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5 Takeaways From NXT TakeOver: Chicago (6/16)

By Robert Lentini
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Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter

NXT Takeover: Chicago aired live on June 16th from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL. Here are 5 takeaways from the show:

Undisputed Era Retained 

Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong defended their NXT Tag Team Championships against Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch. Adam Cole was ringside for the match. Strong and Lorcan started off the match as the crowd chanted “Undisputed!”. Lorcan leveled Strong with an uppercut and tagged Burch in.

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Strong brought Burch to the corner and O’Reilly tagged in. Kyle brought Burch to the canvas and applied a Headlock. Burch battled back with a forearm to the face and Lorcan quickly got back in the match. Lorcan and Burch Suplexed Strong onto O’Reilly and then Clotheslines Kyle out of the ring.

Undisputed Era gathered on the outside to regroup as the crowd continued to chant “Undisputed!”. Back in the ring, Lorcan and O’Reilly traded chops in the corner. Oney hit a knee to the ribs and Burch got back in. Burch leveled Strong with a Dropkick off the second rope. Roderick threw Danny out of the ring and connected with a Dropkick through the ropes.

Roderick launched Burch into the ring apron and tagged O’Reilly back in. O’Reilly and Strong beatdown Burch in the corner for a few seconds before O’Reilly applied a Knee Bar in the middle of the ring. Strong tagged in and stomped on Burch and then taunted Oney in the corner.

Strong planted Burch with a Backbreaker for a two count. Kyle tagged back in and continued to beatdown Burch in the corner. O’Reilly delivered a knee to the midsection and then went for the Arm Bar but Burch quickly reached the bottom rope to break the hold.

Roderick tagged himself back in and hit Burch with a massive Dropkick to the face for a two count. Strong missed with a knee to the corner and Burch dropped him with a Back Body Drop. O’Reilly tagged in and booted Lorcan off the apron. Burch hit O’Reilly with a headbutt and both Superstars fell to the canvas.

Lorcan and Strong tagged in at the same time. Lorcan hit Roderick with a Clothesline and then an uppercut that sent Strong out of the ring. Lorcan then sent O’Reilly to the outside and flipped onto both of them.

Back in the ring, Lorcan hit Strong with a massive uppercut for a two count. Oney connected with chops to both of the tag champs and then planted them both with a double Blockbuster. Burch tagged in and planted Strong with a DDT for a two count.

O’Reilly shoved Lorcan off the top rope and he landed back-first off the ring apron. O’Reilly hit Burch with a knee to the ribs and then a Suplex for a two count. O’Reilly was able to lock in the Arm Bar in the middle of the ring. Burch fought through the pain and reached the bottom rope to break up the hold.

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Strong planted Burch face-first to the mat and O’Reilly booted Danny in the face. Burch hit Strong with a headbutt and then launched O’Reilly out of the ring. Lorcan hit another double Blockbuster off the apron and threw O’Reilly into the ring. Burch lifted O’Reilly onto his shoulders and Lorcan hit him with an uppercut off the top. Lorcan went for the cover but Cole dragged O’Reilly out of the ring.

The referee kicked Adam Cole out and Cole went backstage. Strong threw Burch into the announce outside the ring as O’Reilly applied the Guillotine in the middle of the ring. Lorcan countered into a Suplex to break the hold. Strong tagged in and hit Lorcan with a knee to the ribs.

Lorcan planted Strong with a Powerbomb and quickly applied the Half Crab. O’Reilly tried to break it up but Burch snuck up behind Kyle and locked him in the Crossface. O’Reilly somehow was able to still kick Lorcan in the face to break the hold on Strong. Both teams got back up as the crowd chanted “NXT!”.

A brawl broke out and O’Reilly decked Burch with a knee to the face. Lorcan slapped O’Reilly in the face, but Strong and O’Reilly teamed up on him and knocked him to the canvas with a chop block/Clothesline for the pinfall victory. O’Reilly and Strong are still the NXT Tag Team Champions. After the match, Burch and Lorcan got a standing ovation even though the crowd didn’t want them to win the match at all.

Opinion: This match was so well done. I’ve always been a fan of tag team wrestling and this was a great example of how awesome it can be. There hasn’t been a tag match on the main roster as entertaining as this one in some time. If you looked away for a second during this match you missed something. There wasn’t a dull moment in the entire twenty-minute match and I would have had no problem if it went another twenty.

