When I heard about “Takeover: Chicago” taking place only about six weeks after “Takeover: Orlando”, I wasn’t all that thrilled with the concept. These shows work best when they have time to be built up instead of rushing things together like this. Then again, the idea of Takeover in Chicago is too much to pass up. It also helps that the show has been well built up in such a short amount of time and I’m actually looking forward to a lot of the card. Let’s get to it.

United Kingdom Title: Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne

We’ll start with a match that feels a bit tacked on for the sake of filling in a spot on the card. Bate defeated Dunne to become the inaugural champion back in January and has held the title ever since. Dunne became #1 contender on the recent “UK Championship Special” and the match was set for here. These two have been circling each other for a good while now and it makes sense for them to have a major rematch.

I see no reason for Dunne not to walk away with the title here. Bate was the feel good story of the tournament but Dunne seems to be the much more well rounded performer. Let him take Bate more seriously this time and give him a few Bitter Endings to wrap up the champ’s unbeaten streak. This should be a lot of fun and I have a feeling the Chicago crowd will eat it up, but the ending really shouldn’t be in any sort of doubt.

Tag Team Titles: Authors of Pain vs. DIY

Now this one took an interesting (and disappointing) turn over the last few days as Tommaso Ciampa injured his leg/ankle at a house show in Highland Heights, Kentucky. That’s normally something that can be worked around but it’s a bigger issue here with the ladder match stipulation. Either way, these teams have feuded for months and there’s an interesting potential to this match that you almost always feel around the tag division.

That being said, I think the Authors of Pain retain the titles here. The situation seems too perfect for DIY to get the titles back and that often means that there’s going to be a bit of a swerve. NXT did it in Orlando as the odds were stacked against the Authors and it might be the case again here. I’ll take the Authors to retain and the more I think about it, the more confident I feel in it.

Roderick Strong vs. Eric Young

This is the only non-title match on the card and it feels like one of the more important ones. There’s been a wave of new talent in NXT as of late and these two, along with Aleister Black and Drew McIntyre, have been some of the main players. I was worried that all four of them would miss the show but two out of four are better than none. Young and his Sanity group have been feuding with Strong and a variety of partners for months now and with Tye Dillinger up on the main roster, Strong is a logical target.

I can’t imagine Young goes over here as Strong has been pushed as a big player and it doesn’t make sense to have him lose in his first big Takeover singles match. Strong could easily become a contender to the NXT Title in the very near future and it would do him a lot of good to have him win here. The match should be fun too as both guys know how to go at a fast pace and put on an entertaining performance, but there’s no real reason to have Young get the win.

Women’s Title: Asuka vs. Nikki Cross vs. Ruby Riot

I actually got to see this match at the aforementioned Highland Heights house show on Thursday night and it was certainly entertaining. While it’s clear that the injury to Ember Moon has completely changed things around, it’s not out of the question that the title could change hands here. Riot and Cross are both just crazy enough to give Asuka a real challenge. Asuka doesn’t seem to know what to do when things get crazy, but she does always have the option of kicking someone in the head.

That’s what I see happening here, likely with a big kick to Cross’ head. Asuka seems destined to drop the title to Moon and with her not here, there’s no reason to have Asuka lose and then get the title back so she can lost to Moon all over again. Just let Asuka win here and then build up to the second showdown with Moon. Asuka has been working well in her new heel role and having her cheat to retain here would further that new stance even more. So yeah, the champ retains.

NXT Title: Bobby Roode vs. Hideo Itami

This one is interesting as well with the champ not really having a top challenger and Itami filling in the role due to necessity rather than being the best possible candidate. If nothing else, and it’s kind of sad to have to say this, it almost has to be now for Itami because there’s no way of telling when he’ll suffer another horrible injury that will put him on the shelf for several months.

I’ll go with Roode winning here, but the place is going to lose it when Itami hits the GTS. As annoying as it’s going to be, they’re going to chant for CM Punk because they don’t care that Itami invented the move. No, instead let’s focus on someone who won’t be there instead of what you paid to see because he’s the one thing that would make them happy, at least until five minutes had passed and they were sick to death of him too and started chanting for JBL or something.

