NXT Takeover: Philadelphia

NXT Takeover: Philadelphia
1/27/18
Wells Fargo Arena, Philadelphia, PA

Quick Results:

1. NXT Tag Team Championship: Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly (c) defeated Authors of Pain (Akem and Rezar) w/ Paul Ellering to retain. 
2. Velveteen Dream defeated Kassius Ohno. 
3. NXT Women's Championship: Ember Moon (c) defeated Shayna Baszler to retain. 
4. Extreme Rules: Aleister Black defeated Adam Cole. 
5. NXT Championship: Andrade "Cien" Almas (c) w/ Zelina Vega defeated Johnny Gargano to retain.

Blog:


NXT Takeover events are shows that never seem to drag. While the weekly show is usually a hit or miss (more often a "hit"), the Takeovers always deliver. Takeover Philadelphia was no exception. The quality of this show was enhanced by a great crowd in Philadelphia that showed genuine appreciation for the wrestlers, rather than chanting out of boredom.

The "roll-up" finish for the tag title match made perfect sense, as a way for the Authors of Pain to retain credibility while losing to the much smaller Fish and O'Reilly. The match was really good, as O'Reilly and Fish bring a sense of legitimacy to their moveset with their "mma" style. They are able to successfully incorporate that style into pro wrestling and make it look convincing. I was surprised by the dueling chants, as Authors of Pain have really grown on the NXT audience. This was a great way to kick off the show.

While Velveteen Dream did technically "knock out" Ohno within thirty seconds, I do not see how anyone gained from that little angle. It served no purpose for the rest of the match. Dream needed a rebound win following losses to Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano and this was it. Ohno is not going to win the NXT title in the near future so Dream is the clear priority here. While some spots were botched, as Dream seemed to have trouble lifting up Ohno, this was another good match.

The women's title match was one where I did not like the roll-up finish. It made sense within the match, as Ember Moon was selling a shoulder/arm injury and could not outpower Baszler, but the whole storyline was based on Baszler dominating the division and Moon planning to stop her. This will most likely lead to a rematch but Moon needs to look a little stronger in the coming weeks. 

The Extreme Rules match would have been the match of the night had it not been for the main event. The interference was expected but it was kept very minimal, as Fish and O'Reilly were quickly taken out by Sanity (including a great Suicide Dive by Dane to the outside). Adam Cole and Aleister Black put on a great match that featured too many spots to name, including two that really stood out. Black tossed Cole. back first onto 2 steel chairs that were set up, causing Cole's back to hit the top of the chairs. The other main spot saw Black drive his knees onto Cole through the announce table. The only downside here was how quick Cole recovered to Superkick Black but Cole won with the Black Mass. 

Gargano and Almas put on an excellent main event. I did not expect Gargano to win here but the nearfalls were so believable. The most convincing being when Vega hit a hurracanrana to Gargano, sending him into the steps, followed by a Hammerlock DDT by Almas for a nearfall. This also led to Candice LaRae (Gargano's wife) making her debut, attacking Vega after she tried interfering again. There was a sick spot where Almas hit the double knees on Gargano, who was seated on the apron with his head against the post. Almas got the win soon after. This was an excellent match and one that is worth seeking out if you do not watch the entire show.

EC3 was shown at ringside and this might confirm that his fate will be NXT rather than the main roster. Whether this was a red herring so people do not expect him for the Rumble remains to be seen, but he will be successful no matter where he ends up.

Match of the Night: Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Johnny Gargano

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