NXT Takeover WarGames Review 11/17/2018

Hello Misfits! It’s the Wrestling Classic here with my NXT Takeover: War Geams. The WWE heads over to Los Angeles taking over the city for the four days straight and it kicks off with NXT War Games. The War Games match retunes for the second time in the WWE when the Undisputed Era faces off against Ricochet, Pete Dunne and The War Raiders. NXT Champion Tomasso Ciampa defends his championship against Velveteen Dream. Shayna Bazler with her Horsewomen comrades defends her championship against Kairi Sane in 2-out-3 falls match. A returning Aleister Black faces off against his attacker Johnny Gargano is match to become the number one contender for the NXT Championship. NXT Takeover always delivers and even though this match is only a four match card, I have no doubt that its going to deliver. Lets see find out if I can trust my faith.

Image via WWE.com

NXT Takeover: War Games comes to us from the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, CA.

– Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuiness and Percy Watson are on commentary for this event.

Matt Riddle def. Kassius Ohno
in 00:07 by pin fall
The show kicks off with Riddle’s music hitting. Riddle says he’s not booked for tonight’s Takeover but he got annoyed when Ohno interrupted him on the kick -off show. Matt Riddle says with them both being here in LA and there being two rings that he would love to face Kassius Ohno tonight. Ohno answers the challenge and says that Riddle won’t remember tonight because he’s going to get knocked out. Ohio gets in the ring the bell sound and Riddle connects with a big knee for the win. This impromptu match felt like a segment to showcase Matt Riddle and it worked. I’m sure we’ll see a follow-up from this in the following weeks. Entertaining and unexpected stuff here.

2-out-of-3 Falls
NXT Women’s Championship
Shayna Bazsler (C) def. Kairi Sane
in 10:55 pin fall with final score being 2-1
This is the fourth encounter between the two and Kairi Sane’s rematch after losing the championship at Evolution. Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke came out early in the match to hang around at ringside. They made an impact early on by attacking Kairi while Shayna distracted the referee allowing Shayna to pick up the first fall by submission tapping Kairi out. There was a awesome spot on the apron when Kairi hit this gruesome looking spike DDT on Shayna. Kairi was forced to fight off all three girls and managed to do so after hitting an Insane elbow on all three of them and then rolling Shayna in the ring for another Insane Elbow for the the second fall. This made the match tied at 1-1. This was followed with some brawling as Shafir and Duke tried getting involved again but Dakota Kai and Io Shirai came out to even the odds. Shirai hit a beautiful moonsault on Kai, Duke and Shafir. Sane went for another Insane elbow but Bazsler with the crucifix pin for the win. This was a solid match but all the outside interference took away from it being a classic. That is alright though because I believe they’re heading towards a feud involving all six women and this was the way to start that.

– They show X-Pac in the crowd

#1 Contender Match
Aleister Black def. Johnny Gargano
in 18:10 by pin fall
This match was amazing. The video package prior to the match really set the tone of the match. Both guys came out in fresh gear as well. This match was awesome. If you’re not watching the event live, I’d still go to watch this match. The crowd was fully invested and when it picked up it was as if it never slowed down. Gargano does real good job at trying to be dislikable. Gargano expressed his jealousy towards Black when he would scream at him that he’s the chosen one. This was just a crazy competitive back and fourth match. Johnny kept trying to taunt Black to get under his skin but it just wasnt working. He even sat crossed legged at one point during Black’s offence to mock Black and waived at him similar to the way his old partner and nemesis Ciampa used to do to him. The fans were really into this back and fourth battle which I really think elevated the match. Johnny would continue to do things such as lifting Aleister’s head up with his foot similar to how Black does to his opponents. Johnny set up for the DIY finish and Black sat crossed legged and tells Gargano to hit him with his best shot. Johnny missed and gets caught in a roll-up but he breaks out followed with a super kick and knee to Black but it doesn’t keep him down. There was a moment where Gargano gravelled at Black’s feet and begged for mercy. He said he was sorry and wanted Black to finish him with a black mass. He even thanked Black only to counter the Black Mass into a roll up and than the Gargano Escape submission. Black hit two Black Mass’s in a row for the win. This was one helluva match with great storytelling. Man, I love NXT Takeovers.