Overall, this show feels like it has a steep hill to climb but it’s capable of doing so. The matches are interesting though I really do wish they had gotten Black and McIntyre on there, even in a quick squash each. The UK Title match should be fun but it doesn’t quite fit on the card, especially with what feels like more important talent that could use the spotlight. All that being said, this show should be fun and that’s really what matters most with these things.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Histories of Saturday Night’s Main Event and Clash of the Champions, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

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NXT
Date: May 3, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

We’re rapidly approaching Takeover: Chicago and that means we need to fill in a lot of the card. As luck would have it, a major development is going to take place tonight as we have a battle royal for the #1 contendership to the Women’s Title. That leaves a lot of doors open for challengers, including a potential Ember Moon rematch. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Killian Dain vs. Danny Burch

The monster Dain drives him into the corner and pulls him off the middle rope for a big crash. The backsplash connects and is greeted by a SHAVE YOUR BACK chant, followed by a series of elbow drops. Burch slugs away with a series of strikes but Dain flattens him with a running dropkick. The Ulster Plantation finishes Burch at 2:51.

The Velveteen Dream, whom I believe is Patrick Clark, is coming. The silhouette certainly looks like him.

Heavy Machinery vs. Ricardo Watts/Hector Kunsman

The jobbers make Rey Mysterio look huge. Dozovich runs Hector over to start and a double falling headbutt makes things even worse. Ricardo is dragged in and Machinery exchange chest bumps. Knight splashes both of them in the corner before Dozovich lifts them both at the same time for a double World’s Strongest Slam and the double pin at 2:41.

Post match Heavy Machinery says they love to have a good time, meaning some carb shakes and trips to the buffet. When they step in the ring, they have a hunger for smashing bodies. The appetizers are over now and they want the main course: the Authors of Pain. Heavy Machinery is very much a case of “what you see is what you get” but they play their roles very well and that’s what matters the most.

Bobby Roode talks to Kona Reeves before Reeves faces Hideo Itami.

DIY might not have Heavy Machinery’s size but they’re the former NXT Tag Team Champions. They love more competition but the line starts behind them.

Kona Reeves vs. Hideo Itami

Itami has ditched the entrance gear and just comes out in his regular trunks and boots. Reeves jumps him before the bell though and has the advantage once the match actually starts. Kona turns up the cockiness but Hideo pops to his feet and fires off the clotheslines and kicks. More kicks knock Kona down in the corner and the GTS puts him away at 2:08. That’s an effective squash but I’m not sure a two minute match is the best way to get him back on his feet after an injury and so close to what’s going to be a twenty plus minute title match.

Video on Drew McIntyre, including a look back at his initial WWE run.

It’s part two of the mini documentary on Roderick Strong. This time we’re at home with his pregnant fiance and they’re getting things ready for the baby’s arrival. He loves the idea of being called a father and a husband and now those things are about to be true. We get some clips of Strong’s very early career from his days in IPW Hardcore Wrestling and then his time in the Performance Center.

Now we go back to the Ring of Honor days, which still messes with me just a little bit. He was there for thirteen years and then he got the call. With tears in his eyes, Strong says don’t give up and everything will be ok. We wrap it up with Strong holding his newborn baby. This was another excellent package and made me think more of Strong (who I’m a fan of) than I have before, which is exactly the point. He hasn’t made an impact yet (a match in Chicago would help) but that could change very quickly.

Roode is in William Regal’s office and doesn’t think much of the video. He also doesn’t think Hideo should get the title shot yet because it could mess with the champ’s face. Regal actually agrees and puts Itami in a #1 contenders match against Strong for next week. Strong comes in and has a staredown with Roode. I thought Roode vs. Itami was already set but I do like Itami having to earn the shot.

Battle Royal

Lacey Evans, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Nikki Cross, Liv Morgan, Ruby Riot, Ember Moon, Aliyah, Bianca Blair, Candice LeRae, Kimberly Frankele, Rachel Evers, Sonya Deville, Victoria Gonzalez, Sara Bridges

The winner gets Asuka in Chicago. Evans is better known as Macey Estrella, Deville is the former Daria Berenato and a lot of these women are unknowns without entrances. LeRae is a heavy fan favorite and gets a LET’S GO CANDICE chant. Gonzalez, who has some size to her, goes after Royce and Kay to start but can’t get rid of them. It’s your usual battle royal brawling with teased eliminations that don’t go anywhere.

