By Austin Grinnell
It’s the night before WrestleMania, and that means that we are in store for a real treat tonight. Takeover shows tend to upstage their big brother counter-parts, and even though tomorrow night is the biggest night of the year for the WWE, tonight won’t be any different.
I haven’t had the opportunity to keep up with NXT television on the WWE Network in the build to tonight’s show, but that won’t keep me from enjoying it. Takeover’s always deliver, and I am excited to be watching tonight. Andrade Almas defends the NXT Championship against Aleister Black. The Tag Team Titles will be decided in the finals of the Dusty Classic, as the Undisputed Era have been added to the final match of the tournament against the Authors of Pain and the unlikely team of Roderick Strong & Pete Dunne. Ember Moon goes up against Shayna Baszler again for the NXT Women’s Championship, and we will see the crowning of a brand new Champion in one of the matches tonight for sure, as the new NXT North American Championship will be decided in a Six Way Ladder Match to determine the first ever Champion. Not to mention the Unsanctioned Match between former best friends Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano.
Real quick run-down of my predictions before we get started: Almas, Undisputed Era, Baszler, Cole and Ciampa.
Pat McAfee broke the news during the pre-show to a less than enthused Adam Cole, that the opening bout of the evening would be the Ladder Match to crown the inaugural NXT North American Champion. This means that Cole will go through the Ladder Match before entering the Three Way NXT Tag Team Championship Match. I’ve got a feeling that it won’t be Cole teaming with Kyle O’Reilly tonight, but either way, I am expecting the Undisputed Era to walk out with both the North American and Tag Team Titles.
The NXT North American Championship Match
-He may only be an acronym now, but there’s no questioning the popularity of EC3. The announcement of his signing came at the same time as Ricochet and the former IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions War Machine. Ricochet will be part of this bout, but we still have not heard from Hanson & Rowe. As a quick aside, I’d love to see War Machine join up with Adam Cole, take out Kyle O’Reilly, enter the Three Way Match and win the NXT Tag Team Titles tonight. Won’t happen though.
It doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes before the crowd is erupting for the incomparable Ricochet, as the debuting star takes out both Killian Dain and Lars Sullivan with a Shooting Star Press off the ropes to the floor. Everyone is getting the opportunity to impress here, as the action is moving too fast to keep up with.
The size of Dain and Sullivan will make them targets as the match continues on here, and Cole is trying not to wear himself out too early here. Sullivan has completely destroyed everyone inside of the ring and is climbing the ladder now, but Ricochet is right there to stop him. Ricochet tries for a Sunset Bomb off the ladder, but it takes four men to make it happen and plant Sullivan.
Cole and EC3 have formed a temporary alliance now to try and take out their larger opponents, but EC3 steals Cole’s thunder and winds up taking a Death Valley Driver onto a ladder, preceding an Adam Cole Superkick Party, as he takes out the entire field… BAY BAY!
It is absolutely insane how behind Cole the fans are right now. The Velveteen Dream is getting lots of love here too, as he goes up to the top of a ladder and drops the Purple Rainmaker Elbow right into the heart of Lars Sullivan. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so wrong about a talent. When he first debuted, The Dream was known as Patrick Clark, and I didn’t really see anything in him. With this new character and his dedication to the craft, The Velveteen Dream has become a must-see act within NXT.
Only one man is being booed in this match, as the fans clearly don’t want to see Lars Sullivan win the North American Championship. Ricochet tries to climb the ladder in the middle of the ring, but Sullivan is there to stop his ascent by pushing the ladder backward. As this is happening though, Ricochet sees Killian Dain and Adam Cole on the outside of the ring and takes them out with a Moonsault! If anyone didn’t know Ricochet before this match, they sure as hell do now.
