And here we are, less than 12 hours removed from NXT Takeover: Unstoppable. A slight delay because I, as of starting this column, STILL don't have cable and internet. But the guy is here and said internet will be up shortly. So? Lets go shall we?
HYPE!
No, dude. Not you. They had a nice opening video package. Of course they did. One of the great things about NXT is its production values. Its WWE Production values with indie sensibilities in the ring and in presentation. Special highlighting of the NXT and Women's championship match. We head to the commentators table. The announcers remind us that Hideo will not be in the #1 contender's match, and that it'll now be one on one. Crowd chanting NXT. Full Sail got a makeover! Not sure if they expanded seating, but it seems like more people are in there. They've ditched the full stage and ramp set up. Added more screens and the biggest bell and, or whistle for ME, the light up LED ramp. Which immediately lights up WHITE…
IN RING!
Women walk out a'la fashion show. They have Breeze's "Muppet Pelts" wrapped around their legs. They're all carrying cell phones and have it in "selfie position". Breeze's music hits and he makes his way out. Stopping at each model to snap a picture. Well done. Love ramping up the entrances and only makes sense considering what's coming next. We get some spooky voiceovers in Full Sail. Lights out. Heart Beat kick drum before Balor's music hits. Full Demon gear, expanded paint, new wings and spine. Good lord. Excellent entrance, as we've come to expect from Finn Balor. Crowd roared their approval. The Balor double stomp to the back of a hunched over Breeze on the outside was SICK. They brawled up the new entry ramp and Balor climbed up onto the jumbo screen… still not sure HOW he got up there. Crowd chants "Please don't die"… lol… well played Full Sail. He does a diving splashy clothesline and takes out Breeze. Balor kicked out of the Beauty Shot which sent Breeze into ultimate hissy fit mode. Eventually Balor hits the high velocity dropkick into the corner. Coup de Grace. Finn Balor 2x NXT #1 contender!
DEEP THOUGHTS!
We'll see after his first match with Owens if he brings the Demon to play the next time. The match was very good and competitive. Breeze is a good wrestler and can hold his own in the ring with anyone. He also can switch up his style being both cowardly and vicious. Balor is one of the best in the world, and its clear they have something with him. It was a great opener and a pleasant surprise, because I felt like it was a foregone conclusion that the Tag Titles would open up and this would be later in the card.
IN RING!
Dana Brooke's music hits, she saunters out and points to the side and Emma strolls out with her. Makes sense her entrance as it exists is for a face. She is not that in NXT. They walk to the ring. Charlotte is out next to a nice reaction from the crowd. She stops on the ramp and waits as Bayley's music hits. So impressive to hear Bayley's reactions. Some of the loudest in the company. She comes out passing out headbands and slap bracelets. She and Charlotte share a huge hug on the entrance way
(Yes I realize I called it "ramp" a few lines up, old habits die hard)
– Dana and Emma dominated early, isolating Bayley. Eventually a hot tag had Charlotte in the ring Cleaning house. REALLY nice closing flurry where Charlotte had the Figure 8 on Emma, and Dana was coming to break it up, and Bayley dove under Charlotte and then threw Dana's legs, spun Dana around and hit the Bayley to Belly, but in the chaos Charlotte released the hold, and hit the Natural Selection on Emma for the win.
DEEP THOUGHTS!
In Over/Under I listed Charlotte and Bayley as favorites, but what I didn't put in there was the fact that I think Dana Brooke and Emma SHOULD win here. Let them cheat and be underhanded and then let these feuds continue as the one on one feuds they've started out as. Maybe this is a sign Charlotte is not long for the NXT World, or they wanted to keep the front third of the show with faces getting wins because it was not easy going for the "good guys" after this. Good effort could have benefited from more time, but its a two hour show and got as much time as Rhyno/Corbin and only slightly less than the tag championship.
IN RING!
GORE! GORE! GORE! Followed by MOTORCYCLES REVVING! Its SLOBBERKNOCKER [/JR] time! Saw this match at NXT Live in Philly. This match was basically THAT match. Rhyno dominated early. Corbin was able to show off his brawling and clobbering skills. Hit a nice clothesline. Hit the End of Days. Ball Game.
DEEP THOUGHTS!
Well Full Sail wasn't as super loudly against Corbin like they were on his last TV appearance
(But that crowd WAS super smarky)
– or how much Philly despised him. Pretty paint by the numbers for these two. I liked how aggressive Corbin was. He was super violent. Needs a little diversity in his moveset. He has the look, the size, and I'm guessing he can put in the work to get there.
IN RING!
Its Tag Team Championship time! Here come Enzo and Cass to the joy of everyone in attendance and watching at home. I saw on twitter that Lance Storm said Carmella should really be a full time valet not as a knock on her wrestling, but because she is so good at this. Which she is. Even if crowds still give her crap. Blake and Murpy are out, three total "tails" for the tag champs. One "Pony" and two "Pig"… and oh god that entrance… as if their music wasn't already the bane of my wrestling fandom? Their crazy flashy strobing of death and awfulness? For the briefest of seconds I cursed the new set up inside Full Sail. This match was what you expect from Enzo and Cass. Enzo gonna get WORKED. Cass will get tagged in and clean house. Easy enough style to work. Enzo is more over and crowds don't want to se him get beat up. He eventually gets the hot tag to Cass. Cass is a wrecking machine. They drop the tag champs, and Cass is going to tag Enzo in who is not even on his feet. Clearly out of it. Cass drags him to the corner to do the finishing move, but this is taking too long and out runs Alexa Bliss! She attacks Carmella and chaos is ensuing. In the confusion, Cass walks away from Enzo. Enzo gets crotched on the top rope, and ends up getting pinned. Blake Murphy and Bliss celebrate on the entry way. They hoist the newly minted Bad Girl Alexa Bliss on their shoulders and gloat.
