All images courtesy of the WWE Network streaming service

PLAY BY PLAY

Houston was home to the returning WarGames!

From hard-hitting heavyweights to a clash of darkness and light, from a rise of one champion to the fall of another, NXT truly took over in the biggest TakeOver ever! Now we move forward into a new phase, who will continue to #ShocktheSystem?

Ruby Riot VS Sonya Deville!

These two women made huge impacts on Raw and SmackDown while all three shows were still in Houston, who will win this good-bye match before going main roster full time? The bell rings, the “Jersey Devil” and “Punk Rock Princess” tie up and go around, Sonya puts Ruby in a corner. Ruby powers out as fans duel, Ruby throws Sonya and Sonya seems surprised. The two go again, waistlock and takedown from Sonya to Ruby, facelock but reversals back and forth, back to the waistlock from Sonya. Roll-up, ONE, ankle lock escaped, takedown but maybe a one-count before Ruby jumps over Sonya’s sweep kick. The fans applaud the stand-off, but then they go right at it again. Ruby puts Sonya in the corner and rams in her shoulder, Ruby throws Sonya out of the corner then ducks a clothesline to give arm-drags. Kicks to the legs and chest from Ruby, whip into waistlock, but Sonya bucks Ruby off to take out that bad leg! Cover, TWO, Ruby is in trouble as we go to a break.

We’re back, and Sonya is back to working that bad leg of Ruby’s inside the ropes. Sonya gives forearms, but then Ruby rolls out of the way. Sonya gives chase, throwing Ruby to ropes but Ruby uses that to roll Sonya up, TWO, spinebuster from Sonya! TWO, and Sonya mounts for hammering rights. Mounted cover, TWO, Sonya kicks Ruby down with a pump roundhouse, TWO again. Sonya gets that bad leg and puts on a deeply twisting leg lock. Ruby endures as fans rally, Ruby uses her free leg to scrape Sonya off. Ruby trips Sonya up as well, Ruby scrambles to a corner and back elbows Sonya away. Deadly Nightshade denied as Sonya puts Ruby on the apron, Sonya drags Ruby up but Ruby forearms her away. Ruby throws in a shoudler then hits Sonya with a step-in springboard complete shot!

Both women down, but fans applaud. Ruby clutches her leg as she rolls and crawls over, but Sonya sits up and meets her in the middle. Ruby gives a chop, then another, and another. Ruby rallies on one leg, she’s fired up as she gives Sonya forearm after forearm. Sonya shoves her away but runs into Ruby’s standing STO! And with that one good leg, Ruby springboards back for the cannonball back senton!

Direct hit, cover, TWO! Ruby’s leg hurts too much for her to be frustrated, she focuses on stalking Sonya to a corner. Ruby blocks Sonya’s boot, but Sonya turns that into a big knee drop!

Sonya up, Shining Wizard into Triangle Hold! Ruby endures, reaches, Sonya shifts to an ankle lock on the bad leg! Ruby endures the torture, crawling forward but Sonya is grapevine’d on that leg. Ruby still pulls herself forward, ropebreak! Sonya lets go at 4, then argues with the ref about it. Ruby catches her with the falling enziguri! Ruby wins! She may have the last laugh in NXT, but who will go farther now that they’re both main roster women?

Exclusive footage of Lars Sullivan after his match with Kassius Ohno.

The Leviathan defeated the Hero of NXT, and he felt pretty good for taking 50 kicks. He took it all like a man. Lars said day one that he was going to be the man to step through. This is only the beginning. Lars’ first big test at his first TakeOver, and he past the test. He has a message for the rest of the NXT locker room: if you want to get in Lars’ way, they will also be destroyed by his own hands. Will anyone stand a chance against NXT’s Mile High Monster?

Exclusive footage of Ember Moon after her championship victory.

The Prophecy of Flame came full circle to fulfill destiny, and after working so hard to get there. What is her reaction? “This is a dream come true for me.” Ember’s years on the independent scene and in NXT have all paid off, she is finally the NXT Women’s Champion. How does Ember plan to move forward? Just keep doing the same thing she always has. It will be a lot harder for her, but she will continue to do what she does day after day to keep the belt. Well-deserved, a long time coming, will Ember spend a long time reigning over NXT?

Exclusive footage of Drew McIntyre after both suffering a defeat, and injury, in his NXT Championship match.

Even though the Celtic Colossus didn’t see El Idolo as much of a threat, Andrade “Cien” Almas did have the help of La Gerente, Zelina Vega. The title is no longer McIntyre’s, but there’s much worse happening as we all learned McIntyre’s left arm bicep was torn up. McIntyre won’t use that as an excuse, Almas still won, but McIntyre vows to be back for his NXT Championship as soon as possible. For now, he must focus on recovery. No longer undefeated and no longer champion, how long is the road back going to be for McIntyre?

Exclusive footage of The Street Profits having fun in Houston.

Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins may not have been part of TakeOver directly, but that wasn’t going to stop them from throwing a little tailgate party with the NXT Universe. However, the party was pooped when Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss walked up to remind Ford & Dawkins that they only won one match against The Blue Chip Boys. And even then, they only won because they were lucky. Outside of the ring, Street Profits go back to their lives, as do Sabbatelli & Moss, but the difference is that Sabbatelli & Moss are better dressed, driving nicer cars, and getting finer women. But then the NXT Universe points out something to them: The Street Profit are better liked. Sabbatelli & Moss take their leave, Ford & Dawkins return to partying with the NXT Universe, even without music! Clothes and cars aside, what matters is being better wrestlers, who will win when these two teams meet in the ring again?

Exclusive footage of SAnitY and The Undisputed Era after WarGames.

