TakeOver Turns 25 (sort of)!
In honor of TakeOver 25 this weekend, let’s take a look back at TakeOver #1 and see how far we’ve come. On February 27, 2014 the NXT brand helped launch the WWE Network with NXT Arrival. A few months later they gave us the first “TakeOver” branded show, and they’ve been using that moniker for all NXT brand PPV style events ever since.
TakeOver 1 took place at NXT’s home arena at Full Sail University on May 29, 2014. As has become the standard for these events, there were 5 matches on the card that night. Renee Young, Paul Heyman, and Christian were on the preshow panel while Tom Phillips, William Regal, and Byron Saxton provided commentary for the in ring action.
The 1st match of the night saw Adam Rose defeating Camacho. Rose eventually brought his party to the main roster, but never really saw much success. His biggest rivalry was with a person in a bunny costume, and no reveal was ever provided for who was under that costume. Camacho went on to find his success outside of WWE as NJPW’s Tanga Loa.
Match #2 saw The Ascension successfully defending the NXT Tag Titles against Kalisto & El Local. The Ascension were a popular and dominant team during their time on the NXT brand. They remain part of the main WWE roster but have never been treated as much more than a comic relief or enhancement team. Kalisto is now part of the Lucha House Party trio who have a handicap match against Lars Sullivan in Saudi Arabia next week.
In match 3 Tyler Breeze defeated Sami Zayn to become the new #1 contender for the NXT Title. It’s fitting that while he’s spent much of the last 5 years as part of the main roster, Breeze is returning to NXT for a featured match at TakeOver 25. Zayn, of course, has been on a roll since returning from a major injury and is a top heel for the Raw brand.
Up next was the final match in a tournament to crown a new NXT Womens Champion. Previous champion Paige had been forced to relinquish the title after she won the Diva’s Title the night after Wrestlemania. In the months that followed women from all corners of WWE participated in this championship tournament. The final saw Natalya with her uncle Bret Hart in her corner going up against Charlotte with her father Ric Flair in her corner. Charlotte won the first of her many titles that night and both women remain staples of the WWE women’s roster.
The final match of the night saw Adrian Neville successfully defend the NXT Title against Tyson Kidd. While both men were relatively successful during their time, they both had the potential to be much bigger stars for the WWE. Unfortunately injuries forced Kidd to retire while still in his prime and take a new role behind the scenes. Neville meanwhile famously walked away from the company over a series of creative disagreements and has returned to his roots on the independent circuit.
Sasha Banks
No one truly knows what’s going on with Sasha other than the woman herself and the top execs in WWE. That said, there are some reports that she may have had a private meeting with Vince McMahon last week. These reports suggest that tensions may have cooled and the groundwork has been set for Banks to return this summer. For now, we wait and see, but it really would be her best option to go ahead and return at least for the duration of her existing contract. As long as she continues to sit out she risks having extra time tacked onto her deal.
Hit and Run
NXT’s Rachael Evers (AKA Rachael Ellering, daughter of Hall of Famer Paul Ellering) was in a car accident on Wednesday, but thankfully she walked away unharmed. She tweeted that it was a hit and run by a drunk driver. She was on her way home from a training session at the PC when the passenger side of her car was hit. Rachael actually chased down the person and got photos for authorities so that justice could be served. I would like to echo the sentiments expressed by Ms. Evers by saying DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE. There are more than enough alternate options available these days.
NXT TakeOver 25
Matt Riddle vs Roderick Strong
Recently Riddle has been providing back up for Johnny Gargano in his feud with the Undisputed Era. With the rest of UE competing for titles, Strong is the man who gets to settle things with “the original bro.” This should be a fantastic match based on the talent involved, but with rumors suggesting Riddle is being built up to face the winner of Gargano/Cole at the Summerslam weekend TakeOver he has to get the edge here. Prediction: Riddle
North American Title: Velveteen Dream© vs Tyler Breeze
“Prince Pretty” made a surprise return to his old stomping grounds at Full Sail recently, challenging Dream to a match for the North American Title. It’s fitting that since he was on the card for Takeover #1 Breeze would come back for a nostalgia spot at #25. That said, this match has the potential to be so much more than just nostalgia. Both men are incredible entertainers and could potentially steal the show. Prediction: Dream retains
Tag Title Ladder Match: Burch & Lorcan vs Undisputed Era vs Forgotten Sons vs Street Profits
The NXT Tag Titles were abdicated by the former champs (War) Viking Raiders after their call up to the Raw roster. The 4 top teams currently on the NXT roster have been put into this ladder match to determine the new champions. Let’s look at each team from least to most likely to be crowned the new champs. Burch & Lorcan are one of the most underated teams in all of WWE, and they consistently put on great matches with everyone they face. UE are already 2-time tag champs and are always a threat to the titles. Forgotten Sons are likely no fan’s favorite team in this mix, but they’ve been built up with the most momentum from recent booking. Finally, the Street Profits are long overdue to taste the success of a title reign. Prediction: Street Profits finally get to shine
NXT Women’s Title: Shayna Baszler© vs Io Shirai
Baszler has been such a dominant champion that she’s nearly run out of potential challengers. I thought for sure they would use the 4-way format of the previous TakeOver match to finally take the belt off of her once and for all. The main roster is feeling a bit depleted currently due to a mix of injuries and contract issues. A dominant force like Shayna would be a great addition to either Raw or Smackdown right now, so I’m once again going to try and predict the end of her NXT reign. Prediction: Shirai dethrones the champ
NXT Title: Johnny Gargano© vs Adam Cole
A continuation of their ongoing feud, either man could believably come out on top. I’m going to go for story though and suggest that Undisputed Era has their worst night ever. 3 losses in 3 matches should play into the building tension within the ranks of the faction. Cole finds himself busy fighting with his stable mates while Gargano moves on to face his recent “bro” Matt Riddle. Prediction: Gargano retains
Upcoming PPV Events
Saudi Arabia Show June 7
-Goldberg vs Undertaker
-Triple H vs Randy Orton
-Braun Strowman vs Bobby Lashley
-Roman Reigns vs Shane McMahon
-IC Title: Finn Balor© vs Andrade
-WWE Title: Kofi Kingston© vs Dolph Ziggler
-Universal Title: Seth Rollins© vs Baron Corbin
-Handicap Match: Lucha House Party vs Lars Sullivan
-50 man battle royal
WWE Stomping Grounds June 23
Extreme Rules July 14
NXT TakeOver: Toronto August 10
Summerslam August 11
