you're opinion and I respect that, if you want to call me a moron then good for you. It didn't change the fact that even if I fast forwarded part of the match, I still watch the whole thing because I put it at the slower speed so I could could still see the match and stop it if something interesting happened. So I saw the whole match anyway and It still wasn't my cup of tea.

Also who made the rule that you could have opinion if you didn't sit through the whole thing, must be a new American rule I didn't know.

It's not an American rule it's just common sense. I too am having trouble figuring out how you can say you didn't like something when you didn't watch it. It makes no sense.

it's like trying to critique a book when you only read the first and last chapters. Of course you are entitled to your opinion, but you can't really have any opinion if you didn't actually watch the whole match.

 

[Navi]

First of all let me say I came into watching this with no expectations of any kind. It's been a while since actually sitting down and watching NXT, so I was a little unfamiliar with some of the newer names. So here goes.

The Authors of Pain VS The Undisputed Era [NXT Tag Team Championship]

Always found the AOP a little boring to say the least. Neither one seems to have a ton of personality, but boy can they go in the ring for guys their size. It was a fun match to start off with. The Undisputed Era are new to me but I think they will do well going forward and should be a hit when they hit the main roster.

Kassius Ohno VS The Velveteen Dream

Again I find Ohno on the lackluster side, Velveteen Dream on the other hand has charisma to hand around. It was a good match, a lot of fun to watch. Worry about Dream on the main roster though, he needs to build up a good fan following or he will not make it. Want to see more out of him than telling people to say his name.

Ember Moon VS Shayna Baszler [NXT Women's Championship]

I like Ember Moon, but she should have beat Asuka for the title before Asuka left. Have a feeling that will always be a black mark against her. Baszler looks a little green in the ring even though she is used to combat. I am scared for some of these women that will face her. Last thing I want her to do is snap really go after someone and cause an injury. The jury is still out on her as of right now.

Aleister Black VS Adam Cole [Extreme Rules match]

Great match and loved every minute of it. Aleister Black is fantastically creepy and would love to see him go up against Bray Wyatt. Adam Cole will be a babe magnet when he hits the main roster. Look out Roman Reigns.

[ Andrade "Cien" Almas VS Johnny Gargano [NXT Championship]

Perfect match to close the show. Lot's of back and forth here and not boring at all for a long match. Surprised at Almas who I'm not a fan of, might be now though. Gargano is fitting the Daniel Bryan mold very well and is the perfect underdog. Fun times and well done.

Overall Thoughts

After most of the big names leave NXT for the main roster you always worry that it will never be as good as before. HHH never ceases to impress though, it's almost like he has a factory of wrestlers ready to go. It was a fun show and other than the women's match, which was the weakest, had a great time watching it.

 

[CyberPunk]

I don't do these because I usually don't get to watch the shows live; however, I was lucky to catch Takeover New Orleans live and boy am I glad I did. The card was stacked and every performer shined, some great stories were told, and new champions were crowned. Let's get to it.

NXT North American Championship ladder match: Ethan Carter III vs. Adam Cole vs. Ricochet vs. Lars Sullivan vs. The Velveteen Dream vs. Killian Dain

Magnificent match. It was everything I hoped a match like this was going to be: extremely physical and brutal. From Dain and Sullivan's power and strength to Velveteen Dream's ascendance as a top performer, it had everything. Ricochet and ECIII too looked like stars, especially the later taking some brutal bumps. Velveteen Dream is fast becoming one of my most favorite performers on the NXT roster, and to think he's just 22. Ricochet had a magnificent debut as well. Adam Cole was the rightly crowned the first North American Champion. A perfect opener for a perfect show.

Match rating: ****3/4


NXT Women's Title Match: Shayna Baszler vs. Ember Moon (c)

It had the tough ask of following the opener, and it showed. The crowd was exhausted after the first match and there was little reaction throughout the match which hurt it imo. However, it was still a pretty decent match. Baszler still seems green, but gave a good account of herself, especially as tough performer. The story was well told and Shayna Baszler became the the new Women's champion which I expected going into the match. I'll also hope for Ember Moon to move up to the main roster as it seems she has done everything she could in NXT.

