NXT Review and Aftermath Thread

[Psykohurricane55]

Not going to do a match by by match review but just doing goig to give some of my general thought on the show.

First, I really was expectimg a better crowd then that for a nxt show. Normally when you watch a takeover special, you have a crowd that reacts to everything from entrance to matches. It always feel like a must see show. This one, it felt like the crowd couldn't cares less about most of the show. They prety much sat on their hand for the first three matches, they started to react for the itami match but not as loud as a roode match normally get. The only thing they seem to really being into was the main event which mean it says alot about the current nxt product.

I also thought that outside the main event match, this was a prtty boring nxt show. The matches we're good like they always ares but nothing special really happenned and the lack of crowd interested really took it down.

Like I said I really love the main event take match and the heel turn from champa after the match, it was a great match that really got the crowd going and the reaction the crowd had for the heel turn was awesome. For the first time in a while, I really got the impression that they took the crowd by surprise with the turncand I made the crowd reaction seem more genuine which was a plus and help the turn look more impactful.

In the end, not a great show and would only recommend watching the tag match because the rest of the show is skipable.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

1. Roderick Strong vs. Eric Young - This was a very solid bout and I thought it was good to get it out of the way as it was the least consequential match on the card. I liked Strong's aggression and that he actually showed some sense by taking out Wolfe and Dain at various parts of the match, especially the first, rather than passively waiting for them to eventually launch into him. The Chicago fans were firmly in Strong's corner and popped for just about everything he did. I also liked that even though Wolfe and Dain did interfere a few times, it wasn't over the top and it didn't happen all that often. The end comes shortly after Strong manages to take out Wolfe and Dain on the outside before hitting the End of Heartache, which is a suplex transitioned into a double-kneed backbreaker, for the win a little before the 14 minute mark. ***

2. WWE United Kingdom Championship - Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne - Just a flat out hell of an effort from both men and the best overall match of the night and a very legitimate MOTY contender. They tore it up back in January during the UK Championship tournament finals but they exceeded that match in terms of action, storytelling, psychology and sheer physicality. Bate has the potential of a great red meat babyface while Pete Dunne is just an outstanding young heel. This is one of those matches where the chemistry between the two wrestlers is something special, something that doesn't come along everyday, and they had the Chicago fans almost in a frenzy with a mix of great technical wrestling, impactful maneuvers, back & forth action and a few high spots that were well done without coming off as over the top. I also liked that it wasn't a finisher fest that had each of them kickking out of each other's finishers two or three times, they delivered plenty of impactful moves without resorting to using their biggest guns. I felt that this match was mostly going to be a showcase match to sort of give fans a taste of some of the stuff some of the top UK wrestlers brought to the table but it turned out to be a show stealing performance from both of them. The ending came about the 15.5 minute mark after Dunne was able to hit the Bitter End, which is a pump handle flateliner, to become the new UK Champion. It could have easily lasted twice as long and not overstayed its welcome one iota. ****3/4

3. NXT Women's Championship - Asuka vs. Ruby Riot vs. Nikki Cross - I thought this came off exactly as I expected, which was a fun, energetic action packed bout that made all three women look good. It had the unenviable task of following a genuine match of the year contender, but the ladies still put on a really fun triple threat. The Chicago fans were into all three of the ladies and they appreciated the effort when it was all said and done. The ending was a bit lackluster in that Ruby was in the midst of trying to pin Cross when Asuka delivers a running knee to Ruby before rolling her over on top of Cross and getting the pin about the 12.5 minute mark. I never expected Asuka to lose and it'd been anticlimactic if she had; I've said for a while now that the most dominant title reign in NXT history will not end in a three or fourway dance where Asuka herself doesn't have to be involved in the fall. When she drops it, it'll be decisively in a 1 on 1 bout and that'll almost certainly be against Ember Moon at either the SummerSlam or Survivor Series TakeOver event. ***1/4

4. NXT Championship - Bobby Roode vs. Hideo Itami - A strong effort from Roode & Hitami that delivered some great physical action and storytelling. Roode is getting the most out of his "Glorious" persona and I've enjoyed him as NXT Champion much more than either Nakamura or Joe. Hitami came off as a badass babyface looking to prove himself after suffering some devastating career setbacks due to injury and that worked to his advantage. No over the top spots here, no dangerous impacts, just making good use of every second with good storytelling. Like the rest of the show, the Chicago fans were into the action and appreciated the effort of both me. Roode hit his Glorious DDT earlier in the match but Itami had been working over his left arm and the story was that Roode wasn't able to get Itami high enough to really deliver all the impact, so Itami did kick out. Later on, Itami hit Roode with the GTS but Roode's momentum carried him out of the ring, so I liked that we didn't go down the road of dueling finishers. The end comes with Roode delivering another Glorious DDT, looking like it got the same elevation as the first, with Roode holding on as though he was going for a Three Amigos or something, and delivered a second and much stronger Glorious DDT immediately afterward to pick up the win around the 18 minute mark. ***1/2

5. NXT Tag Team Championship Ladder Match - The Authors of Pain vs. #DIY - A helluva ladder match to end the show with and the 2nd strongest match on the card. I thought it was a great idea that this match went on last as the NXT Championship match would've had a tough time following it and the ending of this match may have taken the energy out of the crowd if there'd been another match to follow. There were a couple of extremely impactful spots that were mostly taken by the Authors, the Authors took much more punishment & offense from #DIY in this match than I was expecting but I thought that was fitting given that this match allowed the babyfaces to do more to counter the Authors' size & power advantages. The ladder spots were well done without being insanely dangerous and there were a few times during the match where it looked like #DIY was going to pull it off. One of those times saw Paul Ellering grab Johnny Gargano's leg, keep him from climbing up the ladder, and pull him down only to eat a super kick afterward. Another time came near the end when both Gargano and Ciampa were on the ladder and had hold of the hook holding the championships, it looked like they were going to show a the whole spirit of friendship bit by pulling the titles down together. However, the Authors manage to recover and knock the ladders from underneath them, leaving them both dangling from the hook. The Authors' position themselves underneath both men as they let go of the hook, landing on each Author's shoulders before taking powerbombs from them. The Authors held onto their grips and delivered the Super Collider before scaling the ladder and bringing down the championships to end the match about the 20 minute mark. The aftermath showed a despondent #DIY in the ring with the fans cheering them on, I initially thought that this was a "saying goodbye" sort of moment here. They basked in the adulation for a bit before leaving the ring and as they finished showing a replay of the finishing sequence, Ciampa suddenly turns on Gargano and rams him into the LED entrance wall before leveling Gargano with a knee strike. Not finished, Ciampa cleared off the announce table on the platform at the side of the stage. He hoisted Gargano up for an Air Raid Crash, but instead of crashing through the table, he leapt backwards off the table and platform entirely, driving Gargano through some other tables set up below. Ciampa sits down on the announce table to look down over a prone Gargano as the show goes off the air. ****1/4

