NXT:
Takeover
Date: May 29,
2014
Location:
Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators:
Tom Phillips, William Regal, Byron Saxton
Reviewed by Tommy Hall
It's the
second two hour live NXT special tonight and the card looks solid.
The main event is Adrian Neville defending the NXT Title against
Tyson Kidd after Kidd won a triple threat a few weeks ago. Other
than that we've got the other two titles on the line as well, with
Ascension defending against Kalisto/El Local and Charlotte vs.
Natalya for the vacant Women's Title. Let's get to it.
The opening
video is about change, with NXT taking over the world. A Takeover
you might say.
Adam Rose
leads his party from outside, all the way into the arena for his
match. Awesome entrance.
Adam Rose
vs. Camacho
Rose is
feeling rather playful as he jumps into Camacho's arms, only to be
slammed down to the mat in a hard landing. A nice butterfly suplex
gets two on Adam and we hit the chinlock. The fans sing the song to
get Rose back to his feet because this is the most awesome crowd in
wrestling. Rose escapes and starts Hulking Up but a hard boot to the
face puts him down for two. Another chinlock slows things down as
the fans chant PARTY TIME. Camacho drops a leg for two but Rose
fights back with left hands and a big spinebuster. A Bronco Buster
sets up the Party Foul to pin Camacho at 5:10.
Rating: C.
This wasn't a great match but it was the perfect way to open up a big
show. Rose is very similar to Godfather, as the matches aren't all
that impressive but he's going to get a crowd over no matter what
he's doing. That's a very valuable thing to have and something that
should keep Rose on the main roster for a long time.
Video
on Zayn vs. Camacho from Arrival.
Tyler Breeze
has entered the building. Regal: “My night is made!”
Tag Team
Titles: Kalisto/El Local vs. Ascension
Ascension is
defending and their challengers have only wrestled together a few
times. The champions go after the masked men to start but stereo
headscissors put them on the floor. Local and Kalisto load up stereo
suicide dives but charge into uppercuts to knock them back into the
ring. Viktor starts by throwing Kalisto around before it's quickly
off to Konnor for a big elbow drop. A double chicken wing has
Kalisto in even more trouble.
Back to
Viktor who rips at Kalisto's mask before putting him in the Tree of
Woe for kicks from Konnor. They head outside to keep up the
destruction but Kalisto kicks Konnor in the face and rams Viktor face
first into the apron. It's not enough for a hot tag though as
Ascension takes him into the corner. Kalisto FINALLY dives over to
make the tag and Local speeds things up. A middle rope moonsault
gets two as everything breaks down. Viktor just ENDS Local with a
running clothesline though, setting up Fall of Man for the pin at
6:20.
Rating:
D+. The hot tag was a bit of an
improvement but this was more of the same from Ascension. At the end
of the day, they're desperately in need of competition unless they're
brought up to the main roster to take the belts from the Usos soon.
Either that or the new pretty boy team will knock them off, which
isn't the worst idea in the world.
Video on
Tyler Breeze.
Sami Zayn
vs. Tyler Breeze
#1 contenders
match. Breeze has new music, completely with paparazzi sounds.
Tyler cranks on the wrist to start but gets taken down by a top
wristlock. Zayn snaps off three very fast armdrags to take over and
hooks an armbar. Back up and Sami goes to the corner, only for Tyler
to grab his leg and whip Zayn all the way down to the floor. Breeze
stomps away in the corner before hitting a nice bulldog into the
middle buckle. Tyler's hair is down, I believe for the first time
ever in NXT.
We hit a
front facelock on Sami but he finally fights up and throws Breeze
off. I love the subtle things Sami does like have to try three times
before shoving Tyler away. It's a great way to build up sympathy and
get the crowd behind you. Breeze heads outside so Zayn hits a huge
slingshot moonsault to take him down. Back in and a high cross body
gets two on Tyler followed by a wicked Blue Thunder Bomb for the
same.
A frustrated
Sami goes up top but has to roll through a cross body, only to charge
into a kick to the ribs and a DDT for two. Tyler comes back by
pulling Sami from the mat out of the corner into a sitout powerbomb
for another near fall. Breeze goes nuts in the corner with right
hands but Sami comes back with an exploder suplex to send him into
the buckles. They slug it out with some very intense BOO/YAY chants.
