From The Network – WWE NXT Takeover: Brooklyn

WWE NXT Takeover: Brooklyn
8-22-15
Brooklyn, NY

Your hosts are Rich Breenan, Byron Saxton, and Corey Graves.

Triple H does a cool speech in the ring with the entire arena dark and he declares the future is now. The lights go out and the crowd is ENORMOUS!!! He declares that we are NXT.

Tyler Breeze vs. Jushin Liger
Breeze overpowers Liger to start. Drop toe hold by Liger and he mocks Breeze. Rowboat by Liger and he then catches him in the Mexican surfboard. Monkey flip by Liger and he throws some chops. Super kick by Breeze gets 2. Breeze stomps away in the corner and he hits a leg drop for 2. Backstabber by Breeze gets 2 and he grabs the front face lock. Liger presses Breeze away and he catches Breeze with the Capo kick. Tilt-a-whirl back breaker by Liger and he goes up. Flying splash eats knees and Breeze gets the crucifix for 2. Breeze stomps away in the corner and Liger comes back with the palm strike. Breeze goes to the floor and Liger catches him with the Cannonball off the apron. Back in, Liger hits another palm strike and he hits the Liger Bomb for 3.
Winner- Jushin Liger *** (Liger in a WWE ring, especially at 50 years old, is surreal. This was a really fun opener that was perfect for getting the already hot crowd amped for the rest of the show. I’m hoping these losses for Breeze will lead to a new edge to his character. I love the gimmick but he just needs that little something that will finally put him in the main event mix in NXT.)

Vignette for Nia Jax airs.

NXT Tag Team Championships- Blake and Murphy w/Alexa Bliss © vs. The Vaudevillians (Simon Gotch and Aiden English)
Before the match, Alexa Bliss mocks the Vaudevillians for not having someone in their corner but BLUE PANTS COMES OUT!!!!! She got a monster pop which is insane. Blake and Gotch start. Roll-up by Gotch gets 1 and he rolls Blake into the cross arm breaker. Blake counters into a roll-up for 2 and Gotch goes back to the arm. Tag to English and he hits a running boot for 2. English works the arm and Murphy tags in. English begins to work his arm and he looks to springboard in but Blake pulls him to the floor to block. Back in, Blake grabs a chin lock but English starts to fight out so the champs work him over in the corner. Murphy grabs a rear chin lock but English again tries to fight out so back to the corner he goes. Tag to Blake and he hits a corner forearm for 2. Blake goes back to the chin lock but English escapes so Blake pulls Gotch off the apron to prevent a tag. The champs press English into a double neck breaker for 2. English knocks the champs into each other and Gotch gets the tag. Gotch cleans house and English tags in. He goes up but Murphy crotches him and follows up. Blake joins him but Gotch takes them down with a double power bomb. Swanton Bomb by English gets 2!!! Bliss tries to distract the Vaudevillians but Blue Pants goes after her. Murphy rolls Gotch up for 2. Whirling Dervish by the Vaudevillians gets 3!!!
Winners and NEW NXT Tag Team Champions- The Vaudevillians ***1/4 (This was the best Blake and Murphy outing to date. The Vaudevillians were super over and the crowd popped huge for their win, so the near falls and the final sequence were more dramatic and exciting than it had any right to be. )

Tye Dillinger vs. Apollo Crews
Crews shows out some of his amazing athleticism and he mocks Dillinger. Dropkick by Crews and Dillinger dropkicks him as he tried to slingshot in. Dillinger stomps away in the corner and he grabs a half nelson. Crews blocks a sunset flip for 2 and Dillinger hits a super kick for 2. Enzuigiri by Crews and he hits a discus clothesline. Avalanche by Crews and he hits a clothesline. Press into the standing moonsault by Crews gets 3.
Winner- Apollo Crews *1/2 (This wasn’t the best debut for Crews. This should have been a squash that highlighted Crews amazing blend of strength and athleticism and instead we got a kind of competitive contest that the crowd really didn’t want to see. Still, the future is bright for Crews. )

William Regal announces the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic starting in two weeks and the finals will take place on November 7th. He promises to make Dusty proud.

