NXT Takeover The End of the Beginning Review

NXT Takeover: The End of the Beginning

June 8, 2016 from Full Sail University

Orlando, Florida

It's funny because I thought the sub-name was just The End and there was lots of speculation on the internet over exactly what that meant, then during the opening promo the whole sub-name The End of the Beginning appeared.

Andrade "Cien" Almas defeated. Tye Dillinger
I assumed that Dillinger was going to lose this match from the beginning because no one has ever been hyped up come in and lost their debut match.  I fear that Dillinger is going the ways of Tyler Breeze and Dolph Ziggler, a guy who is really good in the ring but is relegated to basically putting other people over with minor pushes here and there.

Cien look decent, I was expecting him to be masked, his finish looks devastating!  Personally I would have had this match be the second match on the card.  Cien was making his debut but he wasn't a known wrestler to the crowd and they weren't pumped for him.  Dillinger was wicked over with the Full Sail crowd.  The tag match should have opened the show.

The Revival: Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson defeated Tag Team Champions: American Alpha: Jason Jordan & Chad Gable to win the titles.
I had Alpha winning this match and was surprised to see Revival become the first ever two time NXT Tag Team Champions.  This was was so freaking amazing though, it was somehow better than their Dallas match!  Legit the chemistry these two teams have is so good and they both put on a fine display of was Tag Team wrestling is all about and what it should be!  Both teams really bring me back to the height of JCP in the mid to late 80's.

Jason Jordan's dropkick is off the charts!  I mean seriously he almost kicked over Dawson's head.  I hope these two teams have a third match at Takeover Brooklyn.

I was shocked to see Paul Ellering come out to represent the team that beat down Alpha post match.  I had to look them up, Gzim Selmani from Albania an MMA fighter with a 4 - 2 record & Sunny Dhinsa a Canadian freestyle amateur wrestler have no prior pro wrestling experience prior to signing with NXT.  They have wrestled a few house shows against American Alpha and others.  I'm very interested in where the relationship with Ellering comes in or why WWE brought him back.

Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Austin Aries
A very stiff strong style match that had Nakamura on the defensive more in this match than any current TV match in NXT to date.  Austin attacked Nakamura with reckless abandon through-out the match and it cost him in the end has he crashed and burned into the guard rail and shortly after that it was over.  It'll be interesting to see where Aries goes from here.  Nakamura I think will be competing for the NXT Championship at Takeover Brooklyn.

NXT Women's Champion: Asuka defeated Nia Jax
For those of you that don't know, Nia Jax is the Rock's cousin, I mean you did see her go for the "peoples" leg drop.
I really hate Nia's entrance music, it's rather dumb and between her and Dillinger it was the night of the high collar entrance gear.
I gotta say I liked this match and I didn't have high hopes for it.  It was a good story with Jax beating the tar out of Asuka the entire match using her size to her advantage countering everything Asuka had.  Asuka withstood the beating and when Jax was tuckered Asuka dished out a series of SEVERE strikes to Jax' head gaining the pin fall victory.

Earlier today we see Bobby Roode once again.  I look forward to his debut!

Steel Cage Match
NXT Champion: Samoa Joe defeated Finn Balor
I've maintained that a cage match with out blood just isn't a cage match I know I'm old school but that's how I feel.
It was a decent match, I didn't expect that a decisive of a finish with Joe getting the pin off a second rope muscle buster.  I expected a coup de gras off the top of the cage or at least an attempted one.  I thought the finish would be Balor doing his corner dropkick but it kicks Joe through the cage door and to the floor.

All in all it was a good show with some really good matches.  I've never been disappointed by a Takeover event, I'm sure Brooklyn is going to tear the house down.

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Later Readers!

NXT Takeover: Unstoppable

It's time once again for an NXT Takeover special!  These remind me of Clash of the Champions and they have always been solid shows top to bottom.  I realize that NXT is white hot right now I just hope that WWE doesn't ruin it by trying to bring it to RAW and instead leave it the way it is.  I realize that some guys will need to get called up to the main roster and new talent built, but I can see them messing this up.

Finn Balor vs. Tyler Breeze 
for the #1 Contendership to the NXT Championship
Tyler has a special entrance, not to write about.  Balor has his special interest, it's simply awesome.  His paint and costume and different this time.
Great match between these two, was supposed to be a triple threat but Itami is injured.  Balor picks up the win.

Finn Balor in his new costume of NXT Unstoppable

Charlotte & Bayley vs. Dana & Emma
Two ladies matches on the card tonight, that should tell you just how good these ladies are.  Good match, some great teamwork with Bayley and Charlotte.  You can see that Dana is still very green but she did a great job.  Charlotte and Bayley pick up the win and hug it out at the end.

Baron Corbin vs. Rhyno

The veteran Rhyno was up next to take on Baron Corbin in a hard hitting match.  Corbin has only been wrestling a couple years and this is the longest match of his that I have seen.  He looked good and was able to power Rhyno into his End of Days finisher which was impressive and enough for him to take the victory.

NXT Tag Team Champions: Blake & Murphy vs. Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady with Carmella

Great tag team match between these two teams saw a few spots that were messed up.  Crowd is really into Enzo and Big Cas.  I liked the look of Blake and Murphy when they first came on, but now with how they act I’m becoming less and less of a fan.  Blake and Murphy squeak out a victory to retain.

Sasha Banks after a tough title defense

 NXT Women’s Champion: Sasha Bank vs. Becky Lynch

Great match, just a great match.  Some great mat wrestling with both woman working the arm for their respective finishers.  They mixed in some high spots and the crowd was completely behind them as they told their story in the ring.  It really put the shame what is being pushed right now on Raw.  After a very hard fought victory Sasha Banks retained with a submission.  Lynch was given a standing ovation by the crowd.

NXT Champion: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn

Good Lord this match was fantastic!  Zayn dominated and when Owens tried to get on the offense he was shut down immediately.  Suddenly on the floor Owens hit Zayn with a pop-up powerbomb with decimated Zayn and essentially ended the match.  Owens then beat on Zayn while officials and the medical crew tried to tend to Zayn.  Suddenly Samoa Joe came out, to a huge ovation, and after a tense stare down Owens backed off.  Officially a no contest.

Great special, once again NXT has proven to the be a fantastic product that is well worth the $9.99 a month that the Network costs.  Joe is apparently keeping his name as he was a wearing an official NXT t-shirt that said Samoa Joe on it and that’s what the announcers called him.

I have a couple concerns for NXT as a whole.  First of all every show is at full sail university so you essentially have the same crowd that has claimed ownership of the product and have made themselves part of the show which enhances the show as the crowd is loud and raucous!  My fear is that like TNA outside of this controlled environment on tours the product may suffer.  My second fear is the Triple H has control of NXT while Vince McMahon still has control of WWE.  Because of this even is a talent who was hot in NXT comes up to RAW doesn’t mean they’ll get the push they deserve; for example the Ascension.  That being said, at Hell in the Cell, Kevin Owen cannot lose that by pin fall or submission. 

If you’re not watching NXT then you are really missing out on a great wrestling show.