NXT TakeOver: Portland aired live from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. Adam Cole defended the NXT Championship against Tommaso Ciampa in the main event.
NXT TakeOver: Portland Results
- Keith Lee def. Dominik Dijakovic to retain the North American Championship
- Dakota Kai. def. Tegan Nox
- Finn Balor def. Johnny Gargano
- Rhea Ripley def. Bianca Belair to retain the NXT Women’s Championship
- Broserweights def. Undisputed Era to capture the NXT Tag Team Championships
- Adam Cole def. Tommaso Ciampa to retain the NXT Championship
Here are 6 takeaways from the PPV:
Keith Lee Retained In An Incredible Match Against Dijakovic
Keith Lee defended his NXT North American Championship against Dominik Dijakovic in the first match of the night.
Match Recap: Keith Lee took Dominik down with an incredible Hurricanrana early and the crowd went insane. Dijakovic connected with a boot to the face that sent Lee out of the ring. Dominik went for a flip but Lee caught him. Dominik escaped and tried to Suplex Keith on the apron but had a hard time lifting him. Back in the ring, Dijakovic leveled Lee with a Cyclone Kick and made his way to the top rope. Dijakovic hit an awesome Corkscrew Moonsault for a near fall as the crowd chanted “NXT!”.
Both superstars fired up for Clothesline and connected at the same time. Dijakovic hit another Clothesline that sent Keith to the apron. Dominik planted Keith Lee with a Feast Your Eyes off the second rope for a near fall as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. Lee battled back with a pounce that sent Dominik flying to the the corner.
The action spilled outside the ring and Lee hit Dominik with a chop to the chest that echoed throughout the arena. Dominik battled back with a Superkick and Lee fell onto a computer chair. Dijakovic followed that up with an absolutely insane springboard Cannonball before rolling Keith Lee into the ring. Lee hit the Spirit Bomb but Dijakovic rolled through and hopped to his feet. Lee hit another Spirit Bomb but somehow Dominik was able to kick out at two.
Dijakovic and Lee then on the turnbuckle. Dominik planted Lee with a Spanish Fly off the second rope for a near fall. Dijakovic tried to lift Lee up but his back gave out and he fell to the canvas. Keith Lee quickly hit the Big Bang Catastrophe for the pinfall victory. Keith Lee is still the NXT North American Champion. After the match, Keith Lee showed Dijakovic respect and posed with him in the ring.
Opinion: Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic have unbelievable chemistry in the ring and all of their matches have been great. This was an excellent way to start TakeOver and will be tough for anyone to follow tonight.
Raquel Gonzalez Helped Dakota Kai
Dakota Kai squared off against Tegan Nox in a Street Fight tonight at TakeOver: Portland.
Match Recap: Dakota Kai attacked Tegan during her entrance but Nox battled back and hit a Spear through the barricade. Kai planted Tegan with a DDT and rolled her into the ring to officially start the match. Nox placed a trash can over Kai’s head and hit an inverted Senton. Kai blasted Nox over the head with the trash can lid and rolled her back in the ring. Nox planted Kai with a German Suplex onto the trash can for a near fall. Nox Chokeslammed Kai off the second rope and followed it up with the Molly-Go-Round for a two count. Nox placed Kai’s head on a chair and went for a kick but Dakota got out of the way. Kai then booted the chair into Tegan’s face before slamming her into the ring post outside the ring.
Kai taped Tegan’s arm to the the turnbuckle and booted her in the face. She followed it up with another kick and Nox fell to the floor. Tegan grabbed a laptop and hit Dakota on her surgically repaired knee. Nox wrapped her fist with a steel chain and started unloading on Kai’s knee. Tegan placed Dakota’s knee in the chair and stomped on it before connecting with a Shining Wizard. Nox brought a table into the ring and set it up in the corner. Nox put Kai on the table and then her neck in the steel chair. Raquel Gonzalez hopped on the apron and attacked Nox. Raquel Chokeslammed Nox off the top rope and onto the table but it didn’t break. Kai then pinned Nox for the victory.
Finn Balor Defeated Johnny Gargano
Finn Balor faced Johnny Gargano tonight at TakeOver: Portland.
Match Recap: Gargano and Balor traded shots and submission holds for the first few minutes of the match. Johnny hit Finn with a Spear and both superstars fell to the floor outside the ring. Balor battled back and hit Gargano with the Slingblade and followed it up with a knee to the midsection.
Back in the ring, Balor connected with a Dragon Screw and locked in a Figure Four. Johnny escaped with some punches to the face and followed it up with an Enziguri. Gargano hit the Slingshot Spear and went for the cover but Finn was able to kick out at the last moment. Gargano launched Balor into the corner but Finn bounced off the turnbuckle and hit a Pele Kick. Gargano then fell on top of Balor for a cover and Finn kicked out at two.
