NXT Takeover: XXV Review

Saturday, June 1st, 2019
Webster Bank Arena
Bridgeport, Connecticut

Roderick Strong vs. Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle completely won me over at the last Takeover event. If Bruce Prichard has any pull in his current role, I know he will be a big advocate for him. Riddle starts off with some nice mat wrestling followed by some suplexes. Riddle launches himself off the steps and hits a flying forearm. Interesting (only to me) to see that they do not have the modern day padded rails. Instead they have the old school steel rails. Strong hits a suplex on the side of the ring. Not surprisingly, these guys are laying it in with some stiff shots. Riddle gets a nice reversal into a small package for a 2 count. Riddle hits a nice flurry of offense including a exploder suplex and a penalty kick. Riddle hits Go To Sleep and a German suplex into a bridge and only gets a 2 count. Strong hits a step up enzuigiri onto Riddle as he is sitting on the top rope and then hits a superplex for a 2 count. I'm not even going to attempt to recap that back and forth sequence between these two. Awesome stuff. Riddle hits a powerbomb and follows up with a knee strike and it still isn't enough. Strong gets his knees up off the dive from the top rope and then Roddy only gets a 2 count after hitting the backbreaker. Strong locks in the Strong Hold, but then Riddle escapes and hits some elbows and then puts him in the Bromission. More elbow strikes by Riddle and then a version of the Tombstone piledriver and that is enough for the victory. We say this every Takeover, but how do you follow that? Yet, somehow they always do. Back to back awesome matches for Riddle at Takeover and Roddy continues to be one of the most consistently awesome in ring performers in all of American wrestling.

Match Rating: ****1/2 (out of 5)

Shawn Michaels and Road Dogg are shown in the crowd. Talk about two totally opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of in ring skill.

NXT Tag Team Championship Match
Ladder Match
The Street Profits vs. The Forgotten Sons vs. Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan vs. The Undisputed Era

As one would expect, all eight men go right at it to get it started. The Undisputed Era get the early advantage by taking out the Forgotten Sons. In come Burch and Lorcan and they are able to clear them out as well and go headed out to grab a ladder. In a somewhat surprisingly telegraphed move, the Undisputed Era both hold a ladder together and walk towards the ring and Wesley Blake does a suicide dive into the middle of the ladder, which definitely looked like it would hurt him the most. Angelo Dawkins then hits a huge dive off the top rope. The Street Profits start climbing the ladder, but in come Fish and O'Reilly and they are climbing but then the Forgotten Sons take them out and start using the ladder as a battering ram to take everyone out. Oney and Lorcan then hit stereo German suplexes while the Forgotten Sons had the ladders over their heads. The ladder apparently hit O'Reilly on the release. Montez Ford hits a huge frog splash and are now working on a bloodied Blake. Shades of The World's Greatest Tag Team as Ford hits the leap frog onto Blake draped across the ladder. Undisputed Era hits a codebreaker/German suplex combo that is awesome. Kyle O'Reilly is then powerbombed into the ladder while Fish is climbing. Awesome spot there. The Forgotten Sons set up the ladder over O'Reilly, but O'Reilly grabs the leg of Cutler and puts him in a submission match. Cutler then hits a big stomp to the chest of Fish as Blake slams him back to the mat. The Forgotten Sons are both climbing but Lorcan and Burch and the Street Profits break it up. This match is pure chaos with both the Forgotten Sons and Street Profits stepping up. The top rope blockbuster by Ford was pretty sweet. Jaxson Ryker now comes down and is taking everyone down. After watching these eight guys lay it all on the line, this spot is coming off a little weak. The Undisputed Era start it off, then the other two teams come in and all out attack Ryker. The Undisputed Era then turns on them and is about to set up the ladder, but they then decide to knock out Ryker with the ladder. Montez Ford then hits a swanton over the ladder onto Ryker and then Lorcan hits a suicide dive. The Street Profits get sandwiched by two ladders by Lorcan and Burch and then they throw the ladders onto the Forgotten Sons. Lorcan and Burch are climbing but again here come the Undisputed Era. Is there anyone who plays their roles better than Undisputed Era? They are now both on two ladders brawling on their way up. The Forgotten Sons are there to tip the ladders and are now alone in the center of the ring. Here come the Street Profits. Springboard by Ford onto the ladder and he is all alone and the Street Profits are the new champions. That was a star making performance for Montez Ford. The Undisputed Era were awesome in their roles and the Forgotten Sons did a nice job of doing their share of spots. Lorcan and Burch seemed a little out of their element and didn't really play that much into the match, especially early on. Back to back amazing matches here tonight.

