Just as a quick note before I start, I’ll be at Summerslam live tomorrow and will be posting a vlog to my YouTube channel, TheRichStaple. I was at NXT: Takeover last year and had a blast, and I can’t help but think to see the main roster is gonna be better. So be sure to check it out!
We start with some fans stealing the microphones and singing to kick us off. Where’s security?
Opening match: Johnny “Wrestling” Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Celmas
We start with a series of holds and we got an early stalemate. Andrade gets an armbar before Johnny counters into a side headlock. Celmas gets the head-scissors before we get into another headlock. Celmas gets a shoulder block and we got a hurricanrana and an arm drag. He does some fancy moves throughout the ring before getting into another front face lock. Celmas gets Johnny into the corner and gets a shoulder to the gut, but Johnny reverses into a series of knife edge chops. Celmas reverses Johnny in the corner and gets a knee strike and a powerful elbow across the chest for two. Celmas gets another shoulder block and a seated dropkick for another two count. Johnny throws Celmas into the ropes but he shows off his swag and stays in between before reversing into an arm bar and another arm hold. Johnny attempts to fight him off and gets a drop toe hold in the corner. Almas gets a kick to the midsection but the vertical suplex is reversed and the two get a clothesline to each other, or as Ranallo said, a malfunction at the junction.
Good lord, Celmas’ manager is HAWT. The two trade hard strikes before Celmas slaps Johnny like a female dog. Gargano gets a series of clotheslines before a pin/roundhouse kick combo. Johnny then launches himself for a flying shoulder block to the gut for two. Johnny throws Celmas into the ropes in the same spot, but this time, Johnny gets the superkick and the suicide dive. Celmas gets the jumping DDT and that gets two. That looked pretty awesome. Johnny goes for a back suplex and he goes for another shoulder block, but Celmas blocks the jumping spear, and reverses into a strike into the ground and gets the tornado inverted DDT for another near fall. Celmas gets a huge chop on Johnny on the top rope and goes for the superplex. Johnny fights out of it with a headbutt and a chop. Johnny goes for the sunset flip powerbomb but Celmas gets out of it and sends Johnny into the corner. Johnny gets another kick but Celmas sends Johnny into the corner. Johnny then gets a hurricanrana into his submission. Celmas tries to roll out of the Gargano escape but he can’t get out before he reverses into a one-handed buckle bomb. Damn that looked sick. Celmas then gets the corner knees and that gets two. Damn, I bought that finish.
Celmas continues to strike the arm of Johnny, but he gets out with a back kick and another superkick. Johnny then slingshots Celmas like a lawn dart into the corner. Johnny feels it, but then Celmas’ manager hands Johnny a shirt, and Gargano stares at it like an idiot before Celmas gets his DDT for the win at. That match was pretty reminiscent of my high school science schedule. Psychology and chemistry. Add in some near falls and a hot crowd, and you got us a damn fine opening match. ****
It’s announced that NXT Takevoer is trending number 1 worldwide. Um, hooray?
NXT Tag Titles: Authors of Pain (C) vs. Sanity
We come out as we see Sanity and two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles come out. Actually, I think we see two Master Chiefs. I thought I turned Halo 5 out. Things break down early as Authors of Pain rush the ring and they and Sanity begin brawling throughout the outside. Apparently, Eric Young is allowed to be in the match so there’s that. Young attacks Akam on the outside but he gets reversed with a clothesline. Rezar pounds on Wolfe on the outside and we see Young and Akam brawl into the crowd. Shoulder block by Akam misses but he sends Young right back to ringside. Young gets sent into a backbreaker rack slam by Rezar for a two count. Young fights off both Authors but is caught and gets stomped out for two. Eric fights back but he gets power slammed and gets put into a submission hold. Rezar holds Young up before slamming him back down to the canvas. Rezar attempts for the corner splash but Young gets out. Tag to Wolfe and he takes out Akam with a big boot. Wolfe gets a series of clotheslines and gets a big bicycle kick.