Final Thoughts - For me, from top to bottom, I thought this was the best TakeOver since Dallas during WrestleMania weekend last year. The last several TakeOver events have been good shows, but they weren't on the level that most of us were used to or had come to expect from NXT and that's due in no small part to NXT having to rebuild itself after last year's WWE Draft brought most of the top NXT talent to the main roster. There wasn't a bad match on the card and with all due respect to wrestlingmatters55, I'm not sure what crowd he was watching last night as the Chicago crowd was very much behind just about everything that went on. Sure, there weren't any various goofy chants where the crowd was trying to "entertain" themselves, nor was there a single "CM Punk" chant to be heard as they were into all the matches put in front of 'em. The UK Championship match stole the show and the ladder match closed things out on a really strong note. While part of me would have liked to have seen Ciampa and Gargano remain partners to debut on the main roster, it probably wasn't feasible given that the next time when anyone from NXT might be main roster bound is just after SummerSlam and that's a full 3 months off. However, during the infancy of #DIY as a team, Ciampa and Gargano competed in a match during the Cruiserweight Classic that was one hell of a physical effort that told an amazing story, it may have been the 2nd best match of the tournament behind Kota Ibushi vs. Cedric Alexander, so that's something to look forward to. Strong & Young opened the show with a solid bout, the UK Championship match blew everyone away, the ladies put on a quality threeway dance, Roode & Itami delivered a strong NXT Championship match and the ladder match packed all the various thrills and spills expected and ended the show on a hot note.

Grade: A

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I won't go through the card in detail but I thought this was a very good PPV. Every match delivered with the UK Championship delivering as a potential match of the year.

The crowd was into it and it was a well executed athletic match up. I admit I haven't seen any of the UK stuff but when you have great talent like Dunn and Bate you can get over in any night.

Hideo and Roode was a good match, and great sell job by both guys (Roode's shouler and Itami's knee). It wasn't a super fast paced match (as we've been accustomed to in NXT Takeovers) but it told a good story.

The Main Event Ladder Match was also good but Authors of Pain looked a bit uncoordinated. It's a dramatic and emotional finish leading to a semi-shocking Heel turn by Ciampa. A little trick the WWE did is they had the closing graphic before the turn so the turn actually caught me off guard.

Also in the web exclusive Hideo Itami had a tantrum backstage suggesting he's going to turn heel. Which is good for NXT since the brand took a hit after losing Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, The Revival, and Nakamura in recent months.

With Ciampa and Gargano having a feud I an see Gargano become a Championship contender eventually. And Itami turning heel could add some new programs into the show.

 

[ShinChan]

The more I see Drew McIntyre, the more I love him. He just doesn't look anywhere near the jobber in that 3MB jobber squad. He's more of a monster and I can see him becoming the champion in 2017 itself.

The tease of battle between Authors Of Pain and Heavy Machinery was interesting. Won't be a classic match once they fight but will be damn entertaining for sure.

Didn't get why the main event was ended the way it did. But Last Woman Standing match explains it all.

 

[ShinChan]

Loved the match between Aleister Black and Kassius Ohno. Don't get why Ohno was hired back. Can't see him getting the title even in NXT.

Ember Moon's finisher rocks. And the way it's booked, it seems even more credible. Very excited for the second match between Ember Moon and Asuka. TakeOver Brooklyn seems like a show with huge potential.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Loved the match between Aleister Black and Kassius Ohno. Don't get why Ohno was hired back. Can't see him getting the title even in NXT.

This is pure, 100% speculation on my part but I'm guessing one reason he came back to NXT was to be used in putting over younger, high profile and/or high quality talent in strong matches. Ohno will turn 38 on Christmas Eve this year and even though there are some "indie darlings" on the NXT or main rosters in the same age range, Ohno doesn't have the kind of buzz about him as them. During the last 3 years or so, the wrestlers I consistently heard people talking about, always saw stories about, interviews with, etc. were people like AJ Styles, the Young Bucks, Kevin Steen/Kevin Owens, Tanahashi, Drew Galloway/Drew McIntyre, Prince Devitt/Finn Balor, Kenny Omega, Okada, Zack Sabre, Jr., Will Ospreay, Ricochet/Prince Puma and others. Before he popped back up in NXT, I hadn't heard anything about Ohno/Hero in so long that I thought he'd either retired or was working mostly for really, really small companies on the indie circuit. Ohno is reaching the point where he's sort of an elder statesman on the indie scene.