Sami stops
himself before running into the referee and gets rolled up for two.
The Blue Thunder Bomb is countered into a series of standing switches
before Tyler superkicks Sami's head off but Zayn kicks out AGAIN.
The fans are literally standing and cheering for this. Both guys are
spent but it's Breeze in control. Sami blocks an Irish whip and
tries an arm trap powerbomb but the fall down in a sloppy looking
sequence. That's fine with Zayn though as he loads up a fisherman's
buster but flips Breeze forward into a powerbomb for two.
Breeze bails
to the floor, allowing Sami to hit a gorgeous flip dive. The landing
looked very rough though as Sami's leg smacked Breeze in the head and
knocked it into the steel ramp. Back in and Sami tries the Helluva
Kick but Breeze's head goes down, causing a low blow to Sami. Zayn
falls backwards and the Beauty Shot gives Breeze the pin at 15:55.
Rating:
A-. That botched sequence near
the end is one of the only things holding this back. Sami is more
than ready for WWE by this point but at some point he needs to get a
major win in NXT. I'm fine with them not making him champion, but
there's a good chance this gets a rematch due to the ending.
Breeze's best match ever by about 10,000 miles as well.
Here are Lana
and Rusev with something to say. Lana says Rusev has spread his
power to Raw and Smackdown but now he's back here receive adulation.
This brings out Mojo Rawley with an American flag to stand up to this
horrid villain. Rawley says in America, we don't get hyped. WE STAY
HYPED! Mojo hits the ring....and gets his head kicked into the
fourth row. Rusev hammers away and Accolades Rawley in about 20
seconds. Rusev still isn't done though as he puts on the Accolade on
the ramp.
Video on
Charlotte vs. Natalya, which will see both famous relatives in the
corners.
Kris
Kristofferson is here.
Before the
match, here's Paige to say how good it is to be home. She thanks the
fans for their help in making her Divas Champion because she couldn't
do it without them. Paige is also proud to be the first NXT Women's
Champion but tonight is about a new champion. Whoever that is has to
have strength, character and grace because she's the key to the
future. Holding the Women's Title is the key to the Divas Title, so
enjoy the rest of the show.
Women's
Title: Charlotte vs. Natalya
This is a
tournament final for the vacant championship. Charlotte has a
remixed Ric Flair theme song and it's really not working. After some
big match intros, we're ready to go. Feeling out process to start as
the legends play cheerleaders. Natalya takes her down by the arm but
gets caught in a headscissors. Back up and Natalya grabs the
headlock as well. That goes nowhere either so they fight over
wristlocks until Charlotte grabs an armbar.
Natalya does
the Owen Hart roll out and grabs a leg lock to take over. Back up
again and Natalya takes her right back down with another leg tie.
Charlotte reaches around to grab a chinlock which goes into a front
facelock. They hit the ropes for a bit with Natalya countering a
wheelbarrow slam into a cradle for two. Natalya grabs a body
scissors but Charlotte rolls to the ropes to avoid a cross
armbreaker.
Charlotte
gets tired of submission stuff and slaps Natalya in the face. A BIG
chop puts Natalya down and Ric loses his mind going WOO. Natalya
tries a sleeper but gets caught in an over the shoulder Stunner for
two. Charlotte slams the Canadian's face into the mat over and over
before choking in the corner a bit. Off to a figure four headlock
complete with Madison Rayne's face ram into the mat.
Back up and
it's off to an abdominal stretch on Natalya, albeit not a very good
one. Natalya reverses into a much better one and even grabs
Charlotte's leg for good measure. Charlotte rolls out and hits a low
dropkick for two. Natalya fights back with power and a low dropkick
of her own, followed by a whip into the corner for a Flair Flip.
They head outside with Charlotte whipping Natalya off the apron by
the leg. Back in and Charlotte goes up, only to miss a moonsault.
