WrestleRant
  • Home
  • Columnist Corner
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Audio
  • Videos
  • Store
  • About
  • Contact
Picture

WWE NXT TakeOver: Chicago Review - May 20, 2017

5/20/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Roderick Strong def. Eric Young

Strong moving into the role Tye Dillinger previously held of going up against SAnitY all by himself makes much more sense than the playing field being even given his whole "Roddy vs. World" gimmick. It was refreshing to see him attack Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe before the bout and then contest a pretty good match with Young. I've never been the biggest fan of Young in the ring, but he fared well here and this was probably Strong's best match in NXT to date. Those video packages highlighting his family from a few weeks ago have definitely paid off and I'm happy he finally has direction.

Pete Dunne def. Tyler Bate to Win the WWE United Kingdom Championship

I knew we would be in for a great match after the instant classic they had in the finals of the WWE United Kingdom Championship tournament earlier this year, but this exceeded all expectations and then some in being absolutely exceptional. Honestly, we might have a new Match of the Year (so far) on our hands. Bate and Dunne have such strong chemistry together and each stellar spot had me on the edge of my seat. The crowd ate everything up and provided this match with an electric atmosphere. Dunne winning was the right move, and now he can reek havoc on the rest of the division. Seriously, seek this out if you haven't already seen it.
Picture

NXT Women's Champion Asuka def. Ruby Riot and Nikki Cross in a Triple Threat MAtch

While this wasn't the best NXT Women's Championship match of all-time, they were in a tough spot following the phenomenal U.K. title match. Nevertheless, this was a solid match with all three women having nice showings. It fell victim to the standard Triple Threat formula with one of them staying on the outside at all times, but other than that, I enjoyed it. Obviously, Asuka needed to retain the title so she can face off in a rematch with Ember Moon at TakeOver: Brooklyn 3.

NXT Champion Bobby Roode def. Hideo Itami

Itami didn't receive a ton of television time prior to TakeOver since returning to NXT, so he wasn't the most beloved babyface in this bout, but he delivered his greatest performance in the performance to date. The match started out slightly slow, but they told a spectacular story with Itami desperate to hit Roode with a GTS and fighting valiantly against the arrogant champion. Roode winning clean was a pleasant surprise and the right move considering Itami is likely out of the title picture with Roode defending against fresh faces for the rest of his reign.

NXT Tag Team Champions Authors of Pain def. #DIY in a Ladder Match

It's interesting to note that Authors of Pain were the only homegrown talent on this show, and although they aren't amazing quite yet, they are capable of holding their own and having above-average matches with the right opponents. The string of matches they've had with #DIY this year have been superb and this was no exception as they went all out with some of the spots they pulled off. The David vs. Goliath dynamic once again worked in their favor and there was plenty of suspense down the stretch. Authors of Pain successfully defending the straps was a bit of a letdown... until Ciampa turned on Gargano when fans least expected it (the graphic going up before it happened was a cool touch) and executed this outstanding attack on his now former friend. That should be a hell of a program heading into the summer.

Overall Show

I've been digging NXT since right after TakeOver: Orlando and this was the perfect way to continue the brand's hot momentum. Not all out of the outcomes were crowd-pleasing (four out of five heels won) and it was more of a placeholder show, but that doesn't take away from how excellent the event was. The in-ring action on the fantastic and I'd argue it was the strongest all around TakeOver since TakeOver: Brooklyn 2. This special also left us with several questions as well that should make for compelling programming in the months ahead.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    Categories

    All
    #AskGSM
    Battle Of The Belts
    Cruiserweight Classic
    Halftime Heat
    Hidden Gems
    Interviews
    Lists/Rankings
    Mae Young Classic
    Mixed Match Challenge
    News
    NJPW
    NWA Shockwave
    NXT PLEs
    Opinion
    Previews
    Retro Reviews
    Reviews
    RJ's Two Cents
    Satire
    Slammy Awards
    SNME
    SummerSlam Recall
    The Deadly Draw
    The World Is A Vampire
    Tribute To The Troops
    Women's Eliminator
    Worlds Collide
    WrestleMania Recall
    WWE Draft
    WWE Network Specials
    WWE PLEs
    WWE Starrcade


    Archives

    July 2025
    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

    RSS Feed

©2025 WrestleRant. All Rights Reserved.
  • Home
  • Columnist Corner
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Audio
  • Videos
  • Store
  • About
  • Contact