Brooklyn, New York is on fire this evening. The fans are insane and the atmosphere was so infectious that it even managed to radiate to me sat in my living room at home. That being said, let’s get this review on the road!
Undisputed Era vs Moustache Mountain for the NXT Tag Team Championships
Huge pop for both teams for a start. Now, this match was in-fricking-sane! Once again, has every single thing you could desire from a wrestling match. Tyler Bate took a huge, and I mean hah-uuuge, clothesline early in the match from Roddy Strong and I thought he looked legit hurt. I was worried for a bit but he was okay. UE worked on Bate’s leg throughout the match which created an amazing Hot Tag sequence with a crazy amount of offense coming out of it from Trent Seven. They really set the bar bloody high for the rest of the show, I tell ya. The spots were mental, the shots her stiff and by Bon Jovi this was possibly the most incredible tag team match I’ve ever seen! The story told throughout was exhilarating! The false finishes were simply incomprehensible! But when all was said and done, despite the tremendous efforts of the mustachioed men from the mountain, Undisputed Era retained their titles with a vicious High/Low spin kick manoeuvre. Sublime wrestling here!
BUT THEN
War Raiders come in and absolutely obliterate Roddy and Kyle! Absolutely obliterated them, mate. They want the tag titles and I for one am excited about that. I liked War Raiders a lot in ROH.
Velveteen Dream vs EC3
My word. Dream went all out on his attire this evening, didn’t he!? I liked it. He’s got a really classic vibe about him anyway, but his ring gear amplifies that massively. Also, bonus points for having “Call me up, Vince!” on your tights, Velveteen. Classic. EC3 looked proper excited during his entrance too! It was really cool to see. I predict massive things in the future for ol’ Ethan Carter the 3rd.
This match was a fantastic showing for both of these guys. They’ve got great chemistry, the taunting and cocksure attitude mirrors perfection in both of these characters and they play off of each other super easily it seems. ADORED the finish of this match. Velveteen Dream got the win with a crazy Dream Valley Driver on the apron then a Purple Rain-Maker to the outside for the win!
Matt Riddle, BRO!!! He is in the crowd!! He’s officially announced as a signing for NXT!
Adam Cole (BAY BAY!)vs Ricochet for the NXT North American Championship
Very technically sound match. Hard hitting shots and phenomenal spots. (Proof reading note: Totally didn’t mean for that to rhyme, but I like it. I was obviously channelling my inner Mauro Ranallo last night.) Both of these guys are absolutely in the company they should be in. Destined for so much success in the World Wrestling entertainment. These two are definite contenders for the crown of Match of the Night. I thought Cole killed Ricochet at one point! That Moonsault Superkick to the throat was savagery at its finest! A well deserved standing ovation after the strike fest from these two as well! Even the finish was jaw-dropping! We have a NEW NXT North American Champion! Ricochet has done it! With a breath-taking 630 Senton! Congratulations to the new Champ!
Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship
(Live viewing note: I’m watching this Live as I’m intermittently reviewing and I have to say that if Shayna Baszler loses her title here I will not be amused. Shayna has built herself up to be an absolute animal in NXT and the one and only legitimate threat to the Division in which she is the reigning champion over. After the near perfect booking she’s had since her debut, it’d be foolish to take it away so early I think.) This match was great! I especially enjoyed the bit where Shayna mocked Kairi’s pirate walk, I had a proper chuckle at that. Kairi got her swashbuckling ass kicked for the first half of the match, then she had some huge bits of offense, but was thwarted by Baszler’s Avalanche Gutwrench Suplex which had a ferocious impact! The false finishes were good but my fears were eventually realised when Baszler locked in her Rear Naked Choke and Sane rolled backwards before Shayna could lick in the body scissors and, much to my sadness, Sane got the pinfall on Shayna. – as stated above, I do not support this in terms of the story aspect. I think it’s a bad move right now. Not that I don’t like Kairi Sane, because I do, especially after her performance this past week on NXT, but Shayna Baszler is the only person in the NXT Women’s Division that looks, acts and displays herself as a truly dangerous individual. I felt like she could have lasted the rest of the year with the title at least. But I guess not. Congrats to the new Champ.
Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa for the NXT Championship
I really don’t need to state the obvious, but this has every single opportunity to steal not only match of th night, but Match of the Year! This match left me feeling some things. It left me sat there for few minutes in shock a fair few times. So much so that I needed to watch it a second time this morning. The shots were so loud they sounded like bricks being thrown into a pond! The back and forth was amazing and I really had no clue who was actually going to emerge the victor in this bout. There was an Air Raid Siren through the commentary table, exposed flooring, exposed ring canvas, tables, chairs, a Superkick to an unlucky camera guy, a burial under commentary desk pieces and their swivel chairs in an attempt to keep Gargano down, there were call backs to the DIY days, references from their history dotted throughout the match and there were even handcuffs that came into play and, if I could just borrow this for second Bobby, it was absolutely GLOOORIOUS! It ended though as Gargano had Ciampa cuffed to part of the stage where Ciampa proceeded to plead with Johnny Wrestling and say he was sorry for everything, but Johnny wasn’t buying a damn word, he exposed his knee and went to, I assume, drive it into Ciampa’s treacherous face, but instead Ciampa ducked it and Gargano went flying off the stage and hurt his knee and so he failed to make the Referees 10 count which can only mean that Tommaso Ciampa retained his title and Johnny Gargano failed to capture it again. Will this drive him off the edge? Will this be his final hurrah before getting shipped off to the main roster? Who knows. But I’m not sure what’s left for him to do on the black and yellow brand now. Still, this match was perfect and if this was his last match for NXT then, my word, what a match to leave it all on. Match of the Year so far in my opinion. This rivalry is an absolute work of art. A true masterpiece.
Conclusion
9/10 🌟
Absolutely magnificent Takeover event. I’m lost for words at how to fully encapsulate the magnitude of what I’ve just seen. This is the type of show that could convert even the most stubborn anti-wrestling folk. The reason it didn’t get a full Perfect 10! 10! 10! Is because of the the Baszler/Sane finish and I don’t think it’s just my bias towards the Queen of Spades either. I just don’t think Sane is the right champion for the Division right now. Baszler is the only one who brought some real danger and presented an “unbeatable” challenge since Asuka was called up and had to vacate the title.
Match of the Night: Jonny Gargano vs Tomasso Ciampa. Match of the Year for sure.
Performance of the Night: Ricochet. The dude is like a real life superhero. Like a living cheat code for a video game as Nigel McGuiness put it. Both he and Adam Cole (BAY BAY!) are going to the tippity bit of the tippy top of the WWE mountain. I’m 110% sure of that.
So that’s that. Takeover Brooklyn number 4 has concluded and the landscape of NXT has shifted once again. I cannot wait to see how this all unfolds in the coming weeks and I am super proud to be the one reviewing the fallout for all of you. Summerslam has a hard act to follow.
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my thoughts on this. I hope you’ve enjoyed it at least a little smidge.o Have a great day and enjoy Summerslam!
Peace and love as always.
– CB
