After last weeks barnburner of a show, the landscape has changed in NXT. This is the kick off point to the upcoming Takeover Brooklyn 4. NXT Takeover Brooklyn is like the Wrestlemania of Takeovers. I don’t know if this was by design but it seems the NXT star shines brightest in the Big Apple. We are about two weeks away from the show so it’ll be interesting to see where this yellow roped road takes us.
Cold Open
A recap video of Tommasso’s championship victory.
Heavy Machinery vs. The Mighty
WWE Youtube doesn’t have this match up. They do have a promo from The Mighty though.
Pretty sure the match starts without the bell for the first half minute of the match. Heavy Machinery are angry because The Mighty are the suspects behind the attack on Tucker Knight.
The Mighty take control of the match fairly quickly and cut the ring in half like a good tag team does.
The Mighty have changed their name from TM-61 and have become heels. I still have no idea what their gimmick is or their motivation other than winning. I feel like I SHOULD care about The Mighty, I just don’t. There is nothing from them that draws emotion out of me. Heavy Machinery on the other hand keep me entertained and invested heavily in their characters. The funny thing is is that I don’t know their gimmick either. Other than Heavy Machinery eating steaks and lifting weights, they really have nothing of substance to chew on. They are just very charismatic and fun as hell.
As The Mighty gain control of the match The Street Profits music hits as they walk through the crowd. I know entrance distractions are overplayed but The Profits take the crowds attention and their spotlights even circle the ring.
Heavy Machinery win the match from the distraction and now the promo package on Youtube makes sense. It’s to start a feud since The Mighty’s feud with Heavy Machinery seems to have ended.
Mustache Mountain vs. Enhancement Talent (Matt Knox and
As Mustache Mountain make their way to the ring, the commentary team talk about the rivalry between Mustache Mountain and The Undisputed Era. That leaves me to believe that is the feud that is leading to Takeover, mainly because of this video on the Youtube and not the match.
British Strong Style is on full display in this match with Trent and Tyler dominating EVERY second of this match.
The fun part of this squash was the whole damn squash! Tyler and Trent know how to keep a crowd ready and entertained. I mean the pace that these two kept was tremendous and they seemed to bust out innovative or signature moves every chance they got.
Trent grabs a mic and says Mustache Mountain is back in NXT and they apologize for losing the belts.Tyler takes the mic and admits that he threw in the towel for Trent Seven because Trent’s well being means the world to Bate. It’s great to see babyface tag teams genuinely care for each other. Trent and Tyler spoke to William Regal and are evoking their rematch clause for Takeover.
EC3 vs. Kona Reeves
FINALLY a match that is on NXT and the WWE Youtube. EC3 has a fun entrance, I know this because my toddler daughter loves to do it. Also because the entire crowd sings EC3’s entrance song as EC3 mouths the words.
Kona comes out to some boos. They aren’t as heavy as the boos towards Tommaso but they are close. I dig Kona Reeves, I know that isn’t a popular opinion but the dude is annoying as hell and is a great heel for 2018. To actually draw heat now it seems like you need to have a character that is unoriginal and not that interesting of a wrestler. Kona has all those features and it’s kinda my favorite. He is the B-movie of wrestlers.
The match starts with an exaggerated headlock that Reeves simply cannot get out of and the crowd loves it. We get a headlock, hip toss and bodyslam and everything is setting the crowd on fire. Love it. Old school wrestling with a hot crowd.
This NXT crowd might be the best crowd of regulars NXT has. It’s miles ahead of the Full Sail crowd that was full of themselves and tried to get themselves over. This crowd boos the bad guys and cheers the good guys, they react to what they are supposed to react to. They are the ACTUAL smart fans that know how to play their role and it helps the product so much.