Bruised, battered and bloody, Eric Young, Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe support each other as they limp through the back. As for the winners, Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish had something to say. “We told everybody, we told the world, everyone knows this is our era in NXT.” They survived the infamous match type, how will both teams move forward from here?

WWE United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne VS Johnny Gargano!

The Bruiserweight issued an open challenge to anyone from anywhere in the WWE to step up and see if they could take the WWE UKC from him, can Johnny Wrestling be the first American to hold the fledgling title? The bell rings, fans are dueling, and the two circle to tie up. Arm wrench and wristlock from Dunne but Gargano reverses, Dunne rolls and kip-ups to snapmare and hold a facelock. Gargano works against it, lifting Dunne but can’t get anything form that. Gargano slips out of the face into a hammerlock on Dunne, Dunne turns that to a headlock takeover, Gargano counters with headscissors then gets his own headlock takeover but Dunne headscissor counters, stand-off. And fans love it. Dunne then suddenly gives Gargano a stiff forearm to the face! Dunne has Gargano in a corner and clubs away, then gives a chop. Dunne misses, Gargano headscissors then dropkicks Dunne out of the ring. Gargano slingshots but it’s a feint, Gargano hops over Dunne’s clothesline, mule kick! Dunne is stunned, Gargano hits him with a cannonball!

Down goes Dunne, Gargano is up and the fans are applauding. Gargano drags Dunne up as fans duel again, then goes for a tornado DDT, but Dunne blocks to give him an X-Plex on the apron’s edge! Dunne rests and Gargano writhes on the outside as we go to break.

We’re back, and Gargano’s arm is now being tortured from shoulder to fingers as Dunne just bends and stretches, then hammerlock stomp! Gargano gets to ropes but Dunne is still upon him and that arm, continuing to twist the fingers, hoverboard bodyscissors to add on to Gargano’s load.

Gargano manages to pry his arm free to then suplex Dunne into buckles! Dunne is slumped in the corner while Gargano works to get feeling back in that arm. Both men get up, Gargano has to use his right arm to chop and punch, but Dunne shoves him to a corner, Gargano manages to go up and over to school boy kick Dunne in the head! Dunne is dazed, Gargano continues as he whips Dunne at a corner, but Dunne goes up and over with great acrobatic skill, but Gargano gets out to the apron to give Dunne the slingshot spear!

TWO, but Gargano is not flustered just yet. Dunne gets out of the ring, Gargano builds speed to DIVE!

Into a Tornado DDT!

Houston is going nuts for that one, as Dunne and Gargano are both writhing on the ground. A ring count begins, Gargano gets Dunne in at 4 and he gets up on the apron at 6, slingshot DDT blocked, Dunne gives Gargano another X-Plex!

TWO! Dunne is surprised but his body is too sore to show it. The fans are loving this, chanting “NXT! NXT!” Dunne grabs Gargano’s head and just kicks it again and again. Dunne drags Gargano up, pumphandle reversed into a DDT! Dunne is again spiked and his face is showing the pain. Gargano gets going, tilt-o-whirl takedown into the GargaNo Escape!

Dunne endures the hold, works to get a finger in between Gargano’s hands and his mouth, not to pry the hold apart, but to get his mouth guard out! So that Dunne can bite Gargano’s fingers! Dunne is playing dirty, Gargano can’t help but let go. The referee reprimands Dunne, but Dunne doesn’t care. He grabs Gargano, pumphandle reversed again, into a small package cradle! TWO, but barely! Stiff forearm from Dunne to Gargano, sharp enziguri on the rebound, but then Gargano returns with a discus lariat left! The fans are loving this match, and loving NXT for giving it to them. Gargano and Dunne stir, Gargano crawls over but notices Dunne’s mouth guard. Fans chant “This is awesome!” as Gargano takes that mouth guard, and with Dunne watching him, Gargano throws it away, SUPERKICK to Dunne’s teeth! TWO, and Gargano is furious. Gargano gets up, drags Dunne up, Dunne gives him a stiff right hand, Gargano replies with stiff rights and lefts! Gargano rocks Dunne with left arm lariats, Dunne desperately throws Gargano to the outside but Gargano stays on the apron. Slingshot Spear intercepted by another stiff forearm! And that leads to the Bitter End!

Dunne wins and retains! A well-fought match from Johnny Wrestling, but the United Kingdom Championship will stay with the United Kingdom.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Ruby Riot VS Sonya Deville; Ruby wins.
• WWE United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne VS Johnny Gargano; Dunne wins and retains the WWE UKC.

My Thoughts:

Post-TakeOver NXTs are essentially filler, but at least it was still entertaining filler. Though it has never been more obvious this was all taped before TakeOver as it has seeing that second ring set up. Anyway, Ruby-Sonya was a good match, smart to play off the story established in NXT about Ruby’s bad leg. Sadly this kinda enters a “left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing” realm of booking, Raw/SmackDown forgot this match still had to happen but that seems more a problem with Raw and SmackDown. Good “exclusive footage” type stuff from the various participants at TakeOver, and good to know that Street Profits VS Blue Chip Boys 2 is already happening next week when NXT returns to Full Sail.

Great match from Gargano and Dunne, but obviously given that this was NXT filler, Dunne was going to retain because A) the UK Championship is meant to be for the UK Division, aka superstars from the UK, and B) it feeds into Gargano’s “crisis of confidence” as a singles competitor on the road to Tommaso Ciampa’s return. The UK Division getting programming going is another problem WWE has to sort out but Gargano is right on track, when he and Ciampa meet again (either in NXT or in 205 Live), those two are going to tear it up. For now, the UK Division is connected to NXT and that’s fine, those guys always give great matches so that means NXT gets to have great matches.

My Score: 7.5/10