WWE NXT 2017 (A-show schedule in OP)

[syxxpakk]

Well Takeover was great.

[Empiresk]

It was a good show with one outstanding match. I wasn't excited for the show but it delivered yet again.

Asuka vs Ember Moon was good but lacked a cutting edge. It told a story of Asuka taking Ember Moon lightly and nearly paying for it. The cheap finish sets up a rematch for the next Takeover where I would assume Asuka finally loses. The seeds have been planted and I can't wait to see how it plays out.

The main event was as good of a "WWE Style" main event you will get. It's not my style but I bet certain important people in the back loved it. Nothing more you can say about it apart from the crowd loved it.

Alistair Black/Tommy End is money. He will get over even more in Full Sail if they give him some quick squash matches where he can demonstrate his offence. Hopefully Andrade gets away from the gatekeeper role asap.

The Tag Title Match was great and a contender for Match of the Weekend. I have it edged above SPPT vs JML. AoP held there own but DIY and The Revival are stars. Very interested to see where they go from here.

[BoxingRobes]

I thought Takeover was a great show.

Listen, Roode isn't my cup of tea, and the main event didn't do much for me, but the crowd was oddly into it. It was like some cross between something from the 80s and WWE's mid-00s main event scene. I thought Bobby Roode worked as hard as he could work there. I'll be glad to see Nakamura go and try his hand at the main roster. The maze was not for him. He got up Zayn big time...the Balor match was good and he was clearly up for it...the first Joe match was good, but you could tell he was eye rolling the idea of having FOUR MORE MATCHES with Joe and ever since, he's been coasting. It doesn't help that he spent 9 months on the Florida house show loop working with Buddy Murphy, Wesley Blake, and The Drifter.

I liked the Asuka match, but I felt they should have watched Johnny Gargano v. Shingo 25 times before doing this match. That should have been the match they were going for. I feel like they didn't go far enough with it...but they almost got there.

The tag match was a legit classic. Yeah, I was disappointed that AoP won, but that is just me being a mark. IMO, a near flawless match and AoP more than held up their end of the bargain. Sometimes, its best when you let the guys who can work, work around you, and they did that flawlessly. Whoever booked the match should get a gold star. Ellering showing why he is still around...he did great on the outside.

Aleister Black v. CIEN - man...this was a GREAT debut. I went ****1/2 on it. CIEN needs his Ingobernables. That is the next step of his progression in NXT. He is finding his fucking groove man, CIEN so great.

Tommy End is getting the ROCKET PACK. He got the full FINN BALOR Rocket Pack Gift Basket. Great theme music. Great entrance. WWE STORIEZ heavy faux backstory/character. Immediately put over as a star by the commentary team. Given the freedom off rip to have a great match and steal the show. He will be NXT Champ by the end of the year. This is THEIR GUY going forward. They make it too obvious sometimes.

I don't know what anyone else things, but that 8-man tag to open the show was pretty fucking great and as good as something like that could have been. I went **** on it. Everyone worked their ass off and everyone was really UP for it. I was into it the whole way.

We should have not doubted that these fucking wrestlers would have gotten up for this event. Nothing was below ***1/2 on card, you've got a MotYC, you've got an amazing debut, you've got a hot crowd. This show overdelivered BIG BIG BIG time. Real MVPs.

[Ckkj14]

NXT Takeover Orlando -

Sanity v Strong, Dillinger, Riot and Ohno - ***3/4
Cien Almas v Alistair Black - ***1/2
The Revival v DIY v AOP - ****1/2
Asuka v Ember Moon - ***3/4
Roode v Nakamura - ***3/4

[Rainmaker_F7]

Really good undercard, two excellent title matches and just a garbage main event like expected.

The 3 way was really awesome, loved the unique story they told and callbacks to DIY/Revival matches, some spots were ridiculously good, but the booking was wrong in my opinion. With DIY being eliminated first, this just lost steam, there were no real emotions or drama, just a flat finishing stretch. I can't go any higher than **** 1/4

Asuka vs Ember Moon was excellent. It was just a hot sprint with a great storytelling. The whole storyline was whether Ember can keep up with Asuka and she more than held her own, she did better with her than anyone before, but Asuka was just smarter at the end. GREAT STUFF. **** 1/4.

