Even with a somewhat weak build, NXT still managed to deliver another great TakeOver event.
Title changes, excellent matches, and a surprise appearance all contributed to another stellar show from the developmental brand, with the Royal Rumble now having a tough task of outdoing yet another splendid TakeOver.
Tye Dillinger and Eric Young clashed in the opening match, with good action and a hot crowd for Dillinger leading to a strong bout. Roderick Strong and Andrade Cien Almas had a good, hard-hitting affair themselves, although a quieter crowd slightly hurt their effort.
DIY managed to get the best match possible out of the Authors of Pain, with a great match keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
Seth Rollins made a surprise appearance, calling out Triple H to a huge ovation. Security escorted him away, but he sent a message loud and clear to ‘The Game’.
Asuka retained her title against Nikki Cross, Peyton Royce and Billie Kay in a good fatal four-way match, although the shortness of the contest kept it from being something great.
Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura tore the house down in the main event, wrestling a stellar match that had fans ecstatic as the show came to a close.
So, which segment/match graded the highest? Let’s find out, as I Analyse and Grade each segment from NXT TakeOver: San Antonio.
#1 Tye Dillinger vs Eric Young:
Result: Eric Young pins Tye Dillinger
Grade: 8/10
This was a strong opening match that saw Dillinger once again fail to pick up the victory. The crowd was completely behind Dillinger, with his popularity continuing to grow rapidly. The in-ring action here was good, with a few nice back and forth moments and breathtaking spots.
The interference from other Sanity members helped Dillinger be protected in loss, which should’ve been the case here. Young will benefit from the win here, and could potentially move into NXT title contention sooner rather than later.
Where Dillinger goes from here is yet to be seen, but a main roster debut in the Royal Rumble match at #10 would be a great choice if WWE will go for it. Overall, a very good match to open the show, with Dillinger falling short once again at a TakeOver event.
#2 Roderick Strong vs Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas
Result: Strong pins Almas
Grade: 7.5/10
This was a solid match between two good workers, however, a lack of story led to less investment from fans in the match. Still, the action was enjoyable, with some hard-hitting and strong sequences leading to a fun contest.
The crowd were behind Strong, however, some more character development would do him good in the future. Almas is great, but a lack of momentum has hurt him. Hopefully, this loss was just a bump in the road rather than a roadblock.
He definitely has the talent to be a top star in NXT, but he just needs a big win or two. Still, Strong will benefit from the victory, as he can move on to a bigger feud in the next few weeks. Overall, a fun match, despite the lack of story going into it.
#3 DIY vs The Authors of Pain (NXT Tag Team Championships)
Result: The Authors of Pain pin DIY to win the titles.
Grade: 8/10
This was a great tag bout, with DIY managing to get The Authors of Pain to wrestle their best match yet. The story here was good, with Gargano and Ciampa, the defiant babyfaces, attempting to slay the monster heels in Akam and Rezar.
The in-ring action was good as well for the most part, with DIY’s babyface fire leading to some very fun sequences. Some near falls were also awesome and had fans on the edge of their seats.
A hot crowd definitely helped matters, with those in attendance being firmly behind DIY, there was even a ‘This is Awesome’ chant breaking out at one point. While some may argue that DIY losing was the wrong decision, they can now chase the titles, which is when they are at their best.
The story of Gargano and Ciampa attempting to reclaim their championships by slaying the monsters will be phenomenal. This also means that if DIY do not recapture the gold, they are free to move up to the main roster faster.
While the title change may have had fans disappointed, it was a wise move by NXT management.
Overall, a splendid tag title match, with the Authors of Pain reigning supreme.
#4 Seth Rollins confronts Triple H
Grade: 10/10
This was an amazing way of kick-starting the Rollins/HHH feud heading into Wrestlemania, with Rollins invading Takeover to call out ‘The Game’. This was perfect booking for Rollins, who has been somewhat misused in the past couple of months on Raw.
Rollins went right after what he wanted, calling out Triple H as the determined, revenge-seeking face. The crowd were incredibly hot for him as well, popping huge when he invaded and chanting ‘We Want Rollins’ when he was escorted out by security.
Rather than waiting around on Raw, Rollins targeted Triple H’s show, storming into NXT with a vengeance. This did more to get Rollins over as a face than the last few months of Raw have, with this segment working perfectly on all levels.
Overall, a fantastic use of Rollins, with this segment hyping up the fans substantially for the HHH vs Rollins rivalry that looks set to heat up over the next few weeks.
#5 Fatal-4 Way- NXT Women’s Championship:
Result: Asuka pins Peyton Royce to retain
Grade: 7.5/10
This was a strong match that saw Asuka continue her reign of dominance over the NXT women’s division. The storytelling here was the focus here rather than the action, with the arrogant best friends in Kay and Royce attempting to team up to take out the champion Asuka.
They eliminated Cross from the equation, focusing on Asuka, but the Empress of Tomorrow was too much for them, overcoming both women to retain and gain revenge for the attacks over the past few weeks from them.
Cross and Asuka didn’t face off too much either, which leaves room for a possible one-on-one clash in the future. The action here was good as well, with some cool spots. Overall, a fun, chaotic match with great storytelling, that saw Asuka continue to dominate.
It seems that Ember Moon is Asuka’s next challenger, which should be a fantastic rivalry.
#6 Shinsuke Nakamura vs Bobby Roode (NXT Championship):
Result: Roode pins Nakamura to win the NXT Championship
Grade: 9.5/10
This was a fantastic main event, with Roode and Nakamura stealing the show. The big fight feel for this matchup was great, with extravagant entrances and sing-along entrance themes leading to an incredible atmosphere before the bell had even rung.
The crowd was extremely hot for the match as well, with constant chants that were either praising the Superstars or the action. The storytelling here was also great, with Roode methodically taking advantage of Nakamura’s injured knee rather than continually trying to use underhanded tactics to win after it failed once.
The near falls and big moves here were also phenomenal, with the crowd erupting for each one. Roode emerging victorious was definitely the right move, with Nakamura now being able to slowly transition to the main roster. Expect a rematch first between these two, however, possibly in Orlando.
Overall, an amazing main event that saw Roode become the new face of NXT in glorious fashion.
Check out Roode’s reaction to winning the title here:
Overall Grade for NXT Takeover- San Antonio: 8/10
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