NXT Takeover: XXV aired live on the WWE Network from the Webster Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Tommaso Ciampa joined the panel on the Kickoff Show and said that he is well on his way back to getting back into the ring. Ciampa added that he was coming to take back his title when he returns.
Here are 5 takeaways from the PPV:
Matt Riddle Defeated Roderick Strong In An Excellent Match
Matt Riddle squared off against Roderick Strong to start off NXT TakeOver 25. Strong began the match in control and sent Riddle to the corner. Riddle exploded out of the corner and connected with three Gutwrench Suplexes in a row. Strong tried to regroup on the outside but Riddle chased after him and brought him back into the ring.
Strong rolled out of the ring and Riddle launched himself off the steel steps and hit a flying forearm to Roderick’s face. Strong battled back with a Backbreaker on the apron and both superstars crashed to the floor outside the ring. Back in the ring, Strong went for the cover but Riddle kicked out at two.
Riddle went for another forearm but Strong beautifully countered into a Backbreaker for a near fall. Strong unloaded several punches to Riddle’s face and then locked in a Crossface. Riddle broke free and traded punches with Roderick. Strong got the better of the exchange and went for the cover but Riddle powered out at two.
Roderick planted Riddle with an Olympic Slam for another near fall. Riddle hit Strong with a Brainbuster and the two superstars traded shots again. Riddle hit Strong with a kick to the face and followed it up with an Exploder Suplex. Matt hit the Broton and then a Penalty Kick for a two count.
Matt hit Strong with a series of kicks to his chest and then hit him with a GTS out of nowhere. Riddle followed that up with a German Suplex for a near fall. Strong connected with an Enziguri and perched Riddle up on the top rope. Strong delivered a Superplex and went for the cover but Riddle somehow kicked out at the last second.
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Riddle and Strong traded punches again. Riddle went for a Powerbomb but his back gave out. Strong connected with several forearms to the face and then planted him with another Suplex but somehow Riddle kicked out again. The crowd went nuts as Strong couldn’t believe that Riddle kicked out.
Matt booted Roderick out of the ring and then booted him in the face when he got back inside. Riddle hit the Ripcord Knee and then another knee strike but Strong kicked out at two. Riddle climbed up to the top rope and went for a Moonsault but Strong got his knees up. Strong followed that up with a Powerbomb but Riddle kicked out.
Strong transitioned right into a Boston Crab in the middle of the ring. Strong put his knee on Riddle’s injured back but Matt escaped with a few kicks. Riddle then locked in the Bromission in the center of the ring and Strong screamed in pain. Riddle couldn’t maintain the hold due to his injured back and Strong battled to his feet. Riddle then slammed Strong to the canvas for the pinfall victory.
TakeOver started off with an absolutely incredible match from Strong and Riddle. These two had amazing chemistry and there wasn’t a second wasted throughout the entire bout.
Street Profits Captured The Tag Titles In An Epic Ladder Match
Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish), The Forgotten Sons (Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake), Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins), and Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan competed in a Ladder Match for the vacant NXT Tag Team Championships.
The match started with a massive brawl that sent several superstars out of the ring. Undisputed Era beat down Montez Ford and then isolated Steve Cutler in the ring. They sent Cutler to the outside and Burch & Lorcan got into the ring. The two teams traded shots until Lorcan unloaded a flurry of chops.
Undisputed Era sent Lorcan and Burch to the outside and then brought a ladder towards the ring. Blake hit a Suicide Dive right into the ladder and Undisputed Era fell on the ramp. Lorcan and Burch attacked Blake and Cutler and beat them down. Dawkins climbed to the top rope and took everyone out with a Splash.
Street Profits set up the ladder and started climbing but Undisputed Era brought them down to the mat. O’Reilly and Fish climbed the ladder but Blake shoved it over. O’Reilly landed right on top of the ladder and tumbled out of the ring in agony. The Forgotten Sons bashed Street Profits and Undisputed Era in the face with the ladder. Burch and Lorcan planted Forgotten Sons with double German Suplexes and the ladder went flying into poor Kyle O’Reilly again.
Dawkins planted Burch with a Spinebuster and Ford followed it up with a ridiculous Frog Splash. Ford and Dawkins set Blake up on a ladder and Ford leaped onto him. Street Profits then hit Cutler with a Flapjack on top of the ladder. Kyle O’Reilly hit Dawkins with a Dropkick off the top rope and once again O’Reilly splatted on top of the ladder as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”.
