NXT Takeover Chicago, June 16th, 2018
We have heard from many that the NXT Takeover shows are great. Some would even say better than most WWE PPV’s! NXT Takeover Chicago was no exception. Number 2 sure didn’t disappoint either. Perhaps one of my favorite things about NXT shows is that they aren’t stuffed with too much. It reminds me of the acronym “KISS” – Keep It Simple, Stupid!
***Mauro Ranallo was not a commentator at this event – he was calling the fake Showtime Boxing instead.
I’m blessed to have more than one job. Unfortunately,dates may conflict. Off to Dallas for a @ShowtimeBoxing tripleheader . That means I won’t be in Chicago for #NXTTakeOver You’ll be in good hands with @VicJosephWWE @McGuinnessNigel & @WWEPercyWatson 👊🙏
— Mauro Ranallo (@mauroranallo) June 14, 2018
Video & Podcast Recap
Podcast: NXTTakeoverChicago2mp3 Click, tap, or right click – save as!
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***All screen caps are from WWE.com or WWE Network.
NXT Takeover Chicago Match Recaps
The Undisputed Era (Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly)(c) vs Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch
The Undisputed Era comes out to a big fan response with Adam Cole. Oney and Danny come out to a quiet crowd.
Some ground game and a handful of tags to start. Undisputed Era has a huddle. It doesn’t work when Oney hits a HUGE chest slap, followed by a weak one! Strong hits a dropkick through the ropes on to Burch and knocks him silly!
Some tags between Undisputed Era before Roderick Strong thinks a back breaker will win the match. Wrong. Strong hits an awesome dropkick, then we see blood on Burch’s head!
Eventually, Burch gets a tag to Lorcan, and Lorcan goes nuts! A clothesline! Uppercut! Dive over the top rope! More uppercuts! Hip attacks! Double Blockbusters! He gets pushed off the top rope, leaving Burch to almost tap to an arm bar!
Crowd is chanting “This is Awesome!’ Another double Blockbuster by Lorcan! Tag team manevuer by Burch and Lorcan with pin interrupted by Adam Cole!
More back and forth until Burch and Lorcan get Undisputed Era in double submissions. Ref don’t care about the chaos. Strong and O’Reilly beat Lorcan’s meat so hard that they got the 3 count!
Lorcan and Burch are left in the ring to a well deserved applause from the Chicago crowd.
The Undisputed Era retains at NXT Takeover Chicago.
Match rating: 60 out of 69 Boners
Ricochet vs Velveteen Dream
Velveteen Dream in Hulk Hogan attire comes out to a quieter reception than I expected. He smells the ring announcer. The weirdest moment of NXT Takeover Chicago, but expected from Dream.
Ricochet comes out to his superhero music and weak side punches to about the same reception. Dream wins the initial crowd chants with the two starting off with a few minutes of ground game.
Announce team has announced almost 500 times that John Cena has endorsed Dream. Dream and Ricochet dance off the ropes for a bit and end in a double superhero pose. Ricochet goes for a top rope springboard, but Dream hits the ropes and Ricochet catches his throat.
Dream on offense for a few minutes, even uses one of Ricochet’s moves! He then does the dive off the middle rope to the outside of the ring that I don’t know the name of! After some time, Ricochet finally gets some offense with a suicide dive and an Olympic-esque high jump!
Ricochet’s offense continues with no success…until Dream hits a death valley driver from the 2nd rope! “This is Awesome!” chants from the crowd! Ricochet with a slap heard around the world! Dream with a hanging suplex onto the outside!
Ricochet’s face after the suplex
After some recovery time, Ricochet sets up Dream, only for Dream to do one of the fastest DVD’s ever! Two count! Ricochet getting some offense, but his back gives out! Back and forth until Dream hits the rolling DDT. Two count!
Crowd chants “This is Awesome” and Dream says he’s awesome and declares himself a wrestling god! Ricochet responds with a Death Valley Driver of his own! He then copies Dream’s Purple Rainmaker to another two count!
Ricochet attempts a shooting star press, and unlike Bork Lazur, he makes it, but Dream gets the knees up! I thought the match was finished there!
Dream attempts a Purple Rainmaker from ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE RING and misses his opponent! Ricochet hits a 630 Splash for the 3 count!
Ricochet defeats Velveteen Dream at NXT Takeover Chicago
Match Rating: 55 out of 69 Boners
Shayna Baszler(c) vs Nikki Cross
Nikki Cross comes out to some fan response at NXT Takeover Chicago. She goes insane in the ring. She’s insane and I love it. Shayna Baszler comes out to some silence, but she looks tough and I wouldn’t want to pee in her lemonade.
Cross begs for Baszler to attack. Baszler attacks and Cross loves it! Cross even exposes her back to the MMA fighter! Cross gets some offense in, until Baszler crushes her on the ramp!
It’s all Baszler offense for a while, but Cross loves it! Chicago is behind Cross as she finally gets some offense in. “Nikki’s gonna kill you!” chants! Cross with a slop drop on the apron for a two count.
Cross tries to pin Baszler right next to the ropes, which of course doesn’t work. Baszler locks in the Kirifuda Clutch! Cross smiles until she passes out with boos from the crowd.
