Csonka’s NXT Takeover: San Antonio Review 1.28.17

Csonka’s NXT Takeover: San Antonio Review 1.28.17

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Eric Young defeated Tye Dillinger @ 11:10 via pin [***]
– Roderick Strong defeated Andrade Cien Almas @ 12:00 via pin [****]
– NXT Tag Team Title Match: The Authors of Pain defeated Champions Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano @ 14:30 via pin to become the new champions [****]
– NXT Women’s Title Match: Champion Asuka defeated Peyton Royce, Billie Kay and Nikki Cross @ 10:00 via pin [***]
– NXT Title Match: Bobby Roode defeated Champion Shinsuke Nakamura @ 27:30 via pin to become the new champion [****]

.@WWEUKCT Champion @Tyler_Bate arrives Friday night in San Antonio for #RoyalRumble weekend. #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/KfsUcIETvl

— WWE (@WWE) January 28, 2017

As @WWEGraves steps away from the @WWENXT Universe, we welcome @McGuinnessNigel to the broadcast team! #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/Iv9sYqABYf

— WWE (@WWE) January 29, 2017

– WWE UK Champion Tyler Bate vs. Oney Lorcan was taped prior to Takeover for NXT TV.

– Unfortunately Percy Watson is doing commentary with Graves and Phillips, I was hoping for Nigel after the pre-show.

– Sanity’s entrance is great, but they get no heat when they come out.

Tye Dillinger vs. Eric Young w/Sanity: Young gave Dillinger one last chance to join him, but he refused and attacked. Great fire from Dillinger early, as commentary mentioned that Young trained Dillinger. I am glad they touched on that. Dillinger sent Young to the floor and then worked him over until young raked the eyes, allowing Dain to wipe out Dillinger with a running cross body. Young hit the top rope elbow drop to the back of Dillinger’s head, taking the heat. Young worked a hanging dragon sleeper in the corner and then hit a neck breaker, keeping his focus on the neck. Dillinger battled back, looked for the superplex, but Young fought him off with head butts. Young then jumped off into the dropkick, turning the tide for Dillinger. They traded strikes; Dillinger fired up and tried to rip off Young’s beard. Chops followed, Young up top and Dillinger hits a run up the ropes overhead belly to belly for a good near fall. Dillinger then laid the boots to Young, Wolfe got involved, pulled him in and hit the Tye breaker. Superkick to Dain, Young attacked the neck, but Dillinger countered the wheelbarrow neck breaker. He hit the Tye breaker, but Wolfe pulled Young to the floor to save him. Dillinger wiped out the pile with a plancha, back in and Dillinger up top, hits the high cross but Young rolls through for 2. Dillinger took out Dain, allowing Young to ht the wheelbarrow neck breaker for the win. Eric Young defeated Tye Dillinger @ 11:10 via pin [***] This was a fun and well-paced opening match, a good effort from both guys with a good energy. Dillinger was a great face here, working to overcome the odds and almost did, but the numbers finally got to him. Young’s work was strong and focused on the neck throughout, which led to the finish.

– Samoa Joe is sitting at ringside.

Roderick Strong vs. Andrade Cien Almas: Almas is in Los Ingobernables mode tonight, sporting a suit jacket. They grapple early, Almas goes traquilo early, Strong looks to attack and they work a spirited back and forth, but Strong works chops and hits a backbreaker. Almas cuts him off, stomps on Strong in the corner and then slaps the shit out of him. Almas works a hanging arm bar in the rope, and then works it in the corner, hits the running kick and takes the heat applying an arm bar center ring. Strong avoids the double knees moonsault, and hits the Angle slam. Strong fights back with chops, using the good arm. Strong with the dump suplex, running knee strike and then the dropkick to take control back. A back breaker out of the corner follows for Strong, Almas fights off a suplex and gets a bridging German for 2. Strong looked for an arm bar, but Almas hit the one armed powerbomb for the near fall. They trade strikes center ring, throwing bombs and then Strong cut off the double knees with a knee strike of his own. They trade forearms now, Almas fires up, avoids a back breaker but rolls into the double arm bar, but Strong rolls into the ropes. Almas up top, gets crotched, and Strong follows him up and they trade strikes again, Strong with the back breaker across the buckles for a near fall. Strong counters the hammerlock DDT, but gets hip tossed to the corner. Strong avoid the double knees, gets turned inside out with a lariat and Almas hits the double knees. Strong escapes the hammerlock DDT, SICK KICK by Strong and he escapes with the win. Roderick Strong defeated Andrade Cien Almas @ 12:00 via pin [****] It’s seemingly taken a while to get there, but this is the Almas people wanted to see, as he feel more like La Sombra here; he was focused, had great fire and came across as supremely confident. I thought that this was a great back and forth match, that did a lot for both guys in terms of really putting them over as great performers. Almas lost the match but came away looking great in defeat, in what felt like hi best NXT performance to date. This was really great, and was a tremendous follow up to the strong opening match.

