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From The Network – WWE NXT Takeover: London

December 24, 2015 | Posted by Dylan Diot
7.5
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From The Network – WWE NXT Takeover: London  

WWE NXT Takeover: London
12-16-15
London, UK

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

Triple H opens the show and says while he got his ass kicked, he would have had to be dead to miss this. He welcomes everyone to NXT.

Asuka vs. Emma w/Dana Brook
Feeling out process to start and both ladies make an attempt at a hammerlock with neither getting any success. Asuka grabs an arm bar but Emma gets to the ropes to break. Emma bails so Asuka catches her with a hip check off the apron. Emma catches Asuka with a dropkick knocking her off the apron and she hammers Asuka on the apron. Basement dropkick by Emma gets 2. Rear surfboard by Emma and she converts it into a roll-up for 1. Full nelson by Emma but Asuka fights out before catching Emma with a backslide for 2. Clothesline by Emma gets 2. She sends Asuka hard into the corner a few times and Asuka comes back with a second rope dropkick. Emma fires away but Asuka comes back with a dropkick. Asuka throws some kicks and she peppers Emma with strikes. Hip check by Asuka and she throws some kicks to the chest. Emma blocks one and gets a jackknife roll-up for 2. Backfists by Asuka and she hits a basement hip check for 2. Tarantula by Emma and she hits a butterfly suplex into the corner. Basement crossbody in the corner by Emma gets 2. Asuka counters the Emma Lock into the Ankle Lock and she hits a release German suplex as Emma tries to fight out. Basement knee strike by Asuka gets 2. Sleeper by Asuka but Emma backs her into the ref in the corner to break. Dana passes a belt to Emma but Asuka catches her and takes it away. The ref and Asuka argue about whether she used the belt and it allows Emma to catch her with the O’Connor roll for 2. Asuka Lock but Dana Brook distracts the ref. The ref tosses her and Asuka catches Emma with the spin kick before she attacked with the belt for 3!!!
Winner- Asuka ***1/2 ( Really good opening match and another fine chapter to the collection of phenomenal NXT Women’s matches. I loved Emma going with a ground based, slower style offense to take away the high impact of Asuka, ensuring she didn’t end up another five minute victim of hers. They may have went a tad overboard with the overbooking at the finish but Asuka continues to look like a beast and I’m just clamoring for the Bayley/Asuka showdown now. )

Video package for Dash & Dawson/Enzo and Cass airs.

NXT Tag Team Championships- Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson © vs. Enzo Amore and Big Cass w/Carmella
Dawson and Amore start. Dawson overpowers Enzo and he tags Wilder. Uppercuts by Wilder and Enzo trips him up into a basement bulldog for 1. Cass tags in and he pounds away on Wilder in the corner. Tag to Amore and Wilder misses a clothesline, ramming his own arm into the post. Amore attacks the injured arm and he tags Cass in. He continues to work the arm but he misses a charge in the corner and the champs are on the attack. Cass is double teamed in the corner and Cass presses Wilder into Dawson to come back. The champs bail and Cass CHUCKS AMORE OUT OF THE RING ONTO THE CHAMPS ON THE FLOOR!!! Wilder blind tags in and he dumps Amore to the floor. Back in, Dawson hits a Northern lights suplex for 2. Tag to Wilder and he grabs a standing arm bar. Amore starts to fight out so Dawson catches him with a dropkick for 2. He works over Enzo in the ropes and Wilder gets a cheap shot in. Slingshot suplex by Dawson gets 2. He grabs a key lock but Enzo fights out and catches Dawson with a knee lift. Wilder knocks Cass off the apron to break up a tag and Dawson hits a Gordbuster. He covers but the ref says he’s the illegal man, so Wilder comes in and covers for 2. Wilder puts Enzo on top and follows up but Enzo fights him off. He catches Wilder with a DDT and Cass gets the tag. He cleans house and hits the Black Hole Slam for 2 as Wilder saves. Dawson clips the bad leg of Cass and Wilder tags in. Indian Deathlock by Wilder and Dawson clotheslines Enzo as he was coming to break it up. Cass makes the ropes to break!!! Dawson goes up but Enzo shoves him to the floor. Cass rolls Wilder up for 2!!! Big boot by Cass and he tags Enzo. Rocket Launcher onto Wilder gets 2 as Dawson saves!!! Dawson tries to use Carmella as a shield but she elbows him. Dawson sends Cass into the post and back in, Dawson catches Enzo off the top with the Shatter Machine for 3!!!
Winners and Still NXT Tag Team Champions- Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson ***1/4 (Solid match as the crowd LOVED Enzo and Cass and they just make the best baby face tag team. I appreciate the injured leg of Cass coming into play here as he wasn’t as dominant as he usually was and leaves open the idea that a 100% Cass could finally lead his team to the tag titles. Dawson and Wilder are a solid unit but just need to find that heel edge to take their team to the next level. )