Match rating: ***


NXT tag team triple threat match and Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: The Authors of Pain vs. Roderick Strong & Pete Dunne vs. The Undisputed Era (c)

It was another good match with a lot of physicality. The match was fine for what it was, but the real swerve came at the end. After months of teasing, Roderick Strong finally turned on Pete Dunne and joined the Undisputed era. This also meant the Undisputed era retained their tag team titles and won the Dusty Rhodes Classic. I'm very interested in how this goes moving forward. Would Strong and Dunne feud and will Strong bring the UK title to the Undisputed era?

Match rating: ***1/4

NXT Championship match: Aleister Black vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas (c)

Another fantastic match. Both worked their asses off and Zelina Vega's presence kept things interesting throughout. The story told here was simple but effective. Vega interfering one too many times cost Almas the match and the championship, making Black the new NXT Champion. Lot of false finishes, and the ending was perfect for the story told here. I am really interested in Black's title reign and see where he goes with it.

Match rating: ****


Unsanctioned match: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano (If Gargano loses, he won't be reinstated in NXT)

Phenomenal! The brutality, the grudge, the physicality and the overall story told in the ring were perfect. This had everything that made me fall in love with pro-wrestling in the first place. I love these kinds of blood feuds and it was booked perfectly, culminating in a perfect match. This wasn't a wrestling match, but a fight. After a long time I saw a heel getting legit heel heat, and Ciampa played that role perfectly. Johnny Gargano has become the Daniel Bryan of NXT, and he showed why. The finishing sequence, the emotions in the final stretch were amazing!

Match rating: *****

NXT has amazing ability to put on fantastic shows irrespective of the build, but this may just be the best Takeover I've seen so far.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

I did an experiment for this nxt takeover and went into it without watching any of the build up going into it and I've got to say that I did enjoy the show more then when I was watching NXT every week.

Having written that, here's my thought on this event

First of all, I really hated the crowd reactions at this event, for me it takes away from the story being told in the ring especially when they are cheering for the HEEL. No wonder nobody is able to get over on the main roster.

Now for the matches.

The opening match was really good and everybody gave a really awesome performance but if I have to not pick here, I thought the matches was a little too long for my taste. You could have taken at less five minutes of the match and it would have been better.

Ember moon vs shayna bayzler was good for what it was supposed to accomplish and now that ember lost the title, I see her making her debut on the main roster either at mania or the day after.

The tag title match was also really good but also serve a purpose in telling the story of strong joining the undisputed era and probably taking the authors out of NXT so they can debut on the main roster soon. Good match for all six guys.

The NXT championship was awesome and was pretty much a way to finally give allister is moment and it was well deserve. Nothing against andrate but I'm glad he lost the title because he pretty much the JInder Mahal of the nxt roster, by that I mean a guy that took the championship down just by being the champion.

The main event was the best way to end the show, that unsactionned match told a awesome and finally made me like gargano as a performer. Ciampa is a great heel and it help feel sympathetic toward gargano.

In the end, I feel that this was a successful experiment for me as I enjoyed the show way better that way, so I'm probably will continuing watching only the nxt takeover without watching the main show.

 

[The Life Of Pablo Ren]

The NXT championship was awesome and was pretty much a way to finally give allister is moment and it was well deserve. Nothing against andrate but I'm glad he lost the title because he pretty much the JInder Mahal of the nxt roster, by that I mean a guy that took the championship down just by being the champion.

Not really sure how you come to a conclusion like this, I get that everything is subjective but a comparison to Jinder Mahal just seems... not right. Jinder was a guy who just flat out shouldn't have been Champion. He didn't have the ability or the pedigree. Almas has always been a fantastic wrestler, the only thing he was missing was an ability to really connect with the crowd and get heat... until Zelina Vega came along and together they became one of the best acts in the company. Sure was his title win a little shocking and out of nowhere? Maybe, but not nearly to the level of Jinder. The shocking part wasn't that Almas became Champion, it was the timing of it all, many expected Drew to have a pretty lengthy reign, they didn't expect him to not even successfully defend it once at a Takeover. He put on a classic with Gargano in Philly, it's on the short list for greatest matches I've ever seen and then he followed it up with another stellar performance against Black last night. Jinder stunk up the joint on almost every single occasion and came pretty close to single handedly ruining Shinsuke Nakamura because of the two dreadful matches they had on PPV.

