The "NXT Takeover" series have always been strategically placed before major World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) pay per view events to whet the fans' appetites for the real thing, but with the action packed matches that were on display at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, this month's takeover may have very well been a major pay per view event in its own right.
The event featured several matches that put several of the WWE's up and coming talent on the spotlight. It also took the opportunity to introduce the company's hottest acquisitions in War Machine and Trevor "Ricochet" Mann, and it served as the perfect time and place for an injured superstar's shocking return.
But one of the highlights of the night was the Extreme Rules match between Aleister Black and Undisputed Era leader Adam Cole. And as the title of their match promised, the two wasted no time blasting away at each other with whatever they can find: steel chairs, kendo sticks, tables and ladders. There was even one point where Black dropped Cole on the backrest of two chairs, which looked too extreme even for an extreme rules match.
Just when Black appeared to have the match in the bag, Undisputed era members Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish, who successfully defended their Tag Team titles against The Authors of Pain earlier, pulled Black out of the ring and proceeded to beat him up before Sanity arrived just in time to chase them away.
The came to a close when Black hit his Black Mass finisher from out of nowhere when it looked like Cole was about to deliver the finishing blow with a steel chair.
Johnny Gargano and NXT champion Andrade "Cien" Almas delivered a match that was worthy of the Royal Rumble itself. The champion made his way to the ring in complete with a mariachi band and Gargano received one of the loudest pops of the night. His family, including wife Candice LeRae were at ringside to support him.
The match was what one would normally expect from pairing two of the best technical wrestlers in the brand. What started out as one-upmanship using amateur wrestling holds quickly turned into a counter-fest, with both superstars reversing each other's signature moves. Almas was able to capitalize on Gargano's mistake of executing a rolling senton off the apron, sending him hard on the floor.
The champion dominated Gargano for some time, but the challenger's grit allowed him to hold on, even reversing Almas' hammerlock DDT from the top rope and locking in his Garga-No escape submission, but just when he had the champion right where he wants him, Almas' valet, Zelina Vega interfered, causing Candice LeRae to charge Vega and beat her down.
The match looked to be back on even grounds with a couple of near falls but the end came when Almas pushed Gargano to the ring post and hitting his running double knee strike on the vulnerable challenger, allowing him to finish the match with his hammerlock DDT.
Gargano was cheered on by the crowd, who only respected him even more in spite of the loss. The cheers of appreciation turned to shock, however, when Gargano's former D.I.Y. tag team partner Tomasso Ciampa returned and blasted him with a metal crutch on the back.The show ended with a close-up of Gargano grimacing in pain.
