wrestling / Columns

411’s NXT Takeover: Chicago 2018 Preview

June 16, 2018 | Posted by Larry Csonka
NXT Takeover: Chicago Johnny Gargano Tommaso Ciampa Image Credit: WWE

~THE STAFF~

* 411 reviewer, Mr. Kevin Pantoja.
* 411 contributor, Mr. Ken Hill.
* 411 columnist, Mr. Mike Chin.
* 411 columnist, Mr. Justin Watry.
* 411 contributor, Mr. Jake Chambers.

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Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream


Jake Chambers: Theoretically, a great high-flyer should beat a straight pro-wrestler every time. From the perspective of force, propulsion and torque, a barrage of high-flying moves should have more concussive impact that land-based striking or throws. The problem is, especially in the heavyweight world of the WWE, there are not a lot of truly great high-flyers. Rey Mysterio and the original Mistico are two of the all-time great main event luchadors who needed to ground their style in order to achieve any success in the WWE. The WWE famously coveted Taka Michinoku over high-flying legend The Great Sasuke following their pair of “try-out” matches in 1997. Kofi Kingston and John Morrison are two of the most recent heavyweight pro-wrestlers in the WWE style who incorporated a limited high-flying move-set, but I don’t know if they’re considered all-timers in any style (although Johnny Mundo is a different story). The WWE now has Ricochet, and he is one of the best high-flyers of all time, but will they want to invest more in Velveteen Dream for the future since he employs the more straight pro-wrestling style? I’m guessing yes.

WINNER: Velveteen Dream

Kevin Pantoja: I am so excited for this match. The rivalry, like most involving Velveteen Dream, is so simple, yet so good. Their interactions have been great so far. After they were both involved in a classic ladder match at TakeOver, it became a singles match I was clamoring for. Part of me thinks Ricochet wins, since he could use a big one this soon. However, I’m gonna go with the Dream to possibly set up Black/Dream II in Brooklyn.

WINNER: Velveteen Dream

Ken Hill:

Monday, we celebrated the life of a Dream,
now another is on a smooth Velveteen rise,
but his opponent refuses to be outshone,
Mr. Clark may face his “one and only” demise.

Velveteen Dream has slowly but surely become one of my favorite things about NXT’s most recent crop of superstars; his mannerisms in and out of the ring, the Goldust-esque mind games, his crisp in-ring acumen, and his ability to rise and meet the level of talent he opposes, like his war with now-NXT Champion Aleister Black, looking good to great even in a loss. I don’t expect anything different here with Ricochet; it’s the former Prince Puma’s singles PPV debut and it should no doubt make for a hot opener for a hot Chicago crowd.

WINNER: Ricochet

Mike Chin: This has been a compelling rivalry so far between a pair of guys with worlds of potential. By all rights, Velveteen Dream really ought to be winning a major feud at this point. However, Ricochet is one of the most special developmental signings WWE has made in quite some time–a tremendous worker with the athleticism to get over with casual fans. It’s a combination that ought to make him an NXT main eventer before long, if WWE doesn’t hot shot him up to the main roster sooner. In a world without Gargano vs. Ciampa, this is an easy pick for match of the night. As it stands, it should be the other match that breaks four stars.

WINNER: Ricochet

JUSTIN WATRY: Potential match of the year? Yep, my expectations are that high for this one. I have loved the slow build and teasers on the weekly show. Chicago should be on fire (pun intended) once the bell rings. We know what Ricochet can do, and we also now know what Dream can do. As someone who predicted big things for him last year (on another website), it is no surprise to see his bandwagon suddenly fill up after the usual criticism early on. Oh well, it all adds to the story in my mind. Flip a coin really. Any result is fine.