You admittedly don't watch much NXT TV and you haven't watched any in the lead up to New Orleans, if Takeover's are your only evidence to go by... HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY make the comparison between Jinder Mahal and Almas?

 

[Psykohurricane55]

Not really sure how you come to a conclusion like this, I get that everything is subjective but a comparison to Jinder Mahal just seems... not right. Jinder was a guy who just flat out shouldn't have been Champion. He didn't have the ability or the pedigree. Almas has always been a fantastic wrestler, the only thing he was missing was an ability to really connect with the crowd and get heat... until Zelina Vega came along and together they became one of the best acts in the company. Sure was his title win a little shocking and out of nowhere? Maybe, but not nearly to the level of Jinder. The shocking part wasn't that Almas became Champion, it was the timing of it all, many expected Drew to have a pretty lengthy reign, they didn't expect him to not even successfully defend it once at a Takeover. He put on a classic with Gargano in Philly, it's on the short list for greatest matches I've ever seen and then he followed it up with another stellar performance against Black last night. Jinder stunk up the joint on almost every single occasion and came pretty close to single handedly ruining Shinsuke Nakamura because of the two dreadful matches they had on PPV.

You admittedly don't watch much NXT TV and you haven't watched any in the lead up to New Orleans, if Takeover's are your only evidence to go by... HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY make the comparison between Jinder Mahal and Almas?

I've been a avid watcher of NXT since it's started, i just stop watching after NXT Takeover Philadelphia because i was starting to get bored with the product i thought that maybe if i didn't watch the tv show until the next takeover then maybe i would enjoy takeover better. So i'm very familiar with almas work and i really wasn't impress with his work. My comparison between Almas and Jinder is base, first on their work prior to winning the title, which let's face it, they were both pretty much jobbers before winning the title even through almas won a couple of matches before getting the belt and secondly because the only reason both guys won the main belt was because the company had no other choices. Jinder got the belt because they wanted to break into india and Almas won the belt because Mcintyre got injured during their title match and they needed to call a audible. Jinder didn't do much with the belt and Almas either. While the quality of Almas matches were better, it's because of the quality of the talent he had to work with compared to jinder.

In the end, It's just my opinion but i don't see a star when i see almas wrestled, i see a midcard guy, but i do see a star with in Aleister and i'm glad that he beat Almas for the belt because the NXT title is back on somebody that look like a main eventer.

 

[Fillet Club]

First of all, I really hated the crowd reactions at this event, for me it takes away from the story being told in the ring especially when they are cheering for the HEEL. No wonder nobody is able to get over on the main roster.

The main event was the best way to end the show, that unsactionned match told a awesome and finally made me like gargano as a performer. Ciampa is a great heel and it help feel sympathetic toward gargano.

That would be a fair point if the crowd cheered each and every heel during the event. If anything I'd attribute it to excitement as to seeing the likes of EC3 wrestle his first match on NXT or Adam Cole winning his first title (the latter of which plays a 'cool' Heel, see NWO), they popped for Strong joining the Undisputed Era because they weren't expecting it.

For the main event, the crowd were on Ciampa's back for the entire match. That's some serious legit hate fueled heel heat, they didn't cheer him they booed him the SECOND he came out.

 

[Dagger Dias]

NXT Takeover: New Orleans


I'm a bit late to the party on this post. I meant to get it up a long time ago but have been busy. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago the NXT brand held its major show of the biggest wrestling weekend of the year. The often asked question during these big weekends is will the developmental guys yet again steal the show? I expected them to do better than Wrestlemania itself and they sure did. The show looked great on paper and it went on to fully deliver a very fun night of wrestling action.