Ricochet Outlasted Velveteen Dream

Velveteen Dream battled Ricochet tonight at NXT TakeOver: Chicago. Velveteen Dream laid on the announce table and watched Ricochet’s entrance before the match. Both Superstars had a stare down in the ring when the bell rang. The crowd chanted “Velveteen!” as they then circled each other.

They locked up in the middle of the ring and Dream drove Ricochet to the corner. Velveteen was in red and yellow attire and took a break to flex in the middle of the ring. Ricochet applied a Headlock and brought Dream to the canvas.

Dream battled to his feet and leveled Ricochet with a shoulder tackle. Dream connected with a Headscissors but Ricochet landed on his feet. Ricochet flipped across the ring and avoided a strike by Dream. Ricochet and Dream had another staredown as the crowd cheered.

They traded slaps and Ricochet went for a roll-up for a one count. Ricochet hit a Dropkick and then a jab from the ring apron. Dream battled back and knocked Ricochet to the floor outside. Back in the ring, Dream stomped on Ricochet in the corner of the ring and hit a flurry of jabs to the face.

Dream connected with a Senton and posed in the ring. Velveteen danced a bit before dropping Ricochet with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Dream shoved Ricochet out of the ring and springboarded off the middle rope and flipped onto Ricochet.

Back in the ring, Dream went for a cover but Ricochet was able to kick out at two. Dream applied a Headlock and started taunting Ricochet. Ricochet battled to his feet but was knocked down with a forearm to the face. Ricochet connected with a boot to the face and then threw Dream to the outside.

Dream quickly got back into the ring and ducked an Enziguri attempt from Ricochet. Ricochet then connected with a Dropkick and tossed Velveteen to the outside. Ricochet hit a Suicide Dive and then flipped onto him. The action quickly returned to the ring and Ricochet an uppercut off the second rope for a two count.

Ricochet hit a Neckbreaker and followed it up with a standing Shooting Star Press for a two count. Ricochet made his way to the top rope but Dream pulled down the rope and crotched Ricochet on the turnbuckle. Dream joined him up there but was knocked back to the canvas with a punch to the face.

Ricochet hopped down to the apron and slapped Dream in the face. Velveteen hit a rolling Death Valley Driver off the second rope and went for the cover but Ricochet was somehow able to kick out at two. Dream climbed back up to the top but hopped to the apron when Ricochet got back up.

Ricochet slapped Dream in the face, but Velveteen responded with a Suplex off the ring apron and to the floor outside the ring. The crowd chanted “holy shi*t!” as the referee started his count. Both Superstars were able to get back into the ring at the count of nine.

Dream and Ricochet slowly got back up to their feet. Velveteen hit another Death Valley Driver out of nowhere for a two count. Ricochet and Dream then traded shots in the center of the ring. Ricochet went for a Suplex but his back gave out. The two then traded Superkicks. Dream hit an elbow to the face but was then turned inside out by a Clothesline from Ricochet.

Velveteen responded with a ridiculous DDT for another two count as the crowd got on their feet and cheered. Dream slapped Ricochet in the face and shouted: “you belong in a bingo hall and I’m awesome”. Ricochet hit a Death Valley Driver of his own on Dream and made his way to the top. Ricochet posed like Dream and connected with the Purple Rainmaker Elbow Drop for a two count.

Ricochet dragged Dream to the corner and made his way back to the top rope. Dream rolled away and Ricochet went for a Shooting Star Press anyway. Dream got his knees up and went for the cover but Ricochet somehow kicked out at two. Dream climbed to the top as Ricochet was on the other side of the ring. Velveteen went for the Purple Rainmaker but Ricochet was able to get out of the way. Ricochet climbed to the top rope and hit the 630 for the pinfall victory.

Opinion: I had high hopes for this match and Ricochet and Velveteen Dream blew those away. The first hour of this show has had two matches that were simply excellent. Hopefully, this feud continues because I’m already looking forward to the rematch.

Nikki Cross Went Out With A Smile On Her Face

Shayna Baszler defended her NXT Women’s Championship against Nikki Cross tonight at NXT TakeOver: Chicago. Nikki Cross stood in the ring and dared Shayna to punch her in the face. Baszler tripped Nikki instead and Cross laughed like a maniac. Nikki then crawled towards Shayna and Baszler retreated to the ropes.