Match Rating: ****1/4

The Forgotten Sons party out in the crowd after the match. Great moment for these guys.

NXT North American Championship Match
Tyler Breeze vs. Velveteen Dream

It's good to see Tyler Breeze back in NXT and it sounds like it will be for the long haul too. After going back and forth with taunts and then moves, Breeze uses the post to hit Dream below the belt and then slams his knee on the post. Flying forearm by Breeze, but then gets hit with a forearm from Dream on the second attempt. Breeze is able to lock in a single leg crab on the bad knee. A dropkick sends Dream to the outside, but Dream greets him with a superkick. Dream looks slightly off tonight, but not necessarily a huge negative. He just isn't as crisp. After slamming Breeze repeatedly into the announcers table, he grabs Breeze's phone and the North American title and takes a selfie. It's pretty easy to see why he's as popular as he is. Would Vince allow him to do all of this on Raw or SmackDown? Dream Valley Driver by Velveteen gets a 2 count. Breeze is fighting back with some kicks and superkick gets a 2 count. It's so nice to see Breeze in a match longer than 3 minutes again. Dream DT gets a nice nearfall. He absolutely nailed him with that one. Breeze has blood coming out of his ear. They've told a nice story of Breeze not allowing to hit his top rope offense here. Dream goes up again and once again blocked by Breeze. Breeze follows up with a knee strike and both men are down. They do the Undertaker Tombstone reversals, but no one hits it. Dream goes up top but Breeze goes for a dropkick before he jumps. Not sure if that was on purpose or not. Dream then hits the Unprettier for a nearfall. Purple Rainmaker attempt is blocked by Breeze's knees. Supermodel Kick and an Unprettier by Breeze for a nearfall that even made me think that he may actually win. Small package by Dream for a 2 count. Breeze then hits the Beauty Shot, but Dream is able to roll out of the ring before he can go for the victory. Breeze is unable to get Dream back into the ring and pleads with the ref to stop counting. Dream goes to hit Breeze with the belt, but Breeze grabs it and the ref has to take it away. Dream Valley Driver and Purple Rainmaker off the distraction and Velveteen Dream is still the champion. That was a really entertaining match, but I think my expectations were maybe a little too high. There were a few "sloppy" moments, but they helped make it feel real as opposed to when guys blow things and it exposes it as being choreographed.

Match Rating: ***3/4

After the match Dream is taking a selfie in the ring, but Breeze is behind him. Dream gives it to him and tries to walk away, but Breeze blocks him and then asks him to take a selfie with him. They put the selfie on the big screen and Dream walks out of the ring as only he can.

NXT Women's Championship Match
Io Shirai vs. Shayna Baszler

Shirai takes it right to Baszler with a nice stomp-like dropkick. Baszler is right back at it and hits the stomp to the arm, which really should be a set up for her finish as opposed to something so early in the match. Baszler isn't necessarily one of my favorites, but she has a unique look and style that to me she should be a shoe in for success on the main roster. However, we know how that goes. Baszler continues to work on the arm. Shirai hits a German Suplex and is back with some double ax handles. Shirai then hits the 619 and follows it up with a springboard dropkick for a 2 count. Shirai has Baszler in the Crippler Crossface, but Baszler picks her up and slams her on her back. Nice dropkick by Shirai sends Baszler to the floor and then hits a moonsault to the floor. Baszler's goons are on their way down, but Candice Lerae is out and goes nuts with a kendo stick. Shirai goes for a moonsault, Baszler moves, but Shirai lands on her feet. After a nice sequence, Baszler has the Kirifuda Clutch locked in and after a long battle by Shirai, she taps out and Baszler is still your champion. That was a solid match, but I feel like Baszler's matches never get to that next gear like the top women do.