WINNER: Ricochet

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Chicago Street Fight: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano


Jake Chambers: I think if you contrast the pace of this rivalry against the storylines that have played out among the Bullet Club over the last year, you’ll see the real problems with the NXT style. Whereas the characters in the Bullet Club have been featured on this Being the Elite webseries, a self-produced, low-budget yet interesting narrative technique that has embedded many mini-dramas with cliffhangers and pay-offs that played out on a random schedule across multiple promotions. In contrast to the episodic waves in the ongoing Bullet Club saga, the Gargano/Ciampa story took the WWE’s idea of how to spark a rivalry – tag team partner backstabbing – and stretched it like sugary taffy across a full calendar year with only one real match (albeit a damn good one). The lack of subtlety in the “heroic” Gargano and the “crazy” Ciampa has been fine, but in contrast to the nuance of the Bullet Club stories, the WWE’s indy promotion is really proving to be a training ground for taking layered, seasoned performances and pushing them to wave their arms bigger and stomp their feet louder so that everything they do reaches even those in the intellectual cheap seats. Typically this all has to end with a “Street Fight”, which I’m sure will be good, but in 2018 the lack of consequence or stakes in another “grrr argh” feud will only leave a hollow space in the careers of Gargano and Ciampa when two months from now, none of this will have mattered and they’re on to the next tired WWE trope.

WINNER: Tommaso Ciampa

Kevin Pantoja: What more is there to say about this feud? It’s the best of the year and was great even before Ciampa returned. Their Orlando match was damn near perfect. I fully expect this to be just as good, because these are two of the best. Johnny Gargano has two of my top five matches this year and he may make it three of five. I’m gonna say Ciampa wins and we possibly get a tiebreaker in Brooklyn.

WINNER: Tommaso Ciampa

Ken Hill:

Former friends, destined to fight forever…
Wait, where have I heard that before?
Johnny Wrestling won the New Orleans battle,
but who really wins in a Chicago War?

You would’ve thought, and I did so too, that the Gargano-Ciampa matter was all cinched up after Takeover: New Orleans, but Ciampa proved there is no limit to the depth of his depravity by not only costing Johnny another NXT Title opportunity, but inadvertently causing Gargano to injure his own beloved wife Candice, and now the feud has reached an all-time high fever pitch. Street fights aren’t usually considered a feud-ending stipulation, which leads me believe that Ciampa will capitalize on Gargano’s overwhelming rage to pull off a win to even things up, leading to the climactic rubber match, something along the lines of an “I Quit” match, I imagine, harkening back to when Ciampa initially cost Johnny his job to kick start their then-simmering, now-boiling feud.

WINNER: Tommaso Ciampa

Mike Chin: While I was in the camp that thought the match at TakeOver: New Orleans was a fitting blow off for this rivalry, I can’t deny that I’m excited for another iteration. The street fight rules open up some interesting possibilities. At minimum, this will be a different match from the one WrestleMania weekend, and it will likely as not be another great outing from these two, best pure face and best pure heel in all of WWE. Because WWE has opted to extend the rivalry this far, I’m pegging Ciampa to win here and push them to rubber match at TakeOver: Brooklyn with another stipulation to blow things off for good.

WINNER: Tomasso Ciampa

Justin Watry: This is Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn all over again. Part of me was more than ready to move on following their last battle. Heck, a part of me wanted to move on after Johnny Gargano was banished from NXT in the first place. I don’t know. These two will no doubt tear the house down on Saturday night. No doubt this will be a classic. I just wonder where they go next. If Ciampa wins, we get another rematch. If Gargano wins, it is just the same outcome as before. Are we really going to do something with Candice? Oh boy. I am going to LOVE this match…but am nervous about the follow-up.

WINNER: Gargano

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NXT Tag Team Title Match: Champions The Undisputed Era (Strong & O’Reilly) vs. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch


Jake Chambers: I’ve been saying it for years: Roderick Strong needs a cape. Not because he’s as awesome as Superman or something, but the dude is so constantly dry he just needs something to make him stand out. This is the first match where I think all four guys need capes. All of them are cool, and I’m sure the match will be awesome, but I’m just wondering if all of these guys just want to be Chavo Guerrero or does one of them wanna try to be like Eddie?

WINNER: The Undisputed Era

Kevin Pantoja: This has all sorts of sleeper potential. Lorcan and Burch are one of my favorite teams because they wrestle a style I dig. The same goes for Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly. Go in expecting a really good, hard hitting match and the Undisputed Era to retain. Anyone else think it’s weird that Adam Cole isn’t on this show?