Cross turned her back on Baszler and then turned around to laugh in her face. Cross locked in a Sleeper Hold but Baszler escaped. Cross beatdown Shayna in the corner and Baszler rolled out of the ring. Cross then trapped Baszler in the ring apron and beat the hell out of her.

Nikki once again leaped on Shayna’s back but this time Baszler fell backward and Cross slammed onto the steel entrance ramp. Baszler bought Nikki back into the ring and connected with a knee to the face for a two count. Shayna connected with a flurry of punches as the crowd was completely distracted by something going on in the arena.

Baszler hit another knee to the face and followed it up with another which brought a smile to Cross’ face. Nikki started slapping herself and then grabbed Shayna’s knee. Nikki hit a couple forearms to the face and then planted Baszler with a Belly to Back Suplex.

Nikki unloaded with a series of punches and then a Clothesline. Cross stomped on Shayna’s face in the corner of the ring and then climbed to the top rope. Cross connected with a Crossbody for a two count as the crowd chanted “Nikki is gonna kill you!”. Nikki slammed Baszler on the ring apron and brought her back into the ring. Cross went for the cover but Shayna kicked out at two.

Shanya got right back up and hit another knee to the face for a two count. Cross escaped the Kirifuda Clutch and slammed Baszler to the mat. Nikki went for the cover but Shayna was able to get her foot on the bottom rope to break it up. Baszler locked in the Kirifuda Clutch in the middle of the ring.

Cross tried to escape as the crowd cheered her on. Nikki had a smile on her face as she slowly started to fade. Cross then passed out and Shayna Baszler retained the NXT Women’s Championship.

Opinion: This match was good but suffered from having to follow two incredible matches. I really liked the ending of the match because it fit Nikki Cross’ character perfectly. She is too insane/tough to tap out, so she decided to pass out with a smile on her face. I’m hoping Cross now joins SAnitY when they finally arrive on SmackDown.

Aleister Black Overcame Lars Sullivan

Aleister Black defended the NXT Championship against Lars Sullivan tonight at NXT TakeOver: Chicago. The two had a staredown before the match. Sullivan caught Black Mass again but Aleister knocked Lars to the outside. Aleister hit a knee to the face and then the action returned to the ring.

Black hit another knee to the face for a one count. Sullivan launched Black tot he apron and then lifted him on his shoulders with ease. Black escaped but was knocked out of the ring by a shoulder tackle. The crowd booed as Lars took some time to pose in the ring.

Sullivan joined Aleister on the outside and was thrown into the ring post for his troubles. Aleister tried to flip onto Sullivan but Lars showed off his strength and caught him with one arm. Sullivan then launched Black into the barricade before bringing him back into the ring.

Lars connected with a Splash in the corner for a two count. Sullivan clubbed Black across the face for another near fall. Lars applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Aleister battled to his feet to break the hold but Lars kneed him in the ribs. Aleister went for a roll-up but Sullivan blocked it and planted Black with a Powerslam for a two count.

Sullivan taunted Black as he slowly made his way back to his feet. Aleister hit a couple of forearms to the face but Lars lifted him onto his shoulders for another Powerslam for a two count. Lars made his way to the top rope but Black got up and booted him in the face.

Aleister joined Lars on the top rope and elbowed in the back of the head a few times. Lars fell to the ring apron but managed to crotch Black on the top rope. Sullivan knocked Aleister to the canvas with a Clothesline and then climbed back up to the top rope.

Lars leaped off the top but Aleister got his knees up just in time to block the headbutt. Black connected with a few strikes but Sullivan wouldn’t go down. Aleister tripped him up and then kneed Sullivan in the face. Aleister connected with a springboard Moonsault for a two count.

Sullivan grabbed Aleister’s leg and flipped him face-first to the mat. Lars followed it up with a chop block but Black quickly got back up. Sullivan wrapped Black’s leg around his own neck for a Horse Collar submission in the middle of the ring. Black countered into a pin for a two count.

Both Superstars got back up and Lars went for the Freak Accident but Black reversed into a DDT. Sullivan blasted Black with a forearm to the face and then the two Superstars battled on the ring apron. Lars then planted Black with another Powerslam on the apron. Lars climbed to the top and hit the Headbutt this time for another two count.