With a ladder set up, Ricochet and the Dream placed another as a plank between the turnbuckle and the initial ladder. After a back and forth teasing both men using the set-up, Velveteen winds up planting Ricochet on the ladder with the Rolling Death Valley Driver, both men tumbling hard to the canvas underneath. To add to the pain, Lars Sullivan has just driven EC3 through a ladder placed between the ring and the announce table. What’s more, Velveteen Dream was laying across that ladder. All three men are down and looking worse for wear.
Dain is looking to follow suit here, as he places Ricochet across yet another ladder between the ring apron and announce table… and then drives Adam Cole through Ricochet AND the ladder with the Greetings from Asbury Park. Somebody needs to tell these guys to go easy on Cole. He still has another match!
With two ladders now set up in the ring, everyone but Velveteen Dream and Ricochet are looking to snag the new Championship. The Dream is back in now though, as he adds a third ladder to the proceedings. With everyone taking each other out, Sullivan plants Dain and is alone yet again. The big man just can’t climb fast enough though, as Ricochet flies into the frame and takes him down with a wonky looking Sleeper Neckbreaker. Ricochet looks to get his hands on the belt, but Adam Cole sends him flying by tipping over the ladder, and then climbs to the top of the unforgiving steel ladder to claim his prize.
Your winner, and the first ever NXT North American Champion… Adam Cole… BAY BAY!
Wolfman’s Predictions: 1 for 1.
What an awesome way to start the show. The early goings of the match were kind of sloppy as the six guys tried to find their rhythm, but once they did, oh man did it get good. Ricochet and EC3 are going to be great in NXT, Killian Dain and Sanity should be on the fast-track to the main roster sooner than later, The Velveteen Dream continues to impress and Lars Sullivan is an absolute beast. In typical NXT fashion, there can only be one winner, but nobody here loses for having participated in this match. This is what the WWE is missing.
The NXT Women’s Championship Match
-Challenger Shayna Baszler has been awesome since coming into NXT. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone come from a different sports background and acclimate themselves to the pro wrestling environment nearly as well as the Queen of Spades has. Ember Moon herself has been quite good during her time with the company, but is without a doubt at her best chasing the Championship.
Baszler has been bullying around the Champion in the early goings, as she has in the previous encounters. The difference in this match is going to be that Shayna has learned from her mistakes against Moon in the past, but has Ember Moon been able to formulate a game plan that will allow her to escape New Orleans with her gold still around her waist?
Baszler picks up a near-fall with a Ripcord Kneestrike that looked brutal, crumpling Moon, who barely kicked out. Baszler’s transitions are so smooth, guys. She went from being pinned, to looking like she was reversing the pinfall, and right into a Rear Naked Choke. I have never seen someone in North America work their Mixed Martial Arts background into their arsenal with as much success as Shayna Baszler. She’s the female Minoru Suzuki or Zack Sabre Jr.
Ember is showing some ruthless aggression here, as she uses Baszler’s own stomp to the elbow to gain the upper hand and take away a weapon from her challenger. As Mauro Ranallo reminds us though, turn-about is fair play. After fighting back and doing some damage, Baszler shows how tough she really is by driving her own shoulder into the ringpost to try and repair the damage done by Moon.
That moment took her eye off the prize though, and Baszler winds up eating Ember Moon’s Eclipse outside of the ring. Back inside, the story has become about Shayna’s injured arm and her inability to fully lock in her submission holds. Moon climbs the ropes and tries for the Eclipse again, but Baszler catches her and pulls her to the mat with the Rear Naked Choke, gripping onto her own hair instead of the injured left arm. I cannot reiterate this enough… Shayna Baszler is the real deal. If Ronda Rousey is half as good as Shayna, the WWE has two amazing stars in their hands.
Moon is fighting for her life here, doing anything that she can to try and roll to the ropes, break the hold or pin Baszler’s shoulders to the mat, but the Queen of Spades has proven herself tonight, learning from their previous encounters and choking out Ember Moon in the middle of the ring to the sound of a referee’s stoppage when Moon lost consciousness.
Your winner, and new NXT Women’s Champion… “The Queen of Spades” Shayna Baszler!
