NXT TAKEOVER RIVAL REPORT: 11/02/15
- Burges Matthews
- Feb 13, 2015
- 3 min read
Hideo Itami def. Tyler Breeze via Pinfall
Baron Corbin def. Bull Dempsey via Pinfall
Tag Team Championship: Blake and Murphy def. Lucha Dragons via Pinfall
Finn Balor def. Adrian Neville via Pinfall
Women's Championship: Fatal 4 Way - Sasha Banks def. Charlotte via Pinfall
NXT Championship: Kevin Owens def. Sami Zayn via Zayn Unable to Continue
I had very much been looking forward to NXT Takeover Rival, and it did not disappoint. The two hour live event was fantastic, as the NXT Universe saw titles change hands, rivalries put to bed and great matches. Tyler Breeze and Hideo Itami kicked off the show on the right foot, as the pair put on a quality match. The same cannot be said for the two matches that followed.
Baron Corbin and Bull Dempsey slugged it out in a decent No Disqualification match, but it wasn't anything special. I can't help but think if there was more of a rivalry between the two then this match could have been incredible, it just felt a bit forced. Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy continued their reign as Tag Team Champions with a victory over the Lucha Dragons. Both teams took a while to get rolling as there were a number of mistakes early on, but they managed to recover and put on a respectable match. By no means were these two matches poor, they just weren't memorable, especially compared to the last three matches of the night.
Changing of the Guard
Finn Balor's rapid rise to the top of NXT took another giant leap as he became the number one contender to the NXT Championship. It was good to see Balor leave Takeover with a victory over Adrian Neville, and their performances were phenomenal. The two stole the show as they put on an unbelievable match. Now with Neville seemingly out of the NXT Title picture, a much deserved call up to the main roster looks to be just around the corner, and I can't wait. With his high flying and acrobatic style, Neville will be an instant fan favourite and will thrive in the WWE. He also looks set to be joined by Charlotte on the main roster in the very near future.
Charlotte's 258 day reign as the NXT Women's Champion came to an end at Takeover when she was pinned by Sasha Banks in the best women's match I have seen in recent memory. It could very easily be argued that this was the match of the night as Banks, Charlotte, Bayley and Becky Lynch showed what they can do when given the same time as the men. The NXT women's division is truly the future of professional wrestling, and is one of my favourite aspects of the brand. The WWE could learn from NXT and structure its women's division in the same mould, as when you watch NXT the women's division doesn't feel like a lesser product, which is the way it should be.
Zayn Goes Down Fighting
The main event between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens was the one match that I was particularly looking forward to, and I absolutely loved it. Not only was it a extraordinary match, but it was something I never saw coming. I thought Zayn would have retained the title, but was in no way surprised with Owens becoming the new NXT Champion. What I never would have predicted was the way they had Owens win the title. Having Zayn suffer through an onslaught of power bombs, to the point where he could no longer continue, was an incredible way for Owens to become the new champion. It also sets up what will be a fantastic rivalry, just how Finn Balor fits into the equation remains to be seen, but I am very much looking forward to his presence in the title picture as well.
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