Johnny hit a Slingshot DDT and went for the cover but Balor was once again able to kick out at two. Balor hit another Slingblade and went for the Coup de Grace but Johnny got out of the way. Johnny locked in the Gargano Escape in the middle of the ring but Balor broke free and hit a Double Stomp. Finn went for the 1916 DDT but Johnny countered into the Gargano Escape once again.
Balor fought through the pain and grabbed the ropes to break the hold. Gargano cleared off the announce table but Balor got up and slammed him on top of it. Balor followed it up with a Dropkick that sent Gargano flying off the table and onto the barricade. Back in the ring, Balor hit the Coup de Grace and stood over Johnny. Balor then planted Gargano with the 1916 DDT for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: This started out slow but wound up being a terrific match. It also took some time for the crowd to get into it after following the very good Street Fight between Nox and Kai and the classic between Dijakovic and Lee. Balor winning caught me by surprise but I have no issue with it. Finn should have always been in a prominent role on RAW or SmackDown, so it is good to see him being featured that way in NXT.
Charlotte Will Face Rhea Ripley At WrestleMania
Rhea Ripley put her NXT Women’s Championship on the line against Bianca Belair tonight at TakeOver.
Match Recap: Ripley controlled the action early and focused her attack on Belair’s arm. Rhea connected with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Dropkick that sent Bianca to the corner. Ripley stomped on her a couple times and followed it up with a chop. Belair connected with a rough-looking Suplex that dropped Rhea on her side for a near fall. Ripley lifted Belair up in the Electric Chair and slammed her to the canvas for a near fall. Rhea locked in a submission hold but Bianca countered into a Spinebuster for a near fall. Ripley and Belair then traded shots in the corner and Bianca got the better of the exchange after hitting the hair whip.
Belair lifted Ripley above her head and dropped her to the mat as the crowd chanted “EST!”. Rhea hit Belair with a kick but Bianca hopped back up and hit a Spear. Bianca followed it up with a Back Body Drop that sent Rhea to the floor outside the ring. Belair then flipped onto Ripley but Rhea battled back and sent her into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Ripley went for a Sunset Bomb but Belair held onto the ropes. Ripley then planted Belair with the Riptide for the pinfall victory. Ripley is still the NXT Women’s Champion.
After the match, Charlotte Flair attacked Rhea from behind and then asked for a microphone. Flair told Ripley that she will see her at WrestleMania and then hit her with Natural Selection. Charlotte raised the NXT Women’s Championship as the crowd booed. Charlotte sent Bianca Belair into the steel steps before heading backstage.
Opinion: Ripley versus Charlotte should be a great match at WrestleMania. Rhea and Bianca had a very good match tonight as well. I thought the Back Body Drop spot was unnecessary/insane because Rhea landed directly on her feet and then fell awkwardly. I have no idea how Rhea didn’t get injured and hopefully that is the last we see of that spot. It will be interesting to see if anything comes of Charlotte attacking Bianca as well after the match.
The Broserweights Captured The NXT Tag Team Championships
Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish defended the NXT Tag Team Championships against Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle tonight at the PPV.
Match Recap: Dunne stomped on O’Reilly’s hand and then slammed Fish onto the ring apron to start things off. Pete followed it up by slamming O’Reilly onto Fish with a Suplex. Back in the ring, Dunne went to work on Bobby’s fingers and stomped on Fish’s ribs. Undisputed Era then took control and isolated Dunne in the corner of the ring. Kyle went for a running kick but Dunne ducked and O’Reilly booted Fish in the face. Riddle tagged in and unloaded a flurry of kicks to Fish and O’Reilly.
Riddle followed it up with a couple of Brotons and a Fisherman’s Buster to Fish. Matt connected with a GTS and a German Suplex to Kyle for a near fall. Dunne tagged in and hit a Powerbomb but Kyle kicked out at two. Pete Moonsaulted onto Fish outside the ring as Riddle went for a Moonsault as well. O’Reilly got his knees up and planted Riddle with a couple German Suplexes. Riddle popped up and hit O’Reilly with a knee to the face. Dunne tagged in and was greeted with a boot to the face from O’Reilly. Dunne locked in an Arm Bar but O’Reilly quickly countered into an Ankle Lock.
Dunne countered into an Ankle Lock of his own but Kyle countered into a Scorpion Death Lock. Fish then leaped onto Riddle’s back and applied a Sleeper Hold but Riddle fought through and booted O’Reilly in the face to break up the Scorpion Death Lock. Riddle then fell back and slammed Fish to the canvas. Riddle tagged in as Dunne lifted Fish in the Electric Chair. Fish escaped and tagged Kyle in.
Fish planted Riddle with a Suplex and O’Reilly followed it up with a Knee Drop. O’Reilly applied a Knee Bar in the middle of the ring as Fish trapped Dunne in the corner. Pete snapped Fish’s fingers back and then stomped on O’Reilly’s hand to break the hold. O’Reilly shoved Dunne to the corner and Pete accidentally knocked Riddle off the apron. Riddle got back into the ring and accidentally hit Dunne with a Spear. Fish and O’Reilly then connected with Chasing the Dragon but Dunne somehow kicked out at two.
