NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II Reax

Read on for my thoughts on last night's NXT special event.

Pre-show:
Roode really comes across as a star. 

That was a good enough Billie Kay promo. I think she's got an upside.

Namedrops for ROH AND SHIMMER when discussing Ember Moon. That's still surprising. 

Takeover:
I really liked the opening video package. What's great about NXT is seeing characters grow and change, while new characters arrive. They rarely have time to get stale.

- Jose vs. Aries:
I really hope having dancers doesn't mean Jose's going to end up as unsuccessful as Adam Rose.

A smart fan boos to show appreciation for heels. A smarque just cheers for whomever they want because they feel entitled and self-important. That said, it's hard to book a smaller wrestler as a heel against a bigger, less experienced and finessed wrestler.

I like Jose making the most of his size and power advantage. That's what can make him succeed where Fandango and Rose haven't.

Aries' ferocity is always appreciated. It's good to see that matched against a very different competitor instead of another small, driven athlete going 100 m.p.h.

NICE Last Chancery spot.

This is heating up pretty well, and Jose definitely doesn't seem like he's on a lower level than Austin.

Really solid showing. Aries is obviously at a really high level, and I think this match helped Jose take his game up a notch. That's what guys like Austin are in NXT for.

GOOD GAWD ALMIGHTY BREAK THE DAMN HOLD!

- Itami saves Jose:
Did Hideo not bring his wrestling gear?

Didn't that one UFC guy use to do that knee-to-the-face move? What was his name again?

- Nakamura backstage:
I actually think I'd be OK with a Nakamura/Itami/Ibushi stable with Funaki in their corner.

- Ember vs. Billie:
Billie wouldn't be out of place in Mortal Kombat either with that entrance.

Ember's clearly got athleticism and agility down pat.

I wouldn't mind Billie taking after Victoria at all. On that note, Victoria belongs in the HoF.

Both ladies are definitely game. Hopefully in addition to these two, Peyton Royce and some of the other NXT ladies can pick right off where Carmella and Alexa left off.

HOLY SHIT WHAT THE FUCK? That's definitely enough for a fatality.

- Roode vs. Almas:
It's a shame WWE Network doesn't have access to 10+ years of Roode matches to show people. People will make fun of TNA if they put together a big Roode DVD, but I think it would sell given the hype for his NXT debut.

Almas is REALLY going to have his work cut out for him in this one. He's a talented guy with solid credentials, but he still hasn't found his way in NXT.

Cien starting to show more personality, and getting more comfortable in a WWE ring. Both good things.

Almas has got some fancy moves of his own. He's getting more fluid in there.

I'm enjoying the back and forth here. Good counter-wrestling in places.

Good first showing from Roode. To some degree he had to adapt to Almas, whom I think showed clear improvement there.

- Sanity video:
I legitimately have no idea what that was for. I assumed it was for a game or something instead of part of the show.

- Gargano/Ciampa promo:
That was unimpressive. There had to have been better merch ideas for the duo. I hope they don't become a bland babyface tag team.

- Revival vs. Ciampa/Gargano:
Good to see a tag match start with back-and-forth holds and counters instead of dives or really obviously choreographed spots.

Nice teamwork on display. I'm liking the story and strategies in play.

Really clever enziguiri spot.

I love The Revival's double-team moves because they rarely look like they're done just to do a cool spot. Instead, they look like part of a strategy to defeat an opponent (which should be the point of all offense except in rare cases like comedy matches).

That was a REALLY contrived referee distraction, but I guess that was the point.

Nice setup for Gargano to come in like a house of fire.

Some GREAT near falls here.

And now we've got an out-and-out fight.

As good as this is, I think it's time to wrap things up. At some point, you do one near fall too many and it starts to take away from things (as in most of ROH's main events this past year).

Really solid match overall.

- Tag team post-match:
I would have marked the fuck out if Ciampa attacked Gargano there, but that was a good babyface moment for two men who brought their all.

- Women's Evolution plug:
Seating heel Charlotte at a different place from the babyfaces Becky and Sasha, as well as her father, was the right move. I'd think that would be a no-brainer, but I wonder sometimes.

- Asuka vs. Bayley:
Asuka's legitimately pretty terrifying at times. A natural heel.

Asuka has some pretty lethal strikes. We could see a KO finish.

Bayley's resourcefulness might be her best quality in the ring.

I love seeing strikes and submissions used in an effective manner to tell a story.

Nice counters.

That was one hell of a fight. I'm glad Asuka only kicked out of one finisher.
  
- Bayley post-match:
I expected Asuka to deliver one last lethal kick, but clearly this show's going to focus on what's likely Bayley's last Takeover match.

I really hope Bayley's headed to Smackdown soon.

- NXT tour announcement:
They're going to Australia sooner than I expected! I assume one date will be Takeover and another might be a TV taping.

- Joe vs. Nakamura:
I like them coming to blows early.

Nice jockeying for position.

Good intensity from both men.

Nice submission work from the Samoan Submission Machine.

I like the story of survival from two tough men. This is a damn war.

I would have been fine with Shinsuke going down to the Muscle Buster.

That was INCREDIBLE! All hail the new champ!

I really hope Joe's OK. He definitely looked rough after that Kinshasa. 

More wrestling coming up.