The Biggest Winners From NXT TakeOver: London

NXT’s latest TakeOver card is in the books and by all accounts it was a success. Just like the previous TakeOvers, this was an event that virtually any fan of pro-wrestling could watch and enjoy because the in-ring action was superb.

Three titles were on the line on this five match show and, maybe surprisingly, not a single one changed hands. Every wrestler who walked into this event as a Champion walked out a winner. They rightfully earned their spots in this article of the biggest winners of the night, as well as the other match winners. A few losers even made the cut because their performances deserved spotlight as well.

So on to the victors (and the sort of victors). They’ve earned it…

Asuka

What a fantastic opener to the show. Not only did Asuka and Emma have plenty of time to wrestle a darn good match, but they made it even more exciting with some Dana Brooke shenanigans in the final moments.

Asuka was victorious, despite a few close calls of sabotage with a foreign object. She is brutal, she is dominant, and she knows how to connect with a crowd during a match better than just about anybody today. London absolutely loved her and she showed them plenty of love back.

Now that she’s defeated both Dana Brooke and Emma, it would seem that she’s ready for something bigger. The staredown that she had later in the show with Nia Jax seemed to foreshadow her next feud and I am excited for it. Until the Nia thing starts, at least she still finds time to terrorize Emma and Dana in her spare time…

Enzo & Big Cass

This is a case of two guys who didn’t literally win, but had a great performance that warrants recognition. I’m not sure why Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy haven’t had a chance to carry the NXT Tag Titles up to this point, but it’s very clear by the reactions they get from just about everywhere that they’re the people’s choice.

Enzo & Big Cass performed their usual crowd-favorite lines on this night, which were recited very loudly by everyone in London. Inside the ring, Enzo did a variation of his famous “zero dimes” promo that was adapted as to reflect the exchange rate.

Their popularity is undeniable, but as much as I wanted to include them on this list of the biggest winners because of the match outcome, it just wasn’t meant to be for them. That honor goes to these guys…

The Mechanics

Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder are building their legacy. It feels like they’ve rushed to the top of the NXT tag division and they’ve done so with an old school look and feel. Especially with this performance opposite of Enzo & Big Cass, they are proving that they can get the job done in the ring.

Dash & Wilder demonstrated sound strategy by targeting Colin’s previously injured leg late in the match. Even though he finally made it to the ropes to break the stretching, they were ruthless in trying to get him to submit.

The most impressive maneuver that The Mechanics performed was at the finish. The Shatter Machine, which is already a pretty painful looking move, was made to be even more painful when they applied it to poor Enzo Amore off of the top rope. That will surely be regarded as one of the best spots of the show.

Baron Corbin

If I was ranking the biggest winners instead of doing a more chronological format, Baron Corbin would probably be at the bottom of the winners list. I won’t spend a ton of time being super negative, but I will point out that I felt like he had the least inspiring performance of everybody that I’ve highlighted.

But enough of the negativity, Corbin still earned himself a win over a man that looked like he was close to possibly defeating the NXT Champion just a few weeks ago. That is something to brag about. Considering the babyface Balor retained in his match, the heel Corbin could to be primed for a challenge of his own at the next TakeOver event, or sooner since he’s declared himself the Number 1 Contender after his win over Crews…

Nia Jax

The challenger to Bayley’s NXT Women’s Championship said in a backstage interview before her match that she was going to “destroy and dominate.” Now that her match is in the books, it seems appropriate to say that she delivered on that claim.

Sure, she ended up tapping out and losing the match, but this was the best performance she’s had in the ring to date. With the use of repeated leg drops and Samoan drops, she put a believable hurting on Bayley. Even with her submission defeat, multiple applications of the guillotine was needed to finish her off.

Nia did not walk out of London as the Women’s Champion, but after this performance that is a future reality that seems inevitable.

Bayley

There might not be anybody in the NXT locker room, or any locker room for that matter, that is more beloved than Bayley. The London crowd had very creative chants throughout the card but their adoration of the NXT Women’s Champion was especially creative. The song that they kept singing that kept asking if Bayley would be their girl was cute.

During the match, Bayley took a beating from the larger Jax. She was the ultimate underdog, giving her foe the most credibility to date. This wasn’t Bayley vs. Sasha Banks in terms of technicality, but it was still a great David vs. Goliath-style story.

Bayley retained her title after a series of guillotine submissions. The final application had Nia seated in the middle of the ring with Bayley wrenching on her as far back as she possibly can.

Considering Asuka looks primed to challenge Nia in the short term, it’ll be interesting to see who challenges for Bayley’s title next.

Finn Balor

NXT Champion Finn Balor defended the top title of his brand in front a hometown crowd. He brought The Demon to face off against a very formidable opponent in Samoa Joe. In a lengthy bout that produced some very unique nearfalls, the champion retained his title.

Joe definitely look like he belonged there and deserves some credit as well. Balor did a series of running drop kicks into the corner that unlike other opponents, Joe kept shaking off. He even did a fierce roar after one of the attempts.

The final sequence was fantastic for these two. There was a struggle in the corner between the two wrestlers that was either going to end in Balor executing his Coup de Grace or Je performing a Super Muscle Buster. Finn won the struggle to emerge victorious in this hard fought main event. His reign continues on.

Mitch’s Final Thoughts

Once again, this was yet another fantastic event in the TakeOver series. NXT is the one of the best standalone products that any fan of wrestling can choose to view and this overseas edition was great from top to bottom. The London crowd was rabid for what was presented to them and they accented the action in the ring without becoming an annoyance.

As far as my personal picks go, I only called the Asuka and Bayley wins correctly. I was hoping that Enzo & Cass were going to finally get a title reign but since they lost again I question if it will ever happen. Maybe they’ll be jumping to main roster soon? If if means they’ll feud with New Day, I’m all for it. In no other way do I want that to happen.

I also thought Samoa Joe might win then go on to feud with Apollo Crews. I was wrong and missed out on both of those picks. I’m not upset by any means that I was wrong, but I was hoping that Finn might debut on the main roster at the Royal Rumble. That can still happen but it seems less likely if he’s more involved in NXT. Oh well, he’s better off on this brand.

Even though I didn’t pick most of the matches right, it didn’t hurt my enjoyment of the show. NXT didn’t just put on a good show in London, they’ve been putting on good shows for quite a long time. It’s fun to just enjoy it and that’s exactly what happens when I watch every Wednesday.

Plugs

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