Riddle tagged in and kneed Fish in the face. Riddle and Dunne booted O’Reilly out of the ring and then hit a slam/kick combo on Bobby Fish for the victory. The Broserweights are the new NXT Tag Team Champions.
Johnny Gargano Helped Adam Cole Retain The NXT Championship
Adam Cole defended the NXT Championship against Tommaso Ciampa in the main event of TakeOver: Portland.
Match Recap: Ciampa controlled the match early and sent Cole to the outside. Adam got back in the ring and Tommaso immediately applied a Headlock. Cole broke free but Ciampa took him right back down and trapped him in a Headlock again. Ciampa hit Cole with a chop to the chest but walked into a boot to the face outside the ring. Cole smirked and then mocked Ciampa by giving himself a round of applause on the ring apron.
Tommaso got pissed off and launched Cole into the ring post. Ciampa hit a running knee and then gave himself a round of applause on the apron. Tommaso hit Cole with a Dropkick and followed it up with a running knee strike to Adam’s face. Cole once again rolled out of the ring to regroup as the crowd booed.
Ciampa chased him out the ring and slammed his ribs into the barricade. Ciampa hit another running knee to Cole’s face before posing for the crowd. Tommaso hit another knee to the face and celebrated with the crowd. Cole battled back with a slam that sent Ciampa back-first onto the edge of the announce table.
Adam brought Ciampa back in the ring and started taunting him by shouting at him to give up while applying a submission hold. Cole went for a Sunset Bomb but Ciampa blocked it. Cole then hit a Backstabber off the middle rope and went for the cover but Ciampa kicked out at two.
Cole hit an Enziguri and climbed to the middle rope. Adam went for Panama Sunrise but Tommaso countered with a knee to the face. Ciampa followed it up with a German Suplex and a Torture Rack Bomb for a near fall. Cole connected with a Ushigoroshi for a two count.
Both men battled on the turnbuckle and Cole went for the Panama Sunrise but Ciampa countered with an Air Raid Crash off the middle turnbuckle for a near fall. Cole hit a Superkick but Ciampa shrugged it off and Powerbombed Cole on top of the announce table. Ciampa hit another Powerbomb and this time sent Cole through the table.
Ciampa brought Cole back in the ring and leveled him with a Clothesline. Tommaso hit Project Ciampa and went for the cover but somehow the champ was able to kick out at the last moment. The crowd chanted “NXT” as both superstars struggled to their feet. Cole connected with to kicks that sent Ciampa tumbling out of the ring. Cole went for a Suicide Dive but Ciampa was ready and countered with a knee to the face.
Adam Cole hit another Ushigoroshi in the ring and went for the cover but Ciampa kicked out at two. Cole connected with the Last Shot but Ciampa instinctively rolled to the apron and Adam couldn’t go for the cover. Cole followed him and Ciampa capitalized with an Air Raid Crash on the ring apron as the crowd chanted “holy sh*t!”.
Ciampa went for Fairytale Ending but Cole countered with a Back Body Drop outside the ring. Cole hopped off the announce table and planted Ciampa with the Panama Sunrise. Back in the ring, Ciampa planted Cole with a DDT and followed it up with the Fairytale Ending but somehow Cole kicked out at the last moment. Cole then locked in a Crossface in the middle of the ring but Tommaso countered into a Crossface of his own.
Cole battled through the pain and reached the bottom rope to break the hold. Adam rolled out of the ring to buy himself some time as Roderick Strong hopped on the apron. Strong distracted the referee as O’Reilly and Fish attacked Tommaso outside the ring. They rolled Ciampa back inside and Cole went for the cover but Ciampa kicked out at two.
Tommaso took out Strong with a DDT and then leaped onto the rest of Undisputed Era outside the ring. Cole hit three Superkicks and followed it up with the Last Shot but Ciampa somehow kicked out again. O’Reilly slid the title in the ring and distracted the referee. Cole shoved Ciampa into the referee and then hit Tommaso with a low blow. Cole went for the Panama Sunrise but Ciampa hit him with a low blow of his own. Ciampa hit the Fairytale Ending but the referee was knocked out.
Johnny Gargano showed up and ripped the title out of Ciampa’s hand. Gargano then hit Tommaso with the title and Cole covered Ciampa for the victory. Adam Cole is still the NXT Champion.
Opinion: I wanted to see Goldie return to Ciampa but I’m all for revisiting the incredible rivalry between Tommaso and Gargano. Adam Cole and Tommaso Ciampa put on an awesome match to conclude a nearly flawless TakeOver event. Every match delivered and NXT continues be one of, if not the best brand in professional wrestling.