Ranking the matches at NXT TakeOver: War Games

#4 Kairi Sane vs. Peyton Royce vs. Ember Moon vs. Nikki Cross

Ember Moon realized "her destiny" at last, but was it the right call?

Unfortunately, I have to say I was expecting a lot more out of this match. What I thought would have potential to steal the show instead fell relatively flat. Nobody really seemed to shine very brightly, and with the exception of a powerbomb to Nikki Cross on the outside, an InSane Elbow onto the pile of Peyton Royce and Nikki Cross, and Ember Moon's double Eclipse to end the contest, nothing was particularly memorable.

The match also didn't do a good job of teasing a future rivalry between Ember Moon and Kairi Sane, who's clearly the next in line for the NXT Women's Championship, probably at TakeOver: New Orleans the night before WrestleMania. Instead of starting that build here, the two just sort of sank into the multitude, fighting it out at times with no added psychological edge.

The ending also felt a bit formulaic, as if NXT went with the safe choice in Ember Moon rather than a change agent like Peyton Royce or Nikki Cross, who I thought should have won.

And while Asuka handing the title to Ember Moon was a nice symbolic passing of the torch moment, it even more endangers the new champion of being overshadowed by her predecessor, almost as if she was saying: "OK, you couldn't beat me but I don't want this anymore, so it's yours now."

Again, the match certainly wasn't bad, but I was just expecting a lot more.