NXT Takeover: WarGames 2 Match Ratings, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp

Matt Riddle defeated Kassius Ohno
N/A (Short)

  • Matt Riddle comes out to a great ovation and says he got interrupted by Ohno, and will knock him out in both rings tonight. I'm down for this. 
  • Riddle immediately knees Ohno in the grill! Pin. That's a wrap!
  • Ohno sells his ass off for Riddle. I mean, one of the great sell jobs in recent memory. He stumbles around and wants to fight, but can't stand up. This is perfect for both of them.
Kevin Owens To Team With Randy Orton Against Solo Sikoa And Tama Tonga At WWE Backlash

NXT Women's Championship
2 Out Of 3 Falls
Shayna Baszler (c) (w/ The Horsewomen) defeated Kairi Sane
8/10

  • Sane comes out really aggressive. Baszler ends up tossing Sane outside the ring and Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir attack Sane.
  • They roll Sane back in the ring, who gets submitted in short order.
  • Sane's strikes are shit when slugging it out with Baszler, as one would expect given their skill sets. 
  • There's a totally psycho DDT on the apron that looks like it could have hurt Shayna, but fortunately she's okay. 
  • Duke kicks the ring post and Marina is sent into the stairs and Sane does a wild flying elbow onto all three of them. This was a crazy ass spot.
  • Back in the ring, Sane wins fall two with a flying elbow drop.
  • Sane follows right with a crazy spear, sunset flip powerbomb and an Alabamaslam.
  • The Horsewomen get involved, but Dakota Kai tries to thwart them. When that isn't enough, Io Shirai shows up and hits a beautiful moonsault from the top rope to the outside on everyone involved out there. The Horsewomen can sell.
  • Sane goes for the Insane Elbow, but Baszler catches her in a crucifix hold and pins her. 

Aleister Black defeated Johnny Gargano
9.5/10

  • Johnny Gargano, the wrasslin' troll is a good gimmick. He avoid several big strikes.
  • Black finds success on his kicks, but when he does his taunt, Gargano slides in and kicks him.
  • Gargano has Punisher inspired Takeover gear.
  • Black is able to stop Gargano's momentum with a big tope con hilo. Before that, Gargano had been taking Black to school.
  • This doesn't last long, as Gargano hits a suicide DDT. Yep, a suicide dive into a DDT. He then goes outside in with a slingshot DDT as well. 
  • A beautiful bridging German suplex almost wins it for Black, but he's put in the Gargano Escape. Black counters into a pin, but Johnny kicks out. 
  • They sold me a ticket on the finish after a Gargano kick and running knee. I was sold that they may have died after a knee to Gargano while he did a suicide dive. This match is special.
  • Both men almost pin one another in really close fashion, but Black cracks Gargano with a spinning knee. 
  • Black holds Gargano up for two big Black Mass kicks for the win!!

NXT Championship
Tommaso Ciampa (c) defeated Velveteen Dream
8.75/10

  • Velveteen Dream is super, super over. Him as a babyface works really well. He's dressed as Hollywood Hogan. 
  • Dream bulls Ciampa around, but then steals Dream's headband. Dream does the same by slapping Ciampa's head.
  • I love Dream using the hair-pull hangman and the flying double axehandle like Randy Savage did. He also does the big boot, but can't get the leg drop. 
  • Ciampa almost knocks out Dream with a couple of really good knees. Dream sells above and beyond almost anyone else at his age ever has. Ciampa hits another knee.
  • Dream works back and hits a big boot and several leg drops, then and Anderson Spinebuster. 
  • A second pescado of the match hits for Dream. He applies a posted Figure Four and Ciampa taps, but it doesn't count, so Dream applies a Figure Four in the ring!
  • Both men are suplexed over the top rope into the floor, and Ciampa starts untying his boot. 
  • Dream hits a superkick, but Ciampa pins him with the tights held. That ref is like "NO! VELVETEEN DREAM'S ASSCHEEKS ARE ALREADY OUT ENOUGH! NO PINFALL." Rolling Death Valley Driver hits.
  • Ciampa can't get a pin on anything, even Project Ciampa. The crowd is rockin for Dream. Ciampa tries to leave with the title, but gets DreamDT'd into it! 
  • Ciampa kicks out of his boot when Dream goes for another Figure Four and PLANTS Dream with a DDT of his own, but no dice! 
  • The Champion pulls up the mats and threatens a DDT, but Dream pushes them both over the announce table!
  • Ciampa gets hung up going off on Mauro and there's a rolling Death Valley Driver to the floor and  a Purple Rainmaker from Dream! Ciampa kicks out.
  • Ciampa DDT's Dream on the steel between the rings for the win.

 

War Games
Pete Dunne, Ricochet, & War Raiders defeated Undisputed Era
6.75/10

  • Ricochet and Cole start out and Ricochet gets the backstabber delivered to him. 
  • Maybe I'll be wrong, but I dunno if putting a match that everyone knows can't end for 20 minutes with no stakes and lowered visibility on here after three slappers is a good choice.
  • O'Reilly is out next. He and Cole work over Ricohet's leg and do an assisted Ushigoroshi onto him.
  • Hanson keeps Pete Dunne from coming in next, which is smart psychologically. He does splashes and sentons all the way around.
  • Ricochet runs up Hanson's back and does a shooting star press.
  • Undisputed Era was the best thing that could have happened to Roderick Strong. He does an insane trio of backbreakers to Ricochet.
  • Rowe pushes his way in before Dunne -- this is likely being done to protect Dunne, who has been out six weeks. 
  • Rowe is a house of fire. I love his gutwrench offense. He also does a powerbomb/powerslam. Why wouldn't Hanson just powerbomb the other guy!?
  • Interesting way to keep Dunne out of the match -- Bobby Fish attacks and locks Dunne's cage. He then brings in Undisputed Era chairs. 
  • It's Dunne's time, but he's locked in his cage. Refs get bolt cutters and free him.
  • Dunne grabs a kendo stick and goes after Undisputed Era. 
  • Ricochet takes out the pile, and Dunne is just collecting furniture. Dunne finally does the X Plex on Strong onto Cole.
  • Rowe slams Hanson onto O'Reilly. German Suplex/springboard lariat on Fish from War Raiders. The second go around Hanson gets a trash can to the face.
  • Dunne fires back, and he's great not even at 100 percent. He does a kimura on the chair. 
  • Dunne is isolated. O'Reilly has an ankle lock with a chain applied, and Cole takes a chair to Dunne's face until Ricochet break it up.
  • In stereo super frankensteiners hit for Hanson and Ricochet.
  • The crowd weirdly boos when a table leg gives out. War Raiders do a pop-up powerslam instead and eat chairs. 
  • Fish spears Rowe through a table in between the rings! Hanson splashes O'Reilly through a table, but a trash can spot steals the pin!
  • Cole and Ricochet battle on top of the cage, and it leads to a cage of doom spot! I'll forgive a tower of doom spot this ONCE because I've never seen it on a cage.
  • RICOCHET JACK EVANS'ED EVERYONE! Double moonsault off the cage!
  • The two teams face off in the middle of the cage! Fallout from the War Raiders, and a handspring elbow from Hanson.
  • Cole runs through his signature spots, but Dunne kicks out! Bitter End and 450 beat Cole.

Rating guide

10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor

Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a "star rating," which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive "TV match" lands at a 5.The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
 

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