The Wolfman’s Predictions: 2 for 2
Backstage, we see Adam Cole being treated by one of the medical staff, and he’s not thinking that it would be wise to go out for the NXT Tag Team Titles Match, but Mauro informs us that he doesn’t really have a choice.
The NXT Tag Team Championship Match / Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Final
-Adam Cole (BAY BAY) is looking pretty rough as the defending Champions make their way to the ring. Forcing Cole to compete twice is such a travesty of justice. Easily William Regal’s worst decision as the General Manager of NXT. Drake Maverick wouldn’t do that to one of his biggest stars. Just saying.
The Authors of Pain jump the gun and start the match before the bell by just attacking everybody. Cole seems to be their primary target though, as they put him through an announce table with a Double Powerbomb. That lit a fire under O’Reilly though, who takes out both members of AOP and then Roderick Strong before going into a really fun exchange with the United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne.
Three of the six men in this match are Champions currently, with the only three not holding titles being Roderick Strong (who had a fantastic showing in the Cruiserweight Championship tournament) and the former NXT Tag Champs Akam & Rezar. The Authors have to be on the list of names being looked at for post-WrestleMania call-ups to the main roster, and as former Champions and Dusty Classic winners, I don’t expect them to walk out with the titles tonight.
Dunne & Strong haven’t teamed prior to the tournament here, but the Bruiserweight is a star, and it’s great to see him getting more to do within the WWE. So far, the Authors have been their usual selves, but the story of the match has got to be Pete Dunne and Kyle O’Reilly going toe-to-toe with the behemoths and each other. Somebody make sure to give us a Dunne Vs O’Reilly UK Title match soon, please.
Pete Dunne connects with the Bitter End on O’Reilly, but Strong comes in with a huge stomp to break up the pin! Adam Cole still hasn’t made it back to the ring after the table spot, and is just sliding in now to celebrate after Strong put Dunne out with the End of Heartache, draping KOR over the prone body of his partner for the win.
Your winners, and still NXT Tag Team Champions… The Undisputed Era!
The Wolfman’s Predictions: 3 for 3… BAY BAY!
It’s been months in the making, but Roderick Strong has finally joined The Undisputed Era. I did not expect to see that, even though I was expecting a new member to join tonight. Strong is so great in the ring, but if there is one criticism I have, it’s that he is quite frequently stuck in Dean Malenko Mode, lacking the character needed in the WWE for the fans to really get behind or loathe a talent appropriately.
Not only does this give Strong more of a personality moving forward, but it set up what I can only assume is going to be a series of Pete Dunne matches against these guys. If I were booking this, I’d be looking at The Undisputed Era Vs British Strong Style (Dunne, Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) as a major program leading into the next Takeover event.
The NXT Championship Match
-Don’t blink if you’re going to be watching this one later, because the intensity is at a very high level and it’s moving quickly. Black is on fire here early, and Almas would be smart to try and slow this one down. Maybe he won’t have to though, as Zelina Vega turns the tide of the match by sending Aleister into the ring steps with a Hurricanrana.
Almas is tearing at the arm of the challenger with a Hanging Armbar in the ropes, and the pace has slowed, which is benefiting the Champion, just as I had suspected. Andrade is looking for a Tornado Reverse DDT, but Black stops it only to fall victim again to the Hanging Armbar. Almas tries to come off the top rope with something and eats a brutal Knee to the face.
Black is using his striking background to impress now, and then scores a two count with a Quebrada. These two men have obviously been scouting each other, because they keep reversing or avoiding each other’s big moves. Almas even gets the better of a striking exchange here, landing a devastating Spinning Back Elbow, unfortunately to little effect.
Both men hit the canvas after connecting with big Head Kicks simultaneously. Back to the action now and Andrade is pulling out all of the stops tonight, connecting with a Corkscrew Plancha, but only scoring a two count. Vega decides that they need to do more though, and tries to get the Championship belt involved. As the referee takes it away though, Vega takes advantage of him being distracted by planting Aleister Black directly on the top of his head with another Hurricanrana.
