Mcleod: Why Wasn’t This On Takeover?

This week’s WWE NXT featured the Breakout Tournament Finals, a match that according to Scott Mcleod, belonged on WWE NXT Takeover Toronto.

A more eventful post Takeover episode of NXT this week. We had Breezango teaming for the first time in over a year defeating the Forgotten Sons and Cameron Grimes vs Jordan Myles in the NXT Breakout Tournament finals. For whatever reason they decided to put this on NXT TV rather than on Takeover Toronto like was suggested when the tournament was announced. I’m guessing they felt Io vs Candice had more of a story which is why that was on the card rather than this. Nothing against Io vs Candice as that was one of my favourite matches from Takeover.

Finals At Takeover

I know NXT has a certain structure they like to do with just 5 matches but I don’t see why they could’t have added the Breakout Tournament final anyway. One extra match given around 15 minutes would still make the show shorter than SummerSlam.

As I said in a previously about the tournament, putting the finals on Takeover would have been a great showcase for two guys are still new to NXT TV. It would have good for anyone who wasn’t too familiar with either man during their time on the indies. Having them on this show kind of felt like a demotion even though the match was still enjoyable. We’ve spent weeks building to the final and it felt like the culmination should have been on NXT’s biggest stage.

The Match

It didn’t start off like the most exciting match of the tournament with Myles working on Grimes leg. That didn’t make much sense as Grimes was built as the technical savage but he was the one being worked over. The crowd was noticeably quite during that part. It did start to pick up after that. A smart finish with Myles managing to stop himself going into the corner and lands a kick. He follows up with a brainbuster and a splash for the win.

What’s Next?

I wasn’t expecting Myles to win. I thought maybe Grimes would have found a way to steal the win going on to a title match while Myles did something with Shane Thorne. Thorne has been complaining about the breakout tournament guys getting opportunities he hasn’t recently beating Joaquin Wild.

This would mean we have two stories coming out of the tournament keeping both of the finalists. I still think Thorne is going after each of the Breakout competitors maybe he could even cost Myles his title shot. Winning this tournament is clearly a show of faith in him but I don’t see him winning gold so soon. Being cost his shot allows to maintain credibility and he can argue for another shot once he’s got revenge on Thorne.

Through process of elimination I think he will challenge for the North American Title. He obviously  can’t challenge for the women’s title. He wouldn’t go through this tournament to share the glory with someone else so that rules out the tag titles. Finally they would push right into the main title scene which leaves Velveteen Dream and the North American title. Shades of when Velveteen Dream choose to challenge for that title after winning Worlds Collide.

Despite what I think of the placement of the finals I still love the concept of the Breakout tournament. I’d like to see it again down the line–maybe even an all women’s version.