Video package for Nia Jax airs.

Baron Corbin vs. Apollo Crews
Crews rams Corbin into the corner to start and Corbin bails. Shoulders to the gut in the corner by Crews and he catches Corbin with a dropkick. Corbin backdrops Crews to the floor and Crews nails the steps on the way down!!! Back in, Corbin dumps Crews back out to the floor and he nails Crews as he attempted to slingshot back in. Corbin pounds away in the corner and he hits some avalanches in the corner. Big boot by Corbin gets 2. Corbin rakes the eyes of Crews and he continues to work him over. Crews goes for a second rope crossbody but Corbin catches him. Small package by Crews gets 2 and Corbin sends him hard into the corner to come back. Back breaker by Corbin and he stretches Crews across his back. Crews fights out and he dumps Corbin to the floor. Back in, Crews takes Corbin down and he pounds away on the mat. Moonsault off the apron by Crews and back in, Crews cleans house. Avalanche in the corner by Crews but Corbin comes back with Deep Six for 2. Enzuigiri by Crews and he hits a standing moonsault for 2. Corbin catches him with End of Days for 3.
Winner- Baron Corbin **3/4 ( Baron Corbin is so much better in a heel role and he has made strides in his wrestling as a result. He still has a ways to go and this match proved it, as it was incredibly dull while he was in control but things picked up as Crews showed off more of his freakish athleticism. However, being in the ring with the likes of Crews and eventually Balor will do nothing but good for Corbin moving forward. )

Sami Zayn video package airs. He returns on the next episode of NXT.

Video package for Bayley/Nia Jax airs.

NXT Women’s Championship- Bayley © vs. Nia Jax
Bayley fires away to start and Jax ends that with a head butt. Shoulder breaker by Jax and she grabs the Cobra Clutch. Bayley counters into the sleeper but Jax backs her i9nto the corner to break. Bayley throws some back elbows in the corner and she catches Jax with a dropkick to the leg. Basement dropkick by Bayley and she goes up. Back elbow off the second rope by Bayley and she goes up again. Another flying back elbow by Bayley and Jax is still on her feet. Jax blocks a third one and Bayley catches her in the Triangle Choke. Jax powers her onto the top rope and follows up. Bayley fights her off and connects with a Swanton Bomb for 2 as the kick out knocks her out of the ring. Back in, Jax catches her with a Samoan Drop for 2. Jax hits two more Samoan Drops and she follows up with the leg drop for 2. Avalanches in the corner by Jax and she tosses Bayley down by the hair. Standing leg drop onto the arm by Jax and she hits some leg drops to the back of the neck for 2. Avalanche in the corner by Jax and they go up top. Bayley catches her in the Guillotine choke but Jax breaks with a spine buster. Bayley catches her in the hold again and Jax taps!!!
Winner and Still NXT Women’s Champion- Bayley *** ( The story of the match was phenomenal, as these two made for a perfect beast vs. underdog dynamic and I loved that it took a desperation submission to kill the monster. Nia Jax has some worked to do and needs more polishing but this did an excellent job here in her first big match and she filled her role to perfection. Not the best match quality wise but they executed the story perfectly so this was a success. )

Video package for Balor/Joe airs.

