NXT - Post NXT Takeover discussion in progress

[FLips]

It was as near to perfect a show as I think I’ve seen. I think the only things that didn’t deliver for me were the Women’s match and the first 2 falls of the Main Event. They weren’t bad by any stretch but they didn’t match the rest of the night.

I haven’t watched NXT in months so had no idea who War Raiders were facing til they walked out. Fair play because when Ricochet and Black came out, I skipped the first 6 minutes of the match (I started watching a bit later) because honestly I’ve seen enough of them on every other brand to lose interest. Fuck me if they didn’t pull me back in though. That big lad on War Raiders is nuts.

Velveteen Dream is perfect and his entrance left me speechless. I can’t wait until he gets utterly fucked over and saturated on the main roster. While he performed his end tonight, I still don’t “get” or even like Matt Riddle. If he’s supposed to be face he’s the smuggest, most heelish acting one I’ve seen in a while. MMA to WWE doesn’t translate. Brock gets away with it on past reputation and the fact he has 2 matches a year. Matt Riddle leg kicking and going for armbars every other move doesn’t work for me. Don’t understand him, don’t get the hype, don’t like the style or gimmick. He’s not for me, glad Dream won.

UK match was a slow burn but I was massively invested in the story of him trying to go to the fingers too many times because he was desperate against the monster. Great underdog match, Walter honestly doesn’t impress as much as I wanted him to but it’s early days and you can’t deny his presence.

Women’s match was so-so, I zoned out halfway. Bayzler is a star but the other 3 are just not. Bianca has a way to go, and Io and Kairi are no Asuka. Kairi especially has the weakest offence, I don’t buy her at all.

Main Event was alright but it wasn’t until fall 3 that it hit it’s stride and it had a perfect last 10 minutes. There’s no better babyface in peril in the business that Johnny Gargano.

[King Pitcos]

I don’t watch NXT very often at all, mostly just the Takeovers if I’ve got mates round for a big main roster PPV. But this show was easy to follow and great fun. The opener for the tag titles just had me grinning like a loon loads.

Velveteen is great, I love his incorporation of old-school stuff. I think that’s the first time I’ve seen a Matt Riddle match and I really liked it. Can see Riddle being a great baddie.

I know there was some discussion on here recently of Pete Dunne being main roster ready, and I don’t think he is. Hes great in the NXT environment but I could see him falling flat on the big stage if he was rushed now. He’s not a good promo, he’s tiny, and he looks weird. The funny faces he pulls crack me up. I too easily see him falling into a low-card comedy act, or just being overexposed by the workrate rematch cycle until nobody cares to see him anymore. I feel like he still needs a “thing” to succeed on the main roster - something that signifies him and is easy for fans to latch onto, like a catchphrase, or a more hummable/singable theme tune. Anyway, cracking match with Walter. After being unbeatable for nearly two years, it’ll be interesting to see how he takes the loss.

I wasn’t familiar with the three challengers in the women’s match, but they all put in a good shift. Bianca Bel Air seems like Sasha Banks except actually good. Although Sasha Banks seemed actually good when she was doing Takeover matches she rehearsed for weeks in the performance center as well.

Main event - as others have said, first two falls weren’t much cop, Stand up comedy show just finishedbut fuck me, it picked up by the end!

[The King Of Swing]

He's the American meme.

I've defended Ranallo in the past but fuck me I'm only two matches into Takeover and he's unbearable.

[Jacko]

Fantastic show for me every match delivered.

Dream is a massive star in waiting for me not overly taken by Riddle, the main event was absolutely fantastic also slow start but fuck was it a hot finish.

Mauro is fucking awful got sick of his screaming and hollering about 5 mins in to the opening match, a little goes a long way, he’s so hyperbolic it loses its effect at getting things over for me.

[The King Of Swing]

Shayna is money. Best pure heel in the business.

[TildeGuy~!]

With this most dominant female in NXT business it’s just screaming for Asuka to pop back down to NXT for a match with Shayna.

[Fatty Facesitter]

How long have they been doing this argumentative schtick with Roberts and MacAfee for? Both are absolutely massive bellends, interrupting my very own bellend in the engagement of self-delight whenever Charley Carusso is on screen. What a magnificent creature she is.

Opener was another in a long line of fucking excellent tag matches on NXT Takeover shows. It's a shame actually in some respects that while the matches on Takeovers continue to be brilliant, tag team matches of this calibre haven't matched up to the same standards. Great sendoff for Black/Ricochet and War Raiders are totally unique. Loved this.

Dream/Riddle was great down the stretch. Only the Dream in the modern era could get away with hulking up and making it look the part. Slowly warming to Riddle but to me his personality is much more suited to being a heel.

Dunne/Walter was as rough and stiff as it was superb. If Dunne gets a main roster call-up now then happy days. I take the point about him being small, weird-looking and getting lost in the shuffle if he gets called up, but even if he just has a few undercard matches breaking people's fingers for a bit that would still be an interesting main roster addition. I'd turn him heel though and give it time before the main roster crowds warm to him in the same way that that the NXT crowds have. Also, Walter flying through the air with the splash is my new favourite thing in wrestling. The absolute majesty of it. He also now provides the perfect anchor for all the NXT talent to challenge him and attempt to end his dominant reign of terror. No reason Walter couldn’t have just as long a run on top as Dunne did - the longer he keeps the title, the more his legend will grow, and the more massive a moment the next title change becomes. 

