Much like every other Takeover show, this looks like it is gonna be a fantastic show based on the card. Let's hope that it lives up to that. What am I saying, of course it will.
NXT Tag Titles - Undisputed Era vs Moustache Mountain
We are kicking off strong, and we can only hope that this is up to the standard of their previous encounters. The crowd is hot for it straight away so they waste no time feeling each other out. The Era get the better of the early going before Bate hits the airplane spin/swing combo and a quality German/backdrop combo. Strong cuts him off and they work the heat, focusing on the legs of Bate. Seven gets the hot tag and runs riot. He too gets cut off and both members of MM end up in submissions. Bate isn't up for that though and powerbombs O'Reilly into Strong. Tyler Bate turns the pace up significantly, hitting a series of great moves and ending with the Tyler Driver but Strong kicks out. This match has become very, very good. Bate gets caught on the top rope and gets his leg worked over once more. Seven teases throwing in the towel but elects not to, allowing Bate to fight his way to a tag. Seven hits the Seven Star Lariat but O'Reilly kicks out. Knee drop/Burning Hammer combination but O'REILLY KICKS OUT AGAIN! Seven gets hit with a chop block and Undisputed Era hit the high/low combination to successfully defend the tag titles. That was fantastic. It was possibly my favourite of their trilogy and is everything you could possibly want from a tag title match. ****1/2
Following the match, War Raiders attacked, and destroyed, the Undisputed Era. They looked really good.
Following the match, War Raiders attacked, and destroyed, the Undisputed Era. They looked really good.
EC3 vs Velveteen Dream
This is probably the match that I am least interested in and I'm still excited by it. They are two of the most entertaining heels around and it should provide good entertainment at the very least. Dream's trunks say 'Call Me Up Vince' on them. The match starts EC3 using his size to dominate Dream. They head to the outside and Dream manages to hit the twisting DDT on the ramp to turn the tide. He hits the neckbreaker and repeatedly hits EC3's head off the announce table. He throws a bottle of water over EC3 but that just seems to wake him up and the tide turns once again. EC3 hits a snap neckbreaker and a front DDT but it isn't enough. Neither is a pair of powerbombs. Dream catches EC3 getting in and hits the Dream Valley Driver for 2. Dream hits the DVD on the apron and follows that up with a top rope elbow, also to the apron. That is all she wrote for EC3. This was fun enough but never hit it's upper gear. ***
Matt Riddle is in the crowd, bro.
Matt Riddle is in the crowd, bro.
NXT North American Title - Adam Cole vs Ricochet
The ceiling on this one should be pretty high. They start the match by trading holds, with Cole repeatedly telling Ricochet that he isn't special. Ricochet decides to pick up the pace and sends Cole to the floor with a John Woo dropkick. Cole hits an ushigiroshi for a 2 count. He follows that up with the classic heel move, the side headlock. Cole gets sent to the floor and Ricochet hits a beautiful Fosbury Flop. Back in the ring, Ricochet runs through some of his varied offense, culminating in a phoenix splash that gets a 2 count. Cole cuts off a back handspring into a backstabber for a near fall. Ricochet catches a superkick while he is springboarding in, which gets a nice pop. Ricochet goes for a moonsault but Cole hits a picture perfect superkick mid move. It looked great. They trade strikes and Cole almost picks up the win by falling on Ricochet. Ricochet counters a Last Shot into a reverserana and heads up top. Cole rolls to apron but that isn't far enough to escape Ricochet, who hits a spectacular rana over the ropes to the floor. Ricochet throws Cole back in and hits the 630 to pick up his first title in NXT. That was a great match that showcased both men well, while also trying some ambitious moves, all of which paid off. ****1/4
NXT Women's Title - Shayna Baszler vs Kairi Sane
This is the rubber match between these two and both the previous matches have been good, but I'm looking for them to step this up here. The match starts with Sane using her speed to confuse the champion. Baszler cuts her off and works over the leg of Sane in some innovative, and sick looking, ways. She is ruthless. Sane gets pissed and she fires up, slapping the taste out of Baszler's mouth. Sane gets cut off on the top gets hit with a second rope suplex. Sane hits a desperation spear and follows up with the InSane Elbow to the back. She goes for another but Baszler rolls to the outside. Sane is unbowed by this and hits a splash to the floor. She heads back up top and hits the InSane elbow but Baszler kicks out. Sane valiantly fights out of a number of submissions before heading up top once again. Baszler blocks the elbow attempt and locks in the clutch but Sane rolls through and picks up the shock win to become the new champion. That was a fun match that was well structured and protected Baszler in the loss. I would suggest that there is a good chance that Baszler gets called up next week. ***3/4
NXT Title, Last Man Standing Match - Tommaso Ciampa vs Johnny Gargano
Tommaso Ciampa is the most glorious bastard that wrestling has seen in many years and it has produced one of modern wrestling's best feuds. I see no reason that changes here. I hate Gargano's entrance theme. Ciampa's cacophony of boos on the other hand is perfect. Gargano attacks during the introductions and we are off at 100 miles an hour. Gargano beats Ciampa on the outside and pulls up the mats. Ciampa gets sent flying over the announce table but Ciampa fights back and hits an air raid crash through the other announce table. Back in the ring Ciampa knees Gargano's head off. He tries to add a chair to the mix but gets it smashed into his knee. Ciampa applies a sleeper and uses the ropes for leverage, the clever bastard. Gargano gets up so Ciampa applies another sleeper. That's good heeling. Gargano fights it off with a lawn dart into a chair in the corner. Gargano sets up two tables on top of each other, above the exposed concrete, with top one placed upside down. Ciampa works Gargano over with a chair and hits a hattrick of Project Ciampas. Gargano is somehow able to beat the count and hits a desperation superkick for the double down. They exchange moves back and forth with neither man being able to take the definitive edge in the contest. They head to the outside and Gargano misses the cannonball to the floor, this allows Ciampa to hit the Fairytale Ending on the steps. Gargano uses the barrier to beat the count. Ciampa removes the padding from the ring, as he did in their previous match. Gargano blinds Ciampa with a fire extinguisher and beats the piss out of him with the crutch. Gargano hits the draping DDT on the exposed ring but Ciampa beats the count by rolling to the floor. On the outside Gargano accidentally superkicks a ring crew member. As Gargano checks on him Ciampa drills him with a chair assisted knee through the barricade. Ciampa buries Gargano under a pile of plunder, including the ring crew member, but Gargano beats the count. Ciampa has some handcuffs but ends up with one of them attached to himself. They head over to the conspicuous tables and Gargano drills Ciampa with a superkick through them. Ciampa manages to use the crutch to get back to his feet at 9. They head up the ramp and Gargano is a man possessed. He pounds Ciampa's head repeatedly into the LED boards before handcuffing him to the stage set. A number of superkicks follow, with Ciampa telling Gargano that he is sorry. Gargano is having none of that shit and pulls down the kneepad. He drills Ciampa with a running knee but in doing so he sent himself careering through some equipment. Gargano injures his knee and can't beat the count, Ciampa does by rolling off the stage. Ciampa remains the son a bitch champion we deserve. This was an engrossing main event that stands as one of the best examples of the LMS stipulation you can see. While it was the weakest of their recent trilogy, that is splitting hairs. The amount of emotional depth that these two put into their matches, in addition to the wealth of callbacks that they throw in there, help to draw people in with real emotional investment. ****3/4
Overall Grade - A-
This was a great show, as usual, where all of the title matches delivered in some way or another. The only thing that slightly disappointed was Velveteen Dream's worst Takeover match to date.
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