We take a break and come back with Gonzalez having been eliminated at the hands of Royce and Kaye. Blair is out next, followed by Aliyah elbowing Evers out to a chorus of booing. Bridges, Evans and Deville go out in the span of five seconds and Riot eliminates Kimberly. We’re down to LeRae, Royce, Kay, Cross, Riot, Morgan, Moon and Aliyah. Kay kicks Candice out, earning possibly the most heat of her career.

Cross dumps Aliyah and the fans are rather pleased. Come on, Aliyah isn’t…..ok maybe she is that bad. Nikki does the same to Morgan and the fans are pleased all over again. Moon superkicks Kay out and gets rid of Peyton a few seconds later, leaving us with Moon, Riot and Cross. Cross goes straight for Riot but Ember kicks her in the face. All three wind up in the corner with Moon kicking the other two away and hitting the Eclipse on Cross. That’s not enough for an elimination so Ember heads up again, only to have Asuka come in…..for a no contest at 14:46.

Rating: D+. I liked the way they set this up with the unknowns not lasting very long, which should be the case when they didn’t have any realistic chance to win the title. Just let us get to the big names and go from there. The ending though…..yeah I’m not sold on that, though if they’re going to a four way, this is certainly a better option than a triple elimination at the end.

Asuka sends Moon HARD to the floor and head first into the barricade. Riot gets kicked in the head and Cross is dropped as well, leaving Asuka to shout that no one is ready for her. Asuka runs off as Moon is holding her shoulder on the floor. Regal comes out to announce the four way title match for Chicago to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This is another good example of a show that wasn’t about the wrestling. Tonight we set up a Takeover match, set up a #1 contenders match for the NXT Title, looked at Roderick Strong some more and established Heavy Machinery as potential Tag Team Title contenders. They don’t have a lot of time between Orlando and Chicago so this is about as logical of a path as they have.

Results

Killian Dain b. Danny Burch – Ulster Plantation

Heavy Machinery b. Ricardo Watts/Hector Kunsman – Double World’s Strongest Slam

Hideo Itami b. Kona Reeves – GTS

A Battle Royal went to a no contest when Asuka interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/03/24/kbs-history-of-nxt-volumes-1-and-2-now-available-in-paperback/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT
Date: April 26, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators; Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Tom Phillips

The British are here tonight as the big featured match will see WWE UK Champion Tyler Bate defending against Jack Gallagher. I like the idea of throwing those guys out there for some filler as it keeps the regular roster fresh and gives us a bit of a treat. That being said, I could go for a bit of a better story than “You’re British, here’s a title shot.” Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Here’s the creepy Nikki Cross to call out Ruby Riot by leaning over and shouting into the microphone being held in the ring announcer’s lap. Riot comes out and the brawl is on with referees barely able to break it up.

We look back at Hideo Itami hitting Bobby Roode with a GTS.

Roode says Itami has to earn a title shot.

Andrade Cien Almas vs. Drew McIntyre

Drew doesn’t waste time by kicking Almas in the face as the announcers accuse Andrade of not focusing on his wrestling enough. Back up and Almas takes him into the corner for the running slap to the face, only to have Drew unload on him with right hands. A top rope forearm to the head makes things even worse and they chop the heck out of each other. Drew gets the better of it and the running boot to the face gives him the pin at 3:54.

Rating: C+. McIntyre is a completely different worker than he was in his first run as he’s wrestling like a 6’5 monster with one heck of a hard finisher. I’m surprise about Almas losing clean this fast but at least they beat the heck out of each other before the finish. Maybe they’re setting up something with the story about him not taking things seriously enough but the quick loss doesn’t bode well.

We get a feature on Roderick Strong, who grew up as an athletic prodigy and had no competition on almost any field. At the same time though, his family was a mess with his dad having substance issues and abusing his mom. One day she shot his dad though and that seemed to take care of some issues.

Strong walks around his mom’s backyard as we hear about how she’s been there for his entire career. Jim Neidhart of all people saw him wrestle as a kid and knew there was potential there. Strong had his own ring in the backyard, which actually looked like a (very crude) wrestling ring instead of something thrown together. More next week, though this already did Strong a lot of good.