Almas gets caught with the Black Mass out of nowhere, but Vega gets his foot onto the bottom rope in order to stop the count and save the match for her client. Cien connects with a Double Foot Stomp outside of the ring, and then the Running Double Knees into the corner, but can only score a two count as Black shows his desire to be Champion by kicking out.
At early points in this match, it felt like these two wouldn’t be able to match the quality of what came before them, but a “This is Awesome” chant is fitting as both men have gone all out here to give us yet another memorable NXT Championship match. Black is now seated on the ring apron against the ring post, and Almas connects with the Double Knees again!
Cien drapes Aleister over the top rope, looking to drive his head into the mat with the Hammerlock DDT, but Aliester counters it and then hits a beautiful Tope Con Hilo to the outside. Black throws Almas back in, but Andrade is ready and connects with the Hammerlock DDT! Black kicks out though!
Vega goes up top for something, but Black ducks out of the way and Cien catches her. With his manager in his arms still, Aleister drills him in the jaw with the Black Mass and captures the NXT Championship! What an amazing match, with a fantastic finish. I can’t help it guys… NXT perfectly books this stuff. Almas may have lost the belt, but he comes out of this looking like a superstar ready for the main roster.
Your winner, and NEW NXT Champion, Aleister Black.
The Wolfman’s Predictions: 3 for 4
There is only one match left, and it rightfully, is the Unsanctioned Match between Johnny Gargano and his former partner Tommaso Ciampa. This has been an amazing show, as expected, thus far, but this is what everyone came to see.
There’s been no “Look Who’s Sitting in the Crowd” moments tonight for new additions to the NXT roster. It almost seems like it needs to happen at a Takeover, but there are still guys who haven’t debuted yet, and I imagine that NXT might see some main roster guys come down for freshening up this year, so the post-WrestleMania call-ups shouldn’t affect the brand all that much.
The Unsanctioned Street Fight
-Ciampa is getting booed heavily by the New Orleans crowd, most of whom are holding up Gargano signs. This feels so old school, that it’s perfect. Ciampa came out to no music and is eating up the crowd’s hatred while he waits for his opponent.
Gargano is totally ripped for this fight, and has an intensity in his eyes that I have yet to see as a fan. No wrestling holds to start as both men just start throwing right hands. Johnny hits the Slingshot Spear, but has no interest in a pinfall as he just continues to pound away on the man who betrayed him. Johnny Mudhole with a series of stomps in the corner that would make Stone Cold proud, and Gargano sends Ciampa to the floor with a Clothesline, followed by a Tope Suicida.
The Psycho Killer does get back into the fight here, bullying Johnny around and exposing the concrete floor. He can’t get Gargano for the Suplex though, and winds up being tossed over the announce table and into Percy Watson as Mauro runs for his life.
Johnny is looking for a Piledriver on the announce table, but Ciampa blocks it and drives one of the iPads into Gargano’s stomach, before taking him off of the table with a Suplex seeing both men land hard on the floor. As expected, Ciampa recovers first and puts the boots to Johnny Wrestling. Ciampa sets up the top part of the announce table so it’s leaning against the table, and then drops Gargano onto it with a Back Suplex, splintering the wood that it is made of.
The crowd is just laying into Ciampa with the chants tonight, letting them know how they feel about his treatment of Gargano. Tommaso applies a high angle Cloverleaf, but there is no way that Johnny quits tonight. If Ciampa wants to win this one, he is going to have to beat his former friend so badly that he cannot continue.
Gargano gets to the ropes, but there are no rope breaks in this fight, so Johnny crawls underneath the bottom rope to break the hold. It leaves him open and ripe for picking though, and Ciampa stomps away at the back of his head. The crowd doesn’t like it, but Ciampa takes a moment to put on a creepy smile and clap for himself. Ciampa has now stolen crutches from a planted fan in the front row, a nice little callback to his attacks on Gargano during his injury.