Adam Cole VS EC3 VS Killian Dain VS Lars Sullivan VS Ricochet VS Velveteen Dream [Ladder match for the North American Championship]
Excellent choice for an opener. The match was total chaos and everyone involved did a really great job. Any of them would have been believable in walking away with the North American Championship, a new title which looks really cool itself. They made the right call with Adam Cole winning. EC3 and Ricochet were impressive in making an impact. Dain, Dream, and even Lars impressed me in the match. Awesome stuff.

Ember Moon VS Shayna Baszler [NXT Women's Championship]
Weakest match on the card. I had my concerns going into the match that Shayna was going to win. I really don't like her and didn't think she was ready for a title win. Then again, Ember was better off getting the main roster promotion. Sane will surely take the title off Shayna soon enough.

Roderick Strong & Pete Dunne VS Authors of Pain VS Undisputed Era [Tag Team Championship]
This was the match I was least interested in going into the event. I wanted Dunne to defend the UK Championship instead of being involved in this. The match ended up surprising me. Strong made the heel turn that he needed several months ago. He was the most boring guy in NXT up until this point and he will fit in great with Undisputed.

Andrade Cien Almas VS Aleister Black [NXT Championship]
Good stuff by both guys here and the match accomplished what it needed to. Black winning was a good call.

Johnny Gargano VS Tommaso Ciampa
One of the best NXT matches I have ever seen. It had everything you could possibly want. Almost perfect. Having this close instead of the main title was one of the rare instances when it makes sense to do so. Anyone who has yet to see it should go watch it.

Overall Thoughts
Other than possibly Dallas, this is the best Takeover event so far. There isn't really anything I would change. The weakest match was the Women's Championship and even that wasn't bad. You can't go wrong with anything on this card and there was no way the main roster would be able to follow it with Wrestlemania. Loved this show.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

I'm haven't watch a single episode of NXT in 2018 outside the takeover specials, i thought maybe if i don't watch the show regularly then i might enjoy the specials more because i'm not going to be so focus on the character development of each wrestlers and will just take the matches for what they are.

At first, the first takeover i watch since i stop watching NXT was the new orleans one and i actually liked the show for what it was. Great matches and i was able to forget all about how the performers are booked on a daily bases. Then came Chicago, and sadly, i never was able to truly get into this one and i pretty much turn me off the NXT product for now. It's not that the matches were bad because they really weren't, it's that the results for the most part where predictable.

The tag title match was pretty much a long Jobber match since the undisputed era were facing 2 guys that were pretty much jobber for most of there run in NXT,

Ricochet and Velveteen Dream was a good match but again, you knew the outcome since Dream is pretty a jobber to the stars just like Tye Dillinger and Tyler Breeze we're before him.

Baysler vs Cross was again a really good match but you knew Cross wasn'T winning since she's probably on her way out of NXT.

Black vs Sullivan was again a solid match but again you knew that Black was winning this one since sullivan isn'T really connecting with the NXT audience and isn't ready for the top spot.

Chiampa vs Gargano was a great match but and generate a lot of reaction from the audience and was the only unpredictable match but i'm just getting tired of this feud at this point because it's pretty much the same match every single time and knowing were Gargano and chiampa will ended up when they get called up doesn't really help me get into this.

So in the end, i thing this is it for me and NXT. The might be popular for the Hardcore wrestling fans but it really doesn't do it for me anymore. When you watch a product and can figure out, A) the outcome of every matches and b) where these character will ended up on the main rosters, i feel it's time to just stop watching. If you like the product that's o.k. but NXT isn't for me anymore.

 

[JoeMallard]

I'm haven't watch a single episode of NXT in 2018 outside the takeover specials, i thought maybe if i don't watch the show regularly then i might enjoy the specials more because i'm not going to be so focus on the character development of each wrestlers and will just take the matches for what they are.

At first, the first takeover i watch since i stop watching NXT was the new orleans one and i actually liked the show for what it was. Great matches and i was able to forget all about how the performers are booked on a daily bases. Then came Chicago, and sadly, i never was able to truly get into this one and i pretty much turn me off the NXT product for now. It's not that the matches were bad because they really weren't, it's that the results for the most part where predictable.