Aleister Black vs. Kona Reeves

Kona charges into the corner and gets kicked in the ribs for his efforts. A series of strikes set up a kick to the head, followed by Black Mass for the pin on Reeves at 1:17.

Riot talks about how she goes against the norm. Tonight she’s going to take her first step towards the NXT Women’s Title. Next up, we start a riot.

Almas leaves with a host of good looking women and doesn’t seem to mind his loss.

Ruby Riot vs. Nikki Cross

And never mind as Cross jumps her from behind and the brawl starts on the floor. A suplex onto the ramp has Cross in trouble until the referees try to break it up. Riot dives off the stage to take everyone out and referees literally drag Cross away. This made Riot look like a star and showed Cross’ intensity all over again. The match is going to be a lot of fun and should give the division a shot of adrenaline.

William Regal tells Asuka that there will be a battle royal for the #1 contendership. This doesn’t seem to sit well with the champ.

UK Title: Tyler Bate vs. Jack Gallagher

Bate is defending and has grown a bit of a beard to make him look like he’s in his 20s for a change. Gallagher hand walks out of a headlock to start and Bate can only smile. Back up and Tyler does an interesting walking forward counter to a full nelson. They trade some near falls and a standoff takes us to a break.

Back with Gallagher taking him down with a wristlock and stomping on the hands. Gallagher keeps him on the mat with a variety of armbars and wristlocks, including pinning one arm down and stepping on the other arm to push it all the way down as well (a bit hard to describe but it looks like the shoulder is about to be torn apart).

Tyler finally gets in a few hard punches and a German suplex is good for two. Gallagher’s Jim Breaks Special is reversed into a suplex for two but one heck of a headbutt knocks Bate silly. Another headbutt is good for two but a second Jim Breaks Special is countered, setting up the Tyler Driver 97 to retain the title at 13:31.

Rating: B. This is the kind of different style that makes the UK wrestlers valuable. We had McIntyre wrestling a hard hitting style earlier but this was mostly submission wrestling and arm work before the power finish. It felt like something different and that makes it stand out more, which is the whole point of something like this. Good match as Bate continues to perform beyond his years. They’re also setting up a way to get the title off of him as he keeps getting outperformed but hits his one big move to win every time. That’s going to catch up to him eventually and it’ll make the new champion look that much better.

Overall Rating: B-. It’s a very easy to watch but entirely skippable show this week without any required viewing. The Strong video stands out as NXT is always good about setting something like that up to help you care about a performer. Overall the show felt like it was setting the table for later and there’s nothing wrong with something like that.

Results

Drew McIntyre b. Andrade Cien Almas – Running boot to the face

Aleister Black b. Kona Reeves – Black Mass

Tyler Bate b. Jack Gallagher – Tyler Driver 97

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/03/24/kbs-history-of-nxt-volumes-1-and-2-now-available-in-paperback/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

NXT
Date: April 12, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips, Percy Watson

We’re finally back to normal as NXT returns home. We’re also just over a month away from Takeover: Chicago, meaning things need to get set up in a hurry. The big story tonight is the return of Drew McIntyre, who hasn’t been in WWE for several years and has done a lot of growing up in that time. Let’s get to it.

There’s a new theme song and of course it’s rap based because Heaven forbid we have a rock theme on any of these shows.

Aleister Black vs. Corey Hollis

Hollis is ready to go while Black stands with his arms behind his back….until Black Mass is good for the pin at 30 seconds.

We look at Tye Dillinger debuting on Smackdown.

Tye is thrilled at being on Smackdown but there’s unfinished business around here. Earlier today he talked to William Regal and gets to face Eric Young in a steel cage next week.

DIY vs. Dylan Miley/Michael Blaze

Miley is a big guy with a great look for the late 80s. Ciampa can’t take him down with a headlock as Miley just lifts him into the air. Gargano tries the slingshot but gets caught in a very delayed vertical suplex. It’s off to Blaze who gets kicked in the head, followed by a running chop in the corner. A running knee knocks Miley off the apron and Meet in the Middle finishes Blaze at 2:59. Miley is going to get somewhere based off this performance as he’s built like a tank and looks like a monster.