Bobby Fish planted Ford with a German Suplex on the ladder as the crowd loudly chanted “NXT!”. O’Reilly started climbing as Fish took out anyone who got in the way. O’Reilly fell to the mat and Fish started climbing. Blake then Powerbombed O’Reilly into the ladder again as Mauro comically shouted: “they killed Kyle!”.
The crowd broke out in a “mama mia!” chant as Forgotten Sons placed a ladder in the corner of the ring. Cutler set up another ladder in the middle of the ring but O’Reilly locked in a Knee Bar in the rungs of the ladder. Blake stomped on Kyle to break it up and then sent him to the outside.
Blake planted Fish with a reverse DDT as Cutler leaped off the ladder and stomped on Fish at the same time. The Forgotten Sons started climbing to a chorus of boos from the crowd. Dawkins and Burch got in the ring and Danny lifted Cutler up in the Electric Chair. Lorcan hit Cutler with an uppercut off the top rope as Dawkins lifted Blake up in the Electric Chair. Montez Ford hit a Blockbuster off the top rope and slammed Cutler to the canvas.
Kyle O’Reilly slowly started climbing but Jaxson Ryker marched down the entrance ramp. Ryker once again Powerbombed O’Reilly into the ladder and then took everyone else out. Dawkins started climbing but Jaxson flipped over the ladder and Angelo fell to the canvas. Ryker bashed the hell out of Dawkins with the ladder in the corner of the ring.
Oney Lorcan charged at Ryker but Jaxson hit him with a Back Body Drop and Lorcan crashed on top of the ladder. Undisputed Era attacked Ryker and beat him down. Street Profits and Oney Lorcan joined in on the attack and stomped the hell out of Ryker. They then hit Ryker with the ladder several times before brawling with each other once again.
Undisputed Era hit Ryker with the ladder once again and Jaxson finally fell to the outside. Ford then flipped onto Ryker and landed hard on his back on the floor outside the ring. Lorcan then hit Ryker with a Suicide Dive as Burch hit a Dropkick into the ladder that sent Undisputed Era to the canvas.
Burch and Lorcan sent Fish shoulder first into the steel ring post. Lorcan planted O’Reilly with a Suplex and then grabbed a ladder. Burch and Lorcan sandwiched the Street Profits with two ladders. They then hurled a ladder onto the Forgotten Sons outside the ring.
Lorcan and Burch started climbing but Fish and O’Reilly brought them back down. Two ladders were then set up in the ring as Burch, Lorcan, and Undisputed Era climbed towards the titles suspended above the ring. The Forgotten Sons tipped over the ladders and the two teams fell to the outside.
Blake and Cutler started their climb up the ladder as the crowd booed. Angelo Dawkins took out Cutler with a Spear as Ford springboarded onto the ladder. Ford then knocked Blake to the canvas and grabbed the titles. The Street Profits are the new NXT Tag Team Champions.
This match was insane and the right team won. Street Profits are a hell of a team and the NXT crowd loves them. I cannot get over how much punishment Kyle O’Reilly took during this match. I don’t know he was able to walk backstage once this match concluded. Once again, NXT does the tag team division right and it is frustrating that it doesn’t translate to the “main roster”.
Velveteen Dream Retained The NXT North American Championship
Velveteen Dream defended his NXT North American Championship against Tyler Breeze.
Dream threw his glove at Breeze before the match as the crowd chanted “Velveteen!”. Breeze went for the Unprettier early but Dream escaped. Tyler then took a seat across the top rope and waved his foot in Dream’s face. Tyler hit a Backbreaker for a two count and then Clotheslined Dream to the outside.
Velveteen caught Breeze with a punch to the face and then a Double Axehandle off the top rope. Breeze escaped to the outside but Dream brought him right back into the ring. Velveteen climbed to the top rope but Tyler got out of the ring. Breeze crotched Dream on the ring post and then slammed his leg into the steel. Breeze followed that up with a flying forearm off the apron and went for another one but Dream countered with a punch to the face.
Back in the ring, Breeze locked in a single-legged Crab on Dream’s injured leg. Velveteen fought through the pain and grabbed the bottom rope to break the hold. Breeze stomped the hell out of Dream in the corner and then Dropkicked him to the outside. Breeze followed him outside and Dream hit him with a Superkick to the face.
Dream told the referee to stop the count and Dream bashed Breeze’s face into the announce table several times. Velveteen grabbed Breeze’s phone and took a selfie with him on the announce table. Dream got distracted by the crowd and turned around into a Superkick from Breeze.
Tyler and Dream got back into the ring and Velveteen connected with a Dream Valley Driver out of nowhere for a two count. Velveteen climbed to the rope but Breeze rolled to the apron. Breeze connected with an Enziguri and both superstars fell to the mat. Breeze climbed to the top rope and hit a Crossbody but Dream rolled through for a two count.
