The Royal Rumble is upon us, but before we get to the most exciting WWE PPV of the year, we've got a NXT Takeover event to kick off the weekend. Per usual, I'll talk about each match on the card below. Spoiler warning should go without saying, but here's a written warning just in case. Undisputed Era (c) vs. War Raiders (NXT Tag Team Championship match) - You can always count on an Undisputed Era title defense to be an amazing opener for a Takeover. This was a great match, with UE's trademark heel shenanigans and the War Raiders' incredible power and deceptive agility. In the end, we get new NXT Tag champions, and I can't wait to see how Hanson and Rowe's reign shapes up. Matt Riddle vs. Kassius Ohno - After getting obliterated by Riddle (twice), Ohno's looking for some retribution. He's able to last much longer than his first encounter with Riddle at the last Takeover, but unfortunately, he comes up short. They're doing a great job building Riddle as a terrifying force in the ring despite his aloof personality (especially with how he wins the match), but don't write off Ohno, as he was no slouch in this match, either. Ricochet (c) vs. Johnny Gargano (NXT North American Championship match) - Johnny Gargano's journey from NXT's purest babyfaces to a corrupted soul takes him to a title shot for the NXT NA title, after some manipulative nudging from Tommaso Ciampa. This was a thrilling contest featuring classic Ricochet flippy shit and Gargano's technical prowess. It's a slow burn match that goes from great to incredible, and it features amazing storytelling for Gargano, who debated whether or not to bend the rules by driving Ricochet into the exposed concrete. The match ends with Gargano capturing his first NXT singles title, and perhaps completing his transformation into a darker character. Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Bianca Belair (NXT Women's Championship match) - Bianca Belair is one of the most impressive new talents to come to NXT in recent memory. She's shown a lot of promise despite being relatively new to the pro wrestling game, and her undefeated streak only helped to build her up more. Her biggest test comes in the form of Shayna Baszler, the most dangerous woman on NXT. Sadly, Belair's inexperience got the better of her, and the ever tenacious Baszler retains her title. Despite the loss, Belair put on a career-making performance, showing off her power, athleticism, and resiliency. Baszler's buddies Shafir and Duke also made a completely pointless appearance, but other than that, this was a solid match. Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs. Aleister Black (NXT Championship match) - Aleister Black has exacted vengeance on Johnny Gargano, and now he sets his sights on the NXT title Ciampa took from him. The match was a slower paced, hard-hitting affair than a mile-a-minute match filled with high spots, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. You've got Black and his trademark strikes going against Ciampa's devious sadism. It took Ciampa multiple finishers, but he succeeds in retaining the NXT title. There's even a callback to the NXT NA title match earlier in the night, with Ciampa exposing the concrete the same way Gargano did. It's a more nuanced way to tell a story, but it still shows the dark path Gargano has been on effectively. DIY Dark? - The teases of a darker, more twisted DIY have been going on for a while, but the way Takeover ends this time around is perhaps the most telling tease yet. Just before the show went off the air, Gargano walks out the ramp to Ciampa celebrating his win. The latter was visibly confused (perhaps worried Gargano would go after him), but all Gargano does is raise his newly-won NXT NA Championship. Ciampa, seemingly satisfied of his corruption of Gargano, raises his NXT title in response, ending the show on an ominous note. Once again, we have another great Takeover event. I wouldn't call it as eventful storyline-wise compared to other Takeovers, but with a couple of title changes, a star-making performance for Bianca Belair, and what may be the beginning of DIY Dark's reign of terror on NXT, there's enough to go on that I'm excited to see what new angles come about on the weekly show.
Now, to get hyped for Royal Rumble tomorrow. - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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