With only five matches on the card NXT TakeOver Phoenix shows that the unofficial third brand is all about quality over quantity.
Tag Team Title Match: War Raiders vs. The Undisputed Era (C)
As Mauro Ranallo exclaims “Great Odin’s Ravens!” The War Raiders open the night with their amped up Viking entrance. I dig it. This is a great way to open the show. Fan favorites Hanson and Rowe dominate early as they throw their opponents (and each other) around like rag dolls. One of my personal favorites, Hanson spent more time in the air than Delta as he performed two suicide dives, a rebound double back elbow, and a flying leg drop. “He needs to be on 205 Live with moves like that!” Percy Watson yells from the announce table. Not long after Hanson performs a bronco buster as he (Mmm)bops his opponents inside the ring.
As for the Undisputed Era, these guys have been putting on amazing tag matches day in and day out. Tonight was no exception. For Roderick, Strong is more than a name as he lifted both of his massive opponents several times. He even did his best Bane impression as there were back breakers aplenty. O’Reilly contributed a lot of knee strikes as well, but the momentum was clearly on the side of the War Raiders throughout.
After a tandem flying leg drop off the top, Hanson and Rowe are your NEW NXT Tag Team Champions. The titles look like tiny toys on these guys but I couldn’t be happier. These guys have really impressed me since seeing them perform in Asbury Park last year, and their time is now. This is the intensity of tag team wrestling that we need to see on the main roster.
Matt Riddle vs. Kassius Ohno
This match was definitely a cool down, as Riddle is already 2 and 0(hno) against the veteran, Ohno. Ohno had most of the momentum early as he pummeled Riddle with a boot to the face that busted him open. And BRO, let me tell you Riddle took a beating. Ohno landed on top of his opponent with all of his weight a few times and there were a lot of bad bumps. At one point Ohno even bit Riddle’s toes. I have to say that’s a first. Regardless, Riddle makes it 3 and 0 as his opponent taps while being struck with a flurry of punches. This is another first for me. A tap out during a flurry of strikes? Something felt off here. Unfortunately, this match did not bring a lot to the table.
North American Championship Match: Johnny Gargano vs. Ricochet (C)
On paper this could be the match of the night. In reality, this could be the match of 2019.
Gargano enters with Marvel inspired gear as he often does, sporting a Ghost Rider-inspired Johnny Wrestling logo with flames. I absolutely love it. The man calls himself Johnny TakeOver but as the announcers suggest, but he needs some more marks in the win column. The match starts out with your typical technical and mat wrestling opening moves, but quickly turns into a cycle of unorthodox reversals.
Ricochet reverses moves I didn’t know could be reversed, and most of them are in mid-air. Just to name a few spots, Ricochet lands on his feet after a tilt-a-whirl head scissors, a hurricanrana, and even a frankensteiner – turned power bomb – turned back into a frankensteiner. The crowd goes nuts for this spot and my jaw drops. So does Gargano’s. Riochet simply does things I’ve never seen in the ring before. The guy has always impressed but is quickly becoming one of my personal favorites.
In fact I would say the first seventy-five percent of the match was Ricochet on the offensive. He busted out a 619, a flying European uppercut, and a middle turnbuckle Asai moonsault to the outside. Not to mention he legit jumped over the whole corner of the ring into a flipping plancha onto Gargano. (Again, something I’ve never ever seen before) Anyone watching can tell that Ricochet is leaving it all in the ring tonight. I honestly can’t ever remember worrying about a guy getting tired in the ring and I was wondering how Ricochet could keep going. But the guy is like the Energizer bunny. All the while he had answers for Gargano’s slingshot spear, slingshot DDT, and even performed a Gargano escape of his own. Ricochet asked his opponent, “What Johnny am I going to get tonight?” reminding us all of Gargano’s current tweener status.
Gargano shows he still has a couple screws lose as he removes the mats from the outside floor, revealing concrete. He eventually suplexes the North American Champion on the floor and hits the slingshot DDT for the win. I’m shocked. I didn’t think Gargano was going to get his big win until he ultimately captured that NXT title from Ciampa. Regardless, the real winners here are the fans. Congrats Johnny Wrestling on the big title win, and what a performance by Ricochet.
