NXT TakeOver: New York aired live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Here are 5 takeaways from the show:
War Raiders Retained In An Amazing Match
War Raiders (Hanson & Rowe) defended their NXT Tag Team Championships against Aleister Black and Ricochet to kick off NXT TakeOver: New York. Rowe and Aleister started off the match by locking up in the middle of the ring. Rowe took Black down and wound up for a punch got back up and allowed Aleister to get back to his feet.
The two Superstars locked up again and Rowe got the advantage and brought Aleister to the canvas. Black got up and went to boot Rowe in the face but stopped short. The two Superstars fist-bumped and then Hanson and Ricochet tagged in.
Ricochet went for a shoulder tackle but Hanson didn’t budge. Ricochet Dropkicked Hanson out of the ring and Black tagged in. Aleister threw Rowe to the outside and then took a seat with Ricochet in the middle of the ring as the crowd chanted “NXT!”.
Back in the ring, Hanson planted Black with a Senton and then delivered a Powerslam to Ricochet. Ricochet battled back and hit Rowe with a Springboard Clothesline and followed it up with a Standing Shooting Star Press for a near fall.
A fan got kicked out as Black had Rowe in an Abdominal Stretch and the crowd chanted “you deserve it!”. Rowe battled out of the hold and elbowed Ricochet off the apron. Rowe connected with a knee to Black’s face and then tagged Hanson in. Ricochet tagged in and walked into a Sidewalk Slam from Hanson.
Hanson set up Ricochet and Black in opposite corners and hit them both with several Splashes. Hanson went for a Crossbody but somehow Ricochet was able to catch him and countered into a Fallaway Slam. Black and Rowe tagged back in and traded shots in the middle of the ring. Aleister connected with a knee to the face and followed it up with a German Suplex but Rowe was able to kick out at the last moment.
Hanson and Ricochet tagged in and Hanson connected with a ridiculous handspring elbow to Ricochet’s face for a near fall as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. Hanson climbed up to the top rope but Ricochet brought him back down. Rowe tagged in and lifted Ricochet up for a German Suplex. Hanson bounced off the ropes and leveled Ricochet with a Clothesline at the same time. Rowe went for the cover but Black broke it up out of nowhere with a Double Stomp.
Aleister knocked Hanson out of the ring and took him out with a Moonsault. Rowe hit Black with a Moonsault and then turned around into a Corkscrew Tiger Drop. Hanson then climbed up the top and took everyone out with a Cannonball as the crowd chanted “holy sh*t!”.
Back in the ring, Ricochet connected with a Superkick on Rower and then Black tagged in. Aleister knocked Hanson off the ring apron and hit Rowe with Black Mass. Ricochet tagged in and hit a Shooting Star Press on Rowe. Ricochet went for the cover but Hanson tackled Black on top of him to break up the cover.
Ricochet climbed back up to the top rope and went for the 630 Splash but Rowe got out of the way. Black went for a Moonsault but Hanson got out of the way and leveled him with a Clothesline outside the ring. Hanson then tagged in and was greeted with a boot to the face from Ricochet. Hanson slammed Ricochet to the mat and hit Black with a Suicide Dive. War Raiders then hit Ricochet with the Fallout for the pinfall victory.
After the match, the two teams shared a hug in the ring. Hanson and Rowe showed respect as this was the last match in NXT for Ricochet and Aleister Black. War Raiders left the ring as Black and Ricochet stayed behind. Ricochet wiped away the tears as the crowd chanted “NXT!”.
This match was essentially flawless and was a great way for Ricochet and Black to say goodbye to NXT. I was on the edge of my seat the entire match and I couldn’t come up with a negative thing to say about it if I tried. While tag team wrestling has been a struggle for the main roster, NXT consistently does it well.
Velveteen Dream Retained The NXT North American Championship
Velveteen Dream defended his NXT North American Championship against Matt Riddle tonight at TakeOver: New York. Dueling “Velveteen!” and “bro!” chants broke out at the start of the match.
Riddle connected with a couple of kicks to Dream’s leg to start off the match. Matt and Dream locked up and Riddle tried to transition into an Arm Bar but Velveteen was able to reach the ropes to quickly break the hold.
Dream stomped on Riddle’s foot and hit him with a shoulder tackle for a two count. Dream connected with a Dropkick and a Double Axehandle off the top turnbuckle. Velveteen knocked Riddle out of the ring and climbed to the top rope. Riddle got out of the way and then planted Dream with a German Suplex outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Riddle hit Dream with an Enziguri and followed it up with an Exploder Suplex. Dream battled back with a German Suplex but Riddle hopped right back up to his feet. Riddle connected with a knee strike to Dream’s face for a two count.
Matt got pissed off and unloaded a flurry of punches to Velveteen’s face and the referee had to break it up. Dream capitalized with a Sleeper Hold but Riddle countered into a roll-up for a near fall. Riddle hit a Ripcord Knee Strike, a GTS, and then a German Suplex for another near fall.
