NXT Takeover New Orleans April 7, 2018 Results and Review

Shayna Baszler NXT Takeover 2018 - source WWE 

I’m excited that I will be seeing NXT in Chicago later this year. I am excited to see the product in person, and if it is anything like this one, I’m going to be in for a great treat for sure. As for all of that, let’s start with our take on this past weekend’s big event. We will be talking about NXT Takeover New Orleans.

NXT Takeover New Orleans April 7, 2018 Results and Review

Adam Cole defeated EC3, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan, Ricochet, and Velveteen Dream in a Ladder Match for the NXT North American Championship

This was a stellar 30 minute match that had everything you’d want from a ladder match, with the sole exception of blood. That’s just a small nitpick, but other than that, you’re going to find that there was a lot of greatness, that featured these guys killing themselves for a title. There’s so much to explore in this match that I can’t list everything I liked, it’s just one of the best ladder matches that I’ve seen in a long time. Ricochet here, holy crap, Velvet Teen Dream, holy crap, and you know what, amazing.

Shayna Baszler defeated Ember Moon for the NXT Women’s Championship

I disagree with nearly every podcast that I heard talking about NXT Takeover. I loved this match, and loved Shayna Baszler’s improvement from the past match that she had with Ember Moon. Shayna has improved so much that I saw shades of Zack Sabre Jr. and he’s my favorite wrestler right now. Shayna Baszler improved so much that she was able to counter some of Ember Moon’s offense and eventually get her to pass out in her finisher. I was so glad to see the change that I may pick up a Shayna Baszler shirt, even if I’m the only one wearing one.

The Undisputed Era defeated Authors of Pain, and Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong for the NXT Championship and Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Trophy

This was a stellar match with a lot of upside. I loved the process that was going on in this three way dance for the title and trophy. It was going well until Roderick Strong turned on Pete Dunne and caused this match to go down hill. The match dropped a heel turn for Strong, and he joined The Undisputed Era and is now part of the championship category of NXT. Dunne, however, was laid out as a result. Good match, and I appreciated the turn.

Aleister Black defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas for the NXT Championship

Aleister Black put on a show against Almas, and Almas stuck with him every single turn. I loved it. I appreciated the work the two put into this match, and the counters that worked through the various stages of this incredible match for the title. I was going for Almas, so when he lost in a sequence that was quite good, I was impressed. Aleister Black was able to get the Black Mass strapped on with ease and won the match. A good one.

Johnny Gargano defeated Tommaso Ciampa in an Unsanctioned Match

Holy hell, perhaps the best match I’ve seen this year. I thought Okada versus Zack Sabre Jr. was good, but it goes second now. Gargano and Ciampa put the boots to each other and left it all out in the ring. Ciampa and Gargano’s finish was great, both sitting in the middle of the ring, and then the Gargano lock with Ciamapa’s knee brace across his own face was great to see. This 37 match was stellar above all else, and was absolutely the best thing I’ve seen all weekend, now that I take it all in.

NXT Takeover New Orleans is what the WWE should be all the time, and yet it is not. This is one hell of a show and something that you need to really see, as there were some great moments here, and it’s just a great overall rundown of programming that you will love as a wrestling fan, simple as that.

NXT Takeover: Philadelphia 2018 Results and Review

Ember Moon Insane Kick - SRC WWE dot com

This past week there was a ton of wrestling to watch if you’re a fan of the WWE. I was unable to write reviews for everything due to work, school, and other commitments, but don’t you worry FAM, I’ve got you here to talk about the incredible and not so incredible happenings in professional wrestling, well, at least for WWE that is.

WWE NXT Takeover: Philadelphia 2017 Results and Review

Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly defeated The Authors of Pain

The opening match was for the NXT tag team championships, and it wasn’t half bad. The smaller guys here, you can guess who they are, focused on the limbs of the Authors of Pain. They fought a good fight, but not without having to get a huge beat down within the 15 minutes of action. Eventually, the smaller guys outsmarted the bigger guys and got a nice roll up victory, and the crowd went insane. I like the new guys here, they are small, but they are focused on the type of technical wrestling that you’d expect from Bret Hart and the likes.

The Velveteen Dream defeated Kassius Ohno

Another great match occurred here, this time with Kassius Ohno and Dream exchanging some hard hits. Dream said that he would knock out Kassius in 30 seconds, and it seemed to have gone down that way at first, and the crowd was incredibly behind Dream. Ohno recovered and the two went back and forth with some amazing moves, and athleticism that you’d not expect from these big guys. Dream would hit his finishing elbow half way across the ring, and I’m sure Macho Man was very proud.

Ember Moon defeated Shayna Baszler

This was an incredible women’s match, and it was for the NXT women’s title. Shayna Baszler is a machine, and she had this thing won, working over Moon’s shoulder and arm for the entirety of the match. She would’ve won if Moon didn’t roll her up and Baszler would’ve let go of the armbar that she had on her. This was the smartest finish for a women’s match I’ve seen in a long time, and Baszler showed off an incredible skill set, while Moon defended her title like a real champion. I loved it. Go back and watch this one, and be impressed by how far women’s wrestling has come in the United States in a long time.