Again this is all just speculation on my part, but I could see Ohno making the transition to being a trainer and coach in NXT over the next year or two. To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised he didn't head back to ROH or try joining Impact or New Japan after leaving. Even though he's put on weight, he looks healthier in my opinion and he hasn't lost a step in the ring at all.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

Out of the 3 Brooklyn takeover, this was my favorite one, I love how they put the past being them and advance the future with the whole roh stable they are starting. Hoping to see the authors of pain on the main roster soon as well is bobby roode and with mcintyre and the authors of pain facing these roh guys, this will do some great feud.

the rest of the card was really great as well from the opening match with almas and garcano, alester black and itami and the asuka vs ember moon which just an awesome match, this show was the best brooklyn takeover out of the 3.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III​

1. Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade Cien Almas - As with Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunn in TakeOver: Chicago, I initially expected this to be a good match but one that was mostly just a showcase. As with Bate vs. Dunne, I was wrong as this was a helluva match in which both guys came out looking like stars. After it was over, I ultimately got the impression that Triple H told them that they had about 14 minutes and to just go out there and tear it up. Some great near falls scattered throughout and a lot of back & forth gave this match a good deal of drama that the crowd was into from bell to bell. I didn't mind Almas getting the win as he needed it much more and the bit with Zelina tossing a #DIY shirt to Gargano to throw him off his game just enough was a nice bit of storytelling. ****1/4

2. NXT Tag Team Championship - Authors of Pain vs. SAnitY - I wasn't sure what to make of this match on paper. I don't really know who was supposed to be the babyfaces and the heels but it didn't really matter in the end. This was a very fun, wildly chaotic sort of match and something that vastly exceeded my expectations. Probably the MVP for this match was Alexander Wolfe as he stepped up his game here and looked impressive to me for really the first time. Nikki Cross is so damn good in her role as this unhinged chick and everyone worked hard I was surprised by the ending as I simply didn't see the AOP losing but lose they did with SAnitY winning the NXT Tag Team Championship. The aftermath was a lot of fun as Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish, AKA reDRagon, showed up to lay waste to both teams. From an overall perspective, NXT's tag team scene has always been the weak link in its proverbial chain but reDRagon as 3 time ROH World Tag Team Champions and 2 time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions brings a big level of credibility. ***3/4

3. Aleister Black vs. Hideo Itami - While this match didn't have the drama of Almas vs. Gargano or the chaos of the tag title match, it was a very physical, hard hitting strike fest. Black received a bloody nose early on and I expected something like this. The story felt like a couple of proud strikers, each of them confident, wanting to simply see who was better. Black hits Black Mass for the win just a bit before the 13 minute mark to remain undefeated. ***1/2

4. NXT Women's Championship - Asuka vs. Ember Moon - I thought this was a fantastic, drama filled match that had the fans hanging on everything that happened. I enjoyed their first bout, but this one took it to the next level with the drama, storytelling, Moon's facial expressions and her continuous selling of her "injured" left arm. I was surprised here as the writing was on the wall for Asuka to drop the title, especially after Ember nailed her with the Eclipse, but she retains after finally managing to put Ember in the Asuka Lock. Ember fights it for a bit, putting up a valiant struggle before finally being forced to tap out around the 15 minute mark. Moon looked like a star in defeat as the fans gave her a huge ovation as she sold her disappointment. ****3/4

5. NXT Championship - Bobby Roode vs. Drew McIntyre - This was a strong main event match that had enough drama behind it to cement it as being main event worthy. It wasn't the strongest match on the card overall, but both men worked hard, kept the attention of the crowd and delivered a satisfying bout. As with the other two title matches on the card, I was surprised by the ending as I just didn't think Drew would pull of the win but he did, landing the Claymore Kick to win the NXT Championship about the 22 minute mark. The match probably went 5 minutes or so longer than it needed to, but there were some dramatic near falls that made up for it. As McIntyre celebrates his win, reDRagon appear once again along with Adam Cole to take out McIntyre. I expected Cole to debut, I just wasn't expecting him to make such a big impact. ***3/4

Final Thoughts - On paper, Brooklyn III didn't look or feel like it would be on the level of the previous TakeOver events held in Brooklyn. In execution, I felt it was the overall strongest of them and may very well be the strongest of all the TakeOver events thus far. That's saying something as the TakeOver events have always delivered a high quality 2.5 to 3 hours of wrestling. There wasn't a weak match on the card and everything just fell in place. There was some spectacle with a couple of cool entrances and some surprise debuts that did enough without being a distraction or overshadowing the matches themselves. I was pleasantly surprised by the outcomes of all three title matches, though I'm not really sure where Asuka goes from here as she's long since ready for the main roster and I expect Roode to hit the main roster before long. If I can find any real fault, it's that I wish some of the matches would've lasted a little longer but that's just nitpicking. NXT delivers yet again.

Grade: A+

 

[Dagger Dias]

NXT Takeover Brooklyn 3

This weekend NXT held the third edition of one of its biggest shows of the year. On paper the card did not look as impressive as the other two NXT Brooklyn events, for the most part the event did exceed expectations. All in all there was really only one match I did not like. Let's take a look at the matches from the event.

Andrade Cien Almas VS Johnny Gargano
Having these two face each other seemed really random at first. They made it work and ended up putting on a good opener. This was a lot better than I thought it would be. I'm a bit bummed that Gargano got the win. I guess it's to get him some more sympathy before Ciampa comes back? Almas continues to suck. Gargano carried him to a good match at least.

Authors of Pain VS Sanity [NXT Tag Team Championship]
The head-gear that the Authors had for their entrance was cool looking. This was one of the weaker matches of the night other than the ending which totally surprised me. I guess the Authors are on their way up to Raw after this? I hope Sanity uses The Freebird rule when it comes time for them to defend the belts.

Aleister Black VS Hideo Itami
This match did exactly what it was supposed to. Black will surely be a title contender someday in the future and him getting the win was the right call. Really unsure where Itami goes from here.... My main issue with this match was having the band play Black's entrance as he entered. You don't do that for someone like Black. That ruined the mystique that his entrance should have.

Asuka VS Ember Moon [NXT Women's Championship]
This had the potential to be the match of the night, but the ending destroyed everything. Ember Moon should have won the first time and she ABSOLUTELY should have won this time. I don't understand what NXT are doing here. Asuka has literally no one else who can challenge her. I'm sick and tired of her as the champion and this really upset me. Ember winning with the Eclipse during the week that there will be a real Eclipse was one of the most logical solutions to a match in recent memory. I'd expect this idiocy from Raw, but from NXT!? I don't even care who dethrones Asuka anymore, just get the belt off of her. It's getting ridiculous at this point.

