GDT: WWE NXT: TakeOver Philadelphia (27th January 2018) - Ciampa Watch

[Natey]

Meltzer and Alvarez both saying best match in NXT history

Post Wrestling had a poll asking the same thing.

I don’t have time to watch it yet but I can’t wait to see the broadcast.

There is absolutely no way I can say this was better than #DIY vs. Revival at Toronto. That match was just so f***ing good. This match was incredible in its own right, but the storytelling in the Tag Team match was unbeatable. Calls to old matches, holding each other's hands to not tap, the reaction for a #DIY win.

It was literally amazing.

I may be bias because I saw it live... but I've rewatched it a ton of times and still absolutely adore it.

 

[Natey]

Johnny is the best wrestler in the world. Yeah I said it.

This is 100% correct.

 

[Cor]

I’m assuming we are seeing;

Black vs Almas
Ciampa vs Gargano
Undisputed vs Sanity
Shayna vs Ember Moon II
Dream vs ???? (Ohno?)
Ohno vs ???? (Dream?)

That doesn’t even factor in Ricochet, EC3, War Machine. And boy, we thought last night was good.. next TakeOver could be even better.

In fact, I wonder if we see a Fatal Four Way for the NXT Title. With Alma’s, Black, Gargano and Ciampa. Opens up some space, and still allows for Gargano-Ciampa to go 1 on 1 later.

 

[Virtanen18]

I feel like I'm watching a new best ever NXT match at pretty much every Takeover so I'm gonna let the match sit for a bit before I decide lol

 

[Habsfan18]

When was the last time a WWE PPV was actually better than a TakeOver it was following?

NXT is just consistently better. Every time.

 

[Natey]

I feel like I'm watching a new best ever NXT match at pretty much every Takeover so I'm gonna let the match sit for a bit before I decide lol

How NXT and WWE operates under the same company is absolutely mind boggling.

NXT has incredible crowds. NXT has incredible matches. NXT has incredible story telling. NXT has incredible personalities. NXT has incredible commentary, even with guys like Percy Watson. NXT has incredible ... well basically everything. Everything makes sense while maintaining a crowd that wants to throw their money at the product.

WWE has mediocre crowds, who throw money because they are accustomed too. WWE has the odd great match, a bunch of good matches, and a ton of mediocre wrestling. WWE has, usually, 2 or 3 stories that make sense and a bunch of other people wrestling "just because." WWE has basically no personalities. WWE has awful commentary, even with a few great commentators like Phillips and Graves. WWE just so mediocre without any planning.

It just boggles my mind. I hope Triple H can continue his vision on the main roster when he time finally comes because it's a dream for wrestling fans AND entertainment fans alike. Casual or hardcore. It's just... so good. Even when some booking decision upsets you in NXT, you can usually understand where they're going, why they did it, or give it a pass just because the product is so good that you trust them.

Right now, NXT is the best wrestling promotion in the World to me. NJPW is second. Stardom is 3rd. Evolve is 4th. I'm not a huge ROH fan anymore, but it's still okay. But basically the new group of wrestling is ROH, WWE, and Impact.

I don't watch All Japan or Mexican wrestling very much, so I can't include those.

 

[GKJ]

NXT also doesn’t have many kids in the crowd. I think I saw 4 last night and one of them was Izzy

 

[Shoalzie]

NXT would be the best if you graded on a curve. Less shows, less belts and a smaller roster. It's probably the ideal brand because you get only an hour a week of programming and just 4 or 5 major shows a year. The title matches matter because there aren't any all the time. It's pretty much the way WWF was before Raw went from 1 to 2 hours and they went to monthly PPV.

I'd say New Japan has the best wrestling while NXT is the best booked brand. Everyone seems to have a role in the brand. We've had only a month of 2018 and all the best matches of the year probably all came from WK12, Takeover and this weekend's The New Beginning. Apologies to the other promotions...I can't watch them all.

 

[Acallabeth]

This event may have upstaged REvolution as my favorite Takeover ever. The tag team match with prolonged leg attacks actually leading to the victory and AOP nearly wrestling as faces, Velveteen Dream's character, a great extreme rules match, and man, that main event was fantastic. Obviously the main roster success isn't a given for anyone, but in my opinion AOP, Velveteen Dream, Black and Almas all have huge potential.

 

[Habsfan18]

Obviously has been said before but Velveteen Dream is going to be a mega star provided they don’t turn him into a joke. He has IT.

Like a mixture of Rick Rude/Goldust.

 

[CHGoalie27]

I appreciate whoever decided Sanity not interfering with the match.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Just finished the re-run... it was so freaking fun. Thank you for making me enjoy wrestling again NXT.