Black avoided a chop block and stomped on Sullivan’s back. Aleister barely connected with the Black Mass for a two count. Aleister made his way back to his feet and went for it again but Sullivan caught it. Lars hit a Clothesline and went for Freak Accident but Aleister escaped. Aleister hit Black Mass but Sullivan didn’t go all the way down. Aleister once again hit Black Mass and this time Lars stayed down. Black then covered Sullivan and retained his NXT Championship.

Opinion: I thought this match was very good. Sullivan put up a great fight and the future is bright as hell for Lars. It would have been far too soon to take the title off of Aleister and I’m looking forward to what is next for Black.

Ciampa Defeated Gargano In An Epic Street Fight

Johnny Gargano battled Tommaso Ciampa in a Street Fight in the main event of NXT TakeOver: Chicago. Before the match, Candice LeRae handed Gargano a crutch and told Johnny to kick Ciampa’s ass. Ciampa came down to the ring with a crutch of his own for the Street Fight.

Gargano knocked Ciampa out of the ring and booted him in the face to start off the match. Gargano then hit a Cannonball of the apron and followed it up by launching Tommaso over the announce table. The battle then went into the crowd and Tommaso knocked Johnny to the floor with a kick to the face.

Gargano hit Ciampa with a stop sign several times. The sign was hidden in a Gargano sign in the crowd. Gargano hit an insane Crossbody on Ciampa and then bashed him in the face with a few right hands. The crowd chanted “Johnny Wrestling!” as Gargano threw Ciampa over the barricade and back towards the ring.

Johnny brought a few weapons in the ring and then swung a trash can lid at Ciampa. Tommaso ducked and planted Gargano with a Belly to Back Suplex. Ciampa planted Gargano with a few more as the crowd chanted “Suplex City!”. Gargano countered into a Suplex of his own and then followed it up with a Suicide Dive outside the ring.

Gargano threw Ciampa into the steel steps but Tommaso quickly got up and connected with a knee to the face. Tommaso brought the steps over the ring apron and booted Gargano in the face. Tommaso grabbed a chair and trash can from under the ring.

Ciampa hit Gargano in the midsection with the chair and then placed Johnny’s head inside of hit. Tommaso hit a few punches and then launched Gargano neck-first with the chair wrapped around his head into the steel steps. Ciampa took a break to admire his destruction while laying on the ring apron. Ciampa then hit Gargano in the back with the trash can and then pressed his face on the steps. Ciampa then hurled the trash can at Gargano’s face and Johnny fell back to the floor.

Back in the ring, Ciampa took off his shirt and choked Gargano with it. Ciampa stomped on Johnny as the crowd chanted “you suck!”. Tommaso beatdown Johnny in the corner and then catapulted him face-first into the turnbuckle. Ciampa grabbed handcuffs from under the ring and brought them back into the ring with him.

Tommaso elbowed Gargano in the face but Johnny responded with a boot to the face. Gargano connected with a Spear through the ropes and both Superstars fell to the mat. Gargano was the first Superstar up and he took off his belt and whipped Ciampa in the back with it several times.

Gargano continued to strike Ciampa with the belt as the crowd chanted “you deserve it!”. Johnny wrapped the belt around his fist and then punched Ciampa in the face. Gargano placed the trash can over Ciampa and booted it. Johnny then set up the trash can in between the middle and top turnbuckle. Tommaso raked Gargano in the eyes and planted him with the Project Ciampa for a two count.

Tommaso hit Gargano in the face with the trash can lid and then traded shots with him on the ring apron. Johnny elbowed Ciampa in the back of the head several times but Tommaso shrugged them all off. Tommaso lifted Gargano up and slammed him onto the steel steps next to the ring. Back in the ring, Ciampa went for the cover but Gargano was able to kick out at the last second.

Ciampa then cut the ropes under the ring and took off the ring mat in the corner to expose the boards. Tommaso then struck Johnny in the back with a steel chair and waved goodbye to him.

Ciampa perched Gargano on the top rope and then bit the back of his head. Tommaso lifted Gargano up but Johnny escaped and went for a Powerbomb. Ciampa blocked it up but Gargano was able to hit him with a Superkick to the face. Gargano and Ciampa then traded punches to the face while on their knees.