Velveteen lifted Tyler up in the Fireman’s Carry but Breeze escaped. Tyler hit another Superkick and went for the cover but Dream kicked out at the last moment. Dream leaped off the top rope and right into a Dropkick from Breeze. Velveteen battled back with a DDT for a near fall.
Breeze crotched Dream on the top turnbuckle and went for a DDT but Velveteen shoved him to the mat. Breeze exploded off the canvas with a knee to the face and both superstars collapsed to the canvas. Dream connected with the Unprettier on Breeze for a two count. Dream went for the Purple Rainmaker but Dream got his knees up.
Tyler hit another Superkick and then the Unprettier but somehow Dream kicked out at two. Dream rolled up Breeze for a two count and then walked into a Beauty Shot spin kick from Breeze. Tyler went for the cover but Velveteen escaped to the outside. Breeze went after him and dragged Dream towards the ring.
Breeze broke the count and demanded that the referee stop counting. Dream brought the title into the ring and Breeze ripped it away. Dream capitalized on the distraction and hit the Dream Valley Driver. Velveteen Dream then hit the Purple Rainmaker for the pinfall victory. Velveteen Dream is still the NXT North American Champion.
After the match, Dream stood in the ring with Breeze’s phone as Tyler got up. Dream posed with the title and gave Tyler back his phone. Breeze and Dream then took a selfie in the middle of the ring before Dream exited.
Aside from a few clunky moments, Dream and Breeze put on a very solid match tonight. It is great to see Breeze back in NXT because at least he will be featured on the show.
Shayna Baszler Tapped Out Shirai To Retain The NXT Women’s Championship
Shayna Baszler defended her NXT Women’s Championship against Io Shirai tonight at TakeOver. Shayna came down to the ring by herself as Duke and Shafir remained backstage.
Shayna knocked Io the mat to start things off. Io shoved Baszler to the corner and then smacked her in the face. Shirai connected with a Dropkick that sent the champ to the outside. Shirai hit Baszler with a baseball slide and then brought her back into the ring.
Io climbed to the top rope but Shayna slammed her back to the mat. Baszler stomped on Io’s elbow and then posed as the crowd booed her out of the building. Baszler connected with a massive Clothesline and went for the cover but Shirai kicked out at two.
Baszler snapped Io’s shoulder back and Shirai retreated to the corner. Baszler remained on the attack and dropped an elbow onto Io’s injured arm. Shayna tried to stomp on Io’s elbow again but Shirai escaped. Io connected with a German Suplex but couldn’t bridge into a cover due to her injured arm.
Io hit a 619 and followed it up with a springboard Dropkick for a two count. Baszler and Shirai traded shots before Io locked in a Crossface in the middle of the ring. Shayna slammed Io to the canvas to break up the hold and both superstars remained on the mat.
Shayna was the first to her feet and grabbed Io by her hair in the corner. Baszler twisted Io’s elbow on the turnbuckle but Io broke free with a boot to the face. Io then hit another Dropkick that sent Shayna to the outside. Shirai climbed to the top rope and hit Shayna with a Moonsault outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Shirai went to the top again and hit another Dropkick. Io followed it up with Double Knees but Duke and Shafir came down the entrance ramp. Candice LeRae attacked them both with a kendo stick and then hit a Crossbody off the steel steps.
Io got distracted by this and Baszler capitalized with a roll-up for a two count. Shayna went for the Kirifuda Clutch but Io escaped. Shirai went for a Moonsault but Baszler dodged it. Io landed on her feet and booted Baszler in the face. Shirai went for a roll-up but Baszler countered into the Kirifuda Clutch in the middle of the ring. Shirai desperately tried to reach the ropes but couldn’t make it and had no choice but to tap out. Shayna Baszler remains the NXT Women’s Champion.
After the match, Io Shirai attacked Shayna with a kendo stick and then hit her with a Moonsault off the top rope. Io then asked Candice to grab her a chair from under the ring. Shirai delivered another Moonsault with the steel chair before exiting the ring.
Shirai and Baszler put on a very solid match and I’m looking forward to watching this rivalry continue in NXT. Baszler had welts across her back and the crowd chanted “you deserve it!” as she laid in the ring. Shayna hobbled to her feet to a chorus of boos and then shoved away the referee.
Adam Cole Captured The NXT Championship
Johnny Gargano defended the NXT Championship against Adam Cole in the main event of NXT TakeOver: XXV. The crowd was split down the middle as “Adam Cole!” and “Johnny Wrestling!” chants broke out before the match.
