WWE NXT Takeover: WarGames 2019 aired live from the Allstate Arena near Chicago, IL. Angel Garza defeated Isaiah “Swerve” Scott in the Kickoff Show. Here are 4 takeaways from the PPV:
Team Ripley Overcame The Odds After Dakota Kai Turned Heel
Mia Yim was supposed to be on Team Ripley tonight but she was attacked backstage. Ripley selected Dakota Kai as her replacement.
Women’s WarGames Match: Shayna Baszler, Kay Lee Ray, Io Shirai & Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai & Tegan Nox
Io Shirai and Candice Lerae started off the match. LeRae leaped through the ropes but Io caught her with a right hand to the face. Io followed it up with a 619 and then Double Knees against the steel structure.
Shirai walked across the ropes and hit an awesome Dropkick and followed it up with another one in the corner. Io planted LeRae with a Suplex and then bit Candice’s face. Bianca Belair was the next superstar to enter the match and hit LeRae with a Shooting Star Press.
LeRae battled back and beat both Shirai and Belair down in the corner. Bianca planted LeRae with two Powerbombs and followed it up with another one that sent Candice flying into the steel cage. Io bounced off the ropes several times and hit Candice with a Dropkick to the face.
Rhea Ripley was the next superstar in the match and quickly brought several trash cans into the ring. Ripley grabbed some kendo sticks and chairs as well. Rhea slammed Belair on top of a trash can and started taunting her.
Kay Lee Ray grabbed some more chairs and brought them into the ring. Kay Lee blasted Ripley and LeRae with a chair before planting Rhea with a Tornado DDT. Rhea Ripley hit Tower of Doom onto everyone besides Bianca on top of the chairs. Belair then hit a 450 Splash and all superstars were down on the canvas.
Dakota Kai was supposed to be next but turned on the team and attacked Tegan Nox in the cage. Kai wrapped Nox’s knee round the cage and slammed the door on her several times. Dakota then shoved NXT GM William Regal before heading backstage.
Shayna Baszler was the final superstar to enter the match as Kai and Nox were ruled out. Baszler, Belair, Shirai, and Kay Lee Ray then surrounded LeRae and Ripley. Candice hit Shirai and Kay Lee Ray with a garbage can lid but the numbers game quickly caught up to her.
Ripley Suplexed Kay Lee Ray into the cage and then perched Shirai on the top turnbuckle. Shirai connected with a Moonsault on Candice but Ripley broke it up. Belair whipped Rhea with her hair but LeRae hit her several times with a kendo stick. Shirai and Candice battled on the top of the cage. Candice hit Kay Lee Ray with a Hurricanrana off the top rope and went for the cover but Belair broke it up at two.
Candice and Belair battled in the ring and Shirai leaped off the top of the cage and connected with a Moonsault. Ripley leveled Kay Lee Ray but Baszler was able to lock in the Kirifuda Clutch. Ripley then handcuffed herself to Shayna and planted her with the Riptide on top of the chairs for the pinfall victory.
This match was absolutely awesome. Dakota Kai’s heel turn was predictable but it was perfectly executed. Kai’s attack was so brutal that the crowd had no choice but to boo her out of the building. NXT TakeOver: WarGames couldn’t have had a better start.
Pete Dunne Will Face Adam Cole At Survivor Series For The NXT Championship
Damian Priest, Pete Dunne, and Killian Dain battled in a Triple Threat Match tonight at TakeOver: WarGames. The winner of the match will go on to face Adam Cole for the NXT Championship tomorrow night at Survivor Series.
Killian hit a Michinoku Driver that slammed Dunne on top of Priest. Killian brought Damian to the outside and lifted him onto his shoulders. Dunne went for a Crossbody but Killian somehow caught him at the same time. Dain planted Dunne and Priest with a Samoan Drop/ Fallaway Slam combo.
Back in the ring, Priest went for a German Suplex but Dunne landed on his feet. Pete booted Damian in the face and then planted Dain with a snap German Suplex. Dunne locked in Arm Bar but Priest countered into a Triangle Submission. Priest and Dain then Powerbombed Dunne.
Damian Priest took control and Chokeslammed Pete Dunne for a two count. Priest threw Dunne out of the ring and planted him with a Razors Edge on top of an announce table. Dain sent Priest into the barricade and followed it up with a Cannonball.
Back in the ring, Priest showed off his power and connected with a Razors Edge on Dain. Damian went for the cover but Dunne broke it up at the last second. Priest and Dain battled on the outside as Dunne made his way to the top rope. Dunne connected with a Moonsault and all three superstars fell to the floor.
Priest turned Dunne inside out with a Clothesline and went for a Chokeslam but Dunne countered into an Armbreaker. Killian Dane broke it up and lifted Priest up in the Electric Chair. Dain slammed Priest to the canvas for a two count.
Dain set up Priest and Dunne in the corner and hit a Cannonball. Killian followed it up with a Vader Bomb and went for the cover but Pete broke it up at two. Dunne connected with the Bitter End on Dain but Priest broke it up with a boot to Pete’s face.
Priest booted Killian in the face and he was knocked out against the ropes. Damian then planted Dunne with the Reckoning but Killian fell back on top of them to break up the cover. Killain hit a chop block on Dunne’s knee and Pete collapsed in pain. Dain Dropkicked Priest off the apron and made his way to the top rope.
