I can't remember the last Takeover with this little buzz. Maybe it's the lack of a main roster PPV to piggyback off of. Maybe the plight of the most recent call-ups has made people wary of getting too invested in NXT. Or maybe WWE has been so godawful this year that everything associated with the company has been tainted. Probably a combination of the three. Anyway, the top two matches are Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole for the NXT Championship and Shayna Baszler vs. Io Shirai for the NXT Women's Championship. I can't imagine anyone being interested in seeing Cole face Gargano again after they spent nearly 40 minutes kicking out of every move ever invented in New York. What more can they do to each other? And Shirai had a pretty great match with a much greener Baszler in Stardom a couple of years ago, but there will most likely be some nonsense with Duke and Shafir to prevent this match from reaching that level. Discuss. Or not, it's a free county.

Still trying to figure out Sam Roberts' angle on these preshows. If looking like homeless Dean Ambrose isn't enough, it seems his gimmick now is to just shit on people like how he was pointing out Tyler Breeze did precisely dick on the main roster. Which is true, but fuck, way to make Dream seem like he isn't going to accomplish much by beating a guy who's a loser.

The bzzz in WWE is all for the NXT Blood Money show next week. I did not even realize there was a Takeover. Yeah, not watching this, Double or Nothing has pretty much burned me for the time being as far as big show goes. Waiting for the next AEW show and Slammiversary (despite Elgin). Plus really, Gargano vs Cole again, yeah, they better use shotguns or something.

14 minutes ago, sek69 said:

Still trying to figure out Sam Roberts' angle on these preshows. If looking like homeless Dean Ambrose isn't enough, it seems his gimmick now is to just shit on people like how he was pointing out Tyler Breeze did precisely dick on the main roster. Which is true, but fuck, way to make Dream seem like he isn't going to accomplish much by beating a guy who's a loser.

Sam is just fucking useless. He must be working for next to nothing and that's why they use him. Even on that Hart/Magee doc he added nothing of value. He also looks like a troglodyte made love to a goat.

I'm happy to watch this show, I generally enjoy NXT (despite Mauro Ranallo) and a couple of these matches have a lot of potential.

I agree with @sek69 and @Mad Dog, this whole tough guy gimmick for Sam Roberts makes no sense whatsoever.  Firstly, he's just burying guys for no reason.  Secondly - look at the guy.  Him acting tough just doesn't work.  You can tell when he was in school he got hung upside down by the ankles and got his head dunked in the toilet FOR SURE.

This opener between Riddle and Strong has been solid as hell, both guys are great hard-hitting mat workers.  Riddle is really starting to grow on me.

The nickname "Messiah of the Backbreaker" makes no sense whatsoever and it isn't helped by Ranallo screaming it at the top of his lungs repeatedly.  My roomie just walked by and asked: "Why is that spazzy guy screaming like that?"

Damn solid match.  Face it, Strong is never going to be a top name but if he keeps working like this he has potential to carve out a great career as a solid midcard guy, or maybe on 205?

10 minutes ago, El-P said:

The bzzz in WWE is all for the NXT Blood Money show next week. I did not even realize there was a Takeover. Yeah, not watching this, Double or Nothing has pretty much burned me for the time being as far as big show goes. Waiting for the next AEW show and Slammiversary (despite Elgin).

Good input.  Thanks for dropping by the watch along thread to share with us the fact that you won't be watching along.

Yeah I never particularly care about Strong, but I always enjoy his matches. Riddle is just overflowing with charisma, he looks like a big playful puppy that also has 47 ways to choke out a bitch.

Also lol @ Road Dogg having to escape to NXT because he got tired of Vince being Vince all the time.

I'm easy, but I got a giggle from Shawn and Road Dogg putting on their readers to see each other's HOF rings.

I know it isn't going to happen, but I really wish Burch and Lorcan would win this match.  I can't see The Street Profits not winning it.

I think there's a lack of hype because it's a really mediocre card on paper. The Gargano/Cole rematch is dumb and kind of breaks the NXT formula. Dream/Breeze has hype I don't think it is a big enough match to sell a show. Also the tag title situation is one of the worst missteps that NXT has made booking wise.

The Street Profits' ring jackets look like every 80s jobber who tried to look like Michael Jackson.

NXT has a pretty damn solid Tag Team division, really.  Pity none of them have any hope when or if they ever get called up to the main roster.

OMG Ranallo just said "on like Donkey Kong."

DAMN Dawkins got some AIR on that dive.

Why the hell would you do a tope into a ladder?

3 minutes ago, The Thread Killer said:

OMG Ranallo just said "on like Donkey Kong."

I generally like Mauro but he has been insufferable for awhile now.

HOLY CRAP that leapfrog onto the ladder was insane.

A lot of hardway blood in this match.

Man, when they set up that stereo German suplexes with those guys' heads in the ladder I was worried. 

Is the NHTSA the weirdest title sponsor of a WWE show? 

1 minute ago, NintendoLogic said:

A lot of hardway blood in this match.

No doubt.  Even by Ladder Match standards this has been insane. It's like these guys know this show is flying under the radar so they've decided to kill themselves to bring it up a notch.

3 minutes ago, ...TG said:

Is the NHTSA the weirdest title sponsor of a WWE show? 

For sure.  "This ladder match has been a car crash!  Total carnage! By the way...drive safe."

Man Gunner is a freaking beast.  Vince may actually like him.

I'm no fan of Mauro either, but we should at least give him credit for his stamina. Michael Cole blew his voice out during WrestleMania and he doesn't do a third of the screaming Mauro does.

NXT needs to give these dudes a remedial course in dive-catching. There were two in a row where the diver landed flat on his back.

Man, that was a damn war.  And 2/2 as far as quality matches on this show so far, too.