WINNER: The Undisputed Era

Ken Hill:

With Fish’s fin still on the mend,
Strong backs O’Reilly versus Lorcan and Burch.
Will the Undisputed Duo stand strong,
or will the two tough blokes leave them in the lurch?

Lorcan and Burch have made for a brutally fun tag team in the NXT ranks and I’m happy to see the two of them get a high-profile opportunity by teaming with Pete Dunne against the Undisputed Era, as well as get a shot for the tag titles in Chicago. As much as I’d like to see them make the most of it and come out with the titles, I’ve got to go with Strong and O’Reilly on this one.

WINNER: The Undisputed Era

Mike Chin: The Undisputed Era have emerged as NXT’s top stable, between winning War Games, and collecting gold all around in New Orleans. Lorcan and Burch should give them a heck of a match, but I don’t see Strong and O’Reilly dropping the titles just yet.

WINNER: The Undisputed Era

Justin Watry: No explanation needed.

WINNER: The Undisputed Era

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NXT Women’s Title Match: Champion Shayna Baszler vs. Nikki Cross


Jake Chambers: As we approach another Mae Young Classic, isn’t it time to re-evaluate the NXT Women’s Title? To have a roster of female performers at the WWE C-Level, but then put on this now seemingly annual D-level tournament confuses the construct of NXT and the Performance Center in general, especially as the main roster A and B levels are run with the apparent randomness of a Natalya wet fart gimmick. I realize it’s a bit too much to ask for the WWE to apply some level of logic to the organization of all these moving parts, but I don’t know what’s important anymore. Is the MYC an entrance into NXT, and is winning in NXT an entrance onto the main roster, even though Baszler lost the MYC and is now NXT champion, and never-champion Cross is certain to lose this match before her ascension to the main roster.

WINNER: Shayna Baszler

Kevin Pantoja: I’ve been calling for Nikki Cross as Women’s Champion for such a long time. I still wish she would’ve ended Asuka’s streak in NXT. As happy as I am to see her get a singles Women’s Title match on a TakeOver, there’s no way she wins. Shayna’s reign shouldn’t end so soon and I think she has a big match at Brooklyn (Candice or Kairi). Plus, Nikki may be joining the rest of SAnitY since they’ve still yet to debut.

WINNER: Shayna Baszler

Ken Hill:

Shayna’s scare tactics are all for naught,
Nikki’s too “kray kray” to feel any fear.
Brutality’s abound for these women warriors,
and a main roster call for Nikki may be near.

I’ve enjoyed the build-up for this feud, as Nikki is the only woman on the NXT roster crazy enough to essentially no-sell champion Shayna’s fear tactics, as it means Baszler faces someone who, for the first time in her reign as Women’s Champion, can match her both in physicality and rip-snorting mentality. As much as I’d like to see a series for these two, I feel like part of the reason SAnitY’s main roster debut has been delayed (trademarking issues aside) is getting Nikki up to the main roster along with them, as she could make a strong addition to the women’s ranks on the Blue Brand, so I’m going with the champ on this one.

WINNER: Shayna Baszler

Mike Chin: Shayna Baszler has been great as she continues to grow in her bully heel role, and Nikki Cross offers up a genuinely fresh, fun matchup for her. This should be an entertaining brawl, but I don’t see the trajectory of the women’s title changing. Baszler wins–I predict by rendering cross unconscious via the Kirifuda Clutch–to continue her issue with Dakota Kai and wind up against her or Kairi Sane in Brooklyn.

WINNER: Shayna Baszler

@JustinWatry: Am I wrong to suggest this match headline and close Takeover? I mean we just saw a ten women tag team match main event Smackdown LIVE over Shelton Benjamin vs. Daniel Bryan and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jeff Hardy. Makes sense, right? Shayna Baszler is awesome holding the gold over the roster and taunting everybody with her dominance. Good stuff. Nikki is the perfect opponent here. She is going to be a star and is right to be kept away from Sanity. Let them do their thing. She has room to grow as a solo act. Fans love her, so why not? Here though, it’s a loss. Baszler retains.

