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If I am ever feeling down about being a wrestling fan, I should just watch an NXT Takeover. It will always restore my faith in our unique fandom.
Seriously what company has had a better year of major shows then NXT? The wealth of talent on their roster is arguably the best in the world. For example, I could see matches between all eight members of main event forever.
The second Wargames lived up to the high and crazy expectations of all Takeovers. You had a surprising opening match, one of the most fast paced matches in NXT History, getting Velveteen Dream over as the underdog babyface and an absolute brutal Wargames main event.
With all of this in mind after another fun and an thrilling NXT night, I present my list of the top five most surprising moments of WWE Takeover: Wargames II:
#5 Matt Riddle Wins A Squash Match
Bro.
It was a pleasant surprise to see the “King of Bros” at the start of last night’s Takeover. I wanted to see him showcase his unique skills on the biggest NXT stage possible. So imagine my surprise to see him win his Takeover debut with one well timed knee. Having an actual squash match on a Takeover? I never thought I would see the day!
I really don’t know what I think of the idea of a true squash match on NXT. It certainly was very different and got Riddle over in a major way in a hurry. But what about poor Ohno? I feel really sorry for him that just when it seemed he was getting some momentum again he is wiped out in a squash match. I guess it is Ohno’s lot in life to be the “gatekeeper” for incoming new talent. That is one way to make a living right?
#4 So Much Cheating
One thing that you rarely see in an NXT Takeover is a lot of cheating. While the main roster seemed to hate a clean finish, the “developmental” brand seem to take great joy in having their straightforward athletic contest. That was clearly not the case in the NXT Women’s Championship match at Wargames. It was a whole lot of cheating.
Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler were have another solid match when Shayna’s MMA friends, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir, cost Sane the first fall. The ref even saw them outside the ring and did nothing. Did the ref assume it was just a major roster pay-per-view?
The inference didn’t end with the later appearance of Dakota Kai and Io Shirai to even the odds. Baszler was able to retain but it seems the feud and lots of inference will continue into the near future.
#3 The Pace of the Gargano-Black Match
I believe that the Gargano versus Black match was my favorite match on this very wonderful card. For over 18 minutes, Johnny Gargano and Aleister Black kicked each other with some the hardest kicks you will ever see in a pro wrestling match. In particular, the suicide dive by Johnny right into a kick in the face by Aleister Black was perfectly timed. We had a lot of perfect timing on Sunday night.
Johnny Gargano really has done a fantastic job of playing heel in recent weeks. Why it had reminded me of Ciampa’s brilliant heel work in many ways. Johnny Gargano has easily had the best year of any male competitor in the WWE. I am surprised anyone can keep this sort of impressive pace but it is fun to watch Johnny Wrestling try it for sure.
#2 Dream is Over As A Babyface
I am guessing Velveteen Dream really loves Hulk Hogan. Or maybe he really hates him. Either way I love that Velveteen Dream is always able to surprise in every Takeover appearance. He gets better all the time.
The match was another fantastic showcase for both Velveteen Dream and Ciampa. I was wondering how a character like Dream could get over as a underdog babyface. That wasn't an issue on Sunday. The crowd clearly got behind him with how he played to the crowd and overcoming Ciampa’s constant attempts to cheat in the NXT Championship match. The match was filled with many believable pin falls and I am sure the crowd would have been quite happy with a Dream title win. But the chase for the NXT Championship will serve him well into 2019. He is a true star and he will have a great year.
#1 Undisputed Era Loses Clean
I love Wargames.
We had eight veterans working hard to put on a truly fantastic match. The Undisputed Era did their best to cheat by locking Pete Dunne in his cage. It made Pete Dunne look like a real star when he was able to turn the match around almost single-handedly.
Ricochet continues to prove he is not human. The amount of rotations that he got in the air off the leap from the tope of cage was amazing. I also look forward to the many potential match-ups that came from Sunday’s match.
The biggest surprise is that Undisputed Era lost clean. They have been such a dominant force and they have had to cheat to win recently. Adam Cole in particular has had mixed success through the Takeovers this year. I will be curious to see where the faction goes from here.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