NXT Championship
Tomasso Ciampa (C) def. Velveteen Dream
in 22:25 by pinfall
I have to admit. Similar to the last match, I am a fan of both of these guys. The only difference here is I went into this match not ready to see Ciampa lose the championship yet but near the end I found myself totally fine with Dream picking up the win here. I absolutely loved Velveteen Dreams “Hollywood Hogan” inspired gear. He even wore his custom made Cardillo weightbelt. Dream had the Hogan boa’s and everything as well. The tights had his own touch as well as instead of blue lightning it was purple lightning of course. Ciampa came out clutching on his championship goldie as if he never wanted to let it go. The match started off with some taunting and slaps. Ciampa gets a hold of Dream’s head band and mocks him with Hogan poses that even makes Dream crack a smile. They went back and fourth for a bit while talking some smack to each other. Dream finally gains the advantage and put his headband back on. This leads to Dream doing the entire Hulk Hogan hulk-up sequence. He hits the big boot followed by three leg drops. This was quality entertainment here folks. Dream started really working on Ciampa’s knee pulling out one of my favourite moves with the figure four on the ring post. Ciampa taps but of course it doesn’t count because that would be illegal and the ref did not see it. Dream gets another figure four leg lock in the ring but Ciampa fight out of it. They go back and fourth again for a bit. Ciampa tries to steal the win with a roll-up by pulling the tights but the ref sees it and stops it. Ciampa argues with him so Dream hits a superkick and the Dream Valley Driver for a great near fall. Ciampa fights off another DVD. Elbow by Dream but he leaps into a pump knee by the champion for two. After some more action they head back outside the ring again and Ciampa exposes the floor but removing the mat. Ciampa wants the draping DDT on the concrete but Dream runs forward and they both spill over the announce table. Camp gets into an altercation with Mauro Ranallo which distracts Ciampa allowing him to hit the Dream Valley Driver on the concrete. Dream gets Ciampa back in the ring and hits a beautiful Purple Rainmaker for the near fall. Ciampa ends up draped on the apron and Dream wants the Purple Rainmaker there but Ciampa moves and Velveteen hits the floor. Ciampa sets up for the draping DDT onto the steel connecting the two rings for the win. The finish of the match was non-stop action and really had me believing that Dream was potentially going to win. Camp kisses Dream before leaves and NXT delivers again with their championship match. Both of these guys are stars and Dream finds a way to get himself over even in loss once again. Ciampa remains the greatest