DEEP THOUGHTS!
NXT loves making the popular faces earn it. Twitter was PIIIIIIIISSSSSSSED last night at this finish, and good. We SHOULD be. This feud should continue. Now you have something with Bliss and Carmella
(Side note NXT now has 3 simmering undercard feuds in the women's division)
– I'll be interested to see Bad Girl Bliss. Don't get me wrong, my personal vendetta against glitter and its ability to get everywhere has already made her a heel in MY book, but now it'll be interesting to see what alterations to the packaging happens. Makes sense too… because the Big Four in the Women's division, despite Sasha Bank's dirty deeds, she's still mostly beloved by NXT Faithful. Dana Brooke is getting booed more because of things outside her character/ability to draw boos. So working on getting some heels to bolster that division is a good idea.
HYPE!
Women's Championship match got a GREAT hype video!
IN RING!
Then backstage we get the building music of impending intensity… aka the Cage Lowering Music, for both Lynch and Banks walking through the backstage area and hitting the curtains for both of their entrances. Lynch had some interesting new gear. Dug the fluorescent hair color. Loved the goggles/glasses and jacket. Wasn't super into her new shorts… it looked like she raided Samoa Joe's closet and took one of those diapers he used to wear in TNA and put some frill on it. – and that… RIGHT THERE is the only outright negative I have to say about this contest. This match was superb. The story telling. Working a body part. Sasha Banks was VICIOUS working Becky's arm/shoulder. Becky in turn also targeted an arm looking for her Mounted Arm Bar. The submission wrestling and exchanges here were great. Crowd was into it. This match has endless rematch value. Sasha won this countering Becky off the top rope and then stretching the hell out of her in the Banks Statement. I didn't do much highlighting here. Plunk down, 9.99 and watch this match. The post match with Becky Lynch in tears was heart breaking. But Full Sail started to sing her theme music. Gave her a huge standing ovation.
DEEP THOUGHTS!
THIS Is exactly what sets apart the Women in NXT from… honestly… any other women who are wrestling on TV. There's a dedication to wrestling. Moves are done with purpose and velocity. The best matches make you cringe because it of the legitimacy, be it real or perceived, of a hold, move, or exchange. This match had that REPEATEDLY. The little ways Banks worked Becky's arm. Twisting, yanking, torturing. Becky rallying with suplexes, throws and grappling. It was amazing to see.
HYPE!
Sami and Kevin also got a great hype video. Recapping what has got us here.
IN RING!
Zayn was out first. He did throw his arms around with reckless abandon… so maybe the shoulder is okay? Owens is out second and was rocking THIS:
Well Played, Mr. Owens. Well Played. In the ring he teases throwing it into the crowd, but then dumps it on the ground. Bell rings and Sami attacks. And that is the first good chunk of this match. Sami Zayn is brutalizing Kevin Owens as they brawl all over the ringside area. Even out into the crowd a bit. This wasn't a match it was a fight. Eventually Owens hit the Pop Up Powerbomb on the outside driving Sami into the apron. This brought out refs and trainers to check on Sami. Owens kept pressing the attack. He'd have to be pushed back, and then he'd attack some more. Eventually he grabbed Sami, his title, and a chair and they ended up in the ring. The match got tossed out at some point in time… not sure when. He drove one shot into the side/shoulder of Zayn and then music hit and Samoa Joe walked out. Crowd was chanting "JOE-JOE-JOE" as soon as music hit. Joe stomped to the ring. They stared down nose to nose and eye to eye:
But Owens backed away. He left. Joe continuing to challenge Owens as he fled the scene. Owens even teased coming back to fight, but tucked tail and ran. Closing the show with Joe in the ring looking out over the NXT crowd seething intensity.
DEEP THOUGHTS!
Main event was good for what it was. We were aware of Sami's injuries and this was a wonderful way to play off that. He dominated and stayed on the attack. Thus, hopefully, keeping any injuries from further damage. Plus their first match was so one sided it was good to see Sami come back with a vengeance. Throw in the fact that the match leaves open the possibility that Sami really needs another rematch, and that's a good thing. Kevin Owens is now, potentially, feuding with: Zayn, Balor, Itami (if the pre show attack hinting are accurate), CENA, and now Samoa Joe. That's getting your money's worth out of one the top heels in the company. Some are calling him THE top heel, but I still believe that goes to Rollins. Now, onto NXT's debutant. Samoa Joe's debut was handled perfectly. Loved that they kept the name. He already has a SPECTACULAR looking t-shirt. The potential matches for him in NXT are great. Loved how this came off.
TL;DR?!
Another special outing for NXT Takeover. Unstoppable comes across as just that. This brand, this growing juggernaut could very well be unstoppable. How they hell do they get things so consistently right? I mean, putting on a good to great show isn’t surprising. The talent and dedication to wrestling is apparent. But… A wrestling show that has existed for 2+ years, and continues to be this: fun, excellently produced, but really… how widely acclaimed it is. We the few, the proud, the obnoxious internet wrestling fan are a fickle ass bunch… There are things people will gripe about, because people like to gripe on the internet. Ultimately NXT his this excellent groove. It is currently perfect blend of indie sensibilities and wrestling with more WWE storytelling, and more importantly, production value. Can't get over how awesome Full Sail looks now.
Match of the Night: Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch for the NXT Women's Championship.
Moment of the Night: Joe and Owens nose to nose.
Lets do this again in a week! You can follow me on twitter: @sirmhayesxiv
