‘NXT TakeOver: Phoenix 2019’ PPV Review
Welcome to this review of NXT TakeOver: Phoenix, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have lots of good wrestling to get to, so let’s do so before tap dance practice.
War Raiders (New Champions) beat The Undisputed Era – NXT Tag Team Titles Match
My Take: 3.5 out of 5 – This was some fine stuff that had the crowd’s attention the whole way through and was a pleasure all the way through. The tag work was excellent and both teams had lots of chemistry together. I really enjoyed watching ERA try to stop the Raiders from just moving around the ring, which is a clever idea that they executed perfectly. Over-all, this was some fine tag wrestling that will be remembered fondly all year long.
Matt Riddle beat Kassius Ohno
My Take: 3 out of 5 – This match almost got a 3.5 from me, but it was just missing that little extra bit of magic/I don’t know what I’m talking about to make it a great one.
Johnny Gargano (New Champion) beat Ricochet – NXT North American Championship Match
My Take: 5 out of 5 – This was quite the match and it is already one of the best WWE matches this year, as well as one of the best matches period. This was every-thing that a match is supposed to be and more, with every kind of attack implemented at the most vicious level of aggression possible. This match is one of the best in some time and it will stand the test of time.
Shayna Baszler (Still Champion) beat Bianca Belair – NXT Women’s Championship Match
My Take: 3 out of 5 – This was a good match that didn’t have quite the level of urgency that the champion’s previous matches had, but it was still a good bout for the title. Belair looked good, but didn’t appear as formidable as Baszler, for what-ever reason. Over-all, this was a good match, but it needed a bit more spit and polish.
Tommaso Ciampa (Still Champion) beat Aleister Black – NXT Championship Match
My Take: 3.5 out of 5 – This was excellent stuff, but it had some trouble getting to the finish line, as some of the moves didn’t quite get the crowd’s attention. These two worked well together, but it felt like they were holding back, even if they necessarily weren’t. It’s possible that these two caved under the pressure of following the Gargano/Ricochet match, although I’d hesitate to say that they failed at making a fine main event. They ended the card with a good one and both champion and challenger looked strong afterward.
News Of The Night:
The winners for the NXT Awards For 2018 are:
- Breakout Star of the Year – Ricochet
- Future Star of NXT – Io Shirai
- Tag Team of the Year – The Undisputed ERA
- Male Competitor of the Year – Tommaso Ciampa
- Female Competitor of the Year – Kairi Sane
- Wrestler of the Year – Kairi Sane
- Rivalry of the Year – Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa
- Match of the Year – Andrade vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT Championship Match (TakeOver: Philadelphia)
- TakeOver of the Year – TakeOver: New Orleans
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This was an excellent event that had one really great match and several enjoyable ones, but is could be said that this was a one match show.