Dream hulked up and hit Riddle with the big boot. Velveteen followed it up with a Body Slam and then Clotheslined Riddle out of the ring. Back in the ring, Dream connected with a Fameasser for a near fall. Riddle battled back with a knee to the face but Dream hit a Codebreaker out of nowhere for a two count.
Riddle applied an Ankle Lock in the middle of the ring and Dream screamed in agony. Dream broke free and hit Riddle with a Superkick. Velveteen followed it up with a DDT and then the Dream Valley Driver. Dream went for the Purple Rainmaker but Riddle countered into the Bromission. Dream broke free and escaped to the ring apron. Riddle grabbed him and hit an insane German Suplex that sent Dream back into the ring. Riddle followed it up with the Floating Bro for a near fall.
Velveteen hit a Superkick but Riddle shrugged it off and hit a Powerbomb. Riddle followed it up with a knee to the face and then locked the Bromission once again. Dream countered into a roll-up for the pinfall victory. After the match, Riddle offered to fist bump Dream and Velveteen accepted.
I thought this match was terrific and Riddle looked good in defeat. It would have been far too soon to take the North American Championship off of Velveteen Dream and Riddle’s popularity won’t fade at all after this loss.
Walter Captured The UK Championship
Pete Dunne put his United Kingdom Championship on the line against Walter tonight at TakeOver. Dunne controlled the match early but Walter battled back with a couple of chops that knocked Dunne over with ease.
Dunne went for a Clothesline but Walter shrugged it over and knocked Pete to the mat. Walter knocked Dunne to the outside then slammed him into the ring apron. Back in the ring, Dunne applied a Heel Hook in the middle of the ring.
Walter broke the hold after hitting a chop to Dunne’s chest and then locked in the Boston Crab. Dunne crawled to the bottom rope and quickly broke the hold. Walter hit Dunne with a boot to the face that sent Dunne to the floor outside the ring.
Dunne got back into the ring and kicked Walter in the face. Walter rolled out of the ring and Dunne hit him with a Moonsault off the top rope. Back in the ring, Dunne connected with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Walter was able to kick out at the last second.
Walter rolled to the floor outside the ring and Dunne hit him with a Double Stomp off the top rope. The action returned to the ring and Walter leveled Dunne with a Dropkick. Walter followed it up with a Powerbomb for a near fall. Walter went for another Powerbomb but Dunne escaped and hit an Enziguri. Both Superstars fell to the canvas as the crowd chanted “U.K.!”.
Pete booted Walter in the face and made his way to the but Walter joined him up there. Walter connected with a Suplex off the turnbuckle for another near fall. Dunne bent back Walter’s fingers and hit him with a German Suplex for a two count.
Walter knocked Dunne down and went for a Splash off the top rope but Dunne countered into a Triangle. Walter broke free and stomped the hell out of Dunne in the middle of the ring. Dunne hit a forearm to the face and followed it up with the Bitter End for a two count.
Both Superstars got back up and started trading shots in the middle of the ring. Dunne hit Walter with a flurry of strikes while he was up against the ropes and the referee broke it up. Walter took advantage with a big boot and made his way to the top rope. Dunne met Walter up there but that turned out to be a mistake. Walter planted Dunne with a ridiculous Powerbomb and then a Splash for the pinfall victory. Walter is the new United Kingdom Champion.
Dunne and Walter had a tough task following two terrific matches but they managed to overcome it. They absolutely beat the hell out of each other during this match and it was impressive to watch. Pete Dunne had an incredible title reign, but giving Walter the belt was the correct decision.
Shayna Baszler Is Still The NXT Women’s Champion
Shayna Baszler defended her NXT Women’s Championship against Kairi Sane, Bianca Belair, and Io Shirai in a Fatal 4-Way match tonight at TakeOver. Shirai and Sane teamed up in the beginning of the match and knocked Belair and Baszler to the outside.
Belair and Baszler then sent Sane and Io to the outside and battled in the ring. Shirai broke it up with a Dropkick to Belair as Kairi brought Baszler to the outside. Shirai went for a Crossbody but Belair caught her and connected with a Fallaway Slam. Belair went for the cover but Shayna broke it up at two.
Baszler and Belair battled on the top rope but Sane and Io snuck up behind them. Sane and Shirai then planted both Belair and Sane with dueling Powerbombs. Belair and Baszler rolled to the outside and Kairi hit them with an Insane Elbow. Shirai followed it up with a Moonsault onto Baszler.
Back in the ring, Bianca hit Io with a Spear and then turned around into a knee to the face from Baszler. Shirai then planted Baszler with a German Suplex and all four Superstars fell to the canvas. Bianca sent everyone to the outside and then brought Shayna back into the ring.
Shayna trapped Baszler in the Kirifuda Clutch in the center of the ring. Belair escaped and connected with the KOD but Shirai broke up the pinfall. Bianca went for a Powerbomb but Io countered into an X-Factor. Shirai hit a Moonsault onto Baszler and went for the cover but Sane broke it up at the last second.
Kairi hit an Alabama Slam on Shirai and then sent her out of the ring. Kairi followed it up with the Insane Elbow and went for the cover but this time Shirai broke it up. Io hit Sane with a Dropkick and then a flurry of forearms. Kairi battled back with a DDT and Io landed directly on her head.