Kona is getting some offense in but it’s very apparent that he is out of his league wrestling EC3. Luckily for Reeves, Velveteen Dream makes an appearance and CUTS A PROMO on EC3 mid-match! That legit distracts EC3 but not enough to lose the match after Kona hits The Hawaiian Drop. EC3 shows heart and the will to win which gives the crowd a good reason to chant “EC3”.
After Kona loses his cool EC3 hits the 1%er for the win.
EC3 gets an interview backstage and says he will join Velveteen Dream in Dream’s Experience. EC3 said he is the “BDE of NXT” and that is my new favorite line. OF COURSE EC3 has Big Dick Energy.
Candice LeRae vs. Shayna Baszler
Interesting that Shayna had the horses at the beginning of her theme song, then she didn’t, now she does. Candace has a theme song that matches her personality but isn’t wrestling appropriate.
I love that Shayna is the Submission Magician because she loves submissions and is an actual magician.
Baszler tries to convince Candice to just give up before the match starts and Candice kicks Baszler square in the face. Shit is on. Candice is relentless, which she should be, because leaving an opening for Shayna spells death for you.
Candice went for an armdrag off the top rope but Shayna just pushed LeRae to the outside and turned the tide of the match. LeRae wasn’t able to get in the ring until the count of ‘9’ showing that Candice is hurt pretty bad.
Baszler is doing some crazy joint manipulation as Candice screams in pain. The crowd is trying to rally behind LeRae but Shayna is dominating the match and having her way with Candice. Working over the arm of Candice so much that Candice almost cannot continue.
Candice is showing her grit though and aggressively attacks Shayna. A tope suicida followed a top rope downward spiral. After a tornado DDT Candice almost got the three count. She is really showing up tonight and putting a look of worry on Shayna’s face. As Candice goes for her finish, Shayna counters it into the submission finish of Baszlers but Candice gets to the ropes.
Candice shows so much heart and fights her heart out. That isn’t enough to put away the Queen of Spades and Shayna is able to choke Candice out for the win.
Post match attack by Baszler until Kairi Sane makes the save to the sound of the crowd chanting her name. Kairi goes to LaRae’s side and Baszler sneak attacks Kairi with a kick to the ribs. This rivalry is heating the hell up.
Mustache Mountain has a promo in the back about their tag team championship match and then War Raiders come up to The Mountain to say that they will be next in line for the winners of the match.
William Regal announces at Takeover there will be Adam Cole vs. Ricochet for the North American Championship and Velveteen Dream vs. EC3.
Ricochet and Keith Lee are announced for next week.
Tommaso Ciampa
Ciampa makes his way to the Full Sail crowd chanting “Asshole”. Tommaso doesn’t care though, he is smiling and showing the title off. Ciampa gets yelled at by a fan saying “someone needs to take that title off of you!!”
I said that NXT fans are smart but I might have to retract that. Some fans are ‘yes’ing’ while most are boo’ing. Ciampa is the best heel in the business right now and anyone cheering him are the real assholes.
Ciampa is spending a bit of time letting the crowd get in their feelings while Ciampa says he will “take his rightful place at the head of the table”. Tommaso then gets out of the ring and talk shit to the grandma at ringside. The crowd his behind her though saying “don’t hurt Ethel” which is amazing. You ain’t a heel until you get a grandma to hate you.
Tommaso says “NXT is now the A-show” because he is the greatest sports entertainer of all time. This brings out Aleister Black but Johnny Gargano runs past Black and attacks Ciampa. Our NXT champion runs out of the ring.
Johnny says this isn’t Tommaso’s NXT because the only reason is champion is because Johnny Gargano. The camera shows that Johnny is staring at Tommaso while Black watches Johnny’s every move. Johnny repeats himself ” THE ONLY REASON YOU’RE CHAMPION IS BECAUSE OF ME!”
So Alesiter lays Johnny out with a Black Mass.
Black also blames Gargano and so does the crowd. The hate for Ciampa is so strong that it is giving Johnny residual heat.
This was a quick show that covered a lot of ground. I am excited for Takeover!!
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