They battled back to their feet while still trading shots. Gargano hit a few in a row and then booted Ciampa in the back of the head. Johnny hit a Superkick and then swung a trash lid at Ciampa’s face. Gargano connected but Tommaso hit him with a crutch at the same time. Johnny fell on top of Ciampa for a cover but Tommaso was able to kick out at two.

Johnny tried to leap onto Ciampa outside the ring but Tommaso was ready and hit him in the face with a trash lid. Ciampa missed with a knee and slammed right into the steel steps. Tommaso got back into the ring and started to loosen up his knee brace. Gargano sensed an opportunity and started bashing Ciampa in the knee with a steel chair.

Ciampa launched Johnny into the trash can set up in between the ropes and then locked Johnny in the Gargano Escape in the middle of the ring. Johnny grabbed onto a crutch but Ciampa struck him in the back of the neck with a series of punches. Ciampa reattached his knee brace and got back up as Gargano supported himself on the crutch. Tommaso connected with a knee to the face and then grabbed the crutch.

Tommaso struck Gargano in the back of the head with the crutch and for the cover but Johnny kicked out at two. Gargano rolled out of the ring and Ciampa followed him. Johnny started crawling up the ramp as Ciampa sat and watched from the ring apron. Ciampa shook his head and then started limping towards him.

Ciampa brought up Gargano up the ramp and shouted that Gargano was his family and that he did this to himself. Ciampa threw Gargano into the screen at the top of the ramp and then hit another knee to the face. Tommaso shouted “it is not enough” at the referee who was asking him to stop.

Ciampa brought Gargano to the top of some electrical equipment as two tables were set up below it. Tommaso took off Gargano’s wedding ring and spit on it before launching it into the crowd. Gargano then planted Ciampa through the two tables below as the crowd chanted “holy sh*t!”. The chant transitioned into “mama mia!” as the medical staff came out to check on them both.

Gargano took a seat above Tommaso as Ciampa was placed in a neck brace and a stretcher was brought out.

Ciampa was loaded onto the stretcher as Gargano still watched on. Tommaso screamed in pain as he was strapped to the stretcher. The crowd chanted “jump!” as Gargano looked at the finger his wedding ring was on. They started to wheel Ciampa away but Gargano got pissed off and started chasing after him.

Johnny threw away the medical staff and started wheeling Ciampa on the stretcher back towards the ring. Gargano took off the straps and started punching Tommaso in the face. Gargano threw Ciampa into the ring while the neck brace was still on. Gargano took it off and locked in the Gargano Escape. Ciampa quickly tapped out as officials broke up the hold.

Gargano punched them both in the face and handcuffed Ciampa in the ring. Gargano hit him with six Superkicks to the face in a row. Johnny then locked in the Gargano Escape in the middle of the ring as Ciampa tapped out again. More officials rushed the ring and pulled Gargano off of Ciampa.

Johnny fought them all off and made his way back to the ring apron. Ciampa caught him in the ropes while handcuffed and delivered a DDT onto the exposed boards in the ring. Ciampa then covered Gargano for the pinfall victory as everyone was shocked.

Ciampa then had his handcuffed hands raised and smiled before limping up the ramp while leaning on the stretcher. Ciampa waved goodbye at the top of the ramp as the crowd chanted “fu** you Ciampa!” to close out the show.

Opinion: The storytelling in this match was phenomenal. Gargano became his own worst enemy and it cost him. He had the match won several times but his emotions got the better of him and couldn’t resist attacking Ciampa again. In the end, Tommaso got the last laugh tonight and won the match. This storyline isn’t over and I cannot wait to see what happens next. You know you are doing something right when a show ends with the crowd chanting “fu** you!” to the heel.

NXT has once again put on an unbelievable show before WWE has a PPV the following night. It is impossible to expect Money in the Bank to even come close to this event. NXT continues to nail every major event they put on, while WWE continues to fail to create an engaging storyline on the main roster. There may be some exciting moments tomorrow night but it won’t rival what we just saw at NXT TakeOver: Chicago. It was the payoff of great storytelling on NXT every week and the best part is that some of those stories will continue in the coming weeks.

What did you think of NXT TakeOver: Chicago? Let us know in the comments below.

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