GDT: NXT TakeOver XXV (1st June 2019)

[Paris in Flames]

I bet Breeze is as well, given how he's just one of the many wrestlers who've stagnated under Vince's boneheaded reign.

All these rumours about people who have requested their release I'm just assuming Breeze did and HHH worked with him and brought him back to NXT. Breeze probably keeps the bigger pay check but gets a bit of a reset on a career and push that Vince derailed.

 

[SeidoN]

I dont buy that Breeze is a guy who's happy coasting

everyone said Tye was happy cashing his paychecks and sitting in catering, how'd that work out

 

[M.C.G. 31]

All these rumours about people who have requested their release I'm just assuming Breeze did and HHH worked with him and brought him back to NXT. Breeze probably keeps the bigger pay check but gets a bit of a reset on a career and push that Vince derailed.

Breeze was probably the guy who was offered $500,000 that AEW wanted.

 

[Jussi]

Strong/Riddle - ****1/2
Tag Titles - ****1/4
Breeze/Dream - ***3/4
Shayna/Io - didnt watch
Cole/Gargano - ****3/4

You really should. Shayna is being booked like Angle in early 2000s on Smackdown and Io put on a great performance with a post match move I have not seen before.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

You really should. Shayna is being booked like Angle in early 2000s on Smackdown and Io put on a great performance with a post match move I have not seen before.

I saw the post match. I'm just tired of Shayna's reign. She's a good heel, but I feel like the title should have shifted by now. I assume it happens in Toronto at this point but we'll see.

 

[ColePens]

I'm with @M.C.G. 31 . I took a break during that match. Shayna is awesome. No doubt. All of her matches feel identical at this point. The chase doesn't really make me care.

 

[Jussi]

I saw the post match. I'm just tired of Shayna's reign. She's a good heel, but I feel like the title should have shifted by now. I assume it happens in Toronto at this point but we'll see.

They make it believable and are building her eventual loss a huge moment. She really should lose her next title defense though.

 

[GKJ]

She lost once already though.

If Io was going to react like that, I think that actually would've been a good time to do some kind of dirty finish, roll up, or even a count out, because the goal was always to build up to the next one. The build to this one wasn't even that strong, so it would've worked if that happened.

 

[sabremike]

I'm with @M.C.G. 31 . I took a break during that match. Shayna is awesome. No doubt. All of her matches feel identical at this point. The chase doesn't really make me care.

This reminds me of several years back when I went to an MSG house show headlined by Cena vs Orton. I was thinking about how I just didn't care about the main event but when the match happened it completely tore the house down and was among the greatest WWE house show matches I've ever seen live.

 

[Jussi]

She lost once already though.

If Io was going to react like that, I think that actually would've been a good time to do some kind of dirty finish, roll up, or even a count out, because the goal was always to build up to the next one. The build to this one wasn't even that strong, so it would've worked if that happened.

Again, that helped build up both Kairi and Shayna because in the rematch, Shayna had learned not to fall for the same move again. Long term story telling is what NXT excels at.

 

[Disclose]

Dave Meltzer Ratings for NXT Takeover 25

Matt Riddle/Roderick Strong: ****1/2
Fatal 4 Way Tag Team Ladder Match: ****1/2
Tyler Breeze/Velveteen Dream: ***3/4 Stars
Io Shirai/Shayna Baszler: 4****
Adam Cole/Johnny Gargano: ***** 1/4 Stars

over 5*!

 

[Paris in Flames]

It's probably the Breeze mark in me but I would have given that 4 stars too.

God damn what a strong ass card though.

 

[Engebretson]

So happy to see Cole win the title. My kid was watching it with me and he's a huge Undisputed Era fan, so he jumped up and started cheering on the 3 count.

Also, they let Cole win the right way. They didn't have any interference from UE and Gargano bumped the ref himself (although it happened because Cole grabbed a chair). I did love how Cole faked calling out UE when the ref was down to get Gargano all paranoid. That was great psychology, and both guys also did a great job of selling the areas they were each targeting on each other. Gargano sold the knee like a pro and Cole legit looked like he had messed up his shoulder a few times during the match. I also loved the superkick trading/fake-out stuff both guys were doing during the match. Cole spamming the Canadian Destroyer toward the end was a little odd but I buy the story that it was Cole just relentlessly attacking Gargano until Gargano was done.