Sane climbed to the top rope but Belair hit her with the hair whip. Bianca then lifted Sane and Shirai with a KOD at the same time. Shayna then kneed Belair in the face and locked in the Kirifuda Clutch for the submission victory. Baszler is still the NXT Women’s Champion.
I was surprised that Belair tapped after passing out to the Kirifuda Clutch at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix. There really isn’t any reason to take the title off of Shayna Baszler until she is going to the main roster. The crowd despises her, so whomever finally takes the title from her is going to become incredibly popular within the NXT Universe.
Johnny Gargano Finally Won The NXT Championship
Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole battled in a 2 out of 3 Falls Match for the vacant NXT Championship. Dueling “Johnny Wrestling!” and “Adam Cole!” chants broke out at the start of the match. Cole and Gargano traded shots and Johnny got the upper hand. Gargano Clotheslined Cole to the outside and followed it up with a Dropkick between the ropes.
Cole battled back with an Enziguri as the action returned to the ring. Adam applied a Chinlock and brought Gargano down to the canvas. Johnny broke free and then both Superstars connected with a Crossbody at the same time. Gargano connected with an Overhead Suplex and then the Slingshot Spear for a near fall.
Gargano followed that up with a Tornado DDT off the middle turnbuckle for a two count. Cole battled back with a Lumbar Check and went for a cover but Johnny kicked out at two. Cole hit Gargano with an Enziguri and then took down his knee pad. Gargano tried to roll Cole up but Adam kicked out at two. Cole then hit the Last Shot to the back of Johnny’s head for pinfall to go ahead 1-0.
Adam Cole went right back on the attack and connected with the Last Shot but Gargano somehow kicked out at two. Johnny sent Cole to the apron and hit him with a Spear. Johnny followed it up with a Cannonball off the apron and both Superstars crashed to the floor.
Back in the ring, Cole connected with an Ushigoroshi for a near fall. Cole and Gargano battled on the turnbuckle and Johnny hit an Avalanche Air Raid Crash for a two count. Johnny then planted Cole with the Slingshot DDT on the ring apron and both Superstars fell to the floor outside the ring.
Cole slammed Gargano into the ring post a couple of times before bringing him back into the ring. Johnny quickly locked in the Gargano Escape and Cole immediately tapped out to even it at 1-1.
Cole shrugged off a Clothesline and planted Gargano with a Neckbreaker over his knee for a two count. Gargano hit Cole with an Enziguri and then launched him into the middle turnbuckle for a near fall. Gargano and Cole traded shots and both Superstars hit a Superkick at the same time as the crowd chanted “NXT!”.
Adam Cole connected with a Superkick to the back of Gargano’s head and followed it up with a Straight Jacket German Suplex for another two count. Gargano connected with a Reverse Hurricanrana and then a Superkick but Cole fell out of the ring before Johnny could go for a cover.
Cole hit Gargano with a Wheelbarrow Suplex into the ring apron and then rolled Johnny back inside as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. Gargano hit a DDT out of nowhere and followed it up with the Slingshot DDT for a two count. Cole rolled out of the ring but Gargano hit him with a Suicide Dive.
Gargano rolled Cole back in the ring and went for another Slingshot DDT but Cole countered with a boot to the face. Cole followed it up with a Panama Sunrise (Canadian Destroyer) but Gargano somehow kicked out. Cole taunted Gargano and called him a failure. Johnny got pissed off and launched Cole over the announce table. Johnny cleared off the announce table but Cole hit him with the Fairy Tale Ending (Ciampa’s move) but the table didn’t break.
Cole rolled back into the ring and the referee started counting. Johny got back into the ring at the last second and Cole hit him with a Superkick for another near fall. Cole went for the Last Shot but Gargano caught him with a Superkick. Cole hit a Superkick of his own and went for the Panama Sunrise but Gargano countered into the Gargano Escape. Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong distracted the referee while Cole tapped out. O’Reilly and Strong attacked Gargano and Cole went for the cover when the ref got back in the ring but Johnny somehow kicked out.
Gargano sent Cole onto Undisputed Era outside the ring and then took them all out. Back in the ring, Cole hit another Superkick and then another Last Shot but Gargano somehow kicked out again and the crowd exploded. Cole went for the Last Shot again but Johnny countered into the Gargano Escape for the submission victory. Johnny Gargano is the new NXT Champion. Candice LeRae came down to the ring to celebrate with Gargano after the match. Johnny then celebrated with his family in the crowd. Tommaso Ciampa came down to the ramp with a neck brace on and shared a hug with Gargano to close the show.
Cole and Gargano put on an unbelievable match to close NXT TakeOver: New York. It sucks that we were robbed of Gargano versus Ciampa one more time, but this match was just extraordinary. Once again, NXT puts on an incredible event that will likely steal the weekend. WrestleMania will be a spectacle on Sunday night, but when it comes to in-ring wrestling, I don’t see how it can top what we saw tonight.