The tag title match was pretty much a long Jobber match since the undisputed era were facing 2 guys that were pretty much jobber for most of there run in NXT,

Ricochet and Velveteen Dream was a good match but again, you knew the outcome since Dream is pretty a jobber to the stars just like Tye Dillinger and Tyler Breeze we're before him.

Baysler vs Cross was again a really good match but you knew Cross wasn'T winning since she's probably on her way out of NXT.

Black vs Sullivan was again a solid match but again you knew that Black was winning this one since sullivan isn'T really connecting with the NXT audience and isn't ready for the top spot.

Chiampa vs Gargano was a great match but and generate a lot of reaction from the audience and was the only unpredictable match but i'm just getting tired of this feud at this point because it's pretty much the same match every single time and knowing were Gargano and chiampa will ended up when they get called up doesn't really help me get into this.

So in the end, i thing this is it for me and NXT. The might be popular for the Hardcore wrestling fans but it really doesn't do it for me anymore. When you watch a product and can figure out, A) the outcome of every matches and b) where these character will ended up on the main rosters, i feel it's time to just stop watching. If you like the product that's o.k. but NXT isn't for me anymore.

Yet you love main roster bullshit with shitty storytelling! Hahahahaha

 

[Psykohurricane55]

Yet you love main roster bullshit with shitty storytelling! Hahahahaha

Take the in ring stuff out of the NXT product and the storytelling is as shitty as the main roster, the only difference is that while the main rosters as shitty storytelling, they delivers with the big events unpredictable outcome like last night's Ppv instead of results you could see a mile away like takeover and matches that are way overbooked just to please a small section of the audience that gets off on Indy style wrestling.

 

[Dagger Dias]

NXT Takeover Chicago 2018


I'm a bit late to the party on this one as I was not able to watch the event until a week ago. I wanted to still post my thoughts on the show so here we go.


Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan VS Undisputed Era [NXT Tag Team Championship]
An ok choice for an opener given what was on the card. Burch and Lorcan are really boring and nothing stands out to me about them. Not sure if it was me being so tired from having done a lot of traveling by the time I had sat down to watch or if it was something else, the match really felt lacking. Could have been better with better challengers I think. It's Takeover though. Even the less interesting stuff winds up being good most of the time and that was the case here.

Ricochet VS Velveteen Dream
This was excellent. 2nd best match of the night for me. While I don't expect Dream to do well on the main roster with his gimmick he's more than earned my respect in NXT. Ever since the match against Black he's delivered solid performances in the major matches along the way. Ricochet did an incredible job too. Anyone who missed the match and/or is unfamiliar with either should watch it.

Nikki Cross VS Shayna Baszler [NXT Women's Championship]
Good stuff here from both women. Baszler is getting better and fitting more into the role of the champion now. I did not expect Cross to win as her main roster promotion has to be coming. Sanity coming up without her feels so wrong and she should join them on Smackdown as soon as possible.

Aleister Black VS Lars Sullivan [NXT Championship]
Much like the opener this felt a bit lacking. I don't get what anybody sees in Lars. He's just another generic boring big guy. Black winning was 100% the right call. Hopefully we get something better for the next Takeover. It's very odd for me to say that the NXT Championship match was the weakest match at an NXT Takeover event. I guess there's a first time for everything.

Johnny Gargano VS Tommaso Ciampa
Oh man this was good. The best match of the night for sure. I didn't think they could top the first match they had against each other, and if they didn't then they dang sure came close. I can't pick a favorite between the two matches. Both were awesome and deserving of the main event spot. Both men now have a win over the other in this feud. It having come down to this event after what happened at least year's Takeover Chicago was a nice touch and Ciampa having won showed us some shades of last year. If they do a third match then it will be that much harder for them to top what they have already done.

Overall Thoughts
While there were a couple of matches I couldn't fully get into, the event was fun overall. What NXT Takeover isn't? This was one of the weaker Takeovers that I have seen although the good significantly outweighs what small amount of bad that there was. Watch the Ricochet VS Velveteen Dream match and Gargano VS Ciampa if you haven't yet. Not much else to say.