– Michael PS Hayes is in the crowd.

Champions Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano vs. Authors of Pain: Ciampa stared for the champions, he didn’t have the best of plans and was easily overpowered. Gargano tagged in, went for the slingshot spear and was swatted away. It broke down, the champions cleared the ring and hit a series of dives. DIY IS FIRED THE FUCK UP! Gargano tried to fight off the Authors with superkicks, was slammed to the barricade and then tossed back into the ring. The Authors took the heat on Gargano, Ellering even talks some shit to Johnny Wrestling. Gargano is such a great babyface in peril, he sells everything like death, always making the heels look great and draws sympathy well. Ciampa got the hot tag, which is where he excels. GERMANS TO THE GIANTS! Ciampa hits the running knee for a good near fall. Ciampa keeps firing away at the giants, but gets cut off with a sick lariat. Ciampa is now alone in the corner of the Authors. Ciampa sends one to the floor, he and Gargano hit a double spear for the near fall. Gargano now goes crazy fists, Ciampa in and they look for the double corner boot, but Gargano was sent to the floor. The Authors hit the double team powerbomb, but Ciampa digs deep for the kick out. Gargano returns, hits a super kick to save Ciampa. DIY lock in the double submissions, the giants fight and one powers up and slams Gargano onto Ciampa to save his partner. The crowd is digging this. They all trade strikes from their knees, the champions are resilient and hit some jumping knees and DIY goes for the finish, but get caught with the super colliding powerbombs. The hit the last chapter on Ciampa and we have new champions. The Authors of Pain defeated Champions Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano @ 14:30 via pin to become the new champions [****] I thought this had a chance to be good, but it exceeded all of my expectations as they delivered an absolutely excellent match. Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano are amazing professional wrestlers, working to the strengths of the Authors of Pain. The Authors of Pain may be limited, but they are good monster tag team, and in the right setting and with the right opponents, proved that they could deliver. I was certainly worried about the match, but was pleasantly surprised by the match.

– Seth Rollins is here to take over the show, he knows Triple H is here and calls him out. Triple H arrived and sent his security goons after Rollins. Rollins cleared them out, but more arrived and took him away. This was a smart and unexpected way to continue the angle; I liked it.

Champion Asuka vs. Peyton Royce vs. Billie Kay vs. Nikki Cross: The last two matches delivered big time, and now it’s up to the new generation of NXT women to step up. Royce and Kay look terrified and bail to the floor. Cross and Asuka share some evil laughs, and then Royce and Kay return to attack, Asuka then clears them out to the floor. Royce and Kay attack Cross, Asuka then Germans both Royce and Kay at the same Time. Cross and Asuka trade crazy fists, but Asuka hits the bridging German for 2. Cross cuts her off with a neck breaker and reverse DDT for the near fall. Asuka low bridges her to the floor. Cross cuts her off, heads up top and hits the high cross onto Kay and Royce. Cross is then slammed to the barricade as Royce and Kay double team her, brawling up the ramp. Cross heads up by commentary, jumps on the table but gets cut off by Kay. Royce joins her and they suplex Cross through another table that was set up. They rush back to attack Asuka, roll her into the ring and they double-team her, but Asuka survives. Royce and Kay are shocked, and the delay allows Asuka to fight back, but Royce hits widow’s peak for the near fall. Royce shoves at Asuka, but Asuka fights them both off with kicks and pins Royce. Champion Asuka defeated Peyton Royce, Billie Kay and Nikki Cross @ 10:00 via pin [***] The ending felt rushed and out of nowhere, Cross was still laying in the table rubble during that, she may have been hurt, leading to them going home early. I thought it was good while it lasted, and it made me want to see Asuka vs. Cross, one on one. I think it would have come off better with a better closing stretch, but again it felt as if they ended early. Good effort overall.