The Main Event was just shit. I mean, I get why some people liked it, but I talked about it with few people and no one in my bubble enjoyed it, and even though I usually disagree with TJ Hawke, boy he was on point here. I just fucking hate Bobby Roode, this guy has X-Pac heat with me. He is what Joe calls him, he is an entrance theme, THAT'S IT. There was a logical story in this match, it just didn't click with me. First half was just Bobby Roode killing time with NERVE HOLDS. Yes, 2017, NXT main event, and a fucking Nerve Hold. Then they did some leg work, I will give them that, last 5 minutes were cool, but that's just 1/6 of this match. Nakamura hasn't been motivated at all since like May, and Bobby Roode is Bobby Roode, this speaks for itself. Not a total embarassment, not the worst match of the year contender, but just a borefest. It's funny how I was telling Empiresk on reddit that if Cody doesn't deliver in the G1, he will for sure be my most overrated wrestler of the year - if Roode fails to deliver GOOD matches with Cole, O'Reilly, Ohno, Strong, Almas, Black, or whoever is his next challenger, he's winning it for me no doubt. I initially gave it **, but when I think about it now, I think I should've just given this a *.


Dillinger, Revival and Nakamura are all getting called up, not sure if that is all, but they are appearing on Raw or SDL in Orlando. That leaves some space for a new tag team, there is also a solid spot in a midcard and obviously you have to make a new Main Eventer.

[BoxingRobes]

Put Drew Gulak and Oney Lorcan together, please. Sign reDRagon, please.

I really don't want to see an NXT tag division with AoP and TMDK having to wrestle Heavy Machinery every week.

[syxxpakk]

What's wrong with Heavy Machinery?

[BoxingRobes]

Its very difficult going from watching American Alpha, Revival, and DIY re-energizing tag wrestling in the entire company to watching those guys. They come off as curtain jerkers. The work rate isn't, and will never be there. I'm now accustom to the finer things. Can't go back to taco bell meat after you've had authentic tacos, man.

[syxxpakk]

Eh, people thought the same thing about AOP.

AOP's best match was last night and they've gotten consistently better since their debut by working TM61, DIY, and Revival.

I like the Heavy Machinery act, I think they'll be great. That said, we do need some more teams.

[dancecab]

The only thing over four for me was the three way tag. I originally had it at 4 3/4 But the sails were knocked out of the match as soon as DIY was eliminates. It was really poor choice eliminating them first. The crowd would have ate up the comeback more. I really didn't understand that decision. Story wise it makes sense a bit but you would have had a much hotter crows if that wasn't the case. I have to knock it down to 4 1/2 for that very reason.

The woman's match was really good just missing something from me pushing it to four. I didn't like the Roode Nak match as much as their last bout as I felt the story was way more consistent last time. The 8 man was allot of fun and nearly four stars. I would have had those at 3.75.

[cbacon87]

The Sanity/Babyface Crew matches recently have been shockingly good. That feud has gotten so much better just from two multi person matches for me and now you throw Ohno into the mix, they can make some compelling singles matches as well.

Seeing Tommy End in a WWE setting, it struck me that he really looks like Goth Heath Slater. Good to see the Jay White mullet mohawk make a comeback as well.

And I'm all for some AOP/Heavy Machinery action, but there's no way they can do that on a Takeover any time soon and keep the crowd onside. Dozovic and his giant bearded baby look fascinates me, but they need to (and probably will) take their time until they catch on. And even then that'd probably be a weird Takeover match.

[GuestTimekeeper]

Whichever show Nakamura and Revival get called up to, it's going to be awesome. I think any other call ups will wait until they do another draft. There's absolutely nothing for Dillinger to do besides be NXT gatekeeper. Unless you want him to go the way of Tyler Breeze, Adam Rose, and the Vaudevillians, he should stay in NXT.

There are no immediate challengers for Bobby Roode. Might be time to give Gargano a singles push.

[achillesforever6]

Eh, people thought the same thing about AOP.

AOP's best match was last night and they've gotten consistently better since their debut by working TM61, DIY, and Revival.

I like the Heavy Machinery act, I think they'll be great. That said, we do need some more teams.

Aren't there rumors that Ciampa has a really bad shoulder that needs surgery and will be out for a long time

[Buzz Sawyer]

Its very difficult going from watching American Alpha, Revival, and DIY re-energizing tag wrestling in the entire company to watching those guys. They come off as curtain jerkers. The work rate isn't, and will never be there. I'm now accustom to the finer things. Can't go back to taco bell meat after you've had authentic tacos, man.

Not everything in life is about work rate. Why can't there be a team that just beats fools up?

[supersonic]

There's nothing wrong with an LOD team to bring something different to the rest of the division. Ellering returning to be with them makes it quite obvious.