Johnny continually avoids the crutch being swung in his direction, and Ciampa’s reliance on the weapon has opened up the opportunity for Gargano to reclaim the advantage temporarily. Ciampa tries for an inside-out Suplex to the floor, but Gargano blocks it. Johnny goes for the Slingshot DDT, but Ciampa blocks that. What he can’t stop though, is a crazy Powerbomb that sends Ciampa hard into the concrete floor that he exposed at the onset of the fight.
After a tug of war with the crutch, Johnny emerges with the weapon and lays into Ciampa with it, getting some retribution for the previous attacks he suffered. With Gargano outside the ring, Ciampa reaches out for him, but exposes his head and eats a stiff shot with the crutch. Gargano hits the dazed Ciampa with the Slingshot DDT, but only scores a two count.
Johnny Wrestling has removed the padding on the middle turnbuckle now, no doubt looking for the Lawn Dart into the steel. Ciampa saw it coming just like I did though, and was ready. Both guys are running on emotion here, and neither can seem to really pull out what they need to in order to finish this one. Gargano attempts the Slingshot Spear again, but eats a brutal Knee to the chin. Ciampa follows up with a Torture Rack Blue Thunder Bomb, but again, cannot keep Johnny down for three.
Ciampa with a Running Knee to the back of the head, but again, Gargano kicks out! Back and forth action again, with Gargano spiking Ciampa on his neck with a Reverse Rana that didn’t quite connect fully. GARGANO ESCAPE now, and Ciampa gets to the ropes, but there are no rope breaks. Johnny pushes off the ropes and yanks back on the hold, but Ciampa digs his fingers into the eyes of Gargano to prove that there is an escape indeed.
Ciampa unrolls the tape from his wrist and goes to choke Johnny with it, but Gargano is ready and blocks it. This has devolved into a fist fight again, with both men holding onto the wrist tape still. Gargano gets the upper hand, but Ciampa has an answer for that in the form of a good old fashioned kick between the legs. Ciampa with the Powerbomb Lungblower, but Johnny kicks out yet again! This is intense.
Ciampa wants his moment, but this moment is all about Johnny, as Gargano sends him into the exposed steel of the middle turnbuckle with the Lawn Dart, and then follows up with two big Superkick’s to the kneeling Ciampa. Tommaso somehow digs down deep and kicks out, launching the fans into the night’s loudest NXT chant.
Battling on the top rope is never good news, and it turns out poorly for Gargano here as Ciampa connects with the Powerbomb Lungblower off the ropes! This has got to be over now, but apparently nobody told Johnny Gargano, because he just kicked out again.
Ciampa removes the knee brace and pulls the pad down to set up for the Running Knee again. Ciampa wants to connect bone on bone, but Gargano sees it coming and drives the knee brace into the exposed bone. Johnny breaks the crutch and goes to hit Ciampa with the broken end, but stops when Tommaso puts his hands up to defend himself. Ciampa looks like a defeated man here, head in his hand as he looks up at his old partner, who refuses to injure the dastardly Ciampa.
Johnny goes to sit with Ciampa, but Tommaso sees opportunity and swings the knee brace. Gargano never let his guard down though, as he drops backward to avoid the brace and rolls right into the Gargano Escape. Not thinking it was enough, Johnny adjusts and locks in an STF, using the brace to pull back on the face of Tommaso Ciampa and force the verbal submission.
Your winner, and re-instated as a member of the NXT roster… Johnny Gargano!
The Wolfman’s Predictions: 3 for 5
I can’t even be upset about missing the final two predictions of the night. NXT continues to deliver, show after show, match after match. When I think that it can’t possibly top what just happened, these guys and girls dig deeper and drop my jaw.
What an amazing night. There is no way that WrestleMania even comes close to this. NXT! NXT! NXT!
What did you guys think of the show tonight? Who do you want to see called up to the main roster after WrestleMania? Hit me up in the comments or at threevalleywrestling@gmail.com