A discus
lariat gets two for Natalya and the Sharpshooter goes on, but
Charlotte rolls out and puts on the Figure Four. Natalya somehow
reverses the pressure without turning the hold over and Charlotte
crawls to the apron. She falls to the floor with the hold still on
and both girls are in trouble. Natalya is sent knee first into the
steps and it's back inside for a bad Sharpshooter (complete with a
glare at Bret) but Natalya rolls through, only to be kicked away from
the Sharpshooter. Charlotte hits Bow Down To The Queen out of
nowhere for the pin and the title at 16:55.
Rating:
B+. Who would have thought THIS
would be awesome? Charlotte has somehow become awesome in like two
months and more than held her own out there. It was hard to imagine
Natalya winning here but it was still an absolutely awesome match
between two wrestlers who happen to be girls.
They
shake hands post match, as do Ric and Bret for a nice moment.
Video on
Neville's rise to the top of NXT.
Cesaro and
Christian are here.
Kidd and
Natalya are ready.
NXT Title:
Tyson Kidd vs. Adrian Neville
Neville is
defending. Big match intros are done and we're ready to go. They
shake hands and talk trash to each other until Tyson takes him down
with a headlock. Adrian spins up and Tyson shoves him down to annoy
the champion. Back up and this time it's Adrian taking Kidd down and
into the ropes for another staredown. The champion grabs an armbar
(Fans: “ARMBAR! ARMBAR!”) but Kidd is quickly up and things get
faster. Neville flips over to escape a backdrop but Kidd does the
same, leading to another staredown. This time though Kidd blasts him
in the face and kicks away, giving us a mid match heel turn.
Kidd puts him
into the Tree of Woe before lifting him up for a kick to the back. A
running dropkick has Adrian in trouble and we hit the chinlock.
Neville fights up but Kidd sends him to the floor and hits a big flip
dive for two back inside. Adrian is back up again and they hit cross
bodies at the same time to put both guys down. Now they trade kicks
to the ribs but Adrian hits a sliding kick to the head to take over.
Now it's Kidd put in the Tree of Woe for the same kind of kicks that
he threw earlier.
A running
delayed dropkick knocks Kidd senseless but it's only good for two and
the champion is getting frustrated. Kidd comes back with a pair of
kicks to the head but Adrian kicks out at two. Tyson goes up but
Neville blocks the Blockbuster with a forearm to the jaw. Adrian's
superplex is countered into a powerbomb but Adrian flips out and hits
a sitout powerbomb for two.
Adrian loads
up what looked to be a Lionsault press but Kidd runs at the ropes for
a middle rope Russian legsweep for a close two. Kidd dives into
knees but gets rolled up for another near fall. The champion tries a
suplex but they both fall over the top rope and crash to the floor.
Both guys slide in to beat the count and they're spent.
Kidd loads up
the Sharpshooter but leans forward to put on the Dungeon Lock
(instead of turning over he grabs Adrian's arm and leans back for a
choke with a leg lock). Adrian is in the ropes, so Kidd ties him up
in those ropes for a top rope flip legdrop and two. Kidd loads up
the Blockbuster but Adrian counters into a gorgeous top rope
hurricanrana. Kidd is almost out cold and the Red Arrow is enough to
keep the title in England at 20:00.
Rating:
A-. Take two guys and let them
fly around the ring for a long time. Again, Kidd winning wasn't
likely at all but that doesn't mean he can't go out there and tear
the house down like he just did. Neville is getting a huge star rub,
even though he doesn't seem to be the longest term solution as
champion.
Kidd very
slowly gets up but won't shake hands.
Overall
Rating: A. This was an AWESOME
show with three incredible matches out of five with the other two not
being bad at all. NXT continues to be the most outstanding wrestling
promotion going right now with nothing but great matches and shows
almost every week. It's amazing how this doesn't translate all that
well up to WWE though, as the scripting of everything stops so much
of the momentum that NXT has due to people just going out there and
tearing the house down. Excellent show, just like Arrival.
Results
Adam Rose b.
Camacho – Party Foul
Ascension b.
El Local/Kalisto – Fall of Man to Local
Tyler Breeze
b. Sami Zayn – Beauty Shot
Charlotte b.
Natalya – Bow Down to the Queen
Adrian
Neville b. Tyson Kidd – Red Arrow
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