Top women’s four-way. Io Sharai’s music is akin to late 90’s trance and it’s wonderful. Great finish again - Bazler is the bollocks. 

Incredible main event. The pops at the end for the near falls were insane. A match I don’t think you’ll be able to truly appreciate unless you watched it live/spoiler-free and had no idea where it was going. Crowd were almost fully behind Cole at the start, then split 50/50 and then lost their minds in support of Gargano when he won. What a match, what a moment.

I don’t care if he probably threw out more soundbites than usual, I don’t care if he’s dyed his hair. I love Mauro, and if you don’t then you probably don’t like Scooter either and we can’t be friends. He’s the Peter Drury of wrestling commentary - uttering pure poetry at a moment’s notice. If he ever quotes Sir John Betjemen on a Takeover he’ll be the greatest announcer of all time.

[gmoney]

Mauro is absolutely fine. I'm dismissing anyone who complains about him now as total plank. 

Excellent show, 3 odd hours passed by like nothing. The last match got a bit old school indy-riffic with that awful Canadian Destroyer, but it was still a very fine match. There were a few boos for Gargano at the beginning and in the middle, but they both had them cheering him by the end, and what more can you ask than that. 

[TRSL]

Just watching the opening match and the crowd go crazy cos of something happening in the crowd, any idea what that was ?

[Otto Dem Wanz]

13 minutes ago, TRSL said:

Just watching the opening match and the crowd go crazy cos of something happening in the crowd, any idea what that was ?

Wondered this too - if its the bit with the "you deserve it" chants you're referring to?

Stunning show, I didn't dislike anything although the Women's match lost me a little bit and the main event started off slowly (to be expected considering the length) - probably going to be another addition to the "better than WrestleMania" list unless the 7 hours really flies by on Sunday.

[Murtz]

Some of the lights that usually dim during a NXT match came back on. The cheer was when they were turned off.

Stunning show. Every single match was superb. The last 10 minutes are unlike anything I've experienced in person. I think the only thing that gets close is when HBK and HHH hit the Sweet Chin Music and Pedigree. The crowd lost their minds.. and there wasnt only 1 nailed on 3 count that was a 2.. there were 3!

Edited April 6, 2019 by Murtz

[WeeAl]

A great show overall. Three matches that I really loved, and on a five match card that's a bloody good ratio. 

The opener was the type of match that if you're going to turn a non-fan into a fan, then you have a chance with something like this. Just bodies flying with reckless abandon all over the place. Fast and furious and incredibly exciting. 

I thought Dream Vs Riddle was great as well. Riddle had the heel role in this one and I think it suited him pretty well. Dream is the dog's bollocks. He has my favourite match on the TakeOver shows almost every time. It's usually a split between whatever the tag title match is and Dream's match. Lovely stuff. Glad Velveteen didn't lose the belt just yet and I think both men came out looking strong. 

I was curious going into the Dunne Vs Walter match. I'm nowhere near as into Dunne as a lot of people on here, and I don't see him making any kind of splash on the main roster unless it's as a tag team, and even then he seems a bit of a cocky bellend so I'm not sure about him being the small baby-face in peril either. Having said all that, there was so much hype about this match that I was really intrigued. It under-delivered for me and yet it still had me by the closing stretch, so if that's as bad as the show gets then fucking hell we've had a good show. It probably never really stood much of a chance in living up to the hype for me when I'm not a fan of Dunne, nor did Walter completely blow me away, but definitely still a good match. 

The main event had one of the best closing stretches of any match in WWE in years. Phenomenal stuff. It took a while to put the hook in, but once they hade on the edge of my seat, I was there until the end. 

I cannot fathom enjoying listening to Ranallo though. He seems a nice guy, educated, knows his shit, and puts serious graft in. But he screams fucking incessantly. It's madness. 

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

Just on the final fall of the main event, fucking superb show from start to now, Riddle/Dream has been the ‘weakest’ match for me but even that was good which tells you how much of a belter the show’s been. 

WALTER ending Dunne’s reign a few weeks shy of the two year mark was great booking, be interesting to see who they book as his first challenger at the TV tapings later and in Glasgow in 2 weeks

The tag match opener was a great send off for Blacochet, loved the duelling bows post match, just hope Ric isn’t too banged up for the Mania match

Can’t see anyone dethroning Baszler at this point, one of the best heels NXT has had, wonder if they have her show up in Rousey’s corner tomorrow or at least backstage with her

[King Pitcos]

1 hour ago, Murtz said:

Some of the lights that usually dim during a NXT match came back on. The cheer was when they were turned off.

There was something before that as well, in one section of the crowd, including a “fuck that guy” chant. I heard someone got a beach ball out and everyone around him wasn’t having it.

[Ted]

I didn’t see a beach ball but the was a “fuck that light” when they were trying to get the light turned off so it could have been that if it was at a similar time