NXT Takeover XXV didn’t disappoint. Though admittedly, I feel Takeover: New York was overall the better show. However, this was still a great show so don’t let the previous statement discourage you from watching.
Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano pulled out another gem; however, I’m indifferent on the end result. If The Undisputed Era leader was always set to win the NXT title, then he should’ve won it back at New York. The match could’ve had a screwy finish with Cole picking up the win. Then, Gargano could’ve been pulled in a different direction on the black and yellow brand while Cole feuds with several other wrestlers for the top belt.
These two could’ve had a rematch in August or November, with Gargano winning the title in the end. I just wasn’t a fan of Johnny losing this quickly. At the same time, had Cole lost for the second time on Saturday, then he would’ve lost all credibility as a main eventer.
Nevertheless, a fantastic match and I do love that Adam Cole won clean. I wasn’t big on the Panama’s Sunrise (Canadian Destroyer) on the outside floor moment. A move like that can easily be a finisher, so when Gargano kicked out, it took me out of the match a bit because we were bordering on unbelievable.
Granted, you could make that same argument for their match-up during WrestleMania weekend when Gargano was getting kick out crazy, but that Canadian Destroyer on the floor was what really got me here.
Riddle vs. Strong was my second favorite match of the night. Both men displayed a nice intensity and Roderick Strong’s sequence towards the end was really exciting. A great opener to start the show.
The ladder match was great as well. There weren’t any “holy shit” spots in this match, but it was wild and fun throughout the entire time. I feel bad for Kyle O’Reilly’s back. This man deserves a raise and a nice cold beer. All teams worked their asses off and the end came off well.
Tyler Breeze vs. Velveteen Dream was a good match, but nothing spectacular. The count out spot is the main reason I graded this match-up lower. I didn’t understand why Breeze just didn’t roll in and out to restart the count. Breeze looked like a goof for arguing with the referee when he didn’t even entertain the obvious solution.
I also wasn’t a fan of the post-match moment. I get the respect thing, but the build up to the match was highlighted with Breeze’s failures on the main roster. It worked for Matt Riddle at New York because ‘The King of Bros’ thought Dream was the joke and Riddle’s path hasn’t been deemed a failure.
Breeze shouldn’t have accepted defeat here. I would’ve booked him to simply walk away dejected following the match, which would’ve been the beginning of a slow burn change for his character. Him doing a selfie with Dream cemented that he didn’t care too much about the title or his losing ways.
Last but not least, Io Shirai vs. Baszler was another good match. I really dig Baszler’s character, but it does feel as if she needs a change of scenery because she’s really done it all in the black and yellow brand.
Shirai is awesome, but she did come across as a goof towards the end of the match. Instead of continuing her attack on Baszler as Candice LeRae took care of Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke outside of the ring, she simply stood there and watched the moment happen.
The post-match segment didn’t translate well for me either. Baszler did win the match clean. Yes, I know that Duke and Shafir have been a pain in the ass for the last few weeks, but they weren’t the cause for her losing here. Shirai did look like a sore loser and while I do look forward to another bout between these two, I feel creative didn’t do the best job of protecting Shirai here.
Despite my negatives, this was a great show and one that you should definitely check out if you missed the event.