Wolfe gets the exploder suplex on Rezar and Agerman on Akam before going to the top rope. Top rope clothesline and he go for the cover before being interrupted. Wolfe fights out both Authors before getting the double team for only a two count. Wolfe gets sent to the top, but gets a Franksteiner on Rezar and goes for the tag, and young comes in before getting the jumping neck breaker. Rezar crotches Young, however, and goes for the suplerplex but Young fights out. Akam attempts to help but Cross leaves Young on the top rope and the Authors of Pain powerbomb each other. Young gets the top rope elbow before the pin is broken up for two. Young then gets the, hit it, Mauro, TOUPE SOUA-SIDA. Wolfe then follows with a dive of his own. Cross then gets in the ring and dives on Akam, but then gets put through a table on the outside. Wolfe and Young then combine for the double-team neck breaker, and we have two NXT Tag Team Champions at. I think it took some time for it to get going, but the action picked up in a big way towards the end. ***3/4
But wait, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly are here and take out Sanity and the Authors of Pain. A statement made and noted.
Hideo Itami vs. Aliester Black
The two begin with some boots towards each other before they get into each other’s faces with some shoving. Aliester gets a stiff kick to the chest before doing the backflip and meditation in the middle of the ring. Aliester blocks a kick and gets another one before getting a shoulder block. Aliester blocks another shot before getting some strikes and a knee across the head for two. Aliester then takes Itami to the corner before getting a big boot to the face. Irish whip into the corner and Itami reverses into a kick and a guillotine knee drop. Itami then gets a shoulder block and then gets a 1 count. He then gets a facelock and we see that there is some blood streaming down Aliester’s face. The ref gets the gloves ready and if they stop this match I’m going to freak out. Itami then gets another series of stiff kicks to the back. Itami then goes for a knee drop with the pad released, but then he just gives a little kick to the back and Itami just sits mocking him. Pretty cool.
Itami then gets a DDT and that gets a two count. Black gets a backflip into a kick to the face and that gets two. Black gets an elbow to the face but Itami reverses and gets a tornado neck snap before getting a top rope clothesline. Itami then gets a Fisherman suplex and that gets two. He gets a series of strikes before Black reverses for two and then gets a roundhouse kick and he’s out. Black knocks Itami off the top rope but Hideo’s persistence pays off as he goes back with double knees and Itami then gets an Avalanche Mchnioku Driver. That only gets a two count. Tne two then slap each other before Itami gets a back fist but the Black catches him with a knee. Itami then gets the Falcon Arrow but that only gets two.
Itami then gets a dropkick to the corner and lowers the left knee pad. He goes for the Go To Sleep but Black reverses out of it. Itami’s aggressiveness pays off and he slugs him down. Itami then demands respect, but Aliester demands this match to be over with the spinning back kick and that’s enough to put him away at. I was kind of zoning in and out, but it was fine for what it was. It was very stiff, and hard hitting as well. And evidently, Itami has become a bad guy since I last watched NXT. The new attitude suits him well. ***1/4
NXT Women’s Championship: Asuka (C) vs. Ember Moon
Moon starts with a jumping dropkick and a quick kick and cover that gets 1. Asuka fights her off but Ember catches her kick. Ember then gets a suplex on Asuka and she has to retreat. Ember goes for the baseball slide, but Asuka reverses with a back kick and Ember responds in kind. Ember then gets the cannonball onto the outside. Asuka then throws Ember into the steel steps and she favors her left shoulder. Asuka then continues the assault on the outside and suplexes her onto the steel ramp. Ouch. She gets more kicks and strikes to the left shoulder before hyperextending her arm awkwardly. My own shoulder hurts looking at that. Asuka then gets another lock and the two trade holds before Asuka gets the STO and a series of stomps to the face. Asuka then hits AJ Lee’s Black widow and then another armbar before Ember reverses into a teardrop suplex. Ember then gets a series of strikes and finishes the series with an enziguri for a two count. Asuka then fights back and gets a German suplex into the corner turnbuckle. Asuka then goes for the Asuka lock. Then Ember tries to turn the tables with a Crossface Chicken wing before Asuka fights back with some strikes and Asuka then climbs on her back. She then escapes by getting her off her back. Asuka goes back to the lock, but Ember reverses that into a pin and gets another quick clothesline.
The two dodge each other’s clotheslines before Asuka gets a running Hip Attack. Ember then blocks another one before getting a tornado suplex from the second turnbuckle. The two exchange strikes before Moon gets knees to the midsection before Asuka gets more strikes and gets a kick and stomps to the face. Ember then reverses with a suplex of her own and that gets two. Asuka then goes to the top rope but fights Ember off. Moon then kicks Asuka into the Tree of Woe position and Ember gets her down for two. Ember then gets the Eclipse and that gets an impressive near fall. Ember then goes for another one but Asuka hides behind the referee and cradles Ember but she gets caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Ember then gets a superkick and that gets two. Holy crap, this is awesome.