Shayna Baszler defends via submission at NXT Takeover Chicago
Match Rating: 51 out of 69 Boners
Aleister Black(c) vs Lars Sullivan
Lars Sullivan appears with little crowd response (they are scared). Sweet camera work leading to this shot:
Aleister Black rises with more crowd cheers. Ring announcer doesn’t care for the “One Fall!” from the crowd.
Match starts of fast and furious with double finisher blocks! Then we get more back and forth with Sullivan RUNNING THROUGH a Black Clothesline!
What follows is some exciting action outside. Sullivan catches a Black Moonsault, then catapults him into the barrier! The match finally slows down for a little bit.
I then realize that I can’t wait to see Lars vs Keith Lee! Lars goes to the top rope and Black stops him for a little bit…but Lars knocks Black down like a dead hawk! Lars goes for a splash, but Black takes a knee up to Lars’s Face!
Black gets some offense in, but Lars gets a chop block on Black’s knee, followed up with a Standing Knee Hook of some sort!
Lars hits a power slam on the apron and follows with a diving headbutt from the top rope for only a two count!
Black rallies and whiffs BIG TIME with a Black Mass! He kicked so hard you could hear the wind slapped against Lars’s head! After a near fall, Black hits TWO MORE Black Masses for the win!
Aleister Black retains his NXT Championship at NXT Takeover Chicago!
Match Rating: 49 out of 69
Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa
Johnny Gargano comes out with a crutch in his Captain America gear. Crowd goes a little wild. The crowd boos for Ciampa even before he appears with a crutch that matches his camo pants of his own.
This match starts off with the most action all night! Ciampa is thrown out of the ring area and some guy yells at Ciampa “YOU’RE THE DEVIL!!!”
Then something super weird happens. Ciampa grabs a sign from a fan, but there is a stop sign in the sign. Chicago fans are weird.
Gargano bends the stop sign over Ciampa, then we get Flying Johnny Wrestling! The two make their way back in the ring.
There is more back and forth in the ring, but we are quickly taken back out again with a Gargano Suicide Dive.
Ciampa starts playing interior decorator with stuff around the outside of the ring before almost killing Gargano with a chair-to-the-throat and steel steps combo!
It’s all Ciampa basically killing Gargano. The crowd starts a “You Suck! Whoop Whoop!” chant. After some more time, Gargano finally knocks Ciampa down a whips Ciampa with his belt like a government mule as J.R. would say!
Ciampa would come back with a barrage of Trash Can Lid Attacks, ending with an Irish Cross onto the steel steps! Ciampa snaps when Gargano kicks out and begins ripping the ring apart!
WWE Shows Us that There Is Wood In the Ring
We get a close call from Ciampa almost slamming Gargano from the top rope to the exposed wood (hehe). The two Chicago Street Fighters exchange blows before knocking each other down with a trash can lid and a crutch! NXT Takeover Chicago is going nuts!
We then see the welts on Ciampa’s back. Ouch!
Gargano then LAYS into Ciampa’s bad knee with a weapon. Percy Watson says Ciampa’s knee is a weak spot as though it’s not a weak spot on anyone!
The brutality continues with Ciampa using a crutch to destroy Gargano. The crowd chants for tables. However, Ciampa shakes his head no because that wasn’t in the script. He follows by walking Gargano to the top of the ramp, sharing with him some of his thoughts on how Gargano’s career is over.
Ciampa places Gargano on some stage boxes, takes off Gargano’s wedding ring, and spits on it! This infuriates Gargano! He picks up Ciampa and slams him through TWO tables! I guess I was wrong! Crowd chants “Mama mia!” Announcers are silent.
Those of the weak of heart should stop watching now
Johnny Gargano tries to kill a helpless man!
The ref calls for medics and they put a neck brace on Ciampa and load him on a stretcher. However, this doesn’t sit well with Gargano! He pulls Ciampa to the ring and locks in the Gargano Escape! Ciampa taps immediately, but two goons try to stop Gargano. Try.
Gargano handcuffs Ciampa and more violence. Ciampa is being treated like a Prisoner of War in the middle ages! He taps more to Gargano until FOUR goons come out. Finally, a ref comes out just in time for Ciampa to hit Gargano with a DDT on the exposed ring for the 3 count! Johnny Wrestling is out!
Tommaso Ciampa beats Gargano via pinfall at NXT Takeover Chicago.
Match Rating: 60 out of 69 Boners
Promos
Lars pulls a strap and curls some trussing.
Cut aways to Kairi Sane, EC3, and Keith Lee!
Johnny Gargano is walking to the gorilla position when Candace La Rae runs up and hands him a crutch. She then exclaims, “KICK HIS ASS!”
Final Thoughts
What a night at NXT Takeover Chicago! WHAT AN ENDING!
Line of the night: “Nice Jorts, Dork!” – Adam Cole to Pat McAfee on the NXT Pre Show
Best match: Tie between Undisputed Era vs Lorcan/Burch and Johnny Gargano vs Tomasso Ciampa
Worst match: Aleister Black vs Lars Sullivan
Most Valuable Wrestler: Oney Lorcan
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