NXT Championship- Finn Balor © vs. Samoa Joe
In the string of amazing entrances from him, we now get “Jack the Ripper” Finn Balor, complete with top hat. Dropkick by Balor knocks Joe to the floor and he follows up with a baseball slide. PK kick from the apron by Balor and he works over Joe on the floor. Shotgun dropkick knocks Joe into the steps and Joe comes back with a Urinage on the floor!!! Back in, Joe throws some jabs in the corner and he catches Balor with an enzuigiri. They trade blows and Joe cuts Balor off with a back elbow. Neck crank by Joe and he releases in order to go for the cover for 2. Snap mare/kick to the chest/knee drop combo by Joe gets 2. Face washes by Joe and he finishes with the Olay Kick. They trade blows and Joe hits an inverted atomic drop. Big boot by Joe and he misses the back senton. Enzuigiri from the apron by Balor and Joe stops him from coming in with a chop. Elbow suicida by Joe!!! Back in, Joe covers for 2. Powerbomb by Joe gets 2 and he converts it into the Boston Crab. He turns that into the Crossface and he captures the arm as Balor reaches for the ropes. Balor uses his leg to finally make the ropes. DDT by Balor and both men are down. Flying forearm by Balor and he hits some running chops in the corner. Joe catches Balor with a back elbow and he goes up. Balor catches him with an enzuigiri knocking Joe down to the floor. Summersault plancha to the floor by Balor!!! Back in, Balor hits the double stomp to the back for 2!!! Spinning enzuigiri by Balor and he hits Sling Blade. Shotgun drop kick misses and Joe hits a back senton. Balor counters the Muscle Buster into a sunset flip for 2!!! Pele kick by Balor and they trade blows again. Rolling elbow by Joe and counters the Pele kick in the Conquita Clutch. Balor runs into the corner sending Joe crashing into the turnbuckle to break. Joe catches him in the Conquita Clutch but Balor rolls through into the double stomp. Sling Blade by Balor and he hits the shot gun dropkick. A second one by Balor and he hits a third from behind. Balor goes up but Joe stops him. Balor blocks the Muscle Buster but Joe catches him with an enzuigiri. He goes up but Balor fights him off. Coup De Grace by Balor gets 3!!!
Winner and Still NXT Champion- Finn Balor **** ( Great main event and probably the best Joe has looked in his NXT run. This was old school Joe here, coming across as a vicious monster and using that smash mouth, hard hitting style that highlighted his career. Obviously this played to Balor strengths as they had a fantastic back and forth contests that was probably missing a few big moments that really could have carried this to the next level. Still a great close to the show and a great end to a tremendous year for NXT. )

Top Ten WWE/NXT Network Matches:
1. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks – Takeover: Respect *****
2. Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor – WWE Beast in the East ****3/4
3. John Cena vs. Kevin Owens – WWE Money in the Bank ****3/4
4. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns/vs. Seth Rollins – WrestleMania XXXI ****1/2
5. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley – Takeover: Brooklyn ****1/2
6. Seth Rollins vs. John Cena – Summerslam ****1/2
7. Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton – Payback ****1/4
8. Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker – Hell in a Cell ****1/4
9. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch – NXT: Unstoppable ****1/4
10. Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins – Royal Rumble ****1/4

WWE/NXT Network Special Rankings:
WrestleMania XXXI – 9.5
Takeover: Brooklyn – 9.0
Takeover: Rival – 9.0
Takeover: Respect – 9.0
Summerslam – 8.0
Money in the Bank – 8.0
Beast in the East – 8.0
Takeover: Unstoppable – 8.0
Hell in a Cell – 7.5
Takeover: London – 7.5
Payback – 7.5
Night of Champions – 7.0
Elimination Chamber – 6.5
TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs – 6.5
Battleground – 6.5
Live from Madison Square Garden – 6.5
Extreme Rules – 6.0
Fast Lane – 5.5
Royal Rumble – 4.5
Survivor Series – 4.0

7.5
The final score: review Good
The 411
This is probably in the lower tier of NXT Takeover shows, as the card coming in wasn't that strong outside of the main event and in ring wise it wasn't up to the high standards we have seen in prior Takeover events. That being said, this still was pretty damn good show. Everyone worked extremely hard and this show had an awesome atmosphere, as the main roster would kill for the crowd enthusiasm and energy that this show had. The new crop of NXT stars are just starting to find their footing and the brand continues to look strong going forward. The main event lives up to expectations and the rest of the show is just a fun watch, so check this one out.
legend