These are quick becoming some of the most anticipated shows in WWE today. Takeover. The crowning jewels of NXT, where the troops in Florida get to go out for a two hour live show on the Network and tear it up. The last event, R Evolution, ended with the betrayal of Kevin Owens against his long time friend and newly crowned NXT Champion, Sami Zayn. It's been building since then, but it was made official a few weeks ago that Zayn and Owens would meet one on one here for the NXT Championship. We'll get to that later though, because there's a full card of excellence to run through before we get to the main event.
Charlotte vs Bayley vs Becky Lynch vs Sasha Banks (Fatal 4 Way NXT Women's Championship Match)
When this match was announced, I got a wee bit excited. Not because it was four of my favorite women wrestlers on the planet in a match together, but because at that moment I thought it was going to be the main event here. Thinking back to the Takeover: Fatal 4 Way event, when the main event was the fatal 4 way for the NXT Championship, I thought that this show may have been called Fatal 4 Way II and had this here match on last. However, the fact that it didn't come to fruition doesn't make the match any less a must watch. Charlotte has been a great Women's champion, but I think, one way or another, that her reign is going to end here. With the disintegrating relationship between Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch surely coming to a head, it may be Bayley's opportunity to channel her new found aggression into becoming the new NXT Women's Champion. It's been a long path for Bayley, and this would be the ultimate feel good ending, should she finally capture the gold.
Adrian Neville vs Finn Balor (#1 Contender's Tournament Final)
So this one just has MOTY written all over it. The former champion takes on the greatest man on the face of the Earth to determine who becomes the #1 contender for the NXT Championship. If you haven't watched last week's NXT, featuring the semi final matches... just... dae it. Neville vs Corbin and Balor vs Itami. Speaks for itself. The styles of these two are just a match made in heaven, and it should be a joy to behold. Neville was the longest reigning NXT champion in history, so in no way can he be taken lightly here, but I just feel that the time is right for Finn Balor to get a crack at the title. In this short time he's been in NXT, he's done a great job in proving he's ready for it. Plus, can anyone turn down the prospect of Sami Zayn vs Finn Balor? Nah, didn't think so. This match though, this will be immense. Massive shout for being the match of the night.
BaM! vs Lucha Dragons (NXT Tag Team Championship Match)
I was 100% buzzed when I found out that Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake had won the tag titles at the NXT tapings last month. That was probably the only downside, that I knew before I had seen the episode. It didn't make it any less special though. It felt great to hear the reception they got when that bell rung and they had captured the titles. Most people thought it was a routine defense for Kalisto and Sin Cara, but Murphy and Blake sprung the upset. Here, the Lucha Dragons make use of their rematch clause and must be considered favorites to recapture the tag team titles. Make no mistake about it though, winning the titles was no fluke. Blake and Murphy will be determined to prove that they deserve to be called champions, and chopping down the challenge of the their predecessors is exactly the way to go about it.
Baron Corbin vs Bull Dempsey
I don't know what it is about these two, but every time I watch NXT I look forward to their segments and matches even more. A true classic story of a pair of proper dominant big guys each trying to prove that they are the most dominant. Corbin holds two victories over Dempsey, so in wrestling terms he's asserted his dominance, yes? That may be true, but Bull Dempsey cost him a shot at the NXT Championship by attacking him during his #1 contender's semi-final against Adrian Neville. Everyone in NXT has the goal of becoming champion, and Corbin had his golden ticket snatched away when it was within touching distance. This time, it's personal. When these two behemoths collide for a third time at Takeover, we shouldn't be expecting a short-lived match. This may... may last a bit longer, but as long as these two are battering lumps out of each other, who really cares?
Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens (NXT Championship Match)
When Kevin Steen was signed to NXT, we wondered how long it would take for this to happen. In the end, it took all of... less than a night. The rebranded Kevin Owens claims that his attack of Sami Zayn was strictly business, because he wants the NXT Championship and Zayn just so happens to be champion. On the other hand, Sami sees it as nothing less than betrayal, and jealousy on the part of Owens, who had to watch his friend make it to the big time long before he did. Sami agreed to make this a title match because he wants Owens one on one, much to the dismay of NXT General Manager William Regal. By now, I'm sure you'll have heard about the history of these two and checked them out, but if not, go watch the matches they had in ROH, and that gives you a rough idea of what should be expected here. Both are amazing wrestlers, and would put on a clinic if inclined, but this will be pure emotional, physical, war. We'll have it for a while as well, because this is only the start of a new chapter in the storied rivalry between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Is it realistic to expect Sami to drop the title here? Probably not. Would you put it past NXT to shock us, crown Owens the champion and have Sami set out on yet another road to redemption? Not on your nelly. Either way, this will be excellent, so lets just enjoy it for what it will be.
WWE Network is free for the entirety of this month, so if you haven't already, get signed up. You're getting this show, plus Fast Lane for free, offer you can't refuse brutheeer. There's whispers of Hideo Itami vs Tyler Breeze being added to this card after Breeze attacked Itami backstage last week, so if it gets confirmed, I'll be quick to add a preview of the match in here.
Until the next time though folks, adios.