Video package for Joe/Corbin airs.

Baron Corbin vs. Samoa Joe
Joe goes for the Clutch early and Corbin quickly bails. Back elbow in the corner followed by an enzuigiri from Joe. Sick Kick by Joe knocks Corbin to the floor. Joe looks to dive but Corbin nails him to block. Back in, Corbin hits some avalanches in the corner for 1. Joe throws some jabs and he rolls Corbin up for 2 before catches him in the half crab. He turns that into the Crossface and he bends the arm of Corbin. Corbin makes the ropes to break. Corbin pulls Joe to the floor and Joe sweeps the legs of Corbin to bring him down. Joe tosses Corbin into the barricade and back in, Corbin grabs the grapevine. Joe makes the ropes to break. Black Hole Slam by Corbin gets 2. Super kick by Corbin but Joe comes back with the enzuigiri. Jabs by Joe and Corbin fires back. Joe puts Corbin on top but Corbin fights off and hits a big boot. Jackhammer by Corbin gets 2. Corbin stomps away in the corner and Joe tries the Clutch but Corbin blocks. Gallows Pole by Corbin gets 2 as Joe turns the kick out into the Clutch!!! Corbin passes out.
Winner- Samoa Joe *** (Solid match and probably the best Corbin outing to date. He hung in there and even looked just as good as Joe I terms of throwing strikes and some of the counter exchanges. Joe defiantly seems to have slowed down and works a much slower pace, so I hope to see him work a long program with the likes of Balor or Itami to see if he still has that magic that he once had. )

Stephanie McMahon comes out and talks about how NXT was making history. She says the Diva’s Revolution started in NXT and she is proud to introduce the first of our two main events.

Video package for Banks/Bayley airs.

NXT Women’s Championship- Sasha Banks © vs. Bayley
Bayley attacks to start and both ladies trade blows on the mat. Banks works over Bayley in the corner but Bayley returns the favor. She puts Banks in the tree of woe and hits a springboard elbow drop for 1. Roll-up by Banks gets 1 and a springboard arm drag by Bayley brings Banks to the floor. Baseball slide on the apron by Bayley and back in, Banks puts Bayley on the second turnbuckle. Double knees misses and they go up. Banks kicks Bayley knocking her all the way to the floor!!! Back in, Banks works over Bayley and slaps her for 2. Neck crank by Banks and she converts it into the Japanese Strangle Hold. Bayley starts to fight out so Banks drives her into the corner. Banks puts Bayley on the second turnbuckle but Bayley blocks the double knee attempt. Banks pounds away and puts Bayley on the top rope instead. Banks goes up and hits the double knees for 2!!! Banks taunts Bayley so she pulls Banks into the turnbuckle. Bayley fires away on Banks and Banks snaps Bayley’s arm off the ropes to end her run. Banks exposes Bayley’s injured hand and dumps Bayley back to the floor. Banks slams Bayley’s hand off the steps and she kicks the steps into the injured hand!!! SUMMERSAULT PLANCHA TO THE FLOOR BY BANKS!!!! Back in, Banks covers for 2 and she attempts the assisted Tornado DDT but Bayley shoves her to the floor to block. Bank in, they trade blows and Bayley cleans house. Bayley charges at Banks in the corner and she suplexes Banks into the corner. Banks counters the Chaos Theory into the Divorce Court and she locks in the Banks Statement. Banks STOMPS ON THE HAND OF BAYLEY but Bayley is able to counter into her own Banks Statement!!! Banks makes the ropes to break!!! Bayley to belly by Bayley gets 2!!! Bayley puts Banks on top and she follows up. Banks fights her off but Bayley goes up again. Banks shoves her down again and hits the double knee drop for 2!!! Banks puts Bayley on top and follows up. Bayley fights her off but Banks follows up again. REVERSE FRANKENSTEINER OFF THE TOP BY BAYLEY!!! BAYLEY TO BELLY GETS 3!!!!! After the match, Becky Lynch and Charlotte come out and hoist Bayley in the air as she cries. Banks hugs Bayley and the four women that made this division embrace in the ring. What an awesome moment.
Winner and NEW NXT Champion- Bayley ****1/2 (Unbelievable match. Sasha Banks has better psychology then about 90% of the main roster with the combination of the work on Bayley’s hand and using the taunting and deeming of Bayley to maintain control during the contest was outstanding. They were smart about when to hit their big spots and they didn’t go into overkill on near falls so the crowd exploded at the finish and the match ended right at its’ peak. This is the best NXT women’s match to date and may be the best WWE women’s match of all-time.)

