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I think it's safe to say that NXT TakeOver: WarGames II was a huge hit for the WWE Universe. Survivor Series disappointed on many levels, but like every TakeOver event, WarGames did not. From start to finish, NXT stole the show for anyone who'd purchased tickets. Or indeed, anyone who'd subscribed to the WWE Network.
And this brings us to a new season of NXT TV, leading into the TakeOver on Royal Rumble weekend. For what it was worth, I quite enjoyed this week's show. Wasn't the crowd simply red hot through the course of the evening?
Let me know what you thought about the show as well. As far as I'm concerned, this was a winner.
Here are 5 points that I found particularly noteworthy from this week's show.
#5 A triumphant return to action
If you remember, EC3 had been ruled out of action after an attack from the Undisputed ERA, at least for a fair bit. He would return to action this week, with memories of the attack still fresh in his mind, aiming for retribution. But before EC3 could get his hands on the Undisputed ERA he had a challenger in the form of Marcel Barthel in front of him.
Barthel played the stereotypical German heel to the fullest, with Nigel McGuinness putting his classically themed music over, establishing his character. But Barthel was no match for the onslaught that was to come from the returning EC3. EC3 then picked up the microphone and addressed Bobby Fish of the Undisputed ERA.
EC3 was furious at the attack from fish and chastised him for not finishing the job when he had the change. He promised revenge and retribution in the coming weeks.
#4 The tag team division heats up
Burch and Lorcan took on The Mighty this week. I know the wrestling purists among you must have been salivating at the thought of this really big match. The four men took each other to the limit in what was a very exciting match indeed. However, what made the match unique is how it seemed like a fight and not a spot fest, overall.
Eventually Oney Lorcan would roll up Nick Miller to pick up the win. But the duo would not have long to celebrate, because The Mighty would leave their opponents lying on the mat. It was tough to tell which team had scored the victory after all that transpired.
It is clear that the two teams are far from done. I would be most interested in seeing them clash on yet another occasion.
#3 NXT star gets repackaged
Do you guys remember Donovan Dijak, who was known as Chris Dijak for a brief spell? He took on Ricochet not long ago in what was a great match, to begin his NXT career. We saw a vignette from him as 'Dijavokic'. I suppose this will be his name, going forward, in his NXT run.
Wikipedia says that Dijak's new name is Dominik Dijakovic. However, all that NXT would say right now is that he would be Dijakovic, going forward. It will be very interesting to see what kind of character he portrays on screen, now that he has been repackaged as a potentially new character.
Whatever you may think of the name, one must remember just how gifted the man is in the ring. Let's hope that NXT pushes the man and gives him a push right to the top.
It'll be interesting to see him mix it up with NXT's top superstars.
#2 All three!
Shayna Baszler has two of the Four Horsewomen by her side, every time she competes. Ronda Rousey plays a babyface so she doesn't really fit into this equation. But Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke certainly do seem all set to take NXT by storm soon.
Without going into any spoilers for now, Kairi Sane, Io Shirai and the beautiful Dakota Kai seem to have formed a sort of alliance. The three women challenged the three heels to a fight, down the line. It does seem like Duke and Shafir will be stepping into the ring very soon indeed.
This effectively means that we are one step closer to the dream Four Horsewomen vs. Four Horsewomen match that we all wanted to see. When and where it will happen is anyone's guess.
#1 Godzilla and King Kong clash
Sports entertainment has become a smaller man's game in the years gone by. The competitors are more athletic, more agile and have more finesse. It's not often that you get to see two big guys slug it out anymore. Lars Sullivan and Keith Lee were the exception to the rule, this week.
The crowd was red hot from the word go. Sullivan would have the early advantage, but Lee would bounce back and show off some moves that nobody his size should ideally be able to pull off. Ultimately, it was Lars Sullivan who stood tall and victorious over his opponent.
It remains to be seen where Lars Sullivan gets called up to. Wherever he does get called up, I'm guessing he will be one of the more protected superstars.
Can you see him as a future World Champion?
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