Out with the old and in with the new, it's NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II.... Electric Boogaloo!
NXT has really become something special, cementing itself as one of the top shows in all of the wrestling world with NXT Takeover: Brooklyn last year. While this show could never top that one, simply on an emotional level, the wrestling was top notch, and the two and a half hours just flew by.
Austin Aries has been lacking a little something since his debut at Dallas, and his opening match with No Way Jose was surprisingly quite good. I really feel Aries may have finally found his footing, which can only be a good thing for NXT moving forward. I was a little disappointed in Ember Moon's debut. For someone I've heard such great things about, she fell a little flat. That diving stunner will never not be cool, though. To wrap up the undercard, Bobby Roode demonstrates his insane talent for incredible entrances and terrible matches. I have a feeling he just didn't mesh well with Andrade. Having watched Roode in the past, he works better with brawlers, and this match felt a little off.
The tag team division has supplanted the women's division for the top spot on NXT, adding another gem to it's crown as The Revival retained against Gargano and Ciampa. Everything in this match was fantastic, from the fast paced technical hold-for-hold grappling to the hard-hitting spots and the false finishes, everything came together beautifully. The finish was just perfect, as The Revival survived another challenge by the skin of their teeth. I wasn't a big fan of Asuka-Bayley in Dallas, and these women clearly saw it too, and massively improved the second time around. It won't be recognized as one of the great women's bouts, and will never challenge for Sasha-Bayley in Brooklyn's throne, but it was a great way to end Bayley's time in NXT.
As great as Shinsuke has been in the past, I just didn't get the sense that he was on top of his game. Still, B+ Shinsuke is one of the best workers in the world, and he and Joe had a fine main event encounter. Kudos to Joe for the incredible heel work he's been doing the past eight months, and the best NXT Title reign since Adrian Neville. I don't have huge expectations for Shinsuke's run as champ, but it could be a decent reign.
8/10
A lackluster undercard holds down a strong main event scene in Brooklyn. Can Summerslam top their developmental counterparts? Tune it tomorrow to find out!
NXT has really become something special, cementing itself as one of the top shows in all of the wrestling world with NXT Takeover: Brooklyn last year. While this show could never top that one, simply on an emotional level, the wrestling was top notch, and the two and a half hours just flew by.
Austin Aries has been lacking a little something since his debut at Dallas, and his opening match with No Way Jose was surprisingly quite good. I really feel Aries may have finally found his footing, which can only be a good thing for NXT moving forward. I was a little disappointed in Ember Moon's debut. For someone I've heard such great things about, she fell a little flat. That diving stunner will never not be cool, though. To wrap up the undercard, Bobby Roode demonstrates his insane talent for incredible entrances and terrible matches. I have a feeling he just didn't mesh well with Andrade. Having watched Roode in the past, he works better with brawlers, and this match felt a little off.
The tag team division has supplanted the women's division for the top spot on NXT, adding another gem to it's crown as The Revival retained against Gargano and Ciampa. Everything in this match was fantastic, from the fast paced technical hold-for-hold grappling to the hard-hitting spots and the false finishes, everything came together beautifully. The finish was just perfect, as The Revival survived another challenge by the skin of their teeth. I wasn't a big fan of Asuka-Bayley in Dallas, and these women clearly saw it too, and massively improved the second time around. It won't be recognized as one of the great women's bouts, and will never challenge for Sasha-Bayley in Brooklyn's throne, but it was a great way to end Bayley's time in NXT.
As great as Shinsuke has been in the past, I just didn't get the sense that he was on top of his game. Still, B+ Shinsuke is one of the best workers in the world, and he and Joe had a fine main event encounter. Kudos to Joe for the incredible heel work he's been doing the past eight months, and the best NXT Title reign since Adrian Neville. I don't have huge expectations for Shinsuke's run as champ, but it could be a decent reign.
8/10
A lackluster undercard holds down a strong main event scene in Brooklyn. Can Summerslam top their developmental counterparts? Tune it tomorrow to find out!
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