Miley destroys Blaze post match. Oh yeah he’ll be pushed soon.

We look back at Asuka defeating Ember Moon at Takeover.

After the loss, Ember Moon walked through the empty arena, talking about how this was supposed to be her moment and destiny. Revenge is sworn.

Ruby Riot vs. Kimberley Frankele

That would be Kimber Lee of course. Kimberly takes her into the corner to start but gets armdragged down. Cue Nikki Cross for a distraction, allowing Kimberly to get in a backbreaker. Riot fights back with a series of knees and a Pele kick to the face for the pin at 2:21.

Video on the Authors of Pain.

Billie Kay and Peyton Royce are at the Performance Center and yell at Aliyah and Liv Morgan. A fight ensues with Kay being knocked into a water tub.

Oney Lorcan vs. Drew McIntyre

McIntyre’s music has a bagpipe entrance. I’d assume that’s going to be changed one day as it’s really not working for him. Drew, who looks huge compared to Oney, drives him into the corner and throws him down with a belly to belly. Back in and Oney scores with some running uppercuts to send Drew outside for a running flip dive. A top rope dive is pulled out of the air and Drew slams him into the apron.

We take a break and come back with McIntyre throwing him off another suplex and scoring with a hard headbutt. Lorcan breaks up a superplex but gets caught in a choke throw. Back up and Lorcan just unloads with strikes to the head, only to get caught in a very hard reverse Alabama Slam. The Claymore (running jumping boot to the face, not named here) ends Oney at 8:50.

Rating: B. I’m scared to rate it any lower in case they hit me that hard. This was one of the hardest hitting matches I can remember in a very long time that didn’t involve Shinsuke Nakamura. McIntyre looked like a brawler but that size difference was bordering on comical as he towered over Lorcan, though Oney was slugging right back. Really fun match here and a good way to show that Drew can slug it out with anyone.

Post match Drew says he has all the raw talent in the world and can put the Smackdown on anyone but he only wants to be right here.

Here’s Shinsuke Nakamura for his big farewell. He came here a year ago and wanted to become the best in the world. One year later he calls NXT his home. Over that year, he’s learned a lot of things from a lot of people, including the fans. He’s learned that the people around here are crazy for things like singing his song. That strikes up the band as Nakamura calls NXT the fans’ style. He will always be NXT because we are NXT. Nakamura does his dancing poses as the locker room comes out to the stage to send him off. Even Finn Balor appears to close out the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This is another odd show as it was all about showcasing new talent instead of really moving things forward. That was a goal accomplished tonight as McIntyre got to look good, along with Ruby Riot, Black and Miley (especially him) doing the same. This show helped to start restocking the shelves, though there’s a long way to go to really have that all set up.

Results

Aleister Black b. Corey Hollis – Black Mass

DIY b. Dylan Miley/Michael Blaze – Meet in the Middle to Blaze

Ruby Riot b. Kimberly Frankele – Pele kick to the face

Drew McIntyre b. Oney Lorcan – Claymore

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/03/24/kbs-history-of-nxt-volumes-1-and-2-now-available-in-paperback/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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Last year, NXT held its first Takeover event during Wrestlemania weekend with the instant classic “Takeover: Dallas”. The show stole the spotlight over Wrestlemania weekend and was pretty easily the best show of the four days, possibly even the year. Now it’s time for round two and as luck would have it, NXT is in their own backyard, making this almost like a cross between a major house show and one of their biggest pay per views of the year. You don’t hear something like that very often so let’s get to it.

Sanity vs. Tye Dillinger/Roderick Strong/No Way Jose/Ruby Riot

We’ll start with the most recently added match as Sanity makes a rare appearance at full strength against the combined forces of Tye Dillinger/No Way Jose/Roderick Strong/Ruby Riot. This has been simmering for months now and as usual, it’s a pretty simple idea. Sanity has gone after Dillinger and it was time to even the numbers up a bit as Dillinger was tired of all the beatings. His team came together over the next few weeks and now we have a full on match between the eight of them.