Match Rating: ***

After the match Shirai, the babyface, is attacking Baszler, the heel. Shirai gets a chair from Lerae and uses it for a moonsault that had to hurt.

NXT Championship Match
Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano

I would say it is nearly impossible for them to top their first match, but with these guys being my two current favorites, I'd say there's a good chance they can. I have to say this has to be one of the few times, if ever, that I can think of where the original match had a stipulation and the sequel did not. That to me speaks a lot about how highly regarded these two are that they don't need a gimmick to tear it up. Once again, to recap some of these segments is nearly impossible. Even if you don't love this style, you have to be amazed at the pace these guys are able to keep throughout a long match. Gargano hits a big stomp onto Cole's arm as it is draped on the apron and immediately goes to work on the arm. Cole is able to wiggle out of a hold and hits a superkick on Gargano's calf, which allows him to work on Gargano's leg. Cole goes for another dropkick from the top rope, but Gargano catches him into a sit down powerbomb. Cole hits a nice backstabber counter as Gargano was leaping off the second rope for an elbow. They trade superkicks and then Gargano hits one on a leaping Cole and both men are outside the ring now. Cole goes for a chop block, but Gargano leaps and stomps on him, but then Cole rolls out again. Gargano was thinking about the suicide dive, but decided not to because of the knee, which allows Cole to regain the advantage. Gargano Escape is put on, but Cole is able to get out and put on the Figure Four in the middle of the ring. Gargano is able to flip it, but Cole immediately grabs the rope. There is no sign of crowd fatigue, as they are still very much into what has been an awesome show. Cole spikes Gargano's injured knee into the mat and then pulls down Gargano's knee pads and hits him with a series of kicks. Gargano sends Cole out of the ring and then hits a DDT as he tries to get back in. Gargano then goes for a suicide dive and is decapitated by a superkick! Cole then jumps off the apron and hits a Panama Sunrise. Cole rolls him in the ring, but Gargano is able to kick out. Cole rolls down his own knee pad and goes for a knee strike, but Gargano avoids it but Cole puts Gargano into the Gargano Escape. Gargano gets out and hits the Last Shot and gets another nearfall. Both men are on their knees and are hitting each other with forearms. They are up and Cole hits a a few kicks, but Gargano hits a big lariat. Superkick by Cole, but then a superkick by Gargano. Reverse hurricanrana by Gargano and then Cole hits the Last Shot and Gargano somehow kicks out. Good lord. Cole is getting into it with the ref and decides to go grab a chair. The ref tries to stop him and Gargano leaps over the top rope and hits the ref instead of Cole. Gargano knows he's in trouble, but ducks the chairshot and hits a superkick into the chair into Cole's face. He rolls him into the ring, but there's no ref. Gargano limps to the ref and throws him back into the ring. Cole is calling out to the back, but no one comes. Cole hits a DDT, but again it's not enough. Cole sets up Gargano for the Last Shot, but Gargano falls face first. Gargano locks in the Gargano Escape again. Cole tries to reach for the ropes, but Gargano rolls him back into the center of the ring. Cole hits elbows into Gargano's injured knee. Panama Sunrise off the second turnbuckle is blocked, but Gargano, but it's not enough. Cole goes up again and hits it this time and then the Last Shot. New champion! What a match! That was the goosebump worthy sequel that I was hoping for and that may have even topped the original. Hard hitting, reversals galore, drama and surprisingly no interference. What a performance by both men and it's just been so great watching both of these guys make their way to the main events of these shows. I love that both men got their big moments against each other.

Match Rating: *****

The Undisputed Era comes out to celebrate and that is all for tonight.

The only thing I can count on in wrestling is that when I sit down to watch a NXT Takeover, I will be entertained. These performers have so much to be proud of, as they continue to be the best thing going in WWE by a mile. Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano have so much to be proud of with their two matches. The ladder match and Riddle/Strong could have been match of the year candidates in a pre-NXT world. I can't say enough good things about this show. If you haven't already, watch it now. I can't believe I am giving another NXT show in 2019 the perfect score, but here I am.

Overall Rating: 100%