War Games
Ricochet, Pete Dunne and The War Raiders def. The Undisputed Era
in 47:10 by by pin fall
The Undisputed Era comes out first and boy do I love their music and attitude as a group. The War Raiders, Ricochet and Pete Dunne are all wearing war paint for this match. This made me miss the backstage promos. I mean the video package was great but if we just had backstage promos from both teams at some point during the show, that would have been awesome. The match starts off with Adam Cole and Ricochet. The other members are locked in their shark cage chambers at the top of the ramp. They argue about which ring they should meet in and eventually got toe-to-toe in the first ring. Kyle O’ Reilly came in second since UE had the advantage that Reilly won for his team by beating Hanson on NXT TV earlier this week. Cole and Reilly really work on Ricochet while they have the two on one advantage. Hanson comes in next to even the odds but on his way out of the shark cage he pushes Dunne who was trying to get out next. Hanson does a number on Cole and Reilly with running clotheslines from corner to corner. Ricochet hits an awesome shooting star press off of Hansons shoulders. Roderick Strong comes in next giving UE the advantage again and comes in with a flurry of backbreakers on Hanson and Ricochet. The numbers game come back into play as the UE help Strong with the offence. Once again, the other team shows that they’re not on the same page at the same level the Undisputed Era are as Rowe fights Dunne off to come out first to join the match. The War Raiders kick some ass. Rowe hits this awesome double powerbomb/powerslam move on Strong and O’ Reilly. All three guys surround Cole and cohesively work on him.
Bobby Fish comes out next but before heading to the ring he pad-locks the other teams shark cage with his own lock and throws the key in the crowd which means Dunne is technically locked in his cage. Bobby Fish also grabs chairs for each member of the Undisputed Era and they go wild abusing their opponents. The Undisputed Era were in full control here. The time for Dunne to enter the match comes but the officials dont have the key to open the cage. The UE continues to kick ass in the ring and say they run the show. The officials break bolt cutters and release Pete Dunne. The UE try to not let him in and Dunne pulls out a kendo stick to fight is way in. Dunne throws in trash cans and even brings in tables into the ring.
THE WAR GAMES BEGIN! Now with all the members in the ring the first team to make an opponent on the other team pin or submit wins. Ricochet, Dunne and War Raiders go in beating up the Undisputed Era with kendo sticks, chains and trash cans. Dunne was just doing some damage to O’Reilly’s fingers that was hard to watch. O’Reilly tried to do the chair bouncing off the rope hitting his own head spot but missed. Hanson rammed into Cole who was in the corner with a trash can over his head. The War Raiders start to just destroy dudes. We get the redDragon working on Rowe which was fun. The Undisputed Era is back in control. Cole takes out Ricochet and the UE surround Pete Dunne. Dunne tries to fight them off and does good job doing so leading to him getting Fish in a knee bar on is surgically repaired leg. O’ Reilly breaks it up and wraps a chain on Dunne’s leg but Dunne gets Kyle in a kimora but Fish comes in with the save via chair shot. O’Reilly puts on an ankle lock on Dunne while the UE build a wall to block his teammattes from getting into their ring. Ricochet flies through the air to break it up. Ricochet and Dunne hit hurricurana off the top rope on their opponents at the same time. Hanson puts Cole on a table but the legs give out. The War Raiders hit some awesome double team offence on Cole. Fish spears Rowe through the table that was set between the two rings. Kyle gets Ricochet in submission while he’s laid out on the table but Hanson jumps off the top rope splashing onto O’Reilly putting him through the table. Strong made the save by break the pin with a trash can. Adam Cole climbs to the top of the cage and so does Ricochet. They start exchanging blows on the top of the cage until Strong comes trying to push Ricochet outside of the cage. If any member of the team leaves the cage the other team wins so this was genius. There was some crazy massive suplex move involving everyone but Ricochet who was left on the top of the cage. Ricochet flies off with a crazy 450 senton onto everybody off the top of the cage.
All eight guys face off against each other from separate sides of the cage and meet in the middle to fight in the trench between the rings. All eight guys are down. Everyone gets a moment to shine after this with Adam Cole really stepping up. He hit a super kick on Ricochet who came spring boarding off the ropes. Adam Cole than hits the running knee on Dunne for a near fall. He exposes knee to go for it again but gets caught with a bitter-end followed by splash from Ricochet. Dunne and Ricochet cover Cole together for the win. What an incredible match! The two champs get their belts and stare each other down but nod at each other with a show of respect. Ricochet and Dunne celebrate on top of the cage. This was so fun to watch and once again proves that the War Games concept can still work in 2018.

Image via WWE.com

Final Thoughts
NXT Takeover was technically a four match card and it beyond delivered. The final three matches told great stories, were action-packed and all special in their own ways. The women’s match was really good for what it was and advanced where they want to go with that rivalry but seemed too overbooked for me to consider it at the same level as the final three matches. There are rumours that two of NXT’s big stars are being called up after Summerslam and I really dont want to see that. I feel like all the top spots on the main roster are filled especially on Raw and I think all of these guys on NXT have top guy potential but may just fall on the wayside in the mid-card or upper mid-card. Take a look at guys like Bobby Roode, Bobby Lashley, Shinsuke Nakamura and the list goes on. I know a lot of hardcore fans already consider NXT as the third brand but I feel like all fans need to so it can keep its roster and identity as its own and being called up to the main roster isn’t the end-all and be-all. This was a helluva a show because this roster and team gets how to put on a helluva wrestling show. I dont think I have ever fully been let down by a Takeover and this was no difference. I would recommend this show to anyone. A solid women’s match. Two awesome story-telling singles matches. Topped off with one amazing, entertaining and fun War Games match.
Final Rating – 8.5/10

What were your final thoughts on NXT Takeover: War Games? What final grade would you give the event? Where would you rate it on a scale of ten? Do you agree with my review? Leave your comments, opinions and thoughts below in the comments section.