Aleister Black defeated Adam Cole in an Extreme Rules Match

In 22 minutes, the WWE received one hell of a match of extreme proportions. Black wasn’t just dominant here, as Cole was able to throw down a lot of offense and even take some of the most brutal shots. Black was taken to the limit here, and Cole didn’t let up, BAYBAY, eventually he’d get the Black Mass and lose. But this was an all out war, and one of the best Extreme Rules matches I’ve ever seen. This is second only to the Submission Match between Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin, it was that good.

Andrade Cien Almas defeated Johnny Gargano

The Tuna Meltzer gave this match a 5 star review, and if you saw it, then you agreed. Gargano put on a show here and Almas was just as good. I was surprised by the chemistry that the two had, and the reversals, offense, and intricate technical styles that the two blended together to make this happen. Even Bret Hart would’ve been impressed with just how good this match was. I was completely blown away by how the two were able to work through a 32 minute bout and make you believe that it was a title change about to occur. Gargano would eventually lose, but not without giving Almas the fight of his life.

After the matches, out came Tomaso Ciampa and he knocked out Gargano with a crutch, and the crowd went insane. I loved it.

NXT Takeover Philadelphia showcased an incredible amount of good wrestling, and didn’t take 3 hours to do it. My favorite match was the extreme rules match, but the whole card was great. I wish I could’ve gone to see it in person, that’s how good this was, and am kicking myself that I didn’t get on a plane.

WWE NXT Takeover War Games 2017 Results and Review

WWE Nxt Takeover War Games - SOURCE WWE DOT COM

Last night the WWE NXT brand put on one hell of a show. They threw down the gauntlet, and put together a showcase of the immortals that will no doubt live on in a lot of people’s minds. This is an event that is no doubt going to give you a lot of joy to watch, as it didn’t disappoint if you ask me. Let’s talk about this one, before Survivors Series goes on the air.

Lars Sullivan defeated Kassius Ohno

Well, Sullivan looks like a MUSCLE figure from your youth. He’s good, really good, and he put the boots to Ohno. He reminds me of Rusev, when he first came out, but better. Ohno did well here, but he was no match for Sullivan’s hard style, and incredible power moves. He’s crisp, and I hope they don’t ruin him if he goes to the main roster. Ohno loses again, and well that’s the end of that.

Aleister Black defeated Velveteen Dream

Holy crap was this a good match. If you haven’t seen these two perform, wow, you don’t even know. Dream is one hell of a wrestler, and his timing and athleticism is unmatched. He carries his weight like Rick Rude, and his tights had Black’s face on them! He pulled out a lot of Rick Rude era moves, and was amazing in ring. This is a guy that can go far, as he has a lot of elements that made the Ravishing One so good. Black, athletic as ever, matched Dream’s offense at times, and flew through a lot of hard hitting elements before hitting Black Mass and pinning dream. This was a stellar, near perfect match in my book. I was heavily impressed by these two.

Ember Moon won a Fatal 4-Way Match for the NXT Women’s Championship

This was a hard hitting affair, and way better than anything I’ve seen on the main roster. It was simply one of the best matches of the night, with Ember Moon getting the big win with her finisher from the top rope. Every person in this match was fun to watch, but it was Ember Moon’s night. At the end of the match, Asuka came in and handed her the title, which was surreal. This was a hell of a match, with Moon going through the ropes, off the top rope, and flying throughout the match. Kairi Sane was also great, and so were the rest of the women. This was a fine showing, no doubt.

Andrade Cien Almas defeated Drew McIntyre for the NXT Championship

Cien Almas put on a show for this one, and Drew was right there with him. Drew was putting the boots to Cien at every turn, and the two were great together. There was a lot of counters, and no matter what Almas did, Drew seemed to counter, and Almas would eventually get frustrated. Drew also threw down some great back and forth, only to end up with what looked like a bicep tear, but Almas would get the win with a sick looking DDT combination. He is the new champion, and McIntyre may be injured for a while.

Undisputed Era defeated Sanity, and The Authors of Pain with Roderick Strong

This was one hell of a War Games Match. It wasn’t the same as it was in WCW, but it had a lot of fight. When the Sanity guys came into the match, they brought in tables, trash cans, kendo sticks, chairs, and more. They would use them to their advantage, but one of them would catch a table breaking across the back of the head, causing a lot of blood to pour out. Other than that, the guys were throwing everything at each other, including dives from the top of the cage, triple move sets, and so much more. The match was violent, chaotic, and fun to watch. Eventually Undisputed won with some incredible tag team moves, and that was the end. This was a fun match, but alas, it wasn’t as good as the 1992 War Games match from WCW. A good try though, and a nice way to cap the night of NXT professional wrestling.