Day 1 2019

NXT War Games 3

Yes the whole fucking show. For the third year straight NXT is giving the War Games a spotlight. And once again The Undisputed Era head in to the match. UEs run in NXT has been three or four of straight dominance while also having their moments out of the main spotlight (Cole being North American Champ while Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa dominated the main event). War Games has become something of a signature match for UE, the rules allowing them to utilize their brotherhood. In kayfabe of course, in shoot the four are great at just about everything and KOR, Fish, and Cole aren’t afraid to bump like madmen. Their War Games match against Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic, and Kevin Owens headlines the show and is just as nuts as the previous two. All eight bumped like crazy with highlights being a Panama Sunrise in the steel beam connecting the two rings and an Air Raid Crash off the top of the cage through two tables. A brutal, creative fight featuring eight great talents. 

On the undercard were a Triple Threat match between Pete Dunne, Damien Priest, and Killian with a shot at Adam Coles NXT Title at Survivor Series on the line. Dunne would end up a fun spot fest but the match they had to follow was almost unstoppable but the three tried their damndest.  The second undercard match was Matt Riddle (taking a shoot injured Garganos place in the feud and match) against Finn Balor. That match was a let down. It felt like both men were holding back on a much better match then what we got. Not saying it was bad, it was pretty good but it could’ve been better.

And the opener for this show was the historic all women’s War Games Match. Shayna Baszler, Bianca Belair, Io Shari, and Kay Lee Ray vs. Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, and Tegan Nox...sort of. They turned Kai heel and wrote out Nox in the process which made the match a four on two handicap match. These eight had something to prove and not only did they deliver on the potential of this match, they stole the whole show. Like the men all four didn’t back down for crazy bumps (i.e. Ray getting swatted out of mid-air with a dented broken trash can, and Shayna taking Ripleys finish onto two chairs) but something this one topped the men’s.

With two very, very good bookends, a really good undercard match, and a pretty meh one, this maybe isn’t the strongest top-to-bottom Takeover. The show as an easy watch as always, and nothing felt dragged out. The two War Games matches were the highlight as the name implies and my God both should be required viewing if you’re trying to watch the best of 2019. The Triple Threat was fun and Riddle/Balor could’ve been on free TV, but still quality show overall. 

(On the pre-show was Shane Strickland vs. Angel Garza, a last minute addition. It had some really good moments and was a really good match overall. But there were a few sloppy moments and like Balor/Riddle, it felt like it could’ve been so much more.)