All three superstars battled on the turnbuckle. Dunne snapped Priest’s fingers and he fell to the canvas. Pete then delivered a Superplex to Dain. Dunne planted Priest with the Bitter End but Dain broke it up. Dunne locked in a Sleeper Hold on Dain in the middle of the ring. Killian hit a Senton on Priest while Dunne still had the Sleeper Hold locked in. Dunne quickly shoved Dain to the outside and pinned Priest for the victory. Pete Dunne will face Adam Cole tomorrow night at Survivor Series for the NXT Championship.
Dunne, Priest, and Dain put on one hell of a match tonight at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. It was given plenty of time and was entertaining throughout. Cole versus Pete Dunne tomorrow night at Survivor Series should be excellent as well.
Finn Balor Defeated Matt Riddle
Finn Balor squared off against Matt Riddle tonight at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. Balor controlled the match early and applied a Headlock. Riddle broke free and hit Balor with a right hand to the face.
Finn battled back with a Dropkick and then went right back to the Headlock. Finn sent Riddle to the outside and hit him with a Dropkick through the ropes. Back in the ring, Balor went for the cover but Riddle kicked out at two.
Riddle hit a flurry of kicks and then a forearm to Finn’s face. Balor responded with a forearm of his own and Riddle fell to the mat. Balor went for the Slingblade but Riddle blocked it and applied the Ankle Lock. Finn escaped and leveled Riddle with a Dropkick to the face.
Balor hit a German Suplex but Riddle hopped right up and hit a German Suplex of his own for a near fall. Balor connected with a Double Stomp and followed it up with a Slingblade. Riddle exploded out of the corner and hit him with a Spear. Riddle planted Finn with a Jackhammer and went for the cover but Riddle kicked out at two.
Finn connected with a reverse DDT for another near fall. Riddle battled back and hit the Bro to Sleep and made his way to the top rope. Matt went for the Floating Bro but Balor got his knees up. Finn hit Riddle with a Dropkick and went for Coup de Grace but Riddle got out of the way.
Riddle locked in the Bromission but Balor was able to escape. Riddle hit Finn with a boot to the face but Balor shrugged it off. Finn then hit the 1916 DDT for the pinfall victory.
Kevin Owens & Team Ciampa Picked Up The Win In A Great Match
Men’s Wargames Match: Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish) faced Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic, and a mystery partner.
Tommaso Ciampa and Roderick Strong started off the match. Roderick Strong dominated early and lit up Ciampa’s chest with some chops. Ciampa battled back and unloaded a bunch of right hands to Roderick’s face. Tommaso followed it up with a running knee to the face.
Kyle O’Reilly was the next superstar in the match and spent the next three minutes beating down Ciampa with Roderick Strong. Dominik Dijakovic entered the match and leveled O’Reilly with a Clothesline. Dijakovic launched Roderick Strong into the steel cage and then did the same to O’Reilly.
Bobby Fish rushed to the ring and hit Ciampa with a flurry of kicks. Undisputed Era continued to dominate as the crowd began to sing “bask in his glory”. Keith Lee was let out of the cage and made his way to the ring. Lee connected with a couple of shoulder tackles and then took out Fish and O’Reilly with a Crossbody.
Bobby Fish locked in a Sleeper Hold on Keith Lee and then beat him down in the corner as Adam Cole was released from the cage. Cole sprinted to the ring and brought out several tables from under the ring and brought them inside the structure. Cole set up a table against the barricade and Ciampa threw him through it when Adam tried to enter the ring.
Team Ciampa and Undisputed Era then brawled in the ring as the crowd chanted “NXT!. Bobby Fish hit Keith Lee with a low blow that caused the big man to fall to the floor. Kevin Owens was revealed to the be the fourth member of Team Ciampa and made his way to the ring to a great reaction from the crowd.
Owens Powerbombed O’Reilly on top of Bobby Fish. Owens connected with a Stunner on Adam Cole and went for the cover but Roderick Strong broke it up. Undisputed Era took back control and set up several tables in the ring. Keith Lee climbed to the top rope and took out Undisputed Era with a Crossbody. O’Reilly locked in a submission on Keith Lee but Dijakovic broke it up with a Moonsault. Bobby Fish them immediately hit a Moonsault onto Dominik.
Owens connected with a Swanton Bomb on Bobby Fish. Adam Cole hit Ciampa and Owens with a couple Superkicks and climbed to the top rope. Keith Lee climbed up there with him but Roderick Strong hopped up from behind and planted Lee with a Strong Slam off the top rope.
Adam Cole planted Kevin Owens with a Panama Sunrise on the steel partition in between the rings as the crowd chanted “holy sh*t!” and then “mama mia!”. Ciampa hit several knees to the faces of Strong and O’Reilly and then did the same to Adam Cole.
Ciampa and Cole battled on the turbuckle. Cole shoved Ciampa down and then climbed to the top of the cage. Dijakovic Chokeslammed Roderick Strong through a table. Kevin Owens hit Kyle O’Reilly with a Frog Splash through a table and then Keith Lee connected with a Powerbomb that sent Bobby Fish through a table. Adam Cole and Tommaso Ciampa continued to battle on top of the steel cage. Ciampa then hit an Air Raid Crash on Cole through two tables for the pinfall victory. Cole’s girlfriend and AEW wrestler Britt Baker was shown in the crowd.
This match was excellent and capped off yet another incredible TakeOver. There were only four matches on the card and each of them delivered. Both the men’s and the women’s WarGames matches had amazing moments. This normally would be where I’d say that the main roster has a tough act to follow. However, NXT is now a part of Survivor Series and I’m hoping that leads to an a great PPV tomorrow night.