Asuka plays possum, but Ember rolls her over for a two count and then Asuka gets the Asuka lock. Asuka locks it in strong, but she has no choice but to submit, and Asuka retains at. That was boatloads of awesome, featuring some crazy near falls towards the end. I totally bought two of those near falls. I’m not sure what the plan is for Asuka going forward because there’s no woman on the NXT roster than can conceivably beat her, so I’m thinking she’ll be heading to the main roster with the title. Nonetheless, as for tonight, that was one hell of an effort from those ladies there. Hard hitting, the psychology with the shoulder, some storytelling playing up their previous encounters, and a hell of a finish. Best women’s match in NXT, or rather in all of WWE, since Sasha Banks and Bayley two years ago. ****1/4
NXT Title: Bobby Roode (C) vs. Drew McyIntyre
Those bagpipes are killing my ears. Match starts with a stare down and Drew gets a shoulder block that sends Drew outside of the ring. Bobby then dodges Drew in the corners and gets knife edge chops and then goes for the DDT, but Drew gets out of it. Bobby gets a right hand some more knife edge chops in the corner before Drew gets a kick to Bobby. Drew then gets some knife edge chops of his own before getting a big boot of his own. He then clotheslines Roode to the outside for some more chops. The two trade some blows before Drew gets a Tilt-a-Whirl onto the ring apron. Drew goes for the suplex, but Bobby gets out of it and gets a neckbreaker onto the middle rope. Roode then gets a flying neckbreaker onto the outside and sends him into the corner. He then gets a big elbow to the throat of Drew and continues with more relentless strikes. Roode then gets a corner clothesline and another neck breaker for two.
Roode continues the assault with a hard Irish whip before he gets a missile dropkick. Goodness gracious, I haven’t watched Drew since he came back to NXT, but what has he eaten? He’s gotten, like, half a foot taller and bigger since his last WWE run. I guess he’s been working out with a former 3MB member who’s a bit bigger. Roode gets a side headlock, but Drew backs him into the corner. Roode hangs on for dear life with the Sleeper, but gets sent into the corner again. Drew then responds with the Belly to Belly. Mcintyre takes to the sky and takes down Bobby, and kips up. Roode then gets the Atomic drop and a knee lift before Drew responds with White Noise for two. The two then brawl to the top before Roode slugs him down. Drew then gets back up, but Roode crotches him. Ranallo says he got his eggs scrambled. Weird analogy. Drew then gets up and brings Roode down to the pavement.
Roode then plays dead and then Drew slowly picks Roode up. He gets a snap jacknife cover, and Bobby reverses Future Shock into a Backstabber for two. Roode then gets the neckbreaker, but Drew reverses it into a cover for two. Drew hits Future Shock, but that only gets two as well. Drew then goes to the top, but Bobby sunset flips into a powerbomb and that only gets two. The two trade shots and chops before Roode gets an enziguri before Drew gets the Claymore, but Roose gets to the bottom rope. Drew then wipes out Roode with a dive to the outside. that had to hurt. Drew drags Roode back into the ring and goes for another Claymore, but Roode responds with a spinebuster. Roode then goes for the DDT, but drew verses into a cover which gets two. Drew then gets Roode for a Tilt a Whirl, but gets the Glorious DDT which only gets two. Roode goes for another DDT, but then Bobby goes for the trifecta. However, Drew gets out of it and gets another Claymore, and that finishes Roode and we have a new NXT Champ at. Solid match, but it lacked the energy the rest of the night brought. The crowd didn’t even really pop for the Drew win. I also thought it kind of dragged for a while. ***
However, it’s Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish with ADAM COLE BAY-BAY! Adam lays out Drew, and we have our next feud.
Conclusion:
While the main event was sort of a flat ending, this was one awesome night that way surpassed my expectations. I thought not having Nakamura, Joe, Bayley and some of the other NXT stalwarts from years gone by would have made this Takeover suffer, but we got two **** matches along with some other solid ones as well. New stars were made, new stars debuted and the future is looking pretty solid all things considered. Have to go thumbs up here on a great effort from all involved. Catch me at Summerslam tomorrow!
