Wrestlemania Week ends where it started with the superstars of NXT in action. However, while RAW and Smackdown traditionally excite us with their ‘After Mania’ shows, there is no ‘After TakeOver’ feel to NXT. What we get is effectively the pre-show matches taped before the PPV along with plenty of highlights from the event and interviews already available on WWE.com. As such, it is more of a P.S. to TakeOver. Nevertheless, let’s see what happens before the next set of tapings.
Kairi Sane v. Lacey Evans
Although she wasn’t on TakeOver, this marks the second week in a row Kairi Sane has graced our screens. The crowd are clearly behind the Pirate Princess as the match begins. Evans using her size advantage to overpower Sane early on, playing the heel to the crowd as she does so.
The babyface comeback eventually comes when Evens gets too cocky while dishing out chops. Kairi Sane hits an interceptor spear and it is all her from there on. After a couple of near falls, the Insane Elbow drops, and the three count follows.
Winner: Kairi Sane
A decent match that showcased both women well. With Ember Moon now on the main roster, Sane is the logical choice to position as the main challenger to Shayna Baszler. The likes of Evans need building up to add depth to the division and, although she lost here, she was able to put in a strong performance. Job well done.
TakeOver Recaps and Interviews
The mid-portion of this week’s show focuses on the action from TakeOver, the NXT stars who debuted on RAW, and interviews with some of the key players. Two things of note – AoP informing Paul Ellering in an interview after RAW that his ‘chapter is closed’ (makes sense in kayfabe that they used him to get this far and then went their own way), and Shayna Baszler using the ‘w’ word several times to declare that the NXT women’s division will now be solely about who is the better wrestler.
Heavy Machinery v. Sabbatelli & Moss
This match almost immediately becomes a brawl with all four guys in the ring. As the fans let Tito Sabbatelli know that he sucks, he gets squashed between Dozovic and Knight. The heels are in control when we come back from the break, however, Moss showing impressive strength to catch Tucker Knight in mid-air.
Moss and Sabbatelli continue to dominate until a hot tag to Dozovic, who pops the crowd with his power-based offence. His ode to Scotty Too Hotty’s worm gets a near fall, but this isn’t about these two teams in truth. In the worst kept secret of the whole weekend, War Machi… err… War Raiders make their on-screen debut to decimate both teams (although Nigel McGuiness’ claim that they are two of the ‘top teams’ is a bit of a stretch).
No contest
So as one power duo leaves, another arrives. War Raiders will easily fill the spot left in the tag ranks by AoP. I would expect them to flatten the likes of Street Profits and TM61 over the next several weeks before stepping up to more high-profile programmes with Sanity and Undisputed Era.
Final Thoughts
As I said in the intro, post-TakeOver NXT shows are never as action-packed as the ‘After Mania’ main roster shows. However, this week’s offering did manage to give us a good women’s match, and a major moment in the tag division. All eyes will be on the next set of tapings to see how the MXT landscape changes.
