There are many things to take into consideration when looking into the Best Takeover: the excellent matches, the placement of segments and matches and also the show as a whole.
The reason as to why NXT has been given constant praise when spoken about is solely due to their character work – they focus on building strong characters and portraying that in the matches. The major focus when deciding the best Takeover is balance, there needs to be great matches but also placed on the match card perfectly so it doesn’t burn out the audience – something NXT takes into account and executed perfectly.
So, with that considered, I am Tom of War Talk from SLTDWrestling and here is my view on the Best NXT Takeover: New Orleans (2018)
The build towards this Takeover was a key thing in making it the ‘Best Ever’ with Cain Hill playing their hot song ‘It Follows’ whilst snippets of the build-up to tonight’s matches were shown on the titantron, it set a promising mood for the event. There was suspense also for this event, with a new mid-card title being debuted on the opening match – a multi-man ladder match – featuring debuts from Ricochet and EC3 giving this match a lot of hype going into it.
There was a perfect blend of talent for this match also, with the ever hot Adam Cole (Bay Bay) going in as a strong favourite to take the title but also excitement for Killian Dain and Lars Sullivan to share the same ring in a match where there are no rules. And of course, there was the Velveteen Dream (HOW IS HE SO YOUNG?) Creative really hit a goldmine with this match, there were shocking spots such as the elbow drop performed by Dream from the top of the ladder in which made the crowd shout ‘holy shit’ to show how badass the spot really was.
Adam Cole’s ignorance really connected well with EC3’s ‘untouchable’ persona for the match thus gripping the audience and crowd further into the exchange… Each superstar looked strong in this opening match with Adam Cole (the clear fan favourite) winning and Becoming the first North American Champion. This match was placed perfectly on the card as it gave the audience excitement to take into the following matches due to the high momentum and grand amount of spots making the audience chant ‘fight forever’ but not for the last time …
With the crowd still recovering from the previous match, outcomes Halesrorm to perform live for Ember Moon as she sets to defend her NXT Woman’s Championship against the ‘Queen of Spades’ Shayna Bayzler. The placement of this match was again, perfect. With both women giving a completely different style of matchup compared to the ladder match- especially with Shayna Bayzler.
It was a strong showing from Moon throughout the match and certainly portrayed her as a strong champion with near falls everywhere and constant offence towards Bayzler. This match was excellent because it did what it needed to do from a storyline point, build Bayzler into this monster that can’t be stopped and won’t let you stop her.
With Bayzler winning due to a reversal from Moons attempt to go towards the ropes, getting her locked tighter thus choking her out – The era of Bayzler had begun!
New Orleans was a great show due to the variety of matches on the show and when comparing to other Takeovers, they all had their purpose to be different. The men’s triple threat tag match for the ‘Dusty Rhodes Classic’ and Tag Team Titles was a great example of a unique matchup which focused on a blend of wrestling and storytelling.
Adam Cole was made to do ‘double duty’ and sold the damage done from the Ladder Match perfectly, everything he did in the ring then made us remember the brutality of the ladder match – this making Cole look incredibly strong and resilient as a competitor.
Yes, the matchup was mainly remembered for Roderick Strong’s heel turn in order to win the gold for Undisputed Era this then meaning he is the fourth member of the faction but the match as a whole was expertly thought out to hide the eventual turn. There has been a common occurrence that if there is a heel turn in a misplaced tag team that it’s usually hinted in between the match (whether it’s an obvious missed tag or a lack of support when needed) but Roderick Strong and UK Champion Pete Dunne never showed signs of that happening.
The pair was coordinating like a veteran tag team and that is what made the turn even better – no one expected it. Walking out of this match, we had a pissed off Dunne who was expertly betrayed by Strong, Authors of Pain looking incredibly strong even though they didn’t win the matchup and a new and improved faction with four members – The Undisputed Era!
New Orleans had a card stacked to the brim – arguably having two main events – the exchange between Aleister Black and Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas for the NXT Championship would’ve been the main event on any other card, and it did not disappoint. Black had a sensational first year in the Black and Gold brand, with consistent wins and strong character work making him seem like a future champion, the only thing in his way to make that happen was a badass Andrade.
Almas arguably had his biggest test in the form of Black, with his strong kicks and submission holds making him a strong contender for the title. Throughout the match, it was clear that Andrade’s manager: Zelena Vega would play a major part in the match due to her constant heelish interferences thus exceeding Almas’ character.
This collision between two strong stars was constantly changing pace – reversal after reversal but then slow strikes by Black slowed the pace and took the audience on a rollercoaster of emotions. This matchup lived up to the hype and the finish made Black look incredibly strong. A reversal from the Hammerlock DDT into a Black Mass solidified Black as the new NXT champion in a win that was well deserved. This was a strong finish and a new champ made this Takeover look solid and we haven’t even got to the main event yet!
Arguably the sole reason why New Orleans is the best Takeover, Gargano vs Ciampa, a matchup that was the definition of perfect character building and storyline, oh and did I mention that this was an unsanctioned match where both superstars had to sign a document to highlight that WWE as a brand couldn’t be sued for anything that occurs in the matchup?
Both superstars had reasons to win this match with Gargano wanting revenge on his best friend betraying him with a cowardly attack and Ciampa wanting the spotlight on him – not Gargano. The entrances alone made this matchup great, with Gargano receiving a monster pop when making his entrance further highlighting the dynamic of this New Orleans Crowd.
Silence followed as Ciampa strolled out with no music, no titantron and no care. He received a vicious cycle of Boo’s and hate but it only wanted him to hurt Gargano even more. There was a camera shot of Ciampa looking into the NXT crowd filled with Gargano Section posters – an image that sent chills down each viewers spine. It was clear that there was not going to be a simple wrestling match between the two and the start.
The matchup highlighted that, an exchange of fists between the two sprawling outside of the ring into the crowd and both men wanting each other to feel the months and years of pain with every strike. When the matchup got underway in the ring it was examples of both men’s best work, with the dynamic of heel vs face being written in stone front this matchup. This match used the stipulation well, with powerbombs on exposed wood from the ring and Slingshot DDT’s to the concrete floor making this match truly extreme.
There were several moves from Ciampa that made it seem to be a mockery of the pairs successful tag team #DIY with him hitting their running knee several times, but Gargano kicked out at two. The finish was perfect for the storyline. With Ciampa being sidelined for months due to a knee injury meant he had a brace to support, or in Gargano’s case, cause even more pain. Gargano grabbed Ciampa’s brace and performed an STF even John Cena would be proud of – causing Ciampa to tap and good cancelling out evil.
I could write pages and pages on why this sole matchup was excellent but I’m sure it will bore you readers, just understand that there was little to no faults in this matchup and made everyone want to watch on Wednesday night to see what was next for Ciampa vs Gargano.
And to round up, Takeover New Orleans can be titled as the best NXT Takeover due to the match-card being placed in a way that constantly excited the fans in attendance. In previous Takeovers, there has been a ‘toilet break’ match but with New Orleans, if you, missed five minutes then you had missed out overall.
This PPV is a testament to the genius creative team surrounding the black and gold brand.
What do you think is ‘The Best NXT Takeover Ever?’ Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @SLTDWrestling
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