NXT provided us with another top wrestling spectacle in the the form of Takeover Chicago…
With a lot of sub-plots within itself, Takeover Chicago was a show worth watching. NXT’s reputation has risen rapidly over the last few years, and it has eclipsed WWE’s main shows by a county-mile. The main shows are kind of going nowhere right now, NXT is doing the face-saving for WWE. Over the past two editions of Takeover, we have seen three five-star matches so expectations among fans for NXT have increased and Takeover Chicago was no different.
Here I will review all the matches that took place and try to rate them.
The Undisputed Era (Strong and O’Reilly) (c) vs. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch for the NXT Tag Team Championships
The Undisputed Era retained their titles against Lorcan and Burch. Overall, it was a very good match with a predictable outcome. I was taken aback by Locran and Burch, as they put on a show and illustrated everything good about tag-team wrestling. They took Strong and O’Reilly right down to the wire to make for compelling viewing.
Rating: 4.5/5
ricochet and velveteen dream just put on an absolute clinic.
theres still THREE matches left. takeovers forever. #NXtTakeOver pic.twitter.com/alttIsFpSk
— Pro Wrestling Sheet (@WrestlingSheet) June 17, 2018
Ricochet vs The Velveteen Dream:
As expected, this match was an absolute treat, with Ricochet coming out on top. The Dream did his reputation no harm. An interesting thing happened before the match as The Velveteen Dream came in Hulk Hogan’s gimmick. Once in an episode of WWE Tough Enough, Hulk Hogan told him that he doesn’t know how to make a gimmick work. He did Hogan’s impression better than him, which shows the sort of confidence running through his veins. Coming back to the match, as predicted it lived up to its billing, with both guys leaving everything in the ring. Ricochet kick started his career in WWE with this win, while Velveteen Dream’s stock continues to rise.
Rating: 4.25/5
https://twitter.com/ryansatin/status/1008223634559602688
Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Nikki Cross for the NXT Women’s Championship:
Shayna Baszler retained her NXT Women’s title but Nikki Cross didn’t make it easy for her. The former UFC star strikes fear in every other woman but Cross stood up to her. The match was good to watch with terrific story-telling, and in the end Baszler got Cross into her sleeper-hold. Nikki Cross refusing to tap-out with a smirk on her face and eventually fainted to give Baszler the win.
Rating: 3.5/5
Aleister Black (c) vs. Lars Sullivan for the NXT Championship:
Easily the most predictable match of the night, Black beating Sullivan to retain his NXT Championship. But WWE’s home-grown prospect put a good account of himself against the NXT Champion. The match was better than expected, apart from when Black botched his Black Mass (first time he has done that in WWE), but Sullivan covered it really well. Aleister Black remains the top guy in NXT with a feud against EC3 on the horizon.
Rating: 4/5
August 18th, 2018
mark your calendars. the greatest wrestling war we have seen in ages most likely has a final chapter.
see you in brooklyn. #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/qisQXQx1ul
— Pro Wrestling Sheet (@WrestlingSheet) June 17, 2018
Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Chicago Street Fight):
The second round of the Gargano-Ciampa blood-feud was no different to the first as the two men absolutely tore each other apart once again, with Cimapa coming out on top this time. The fantastic story-telling and the outright hate the two men have for each other has made this one best feuds in WWE history. Gargano’s reputation grew after his match against five-star Andrade Cien Almas, and everybody knew what he was capable of, but this rivalry has given Tommaso Ciampa the identity. In my opinion he is best heel in the WWE right now, and the guy draws genuine heat from the fans. The way the match ended, it kind of hinted we haven’t seen the last of this feud., with a possible decider taking place at Takeover Brooklyn night before WWE SummerSlam.
Rating: 5/5
The Overall Rating:
Like every other NXT Takeover, Chicago also had a terrific build-up and it lived up to its hype. Providing quality entertainment with some amazing wrestling matches, it also had brilliant story-telling which left fans curios about what to expect from the future.
Rating: 4.25/5