Cole/Gargano II is probably my personal favorite of their matches based on the finish, but hot damn these guys can't put on a bad match together.

Also, just another solid Takeover. It's amazing to me how NXT can still continue to pump out these great matches and events without feeling stale.

 

[Jussi]

It's probably the Breeze mark in me but I would have given that 4 stars too.

God damn what a strong ass card though.

For Breeze, that was the best match I've seen him in. For Dream, not so much. He came off in a way, heelish, that made me want Breeze to win. Dream has had better matches when it comes to entertainment + storytelling.

 

[Serac]

They had like, 1 episode of nxt to build the feud up. I hope it continues so we can get some true storytelling between the two.

 

[Jussi]

So happy to see Cole win the title. My kid was watching it with me and he's a huge Undisputed Era fan, so he jumped up and started cheering on the 3 count.

Also, they let Cole win the right way. They didn't have any interference from UE and Gargano bumped the ref himself (although it happened because Cole grabbed a chair). I did love how Cole faked calling out UE when the ref was down to get Gargano all paranoid. That was great psychology, and both guys also did a great job of selling the areas they were each targeting on each other. Gargano sold the knee like a pro and Cole legit looked like he had messed up his shoulder a few times during the match. I also loved the superkick trading/fake-out stuff both guys were doing during the match. Cole spamming the Canadian Destroyer toward the end was a little odd but I buy the story that it was Cole just relentlessly attacking Gargano until Gargano was done.

Cole/Gargano II is probably my personal favorite of their matches based on the finish, but hot damn these guys can't put on a bad match together.

Also, just another solid Takeover. It's amazing to me how NXT can still continue to pump out these great matches and events without feeling stale.

I'm fairly convinced that if UE got called up as a unit, they should be booked as tweeners or maybe even antiheroes. Everyone of them is too good in the ring to get heel reactions or boos, the fans would turn them face very quickly. Book them against face and heels, sell it as them being on a mission to prove to everybody on the main roster that they can be just as dominant there as in NXT.

 

[ColePens]

Let's face reality.. this will never happen BUT:

Brock goes to cash in at Summerslam and/or 1st episode on Fox. "SHOCK THE SYSTEM" hits and they beat the living f*** out of Brock and whoever is champ. Show goes off air almost identical to that NXT/Shield vibe. Insta-stars. Adam Cole is a guy who is incapable of failing. He's that good.

 

[Cor]

I want Undisputed Era to be a NXT thing. Members come and go

If I had faith they would be booked right on the main roster, I’d 100% be down, but they won’t. So keep the stable in NXT.

Vince will eventually bring Cole up. Eventually stick Strong on 205, and eventually call up Fish/Kor to the tag division and never use them. But you can replace them in the stable like Bullet Club does.

 

[Kimi]

I want Undisputed Era to be a NXT thing. Members come and go

If I had faith they would be booked right on the main roster, I’d 100% be down, but they won’t. So keep the stable in NXT.

Vince will eventually bring Cole up. Eventually stick Strong on 205, and eventually call up Fish/Kor to the tag division and never use them. But you can replace them in the stable like Bullet Club does.

I'd be for something like that, but I think that this is the wrong group to do it with. It's too high level, too much talent in the group already, so anyone you bring in as a replacement wouldn't be able to live up to that level. They'd probably feel more like a poor imitation than a true continuation once the current guys are gone.

So I think it would be best to start a new faction that was designed from the go to be a continuous feature. Probably six (or more) guys with a good spread from top to bottom of the card. There's a lot you can do with an 'outsider' group working on NXT, the entire Performance Centre setting gives you a ton you can work with. Doubly so with all the non-TV stuff that they do that they can tie into it. You could have a real long build up to this faction becoming a splinter, with hints in the random interviews and videos they post. Basically drag the entire non-kayfabe parts into it.


Also, with Undisputed playing the Horsemen, I think they should be left alone.