Bobby Roode VS Drew McIntyre [NXT Championship]
This match saved the show when I was rather upset at the previous match's result. Drew winning was a very pleasant surprise and the match itself was pretty fun to watch overall. Match of the night for me. The big question is if Roode's getting a main roster promotion or if he's getting a rematch first. Drew needs to get his old theme back from The Chosen One gimmick. It would fit much better than the stupid song he has had since he returned.

Overall Thoughts
The show was a step down from Chicago. The ending of the NXT Women's Championship and the lack of a UK Championship match hurt the show. Still a fun event overall, though not as good as the other two Takeover Brooklyn events if you ask me. Oh, and those three guys showed up. I don't watch ROH so there isn't much I can say about Cole, Kyle, or Bobby for now. NXT has been going downhill in recent months. I'll still watch for now, though my interest has dwindled a lot since the beginning of this year.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

Looking back at the NXT takeover event, my thought are like always that it was a mix bag. I really believe that those takeover need to get more then five matches on the card because if you had shorter matches on the midcard the main matches would look even better.

Personally, i love the opening bout between Johnny gargano and andrade cien almas. I thought they had good chemistry together and the fans really seem to be in gargano and really hate Almas which was a big plus because they weren't cheering the heel.

The tag title match went to long in my opinion, this should have been a 5 to 10 minute match at best, past that you just go into a long boring match between 4 guys that shouldn't be having long matches. that's were i started to fall asleep.

Then came the aleister black vs Hideo Itami match. If i was booking this match, this would have been a 5 minute match at best, Aleister should be booked as a supernatural monster that goes through everybody in quick fashion, not somebody that on part with every talented small man he faces. This should have been hideo having some offense for a couple of minutes with almost no effect on Black then have black just beat the shit out of Itami and finish him off with his finisher in 5 minutes or less.

The women's title match was awesome, pretty much the match of the night for me, really entertaining got me on the edge of my seat for the whole match and was surprise by the ending. Can't say anything wrong with this match.

The main event, was what it was, personally, i never really saw what everybody saw in Bobby roode, sure he'S a good wrestler but i always saw him as a midcard type of wrestler that's better in a faction or team then on his own. Plus the fact that he's suppose to be a cocky heel yet he's cheered because he got a cool theme song doesn't help my opinion of him. Having said that i thought this was probably one of his best match since joining NXT. I think that the fact that Roode and Mcintyre wrestled against each other before in TNA helped. But this was a really good way to end the show.

As far as the roh faction stuff they are doing with having them beat up Sanity and Mcintyre after they're respective matches. I think it's a nice idea, i hope they won't go too much into the NWO style booking with these 3 because that's the first thing that came to mind when this happened in the end. I thought o.k. they are going back to the N.W.O. angle again. But still i'm giving them a chance and i hope that this will feel original and not like every other faction angle that wrestling as done over the years.

 

[JoeMallard]

Best show this weekend and like always the matches were given time and none of the losers looked weak unlike the crap we got at Shitterslam.

 

[ShinChan]

A great display of wrestling with variety of different matches. A couple of results were headscratching but that's just a personal pet peeve. Adam Cole along with Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish was an awesome way to debut and have an immediate impact. Really happy to see Drew McIntyre win the title. You know, the best of 3MB won NXT Title and the worst is World Champion.

Asuka's injury might change some plans but I felt that Ember Moon could be called up soon. All in all, a very good event.

 

[ShinChan]

Just caught up with the latest episode. Another good match between Johnny Gargano & Andrade Cien Almas. Don't know where this leads for Gargano. Ciampa isn't coming anytime soon because of his injury. Peyton winning was a surprise as I expected Nikki Cross to win. Lars Sullivan is such a beast. I wonder who slays this beast? I've no idea.

Street Profits are fun but I would like to see more.

Excited for the Undisputed Era (Still don't get the name.) Vs. SAnitY next week. Also,expecting Ember Moon to qualify for the title match.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Just caught up with the latest episode. Another good match between Johnny Gargano & Andrade Cien Almas. Don't know where this leads for Gargano. Ciampa isn't coming anytime soon because of his injury. Peyton winning was a surprise as I expected Nikki Cross to win. Lars Sullivan is such a beast. I wonder who slays this beast? I've no idea.

Street Profits are fun but I would like to see more.

Excited for the Undisputed Era (Still don't get the name.) Vs. SAnitY next week. Also,expecting Ember Moon to qualify for the title match.

While it's true Ciampa won't be back soon, I think that this is all part of a slow burn for Gargano. For instance, I could see Gargano ultimately manage to journey back towards prominence in a way where it truly seems like he's "gotten over" Ciampa's betrayal only for Ciampa to make his return and do something to cost Gargano dearly, thus bringing all those months of frustration and struggle right back to the forefront.

I also expected Nikki to win, I think they're still planning to put her in an extremely strong position otherwise I don't think they'd protect her so much whenever she does come up short.

It's a lot of fun watching Lars Sullivan, the guy's just this burly beast, a surprisingly eloquently speaking one at that, and I can see them positioning him for a match at the next TakeOver. I would say that Aleister Black is a likely choice, but it's all but guaranteed that Black will be taking on the Velveteen Dream at the event. Maybe Hideo Itami or Kassius Ohno? Either would present Sullivan with his toughest challenge to date and I think both are realistic choices at this point. Itami is no longer the priority he was as he's spent more time out injured than being an active member of the roster; as a result, a lot of other talented wrestlers have come along so it's not as though time could just stand still. As for Ohno, he strikes me as someone that's settling into the role of gatekeeper in NXT; while he can still deliver high quality in the ring, he's almost 38 years old, he's about 65 lbs. heavier than he was just a few years ago and I wouldn't be surprised if he saw the writing on the wall. I don't think it's likely he'll wind up on the main roster, so I see him staying in this role for another year or two before possibly retiring and taking a job as a trainer or coach at the PC, possibly as a talent scout or as a producer.