Gargano vs Almas was WOW!

 

[GKJ]

There is absolutely no way I can say this was better than #DIY vs. Revival at Toronto. That match was just so ****ing good. This match was incredible in its own right, but the storytelling in the Tag Team match was unbeatable. Calls to old matches, holding each other's hands to not tap, the reaction for a #DIY win.

It was literally amazing.

I may be bias because I saw it live... but I've rewatched it a ton of times and still absolutely adore it.

All in perception. I saw the first Revival/DIY match live and thought both were 5-stars, but I don't mind grading on a curve if you're live.

This one when I left though, it was a match that you dream of hoping to see live.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Obviously has been said before but Velveteen Dream is going to be a mega star provided they don’t turn him into a joke. He has IT.

Like a mixture of Rick Rude/Goldust.

Vince is going to ruin him. I give it 6 months with him on the main roster before reports coming out of "Vince not getting it" and he ends up a jobber.

 

[The Gongshow]

Imagine the pop of Johnny had won, Gargano vs Ciampi doesn't need the belt obviously... but imagine..

 

[Emperoreddy]

Obviously has been said before but Velveteen Dream is going to be a mega star provided they don’t turn him into a joke. He has IT.

Like a mixture of Rick Rude/Goldust.

It was easy to assume the gimmick was a total dead end, but he absolutely has found a way to make it money.

I am beyond impressed with him and all this at 22? Sky is the literal limit.

 

[reckoning]

Any chance they'll start doing Takeovers every month? Honestly, these shows are so good I'd buy them even if they were only available at the old pre-network PPV prices.

And yet there's a good chance we could see these same matchups in WWE two years from now, and it won't be half as great as last night.

Why is WWE so much less entertaining with all the talent on the roster. Is it solely because Vince and Kevin aren't involved with NXT, or are there other reasons?

 

[ColePens]

Imagine the pop of Johnny had won, Gargano vs Ciampi doesn't need the belt obviously... but imagine..

In the sense of being so into the match, I was for sure heartbroken when he didn't win. I really wanted that moment to culminate.

 

[The Gongshow]

In the sense of being so into the match, I was for sure heartbroken when he didn't win. I really wanted that moment to culminate.

Just think of the pop Johnny will get when he finally pins that bald headed ******!!!!

Although I have a feeling Ciampa wins the match at TakeOver : NO (if it doesn't main even the show, Ciampa wins. They'll end the show with a big face win of Black winning the NXT title)

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Any chance they'll start doing Takeovers every month? Honestly, these shows are so good I'd buy them even if they were only available at the old pre-network PPV prices.

And yet there's a good chance we could see these same matchups in WWE two years from now, and it won't be half as great as last night.

Why is WWE so much less entertaining with all the talent on the roster. Is it solely because Vince and Kevin aren't involved with NXT, or are there other reasons?

No.

NXT benefits from HHH being in charge of it, and his basic psychology behind putting on a good match and a good story. They're also not overexposed. If NXT was 2-3 hours weekly, we'd be sick of it would be my guess.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I do think they need to consider a mid card belt. The men’s roster is starting to balloon with crazy talent and there simply isn’t enough for them to do.

Dream needs a belt to feud over until he is ready for the big belt.

 

[ColePens]

I do think they need to consider a mid card belt. The men’s roster is starting to balloon with crazy talent and there simply isn’t enough for them to do.

Dream needs a belt to feud over until he is ready for the big belt.

What about a cross promotional belt? Something that can go to some of their UK guys (Like the UK belt) or something like that?

 

[Emperoreddy]

What about a cross promotional belt? Something that can go to some of their UK guys (Like the UK belt) or something like that?

I was thinking a TV title but something like that could be good too.

 

[GKJ]

The UK Title is functioning as the mid-card belt. They've had Gargano, who is not British, challenging for it. And a yet-to-air #1 contenders match involving Roderick Strong, who likewise is not British. They just have only had it on one takeover, but with an influx of talent, I wouldn't be surprised if they expanded takeover cards back to 6 matches, which is what I think it should be anyways.

 

[ManofSteel55]

There is absolutely no way I can say this was better than #DIY vs. Revival at Toronto. That match was just so ****ing good. This match was incredible in its own right, but the storytelling in the Tag Team match was unbeatable. Calls to old matches, holding each other's hands to not tap, the reaction for a #DIY win.

It was literally amazing.

I may be bias because I saw it live... but I've rewatched it a ton of times and still absolutely adore it.

Taking nothing away from the DIY-Revival match from Toronto, the Gargano-Almas match was, in my opinion, the best televised WWE match of the decade. It was near perfection. If it happened in Japan, Meltzer would give this match six stars.