WINNER: Shayna

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NXT Title Match: Champion Aleister Black vs. Lars Sullivan


Jake Chambers: I’m not a big fan of NXT. The Takeover events are usually awesome, and clearly outstanding so far in 2018; but it’s all these empty TV shows that bother me. Having a roster that massive and filled with some pretty incredible names, and then tape these like 8 one-hour episodes in one week that spreads all these wrestlers so thin across months of canned TV, just does not do much for me. This is what I think still turns many off from IMPACT and ROH, yet contrastingly works so well in Lucha Underground or even the NJPW AXS show. When the taped material is framed in a specific conceit (LU with the fantasy-action narrative, NJPW with the faux-sports one-match focus) it makes the collection of episodes feel well-planned, like a good season of television. NXT TV on the other hand, is so unpredictable; there might be some okay matches but you know there won’t be anything Takeover level important or as good in-ring, while everything else just falls into a mish-mash of WWE storytelling without the immediacy that remains the one factor still keeping most of us watching on Monday and Tuesday. I would like it if there was some acknowledgement that NXT was a gateway promotion to the WWE, rather than this floating island of wrestlers all apparently jammed into this one hour a week show but can’t acknowledge the existence of the looming shadow of that parent company or explain their motivations for being here. The weight off this meta-knowledge we all must employ in order to frame the flimsy concept of drama we’re seeing gets tired for me real quick. However, all of these mysterious factors have kind of merged into the odd materialization of THIS match as (a possible) main event for Takeover Chicago. Lars Sullivan feels like the most raw performer to come up from the Performance Center to challenge for the NXT Title, kind of fulfilling the promise of this facility that we all have to buy into while watching major indy and international pro-wrestling stars reign as champions and main event Takeovers for years. My interest in this match catches me so off guard because I’m still kind of stunned by the idea that Aleister Black dethroned the top-tier talent Andrade ‘Cein’ Almas at the last Takeover and has embarked on a very post-Wrestlemania 13 Undertaker-like presence as a scary and iconic but inconsequential champion. With both employing such unorthodox offences, the match between Sullivan and Black at this moment in time, on this card, intrigues me so much more than I am prepared for given my lack of interest in NXT as a program. The WWE continues to find ways to start another fire to catch the corner of my eye, just when I think I’m ready to look away from the massive highway pile-up they’ve become.

WINNER: Lars Sullivan

Kevin Pantoja: Just give me a moment where Lars either no sells the Black Mass or kicks out at one. Lars is amazing and Black is fantastic. This has loads of potential and should be the big coming out party for those who still doubt Lars. Black should retain, but it’ll be the star making performance for Lars.

WINNER: Aleister Black

Ken Hill:

It’s no accident, “The Freak” wants the strap,
he’s beaten Aleister down with purpose,
but the master of Black Mass sees not a big threat,
but merely the next big carcass.

The first big test, suffice to say, for Aleister Black in his NXT Title reign. They’ve done well to establish “The Freak” as such a threat by having him stop Aleister’s Black Mass with nary an effort and laying him out cold with the Freak Accident. Simple, sufficient and to the point. That said, Sullivan’s certainly a strong opponent, but still too fresh on the NXT scene, in my mind, to come away with the NXT Title. If anything, I’d actually move him back into the North American title picture, as he could have a monster run with the championship and give another NXT star a big boost by being the one to upend a dominant titleholder like “The Freak.”

WINNER: Aleister Black

Mike Chin: I foresee WWE burning through this match en route to sending the loser up to the main roster. Odds are, it’s a win to also further establish Black as the brand’s top champion for the months ahead. While this one doesn’t look to have the kind of four star plus potential of most of the rest of the card, it should be a solid enough story of the hero overcoming the monster heel.

WINNER: Aleister Black

JUSTIN WATRY: Not feeling this feud. I am ALL for a big showdown between two silent assassins, but NXT took a swing and missed with Lars vs. Aleister. I wonder if that feeling would be different had we got more time to hype up this huge clash. Maybe in late 2018 after a whole bunch of teasing would this work. Just going straight to them fighting out of the blue feels ‘meh’ and kinda forced. Reminds me of when Hideo Itami randomly got an NXT Title match at a preview NXT Takeover event in Chicago. It was one and done and didn’t entirely fit with the program. Lars will inevitably lose and then…then…then I don’t know. Black will continue doing well on top. Don’t worry about him.

WINNER: Black

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