The NXT product is just so consistently smooth with coherent booking. Stephanie McMahon recently said something in an interview in which she stated that fans are the ones who determine the direction of WWE. After realizing that I hadn't suffered a stroke over how absurd such a statement was, I realized that it is something that's at work in NXT. I've watched NXT since getting the WWE Network and it's obvious that Triple H does pay attention to the fans and who they respond to as a means of helping determine who to feature and push. You know, using common sense based on the reactions of the people who're paying their money to watch rather than using his father in law's method of trying to tell fans who they should be invested in just because he likes them.

 

[Dagger Dias]

NXT Takeover War Games


This show had a pretty strong card on paper and looked like it would be real fun. We saw the return of a match not seen for 20 years and we also have new champions. Let's take a look at each of the matches at this event.


Kassius Ohno VS Lars Sullivan
Glad this was first, to get it out of the way. Both guys are extremely uninteresting. Lars is the slightly less boring of the two so him winning was fine. Worst match of the night.

Aleister Black VS Velveteen Dream
Wow, where in the heck did THIS match come from!? I was not expecting such a good match out of these two guys. Shockingly good. I mean, I like Aleister Black, but Velveteen Dream surprised me in this match. I still can't stand the guy, however he did a good job. The mind games were well done by both guys. Black winning and still acknowledging his opponent afterwards was certainly the right call.

Ember Moon VS Kairi Sane VS Nikki Cross VS Peyton Royce [NXT Women's Championship]
This was awesome. All four women were very impressive in the match and the fact that all four were deserving of the title opportunity made it all the better. Ember winning is so well deserved. It was a long time coming. The moment with Asuka when she was awarded the title was also a special show of respect between the two former rivals. Great match. Be sure to watch it if you missed it.

Drew McIntyre VS Andrade Cien Almas [NXT Championship]
This sucked. I have no idea what the WWE are thinking here. Cien Almas had done NOTHING to deserve the title shot in the first place, let alone win the NXT Championship. If Drew is being promoted to the main roster they could just as easily have given the title to Adam Cole instead. You know, someone who is actually believable in the main event. Decent match, stupid ending.

Sanity VS Undisputed Era VS Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong [War Games]
Well, this going on last made sense. We haven't seen the match in 20 years. Plus all the chaos from this would have made the crowd so tired they wouldn't have cared about anything that followed the excitement of this one. I was never the biggest fan of War Games back in the day, though having it come back was nice. If anything for doing something different. Multiple great spots in the match and Undisputed got the win they needed. Cole should take the NXT Championship from Cien immediately while his two underlings should seek the Tag Team Championship.

Overall Thoughts
I would have changed a couple of things. First of all.... How in the world did Pete Dunne VS Johnny Gargano for the United Kingdom Championship not make it onto this card? They could easily have replaced Ohno VS Lars as the opener. I would also have given Drew a credible challenger. Or had him retain. Cien Almas? Seriously!? I doubt it lasts long. Cole will have that title soon. And Ember Moon is finally the NXT Women's Champion! Fun show overall skip the opener and Cien VS Drew, watch everything else if you missed out on the show. It is doubtful that the main roster tops this show tomorrow with the Survivor Series event. NXT Takeovers have been "must see" level quality for a while, and that continues to be the case. Other than possibly Chicago, this was the best Takeover of 2017.

 

[JoeMallard]

NXT Takeover War Games


This show had a pretty strong card on paper and looked like it would be real fun. We saw the return of a match not seen for 20 years and we also have new champions. Let's take a look at each of the matches at this event.


Kassius Ohno VS Lars Sullivan
Glad this was first, to get it out of the way. Both guys are extremely uninteresting. Lars is the slightly less boring of the two so him winning was fine. Worst match of the night.

Aleister Black VS Velveteen Dream
Wow, where in the heck did THIS match come from!? I was not expecting such a good match out of these two guys. Shockingly good. I mean, I like Aleister Black, but Velveteen Dream surprised me in this match. I still can't stand the guy, however he did a good job. The mind games were well done by both guys. Black winning and still acknowledging his opponent afterwards was certainly the right call.

Ember Moon VS Kairi Sane VS Nikki Cross VS Peyton Royce [NXT Women's Championship]
This was awesome. All four women were very impressive in the match and the fact that all four were deserving of the title opportunity made it all the better. Ember winning is so well deserved. It was a long time coming. The moment with Asuka when she was awarded the title was also a special show of respect between the two former rivals. Great match. Be sure to watch it if you missed it.

Drew McIntyre VS Andrade Cien Almas [NXT Championship]
This sucked. I have no idea what the WWE are thinking here. Cien Almas had done NOTHING to deserve the title shot in the first place, let alone win the NXT Championship. If Drew is being promoted to the main roster they could just as easily have given the title to Adam Cole instead. You know, someone who is actually believable in the main event. Decent match, stupid ending.

Sanity VS Undisputed Era VS Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong [War Games]
Well, this going on last made sense. We haven't seen the match in 20 years. Plus all the chaos from this would have made the crowd so tired they wouldn't have cared about anything that followed the excitement of this one. I was never the biggest fan of War Games back in the day, though having it come back was nice. If anything for doing something different. Multiple great spots in the match and Undisputed got the win they needed. Cole should take the NXT Championship from Cien immediately while his two underlings should seek the Tag Team Championship.

Overall Thoughts
I would have changed a couple of things. First of all.... How in the world did Pete Dunne VS Johnny Gargano for the United Kingdom Championship not make it onto this card? They could easily have replaced Ohno VS Lars as the opener. I would also have given Drew a credible challenger. Or had him retain. Cien Almas? Seriously!? I doubt it lasts long. Cole will have that title soon. And Ember Moon is finally the NXT Women's Champion! Fun show overall skip the opener and Cien VS Drew, watch everything else if you missed out on the show. It is doubtful that the main roster tops this show tomorrow with the Survivor Series event. NXT Takeovers have been "must see" level quality for a while, and that continues to be the case. Other than possibly Chicago, this was the best Takeover of 2017.