– WWE UK Champion Tyler Bate is in the crowd.

– This crowd is lit for Roode and Nakamura’s entrances.

Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode: Roode gets a Ric Flair, Chi-Town Rumble-like entrance, with a bunch of women in evening gowns. Roode is not amused that the crowd is singing Nakamura’s theme after the bell rings. Hot crowd and they haven’t even touched. Nakamura worked some leg kicks, and then grounded Roode. They work some basic back and forth, and played to the crowd. Roode looked to stay away, and then scored with the back elbow as the ref looked to separate them. Roode worked the arm, but Nakamura worked a slick escape, but Roode then worked the grounded head scissors escapes, flashes some kicks but Roode avoids them, allowing Nakamura to fire back and send him to the corner. Nakamura hits a dropkick, sending Roode to the floor. Nakamura follows, they brawl on the floor. Back in the ring, and Nakamura works over Roode with knees. Roode cuts him off, sets him up top and then dumps him to the floor, which had to suck. Roode follows him out and repeatedly slams him to the steps. Roode works some ground and pound back in the ring, Roode takes the heat and keeps Nakamura grounded, attacking the shoulder and neck that Nakamura has been favoring since the spill to the floor. Roode remains one step ahead, delivering knee drops to the back of the head and neck of Nakamura. Roode then does Nakamura’s good vibrations corner boot. Roode has been working amore vicious heat, but Nakamura pulls him to the apron and connects with knee strikes. Nakamura fires up back in the ring with kicks, follows with corner knee strikes, does the good vibrations, and then lays Roode on the ropes and misses the knee strike, Roode then stuns Nakamura off the ropes. Roode missed off the ropes, but fights off the XPLODER, but Nakamura hits the knee and then the corner knee strike, XPLODER by Nakamura follows, Nakamura sets for the kinsasha, but Roode rolls him up for two, the back stabber follows and Roode gets the near fall. Nakamura is selling the neck and shoulder again, Roode then hits the spinebuster for 2. They battle up top, superplex blocked by Nakamura. Roode keeps fighting but gets dumped to the mat. Kick off the ropes by Nakamura, sets, but Roode counters the kinsasha with a kick and then covers, using the ropes but the ref caught him. Roode delivers rights and chops, Nakamura dares him to keep attacking, but Nakamura lays in knee strikes to a downed Roode followed by stomps. Nakamura gets the rolling arm bar, Roode tries to fight but Nakamura locks in the triangle, Rooode Hercs him up, but rolls through and hits kinsasha for the near fall. Nakamura sets in the corner, climbs to the second rope and Roode rolls to the floor. Nakamura hits the kinsasha to Roode on the apron, but he falls to the floor, clutching his knee. Nakamura rolls Roode back into the ring, kinsasha connects, but Nakamura is down and can’t cover. Roode is out on the mat, the ref checks on Nakamura and brings in the trainer. Roode makes it to his feet, they continue to check on Nakamura and he wants to continue. Nakamura rolls back in, Roode quickly attacks, hitting the glorious DDT for a great bear fall. Roode is shocked, and then locks in the half crab and beats on the knee while applying it, Nakamura fights but Matt Bloom hits ringside. Nakamura looks for the triangle, but the leg was too weak. Roode hits another glorious DDT and wins the title. Bobby Roode defeated Champion Shinsuke Nakamura @ 27:30 via pin to become the new champion [****] I have been very critical of Shinsuke Nakamura’s NXT run, I have found the vast majority of his big matches to be lazy and lifeless at times. But I felt that he and Roode knocked it out of the park here tonight. I thought that they created some great near falls, told a very good story, the psychology was sound with Roode working the neck, which even after the play off the knee injury, played directly into the finish with the DDT. This had a level of intensity & urgency that a lot of Nakamura’s NXT work has lacked. Excellent work from both guys, and this was a performance Roode needed. Roode beat the unbeatable, Nakamura was protected and Roode also came off as a complete asshole heel in the process.

– Let the Nakamura to the Rumble rumors begin.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”