I normally don't watch Takeovers live, but this show was a rare exception, although it may not be going forward. Here's my recap of NXT's return to the Windy City.
- Goddammit, Chicago. A really fun, electric opening tag match featuring some incredible work by Oney Lorcan(did you see that bump on the apron?), was partially held back, especially at the start, by an intentionally smarky crowd. Look, a hot crowd is great, and really adds to any match. I suppose the fact that I had to think about the crowd reaction during a match this good is the biggest negative, really.
- Certainly, there was a lot of hype surrounding Velveteen Dream vs Ricochet, and to a certain extent, I thought they lived up to it. If there's something to improve, I thought there was a little too much trading of big moves, although I thought they nailed the psychology during the finishing stretch. While this was certainly great, and extremely fun to watch, I would love to see this again down the line, with higher stakes.
- I will always enjoy Nikki Cross and everything she does, but I can't say I love NXT using the women's division for squash matches on Takeover shows. I'm still not sure what to think about Shayna Bazler, either. I like her character, but she seems so limited in the ring, it's really hard to enjoy her reign as champion.
- A big test for Lars Sullivan tonight, as he got a singles NXT Championship match with Aleister Black. I was impressed by his performance, and particularly his work on Aleister's leg. Ultimately, this was no all-time classic or anything, but it was enjoyable, so I'm happy.
- I loved Gargano vs Ciampa in New Orleans, and questioned why we needed this rematch in Chicago, if only just to finish the story. Could they really top their first match, and prove that this feud still had a reason to continue? Yes.
- This was absolute genius, top to bottom. The match itself was uncomfortably brutal, fun to watch if a little wearing at the end. But that's not why I loved all of this. The two men then went into a replay of last year's beatdown in Chicago, and Ciampa spit on Gargano's ring, which was excellent heeling. I loved the psychology of that finally being enough to push Johnny completely over the edge, and then he lost it. All the pain, all the misery, and he unleashed all of it, and simply refused to let Ciampa even walk out of the arena. And then.........Ciampa won. Beautiful in its elegance, honest to the characters and the story they've told, this was pro wrestling perfection. F***ing genius.
9/10
The first two matches were fantastic, and the main event was brilliant in both booking and execution. A forgettable women's match and a straight forward NXT Championship match hold this card back from Takeover greatness, but it was pretty darn close. NXT, as always, remains one step ahead of the wrestling world.
- Goddammit, Chicago. A really fun, electric opening tag match featuring some incredible work by Oney Lorcan(did you see that bump on the apron?), was partially held back, especially at the start, by an intentionally smarky crowd. Look, a hot crowd is great, and really adds to any match. I suppose the fact that I had to think about the crowd reaction during a match this good is the biggest negative, really.
- Certainly, there was a lot of hype surrounding Velveteen Dream vs Ricochet, and to a certain extent, I thought they lived up to it. If there's something to improve, I thought there was a little too much trading of big moves, although I thought they nailed the psychology during the finishing stretch. While this was certainly great, and extremely fun to watch, I would love to see this again down the line, with higher stakes.
- I will always enjoy Nikki Cross and everything she does, but I can't say I love NXT using the women's division for squash matches on Takeover shows. I'm still not sure what to think about Shayna Bazler, either. I like her character, but she seems so limited in the ring, it's really hard to enjoy her reign as champion.
- A big test for Lars Sullivan tonight, as he got a singles NXT Championship match with Aleister Black. I was impressed by his performance, and particularly his work on Aleister's leg. Ultimately, this was no all-time classic or anything, but it was enjoyable, so I'm happy.
- I loved Gargano vs Ciampa in New Orleans, and questioned why we needed this rematch in Chicago, if only just to finish the story. Could they really top their first match, and prove that this feud still had a reason to continue? Yes.
- This was absolute genius, top to bottom. The match itself was uncomfortably brutal, fun to watch if a little wearing at the end. But that's not why I loved all of this. The two men then went into a replay of last year's beatdown in Chicago, and Ciampa spit on Gargano's ring, which was excellent heeling. I loved the psychology of that finally being enough to push Johnny completely over the edge, and then he lost it. All the pain, all the misery, and he unleashed all of it, and simply refused to let Ciampa even walk out of the arena. And then.........Ciampa won. Beautiful in its elegance, honest to the characters and the story they've told, this was pro wrestling perfection. F***ing genius.
9/10
The first two matches were fantastic, and the main event was brilliant in both booking and execution. A forgettable women's match and a straight forward NXT Championship match hold this card back from Takeover greatness, but it was pretty darn close. NXT, as always, remains one step ahead of the wrestling world.
Comments