Almas is a fantasic wrestler with an amazing mouthpiece, downplaying him and his ability is fucking stupid! Los fucking Ingobernables!

 

[Dagger Dias]

Almas is a fantasic wrestler with an amazing mouthpiece, downplaying him and his ability is fucking stupid! Los fucking Ingobernables!

You're entitled to that opinion. However, that doesn't mean you're correct, which you aren't. His manager is a good talker but Almas shouldn't have been anywhere NEAR the NXT Championship. The guy is boring. The decision to put the title on him is very strange. Not that it matters all too much in the long run since Adam Cole will probably win it soon.

The show was still good. The War Games match and NXT Women's Championship match more than made up for the stupid result of the Drew VS Almas match because those two matches were excellent.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I was a bit disappointed with the Lars/Ohno match. I got my hopes up for a solid ten minute hoss fight with two guys just beating the piss out of each other, and got a five minute meh affair. It made sense to have a decent name finally give Lars a bit of a challenge and I think he looked good by responding to adversity by just charging through it though. Lars could, and I stress could because the main roster really kills most of them, be the next big monster heel.

For a guy that has only been wrestling for three years, Dream has really come along. I expected Black to get the win here, but I didn't expect such a good match. The mind games were great and Dream's flamboyance cost him, classic time honored stuff. Black is a good character, but I hate Black Mass. It's just a fucking kick, the same kick he does multiple times in each match.

The women's match was very average for me. Moon, who I don't care for, was the least interesting pick to win, and honestly I think her winning devalues the title. She couldn't beat Asuka, so her being the first champ after the dominant champ vacates the title makes her look like a paper champ. All I feel she has is a good finisher. She doesn't really have a character other than "hey I have colored contacts in." I really disliked Asuka handing over the title as well. I get it, her and Moon were rivals and its a passing of the torch moment, but Asuka was really pulling some heel moves in their program, but as soon as she vacates the title they are BFFs? No, too much of a stretch.

The Almas/Drew match was solid, but the end kind of confused me. I have no issue with Almas winning as 1) Drew doesn't do anything for me and 2) He never needed to be back in NXT, but after that DDT, Drew just had a glazed over look on his face while staring at the ref, the same look most guys have when they are going to kick out of a big move, but the three count happened. I almost thought it was a botched finish because even Almas and Vega seemed shocked. You sometimes need a shock title change like this to keep the title picture interesting and I at least appreciate that it deviates from the recent trend of rushing the newest indy darling to a title win. I'm sure Cole is likely to start that trend up again though.

War Games match was very fun. Dain looked like a star (though all nine guys look like money), AoP hit all their big fun spots and it sets up Cole, Fish, and O'Reilly's rise nicely. I hope Wolfe doesn't need a transfusion after losing all that blood though.

 

[JoeMallard]

You're entitled to that opinion. However, that doesn't mean you're correct, which you aren't. His manager is a good talker but Almas shouldn't have been anywhere NEAR the NXT Championship. The guy is boring. The decision to put the title on him is very strange. Not that it matters all too much in the long run since Adam Cole will probably win it soon.

The show was still good. The War Games match and NXT Women's Championship match more than made up for the stupid result of the Drew VS Almas match because those two matches were excellent.

I'd go with Black beating Almas since he's done it before, they won't drop the title to another heel.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

Personally, If I'm being honest, I thought this was a one match show and one of the weakest nxt takeover they ever produce.

Let's go match by match,

Lars Sullivan vs kassius ohno

Why was that match even on the card. This was an glorify enhancement match. Lars Sullivan is suppose to be the NXT version of strowman but he lack the charisma and presence of strowman. In the end, this was a really boring match and they could have done this on nxt tv instead of a special

Allister black vs Velveteen dream

Again same as the first match. Nothing again Velveteen, but he scream job guy. Allister is a superstar and deserve better then this match.

Fatal four way for the women title.

Really descent match, I miss some of it because the first 2 matches put me to sleep so I had problem staying awake throughout this match. Anyway good match by all four wrestlers and a predictable ending

Drew McIntyre vs Andrade Chen Palmas

Again a nothing match in my opinion but I was shock to see Andrade win the belt. I don't know what this mean for drew but I really hope this mean he's getting called up really soon because he deserve better then getting stuck in nxt.

War games

This is Where I thing the show picked up. This was an incredible match and if I had to not pick about this match, I would say that this went a little bit too long and they didn't use the second ring enough. I felt like they didn't have enough cameraman to film the whole match so they gave the instruction to do as much as they could inside ring number 1 and It took away from the match a little bit but again, this was still an awesome match and this is what saved the show in my opinion.

I know that this won't be a popular opinion because their always be a bias toward NXT takeover special from the fans, but if it was for war games, this was a pretty forgettable show and I wasn't up to the standard of what a nxt takeover special is

The fact that the show wasn't sold out didn't help think because when they took a wide shot of the arena, you could Cleary see that They're was one side that was pretty empty and that why they didn't do a lot of wide shot during the show.

 

[JoeMallard]

Personally, If I'm being honest, I thought this was a one match show and one of the weakest nxt takeover they ever produce.

Let's go match by match,

Lars Sullivan vs kassius ohno

Why was that match even on the card. This was an glorify enhancement match. Lars Sullivan is suppose to be the NXT version of strowman but he lack the charisma and presence of strowman. In the end, this was a really boring match and they could have done this on nxt tv instead of a special

Allister black vs Velveteen dream

Again same as the first match. Nothing again Velveteen, but he scream job guy. Allister is a superstar and deserve better then this match.

Fatal four way for the women title.

Really descent match, I miss some of it because the first 2 matches put me to sleep so I had problem staying awake throughout this match. Anyway good match by all four wrestlers and a predictable ending

Drew McIntyre vs Andrade Chen Palmas

Again a nothing match in my opinion but I was shock to see Andrade win the belt. I don't know what this mean for drew but I really hope this mean he's getting called up really soon because he deserve better then getting stuck in nxt.