Very simply put, if Dillinger doesn’t get the fall here (it doesn’t matter who it’s over but Young would be preferable), I have no idea what they’re thinking. The fans are dying to explode for Dillinger and what better place is there than this Takeover? Sanity isn’t the most interesting team in the world aside from having a really cool look. While they need the win, I think they can bounce back better. Dillinger has lost so many times already that I’m not sure how many more times he can bounce back from losing on the big stage. I really hope they don’t screw this up as they’re running out of time to capitalize on Dillinger’s popularity.

Aleister Black vs. Andrade Cien Almas

We’ll move on to a pretty big debut with Black making his first in-ring appearance in NXT. He already had a match at the WWE United Kingdom Championship tournament under his Tommy End moniker but this week is the first time we’ll see his new gimmick. Almas has been on a roll lately with the heel character really starting to hit its stride. His match with Oney Lorcan last week was a major highlight and helped set him up for this match against Black.

That being said, this is another match where the winner should be obvious. NXT isn’t going to put Black out there in his debut and have him lose so Almas has next to no chance. That being said, you could have made the same case last year about Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and that turned out fine. I’m hoping that Black can go in the ring well enough to match his great vignettes though that’s what got Almas in trouble for his debut. But yeah, Black wins here and does so handily.

Women’s Title: Asuka vs. Ember Moon

Asuka won the Women’s Title about a year ago in Dallas and hasn’t looked back since. She’s completely steamrolled over everyone she’s faced and it’s almost impossible to imagine her losing a match. That’s where the story has worked so well. It’s pretty much been acknowledged that Ember Moon can’t hang with Asuka all the way through a match but what she can do is hit the Eclipse, which has been built up as the most dangerous weapon the division has ever seen. It’s almost reminiscent of Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels as all Austin had to do was catch Michaels once and it would be over. The question is can Moon get that far.

As logical as it would be to have Asuka lose here and go on to the main roster soon after, I’m really not sure that happens anymore. NXT has done a nearly flawless job of making Asuka feel unbeatable and that’s still the feeling I have here. Moon should be the favorite and the place will go nuts if the Eclipse gives her the title, but I’m actually going with Asuka in my regular prediction almost guaranteed to be wrong. Moon is the best candidate to dethrone Asuka but I actually don’t think she does.

Tag Team Titles: DIY vs. Revival vs. Authors of Pain

I’m very rarely a fan of triple threats but this is a case where the story has been built precisely in this direction, which makes it more than acceptable. Revival and DIY had some incredible matches against each other last year but now they’ve run into a wall with the champions, who run over everything in their path. Having the other teams band together to fight the Authors is interesting and could make for a very good story to the elimination tag, especially if one of the other teams gets to conquer them in the end.

I’ll go with the Authors retaining here as DIY could easily be brought up to the Cruiserweight division while the Revival seem like perfect additions to the main roster tag divisions. The Authors are perfect choices to keep the titles until a new team is put together to slay them. I don’t know who could fight DIY save for maybe Sanity, which doesn’t seem like the most interesting thing in the world. We’ll go with the titles being retained, which would make the most long terms sense.

NXT Title: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode

We’ll wrap it up with a rematch as Nakamura, this time on two good knees, tries to get the NXT Title back from Roode, who took it from him in a great match back at “Takeover: San Antonio.” This time around Nakamura knows not to underestimate him, which could make for an interesting change of pace. Roode has looked great since winning the title while Nakamura has spent most of the time rehabbing his injured knee.

I think I’ll go with the champions making a clean sweep as, much like the Revival, there’s no need to put the title back on Nakamura. He’s held it twice already and is more than ready to move up to the main stage. Just let Roode move on and feud with someone new (Dillinger for example) before losing the title at “Takeover: Brooklyn III”. The match will be fun, though I’m curious as to how they could have Nakamura lose to Roode again without some sort of shenanigans, which you don’t get too often in NXT.

Overall, the show looks good but not great. As is almost always the case, it’s going to come down to the performances, which have a tendency to be outstanding. Let the wrestlers do their thing in a logical manner and everything will be fine. The crowd is going to carry a lot of this and that’s what arguably matters most at any given NXT show. Last year set a very high bar but I believe NXT can actually pull something like this off again.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/03/24/kbs-history-of-nxt-volumes-1-and-2-now-available-in-paperback/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6