Video package for Balor/Owens airs.

Ladder Match for the NXT Championship- Finn Balor © vs. Kevin Owens
Balor’s entrance is absolutely incredible and Owens just lounges on a chair at ringside not caring. He’s the best. Balor fires away on Owens and he hits a dropkick. Running chops by Balor and Owens catches Balor with a back elbow. Back senton by Owens and he works over Balor. Balor takes Owens down and quickly follows up with a double stomp. Cannonball in the corner by Owens and Balor comes back with the Slingblade. Owens bails to grab a ladder but Balor attacks him on the ramp. Owens rams the ladder into the sternum of Balor and Falor fights back with forearms. They brawl in the crowd and Balor backdrops Owens back to ringside. Balor springboards off the barricade but Owens catches him and rams him into the barricade. Owens tosses Balor over the announce table and he nails him with the top of the announce table. Owens grabs a ladder but BALOR RUNS ONTO THE TABLE AND HITS THE SHOTGUN DROPKICK TO OWENS!!! Summersault plancha by Balor and he climbs the ladder. Owens brings him down and drives Balor into the ladder. Owens dumps Balor and back in, Balor catches Owens with the Pele. Owens catches Balor with a clothesline and he drives the ladder into the sternum of Balor again. Owens slams Balor on the ladder and hits a back senton. Owens goes to power bomb Balor but Balor backdrops Owens onto the ladder to block!!! Balor climbs but Owens pulls him down and tosses him into a ladder in the corner. Owens goes for the Cannonball but misses and he crashes into the ladder!!! Shotgun dropkick by Balor and he goes up. Coup De Grace by Balor and he climbs. OWENS PULLS HIM DOWN INTO THE POWERBOMB!!!! Owens climbs but Balor dumps the ladder over to bring Owens down. PK kick from the apron by Balor and he misses the Coup De Grace on the floor. Apron Bomb by Owens!!! Owens climbs but Balor tips the ladder over to bring Owens down. Super kick by Owens and he hits another one. Owens climbs the ladder and brings Balor up with him. Balor KNOCKS OWENS OFF THE LADDER AND HE FALLS ONTO A LADDER IN THE CORNER!!! COUP DE GRACE OFF THE LADDER ONTO OWENS!!!! Balor climbs and grabs the belt!!!!
Winner and Still NXT Champion- Finn Balor ****1/4 (Awesome follow up to their Japan match. I loved that most of the match was brawling and the ladder spots were kept to a minimum, adding more intensity to the contest and making the ladder spots more meaningful when they happened. The finish wish Owens try to go one step too far to hurt Balor and it cost him in the end was great comeuppance for him. This was a hell of a main event to cap off an amazing show.)

9.0

The final score: review Amazing

The 411

This might be my favorite NXT Takeover to date. You had an insanly hot crowd throughout most of the night and it added so much to the card. This crowd was into everyone and it made moments like Liger's first WWE appearence and Apollo Crews' debut even more of a big deal than it already was. The Banks/Bayley match was spectacular and the images of Bayley crying tears of joy and the four women of NXT giving their final bow will go down as iconic moments in NXT's history. The main event was an excellent brawl and showed that Finn Balor is more than capable of becoming the face of NXT and the brand will continue to strive even without Owens, Charlotte, Banks, and Becky Lynch going forward. This is up there with WrestleMania as one of WWE's best shows of the year and you have to seek this one out.