WWE NXT TakeOver: Orlando Review - April 1, 2017

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

SAnitY def. Tye Dillinger, Roderick Strong, Kassius Ohno and Ruby Riot

​For a feud that wasn't doing too much for me personally in the weeks preceding the event, this was perfectly positioned as the opener. As a fan of No Way Jose, I was disappointed he was removed from the match at the last minute, but it made sense to insert Ohno in there as he wasn't scheduled for the show, which was weird. Although he wasn't pinned (Dillinger was), I wouldn't have had him lose, especially considering he is coming off a clean loss to Bobby Roode on a recent episode of NXT. Nevertheless, this was a fun opening eight-man tag team match and the in-ring action was chaotic. I get that SAnitY is the stable and it made more sense for them to win, but this would have been the time to give Dillinger a TakeOver win at long last. But alas, he remains a loser.

Aleister Black def. Andrade "Cien" Almas

​I thought the presentation of the debuting Black was really well done, everything from his entrance to his subdued personality. It reminded me quite a bit of The Undertaker when he was a part of the Ministry of Darkness. However, he's a great wrestler to boot and he made a nice impression his first night in. This was by no means a squash, either, so Almas looked good in defeat. I wish he would be placed in a meaningful program he can win because he has plenty of potential as a heel that isn't being tapped into right now.

NXT Tag Team Champions def. #DIY and The Revival in a Triple Threat Tag Team Elimination Match

​Virtually everyone was aware that this match might steal the show (or the entire WrestleMania weekend) and an argument can be made it did just that. The elimination stipulation definitely helped and all three teams worked wonderfully together. Unfortunately, the section I was sitting in was extremely obnoxious all night with irrelevant chants (trust me, it was bad), but this match was good enough it shut them up and forced them to pay attention. The dynamic was also amazing with #DIY as the scrappy underdog babyfaces, The Revival as the throwback heels, and Authors of Pain as the powerhouses. The champs have really grown on me as of late and they know their limitations. #DIY getting knocked out first was unexpected, but it was cool it came down to Revival and Authors of Pain. This was an exceptional outing on the whole.

NXT Women's Champion Asuka def. Ember Moon

​I honestly had a hard time paying attention during this match because my section was out of control (specifically the drunk idiots), so I'll have to watch it back again sometime soon to get a different perspective on it, but what I did see was quite good. While this wasn't too flashy of a match, they told a solid story with Asuka getting cocky and somewhat playing a heel but not really because she was still beloved. The crowd was split for them and the finish was clever. It would have been better as a nearfall because Asuka beating the undefeated Moon on a kick felt like it came out of nowhere. I surely hope they're building to a rematch at some point because the time was right to pull the trigger on a title change, but I understand they want Moon to chase the championship for a little longer.

NXT Champion Bobby Roode def. Shinsuke Nakamura

​It's difficult to say which bout was better between this and their initial encounter at TakeOver: San Antonio, but either way, it was another great match from Roode and Nakamura. It didn't blow me away as a wrestling match, but it didn't need to because both guys are such stellar performers that they can captivate a crowd with their mannerisms alone. I liked how it was an “injured” knee that cost Nakamura last time yet he was beaten as clean as a sheet in this match. That solidifies Roode as more than a guy with a cool theme song but rather as a legitimate badass who can beat the best of them. On a side note, the entrances were epic, per usual, but I'd have to give the slight edge to Roode.

Overall Show

​Of the three TakeOver specials I have attended (both Brooklyn shows and this), TakeOver: Orlando was the weakest, but it was still a solid show with essentially everything delivering. In other words, it was your typical TakeOver in that it was a highly entertaining evening with a handful of excellent matches, noteworthy debuts of a wrestler and new titles (which look pretty sweet in my opinion), and possibly the last matches in NXT for a few people. For a show with very little hype going in, TakeOver: Orlando was an enjoyable event and better than expected, yet far from the best TakeOver they've ever done.