War games

This is Where I thing the show picked up. This was an incredible match and if I had to not pick about this match, I would say that this went a little bit too long and they didn't use the second ring enough. I felt like they didn't have enough cameraman to film the whole match so they gave the instruction to do as much as they could inside ring number 1 and It took away from the match a little bit but again, this was still an awesome match and this is what saved the show in my opinion.

I know that this won't be a popular opinion because their always be a bias toward NXT takeover special from the fans, but if it was for war games, this was a pretty forgettable show and I wasn't up to the standard of what a nxt takeover special is

The fact that the show wasn't sold out didn't help think because when they took a wide shot of the arena, you could Cleary see that They're was one side that was pretty empty and that why they didn't do a lot of wide shot during the show.

Any knowledgeable wrestling fan would praise the best story driven match on WWE programming in months.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

Any knowledgeable wrestling fan would praise the best story driven match on WWE programming in months.

Which one are you talking about because if you're talking about war games, I did praise it, in fact it's the only one match that I actually praise in the entire show because it's the only match that deserved to be praise because it was an awesome match, I was just nit picking on certain details that they could do better the next time they use the gimmick.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

NXT TakeOver: WarGames

1. Kassius Ohno vs. Lars Sullivan - I got what I was expecting from this match, I think it could've been a little longer but, at the same time, the 5+ minutes they got were really good. This was a hard hitting, physical bout and that's what it needed to be; it was also the first test of Lars Sullivan outside of a basic squash and I thought he rose to the challenge just fine. The guy's a physical freak of nature as it was genuinely impressive watching him effortlessly toss around a guy as big as Ohno is. Sullivan hits the Freak Accident for the win about the 5 minute & 15 second mark for the win. Some may not like seeing Ohno used like this but I've got no problem with it when you look at how everything is lined up: Ohno turns 38 about this time next month, he gained about 65 lbs. since he was last in NXT and he probably won't be coming to the main roster. I expect Ohno will be a gatekeeper sort of guy in NXT for another year or two before he retires from in-ring competition to work behind the scenes as a talent scout for NXT or a producer. ***

2. Aleister Black vs. The Velveteen Dream - This match was nothing short of amazing and it completely blew away my expectations. The build for this match was excellent, just an example of how to build a mid-card feud with a simple mixture of storytelling, character interaction and characters with polar personalities. There were no drawn out 20 minute+ promo segments, no authority figures all over the show, just two wrestlers trusted to do their jobs. It's amazing how far Dream has come in just a few years, there's money to be made with this kid as he's got loads of personality, charisma, athleticism and knows how to work a crowd. He and black played so well off each other during the build and, if anything, they were even more in synch during the match with a combination of great back & forth action, some fun technical grappling and fantastic storytelling. There were a few points that had me thinking that hey might go with Dream for the win considering some of the offense he had and the fact that they made him look tough by hanging in there with a striker like Black. The end comes a bit past the 14.5 minute mark with Black manages to finally land Black Mass for the win; I might be overrating this match to some degree, but I just really, really enjoyed this and thought it was right up there Bate vs. Dunne at TakeOver:Chicago. ****3/4

3. NXT Women's Championship - Kairi Sane vs. Ember Moon vs. Peyton Royce vs. Nikki Cross - The ladies had the unenviable task of following up a match like Black vs. Dream but they still did an excellent job with everyone really working hard. Everyone was given opportunities to shine here and they all delivered, I liked that there was a sense of urgency here, all the women made you think that there was nothing more important in the world to them than being NXT Women's Champion. My one big complaint is one that's pretty common among the three and fourway matches among the women in NXT is that they're all a bit too short with most of them coming in right around ghe 10 minute mark, just like this one did. It just makes things feel a bit rushed but, I suppose, that adds to the whole chaos element that's a prime factor in these matches. The end comes with Ember hitting both Peyton Royce and Nikki Cross with the Eclipse before she gets the pin on Cross and wins the NXT Women's Championship. ***1/2

4. NXT Championship - Drew McIntyre vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas - I thought this was excellent and further displayed that Almas is among the most consistently high quality in-ring talents WWE has had in many years. He and McIntyre played extraordinarily well off each other and meshed their styles beautifully. McIntyre is a big man and I like how he frequently shows that he can do a lot more than just wrestle the traditional big man style that Vince loves for men his size. The match was very physical with Almas holding his own and delivering some very fun offense while McIntyre looked impressive in his own right using his size & strength to effortlessly manhandle Almas at times. Both guys came off looking really tough as well since they each withstood everything the other could bring. Zelina Vega has been a godsend to Almas as she has the sort of charisma needed to pull everything together, she's also the sort of strong female manager that would be a breath of fresh air on the main roster. However, it'll probably never happen on the main roster as when/if she arrives there, Vince will water her down or turn her into some catty bitch as he's too sexist to allow her to remain as she is. McIntyre was protected here a bit as Vega did place Almas' foot on the rope to break the count after McIntyre delivered the Claymore Kick. The end comes about the 15 minute mark when Almas is pulling McIntyre back into the ring over the top and delivers a modified version of the spike DDT he uses as a finisher for the win and becomes new NXT Champion. I was genuinely surprised they went with a title change and I thought Almas' selling surprise and elation at winning the title worked, it's nice to see a heel seem excited about winning a big title match that goes deeper than him being able to say he's the man. McIntyre looked despondent in the ring and I thought, at first, it was merely him selling the loss of the title but Triple H confirmed that McIntyre suffered a bicep injury towards the end of the match. Unfortunately, they fear that he's torn something, so he's having anMRI Monday. If it's torn, then, my guess, is that he's out for at least 6 months, which is even more unfortunate as I got the feeling that the reason he dropped the title was to be moved up to the main roster soon. ****1/4

