Angle and Benoit had the perfect MMA/wrestling hybrid style when they faced each other. It doesn't look like an MMA fight but it also doesn't look as fake as a Seth/Dolph/AJ/etc match because it's extremely physical and hard hitting.

NXT Takeover tonite(?)

I believe so. I think main event's Gargano/Cole 2/3 falls other than that, not sure of anything.

Not sure if it was meant but when Io Shirai locked in that submission at the end it made me think that it was a great heel finisher because as Candice was about to tap she grabs her arm so she can't tap and has to pass out. Looked awesome.

That was a really strong match. I'd heard a lot of Io pre-NXT as being one of the best wrestlers in the world but hadn't really seen it until that one. And Candice finally got a good showing after being stuck as "Gargano's wife" for so long.

Got home pretty late so not finishing the show since I know Cole/Gargano will be a bunch of indulgent nonsense.

You weren't wrong. Fall 1 to fall 2 to fall 3 made no sense with the story of Johnny giving up fall 1 to injure Cole for subsequent falls. Why did Cole get any offense in fall 2? Why did it go 10+ minutes? Why are Cole and Johnny face-to-face at the beginning of the 3rd fall? So ****ing stupid. and Cole kicking out of a top rope Canadian Destroyer...no words.

My favorite part of Cole/Gargano's that some sports book set a star line for this match. The o/u was five stars. Could be negative 5 I guess but it wasn't that bad though it was offensive to anyone with taste in wrestling.

Just watching this now:

Women's division has been really pummeled by calling up so much talent and then never using them, but Mr. Gargano vs Io really over-delivered. Was not expecting anything nearly that good. Put both of them on the map.

Killian has lost a ton of weight. And I still don't get how RVD Russo Jr. is a face.

Roddy Strong's upside seems to be Lance Storm with half the personality. I'm usually a pretty big Pete Dunne fan, but this was pretty...meh.

Was Riddle one of the masked thugs (the last one actually) for Mia Yim's entrance? Why would they downplay the beating he just took in that brawl?

Unfairly, I don't think there's much Cole/Gargano could have done to impress considering expectations and what we've already seen (from them or basically any Takeover main event). It's almost a match you wish you could see through brand new eyes.

So both guys look shocked at the cage coming down with all the contraptions. Didn't one of them choose this stipulation?

When Gargano got the pliers, why didn't he just threaten to cut off Cole's finger or something?

I feel kind of spoiled (or maybe that's not the right word...entitled?) that these two guys just killed each other for an hour and I wasn't really impressed.

Regal picked the stipulation and while it was spoiled on commentary, I don't think either of them knew what the third stipulation was though I could be wrong. Listening to Dave's podcast made me feel it was announced last night.

Well, even still then, was there a cloaking device on the giant cage hanging over their heads all night? Seems impossible to hide.

RIP NXT

In b4 they send a bunch of RAW/Smackdown rejects to NXT, with Shane-O-Mac winning the NXT Championship clean, when he pins the entire Undisputed Era himself

I'm ok with that last part. But from what Dave and Bryan say, Cole, Gargano, and co. can expect to be thrown to the midcard.

NXT's shows right now sometimes go 60 minutes with minimal commercials, so they're not actually producing much more footage. The live aspect and caring more about ratings will be the interesting part.

I think this is kind of a genius move by WWE. I won't be shocked at all if NXT wins this ratings war over time and it's going to make AEW look minor league if they struggle to top WWE's third brand that has none of their top stars on it.

An interesting aspect of this is Vince having NXT doing all of this at Full Sail. Though Dave says that if they're losing, they're going to go all out and bring in the big guys like Roman, Bryan, etc.. and start going town-to-town every Wednesday from big arenas because atm, Vince doesn't have a doubt in his mind that he'll win from the get go and things will get chaotic if they don't. It'd be an odd paradox to see WWE seen as small time. It should be fun and I'm anxious af for 10/2.

I haven't seen anyone mention this but if the heavy hitters have to come out to face AEW, I wouldn't be surprised to see a 4th brand come about for the developmental people.

It's called EVOLVE

I see that NXT is getting a head start on being a main show by making the first episode post-Takeover a set up for a bunch of rematches.

I get the rationale behind the tag match, and sort of for the NA title (though I don't know why the didn't just pull the trigger on giving all of UE titles at Takeover if that's the desired direction).

But does anyone want to see Baszler/Yim 2? Yim was a barely credible challenger as it was and then lost.

That said, I have no idea who they are going to find to take the belt off Shayna. She's cleaned out the division. I guess the only one that makes any sense at all is a returning Dakota Kai.

NXT is doing that same stupid crap that they did when Finn Balor was champion and made him wrestle Samoa Joe for like an entire year ironically Asuka also had 0 credible challengers at that time. Basically, they've gotten away with what works and have been stuck with nothing interesting for like 6 months straight now

Shayna has never really had a credible challenger. Maybe Nikki seemed a threat before she was called up? With the way they've treated her on SD, I wish they'd left Asuka down there. The way she was booked in NXT, that match could have had an incredible build up.

At some point you have to stop saying "oh, X just didn't have any credible challengers for 6-12 months" and instead say "X hasn't been able to make any of their feuds or matches interesting over 6-12 months and it's a them problem"

I like Shayna as a heel a lot, but they keep putting up "badass" babyfaces against her and then the matches don't really work as well. Whoever she's beating on needs the ability to sell and gain sympathy from the crowd, which is why her matches with Kairi were (imo) great. That's why I'd like to see Dakota Kai knock her off, but I'm worried they're not going to do the proper payoff to this mostly tedious reign.

Agreed the Kairi matches were best

Well, no, because they pillaged the female roster and then just threw brand new people into title matches without any substantial character builds. It wasn't necessarily what they did in the ring for me, but more the lack of development prior to the matches.

I haven't seen NXT and am really looking forward to it coming to TV.

I really shudder at the thought of Vince getting his hands on NXT as has been rumored.

If he does, I fear the thread title will have to be changed to NXT Is No Better Than Raw or Smackdown.

If he doesn't, I will be hard pressed to decide between watching it in first run or AEW.

All ****ing in on their answer to this.

The episode tonight was absolutely incredible. Shame that it's all going to go to hell once it goes live.

I love Rhea but don't really like this as a feud. I feel like the proper payoff to Shayna's story with all the backstage bullying and her being a mega-heel is for a wholesome babyface she's tormented to prevail over her (so Dakota Kai, basically). Then maybe Rhea comes in and knocks off that babyface a couple months later. Both possible outcomes to this match seem kind of unsatisfying, as does some crappy nonsense finish if they don't want a clear winner.

EDIT: I forgot I basically posted this same comment a few days ago. Basically I think Shayna vs. wholesome, pure babyfaces = great, Shayna vs. badass tweener types is bad.