NXT Women’s Champion: Bianca Bel Air vs. Shayna Baszler (C)
As Mauro says, “Beware the hair” because Bianca Bel Air is undefeated in NXT. I must say the EST of NXT really does have it all: agility, speed, and strength. But The Queen of Spades doesn’t care because she doesn’t have time for the Bianca’s games or catch phrases. Baszler wisely uses her opponent’s hair against her as she pulls her by the braid into the ring post, nearly winning by count out. Baszler works the arm and slowly picks apart Bel Air.
The EST eventually rallies with several strikes. Percy suggests that Bel Air use more of her power moves and I couldn’t agree more. Eventually the hair whip comes out and actually busts open the NXT Women’s champ! That’s another first! Someone just got busted open from hair! Hair!
As the two battle back and forth the ref is knocked down just before the challengers hits the KOD. Bianca begins to panic, As we all assume Baszler’s MMA pals get involved and allow the champ to lock in the submission on Bel Air. Bel Air gets to her feet and escapes.
After a missed 450 Bel Air is caught in the Kirifuda clutch. Bel Air almost gets back to her feet but eventually fades. The ref calls the match in favor of Baszler. Solid match although I think the women should have gotten a bit more time on this one. I did however love how innovative they were with the hair throughout.
Earlier in the night, we see The Velveteen Dream enter the arena with his dates. Pre- main event we are shown the Dream sitting ringside. Interesting….
NXT Championship: Aleister Black vs. Tomasso Ciampa (C)
The Dutch Destroyer is 7-0 at TakeOver events, but I’m honestly not sure if he’s walking out NXT champion tonight.
The mind games start early as Ciampa mimic’s Black’s in ring meditation pose before a devastating kick. Ciampa targets the legs early as he constantly forces Black’s knees into the ring steps. The focus remains on The Dutch Destroyer’s legs as the Champ tries to take the Back Mass spinning heel kick out of the equation. “You’re a one trick pony” Ciampa exclaims as he slowly executes his methodical plan.
Black finally reverses with a running enziguri kick to knock his opponent off the top turnbuckle. The former NXT Champion is far from 100% with his weakened legs but powers back with a second wind. His momentum is cut short when Ciampa hits him with a “Tower of London” maneuver on the apron. Ciampa mocks Black as he lifts his opponent’s chin with his boot a la the Black Mass. Black responds with a quick knee and seems to use his knees as his main offensive weapon since is unable to put weight on his leg. After a moonsault to the outside Black slips on a bit of spilled water from the announce desk, which actually allows Ciampa to hit his “Fairy Tale Ending” on Black. But it’s not enough to put his opponent away.
Ciampa goes back to his bag of tricks as he also removes the outside mat to reveal the concrete floor. Aleister isn’t having it as he hits a flying knee on the outside and then a Black Mass inside the ring. Black is too weak to make a full cover and both competitors get up to their feet. Black sets up for another Black Mass but the referee somehow gets in between them.
This is very odd to me as it seems the ref kind of ran in between them. Ciampa takes advantage and hits a DDT and a second fairy tale ending. Black kicks out! Ciampa hits a third fairy tale ending and attempts a fourth. Black quickly hits a quick, but is unable to the Black Mass as he knee gives out. Ciampa hits a fourth fairy tale ending for the win. I’m never thrilled to see Black get an L, but my hope is that we see him on the main roster as soon as tomorrow.
As Ciampa heads back up the ramp to the stage, who other than Johnny Wrestling appears to hold his title next to the NXT champion. The two hold up their titles together just as they did as NXT Tag Team Champions. This is a fantastic ending tot he PPV but I think Gargano is playing the long game with Ciampa.
As always NXT gave us a night of great wrestling, great storytelling, and even a couple of firsts.
Combine those ingredients with a skin breaking hair whip, a gravity defying innovator, a possible match of the year candidate and you have the recipe for a stellar PPV. As I always say, these guys all have something to prove. Next up is the Royal Rumble. Main roster, consider yourselves warned.