5. WarGames - The Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong vs. SAnitY vs. The Undisputed Era - This match was everything and anything that anyone could have hoped for this type of match to be. It wasn't the WarGames match of old, it was better and while that might sound blasphemous to some, tough titty because it's true. The slight changes made to the cage and the new rules coupled with the wrestlers involved was simply an improvement on the original concept in my eyes. It was gloriously chaotic, heavily physical, everyone was able to shine, they introduced weapons into the match via the SAnitY bohs and there was even some blood. The match went about 36.5 minutes and there was so much going on that you can't just really stop and do a play by play. If there was any one single person to be singled out as looking the most impressive, which is difficult as everyone looked like a star, it was Killian Dain; I mean, after all, how often to you see a 330 lbs. man perform a friggin Van Terminator? Props to Kyle O'Reilly for selling the crap out of the move, as he was twitching like he'd just gotten kicked in the head by a fucking Clydesdale. Probably the spot of the night was Strong superplexing Adam Cole off the top of the cage, sort of a jacked up replay of the spot they used to close out the go home episode of NXT last Wednesday. Although all of the wrestlers were grouped around there fighting so they could cushion the impact, it didn't seem to work all that well as you can tell that Cole hit the ring solidly if you watched all the replays. The end comes eventually with Adam Cole hitting Eric Young with a Shining Wizard that knocked a steel chair into his head for the victory. A fantastic effort all around with the right team winning. ****1/2

Final Thoughts - When it comes to high quality wrestling, the TakeOver events are arguably the most reliable shows in all of pro wrestling over the last few years and from top to bottom, TakeOver: WarGames may have been the best of them. When the weakest match on the card still garners a 3 star rating, then you know you're getting top notch stuff. My only complaint is that I think some of the matches at these TakeOver events could be a bit longer but as complaints go, it's a pretty damn minor one. The surprise of the night was Drew McIntyre losing the NXT Championship and my guess as to why it came about so soon is because the plan was for him to head to the main roster in the next few months. It's a damn shame that McIntyre might be injured, however, and be on the shelf for months. While the show will be remembered for the great return of the WarGames, my favorite match of the night was Black vs. Dream; they worked their asses off to deliver a classic 1 on 1 match that, if anything, was even better than the build for the match itself. At the end of the night, every wrestler on the card came off looking like a significant star and we were left with another inescapable conclusion: Vince needs to listen to his son in law a lot more because the main roster product would be all the better for it. If you didn't like this show, then I just don't know what to tell you other than you should probably stop watching wrestling for a while.

Grade: A+

 

[ISkye]

I skipped the Ohno versus Sullivan match almost entirely. I got bored really fast. You could guess the entire match as well as it's finish within the first 45 seconds. I know Ohno is a good worker and Sullivan can actually at least get the job done in the ring for a decent match. Especially for the amount of time he has been training and being developed as a talent. This did it's job as a match and an opener. Also as someone noted prior. Ohno is definitely in the later part of his career so it doesn't really matter long term that he lost.

Black vs Dream. So I knew Dream was good, but not this good. Nothing has really been as great as the NXT Zayn versus Neville feud, but I got a little bit of that feeling here. I love Tommy and have personal bias so I won't praise him too much, but he's a top 3 worker in NXT easily. Dream though. I'll actually go out of my way to watch his next good or big match, because this was interesting to see from him. Good storytelling. The thing WWE says is the most important, but never really does well to any degree. It's a solid. 3.5. 4 Star match if you really push it. Great and memorable, but definitely not even near some of the lower tier best matches they had in the G1 this year. Crowd is absolute trash also. Took me out the match a bit.

I got bored of the Women's match. In about. 2 Minutes. You already knew what was going to happen not too long in. Ember can work. Nikki has always been able to work. Pretending Kairi Sane can't work and claiming to be a "wrestling" fan is blasphemy. Royce can get it done at the least. Glad Ember won, because why not really. I'm just not too into the fatal four way type match and there wasn't really anything here that was going to be great anyway. Did it's job. Can complain, but it'd all be really trivial.

Drew vs Almas. I'm not invested into either one, but you're not going to like everyone. Despite that they both objectively are very useful, skilled, and valuable talent. It was a little boring, but I got into it a little bit. I dislike the finish, but sometimes things happen in the ring and you just have to do what you have to do. Good match. I really do hope Drew recovers fast and remains healthy.

WarGames. 10/10 solid absolute disaster of a match.

So I guess the weird tall German guy from sanity goes by Wolfe now. He reminds me of one of the dudes from Hills have Eyes. Which is pretty solid for his character. Saw one of his matches a while back out of NXT, but didn't know it was the same dude at all. I forgot Damo is in NXT to. He was pretty much the star of this match between getting the weapons. Eating a key. The coast to coast. Destroying literally everyone. I assume everyone knows Eric is a great worker. Don't even need to mention him.

Authors of pain were trash, but I don't blame them for that really. I kept noticing how handsome strong was in this match. I really liked his attire here. I'm not sure how handsome he is though, because it was pretty late. He's definitely attractive as person rather than someone like Randy who is just attractive aesthetically. May be my new NXT crush after Tommy. Cole was great as always. Fish was great as always. Kyle was alright, but that spot where he swung the chair and missed the opponent only to hit the ropes and have it bounce back and hit him in the head was funny. It was really quick and the crowd kind of caught on a little slowly to it, but it was a cool spot. That one, Swallowing a key, and some of the other more ridiculous spots really made the match more entertaining.

NXT is good on a consistent basis. Really only behind NJPW. Which really isn't a fair comparison for any promotion, but I can't pretend shows that have 3 back to back 5 star matches with the crowd so into it grown men cry for the face don't exist. 4/5. On the lower end of the 4, for sure.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I watched tonight's episode of NXT airing on the USA Network and I have to say that I very much prefer watching it via the WWE Network. The commercials, and there were way too damn many just as is often the case with Raw, completely took the energy out of the show; it's hard to maintain interest in something when the commercial breaks are longer than the content that's being presented on the show. The matches themselves worked just fine, especially the main event, for what they were hoping to accomplish, but having 3 minute matches and commercial breaks that last roughly double that just don't work for the format NXT currently has, just way too many commercials and too little overall action for a 1 hour show.

I'm glad this was a one time thing and I hope it stays that way, especially with next week's show being a loaded one.