Gargano hit a shoulder tackle but Cole responded with a shoulder tackle of his own. Cole went for the Last Shot but Gargano avoided it. Johnny tried for the Gargano Escape but Cole blocked it and rolled out of the ring.
Back in the ring, Gargano hit a Hurricanrana and Adam once again retreated out of the ring. Gargano connected with a Cannonball off the ring apron as the referee started his count. Johnny rolled Adam into the ring and Cole once again retreated to the outside. Gargano hit Cole with a Double Stomp on his arm before the action finally returned to the ring.
Cole connected with a Superkick to the back of Gargano’s knee and then bounced Johnny’s face off the top turnbuckle. Cole then went to work on Johnny’s leg and applied a Knee Bar in the middle of the ring. Gargano booted Cole in the face to break the hold but Adam remained on the attack.
Adam booted Johnny in the knee and then hit a Dropkick off the second rope. Cole continued to punish Gargano and connected with a Dragon Screw. Gargano grabbed his knee in pain as Adam sent him to the corner. Cole stomped away at Gargano’s knee and Johnny fell to the canvas.
Cole leaped off the second rope but Gargano countered into a Powerbomb. Gargano hit an overhead Belly to Belly Suplex and followed it up with a kick to the side of Cole’s head. Johnny connected with a Flatliner off the second rope for a near fall.
Johnny hit the slingshot Spear and went for the cover but Cole kicked out at the last second. Gargano perched Cole on the top rope and went for a Superplex but Adam blocked it. Cole connected with a Backstabber for another two count. Cole followed it up with an Enziguri and then a Facecrusher for a near fall.
Cole and Gargano traded Superkicks and both superstars fell out of the ring. They then both hit each other with a Superkick at the same time and fell to the floor outside the ring. Back in the ring, Gargano hit the Slingshot DDT for another near fall. Johnny hit a Double Stomp but Cole once again rolled out of the ring.
Adam booted Gargano in the knee and hit an Ushigoroshi on the outside. Cole then hit another Ushigoroshi in the ring for a two count. Johnny locked in the Gargano Escape but Cole countered into the Figure Four. Gargano was able to reverse the hold but Cole quickly grabbed the bottom rope to break it up.
Cole went after Gargano’s knee again and took down his knee pad. Gargano booted Cole out of the ring and then hit him with a DDT when he tried to get back inside the ring. Johnny went for a Suicide Dive and Cole hit him with a Superkick while he was in midair. Cole followed it up with a Panama Sunrise off the ring apron as the crowd chanted “holy sh*t!”.
Cole went for the cover back in the ring but Gargano somehow kicked out at two. Cole took down his own knee pad and went for the Last Shot but Johnny dodged it. Adam Cole locked in the Gargano Escape but Johnny broke free and hit Cole with the Last Shot for another near fall.
The crowd chanted “fight forever!” as Gargano and Cole traded punches in the middle of the ring. Cole connected with a boot to the face but Johnny bounced off the ropes and hit a Clothesline. Gargano and Cole traded Superkicks and Johnny hit a reverse Hurricanrana. Cole bounced to his feet and hit the Last Shot but somehow Gargano kicked out.
Adam couldn’t believe that Johnny kicked out and started arguing with the referee. Cole rolled out of the ring and grabbed a steel chair. The referee tried to rip the chair away and Gargano accidentally hit him with a Suicide Dive. Cole tried to hit Johnny with the chair but Gargano ducked. Johnny hit a Superkick and bounced the chair into Adam’s face.
Gargano went for the cover but the referee was still knocked out. Gargano rolled the referee into the ring as Cole waved for someone to come down to the ring. Nobody emerged from backstage but Cole capitalized on the distraction and spiked Johnny’s head into the mat for a two count.
Cole set up for the Last Shot but Johnny fell to the mat. Johnny then locked in the Gargano Escape and rolled to the middle of the ring. Cole elbowed Johnny several times in the knee to break the hold. Cole connected with Panama Sunrise and then the Last Shot for the pinfall victory. Adam Cole is the new NXT Champion. After the match, Undisputed Era celebrated in the ring as Gargano sat in shock against the steel steps. Bobby Fish had in his arm in a sling during the celebration.
Cole and Gargano put on an instant classic tonight at TakeOver: XXV. The match started out slow and built up perfectly to the finish. It will be interesting to see where Gargano goes from here. Cole deserved this moment and I’m looking forward to his title run in NXT. NXT TakeOver: XXV was another phenomenal show for the brand. All five matches delivered and there was not a dull moment during the entire PPV.