5 Takeaways From NXT TakeOver: New Orleans

By
Robert Lentini
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ciampa gargano feature image nxt takeover
Photo Credit: @totaldivaseps On Twitter

NXT TakeOver: New Orleans aired live tonight on the WWE Network from the Smoothie King Arena. Johnny Gargano battled Tommaso Ciampa to save his NXT Career. Ember Moon put the NXT Women’s Championship on the line against Shayna Baszler. 6 Superstars competed in a Ladder Match to determine the first NXT North American Champion. Undisputed Era defended their NXT Tag Team Championships against The Authors of Pain and Pete Dunne & Roderick Strong. Aleister Black challenged Andrade “Cien” Almas for the NXT Championship.

Here are 5 takeaways from NXT TakeOver: New Orleans:

5Adam Cole Became The First-Ever NXT North American Champion

adam cole wins nxt takeover new orleans

The Ladder Match to crown the first-ever NXT North American Champion started off the show. EC3, Velveteen Dream, Adam Cole, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan and Ricochet were the NXT Superstars in the match.

The crowd started chanting “this is awesome” before the match even started. EC3 immediately rolled out of the ring and then Adam Cole launched Ricochet out of the ring. Lars Sullivan and Killian Dain cleared the ring and had a stare down. EC3 started shouting at them to start fighting, Lars and Killian rolled out of the ring and started attacking everyone. Ricochet connected with an awesome springboard Shooting Star Press onto both Dain and Sullivan.

Ricochet brought a ladder into the ring but Velveteen Dream attacked him from behind. Ricochet planted him with a Hurricanrana, but Dream battled back and knocked him out of the ring. Dream climbed up the ladder but Cole got back into the ring and dragged him down. Cole stomped on Dream in the corner and then connected with an Enziguri to Dain to knock him off the ring apron. Cole started climbing up the ladder but EC3 stopped him and hit a Splash in the corner.

Lars Sullivan leveled EC3 with a Clothesline and then slammed Cole to the mat. Dain threw Lars out of the ring and connected with a massive Suicide Dive. Back in the ring, Cole and Ricochet traded shots. Dream dropped Ricochet with an uppercut as Dain beatdown Cole. Lars Sullivan launched a ladder onto everyone and then bashed Dain in the midsection with the ladder. Lars put the ladder over his head and started charging at everyone with it.

Sullivian lifted Dream up in the Gorilla Press and dropped Velveteen on a ladder in the middle of the ring. Lars started climbing the ladder towards the belt but Ricochet joined him up there. Ricochet went for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb but Lars held on. Dream, EC3 and Cole helped out Ricochet and Sullivan was Powerbombed to the canvas. Cole shouted “who do you think you are punk?!” at Dain and Killian took his head off with a Clothesline. Dain then slung Ricochet into a ladder set up in the corner. Dain made his way up the ladder but EC3 dragged him down and slammed him to the mat. Cole teamed up with EC3 and slammed the ladder into Sullivan in the corner.

EC3 and Cole set up a ladder from the ring apron to the announce table outside the ring. They threw Dain into the ladder and got back into the ring to continue their attack on Sullivan. Cole and EC3 high-fived each other and then EC3 mocked Cole’s chant and shouted “EC3 baybay!”. Cole slammed him on top of the ladder and then Superkicked everyone else in the match. Cole then shouted “Adam Cole baybay!” and the entire crowd chanted along.

Cole started climbing the ladder but Sullivan shoved it over. Dream bashed Lars with a ladder and then hopped up to top rope. Dream delivered a Purple Rainmaker Elbow to Dain and then followed it up with another one to Adam Cole. Dream climbed up to the top rope once again and and hit a Purple Rainmaker Elbow to the back of Ricochet. Velveteen struggled to set up the ladder and Sullivan shoved him to the corner with the ladder pressed up against his face. Sullivan then charged at Dream but Velveteen was ready and threw the ladder into Sullivan’s face.

Dream made his way up a bigger ladder set up in the corner as Sullivan was on the mat in the ring. Velveteen stood on top of the ladder and connected with a beautiful Purple Rainmaker Elbow to Sullivan as the crowd chanted “Velveteen!”. Dream started climbing up the ladder but EC3 snuck up from behind and Powerbombed him onto the ladder set up in the corner.

ECW hit Neckbreakers on Dain and Sullivan. EC3 made his way up the ladder but Cole brought him back down. Cole made his way up the ladder but EC3 lifted him up onto his shoulders and planted him with a TKO off the ladder. Dain got back into the ring and booted EC3 in the face.

Killian grabbed a ladder and dropped it on top of EC3. Dain then hit a Senton onto the ladder on top of EC3. Dain put the ladder back on top of EC3 and started climbing the turnbuckle. Cole joined up there but Dain fought through it and hit a Vader Bomb with Cole on his back on top of EC3 and the ladder.

Ricochet hopped back in the ring and started kicking Dain and Sullivan. Lars grabbed him by the throat and launched him across the ring. Dain then grabbed Ricochet and launched him across the ring again and Ricochet fell out of the ring. Lars and Killian started trading massive punches in the ring. Dain connected with a boot and followed it up with a Clothesline to knock Sullivan to the mat. Dain charged at Lars but Sullivan caught him and slammed him down to the mat.

Lars started climbing the ladder but Ricochet attacked him from behind. Ricochet connected with a kick to the side of the head and made his way up the ladder. Lars grabbed the bottom of the ladder and started tipping it back. Ricochet then hit an absurd Moonsault off the ladder onto Cole and Dain on the outside of the ring as the crowd erupted into a “holy sh*t!” chant.

Back in the ring, EC3 perched Ricochet up on the top rope and hit him with a couple of chops. Ricochet booted EC3 onto a ladder and connected with another awesome Shooting Star Press onto EC3. Ricochet started climbing the ladder, but Dream dragged him back down. Dream tried to hit Ricochet with the ladder but missed. Dream set up a ladder between the turnbuckle and in between the rungs of another ladder. Dream started climbing up as Ricochet stood on the ladder set up on across the ring. Velveteen Dream then planted Ricochet with a rolling Death Valley Driver onto the ladder and then both Superstars crashed to the canvas.

Dream rolled out of the ring and Sullivan leveled him with a Clothesline. Lars placed Dream on the ladder set up between the ring and the announce table. Sullivan hopped up on the ring apron and then brought EC3 out there. Lars lifted EC3 up and planted him with a Freak Accident on top of Dream on the ladder and the ladder snapped in half as the three Superstars fell to the floor.

Dain set up another ladder between the ring and the barricade. Killian slammed Ricochet onto the ladder and then grabbed Adam Cole on the ring apron. Dain lifted Cole up and jumped onto Ricochet and once again a ladder snapped in half and the three Superstars crashed to the floor. The NXT crowd chanted “fight forever” as Sullivan was the first Superstar to make his way onto the ring apron.

Lars set up the ladder in the ring and started to climb towards the title suspended above the ring. Killian Dain climbed up the other side and the two started trading punches. EC3 got back into the ring with a ladder and struck them both with it. He then set up the ladder beside them as Cole crawled back into the ring. Cole, EC3, Dain and Sullivan were then all on the two ladders in the ring trading shots. Velveteen Dream got back into the ring and set up a third ladder in the ring.

Velveteen started climbing up the third ladder and then Ricochet joined the party and everyone was battling on the ladders. Cole climbed up behind EC3 and slammed him to the mat and they both fell out of the ring. Dream and Ricochet traded punches but Ricochet planted him with an avalanche Neckbreaker off the ladder. Dain and Sulivan then were the two Superstars left on the ladders. Sullivan planted Dain with a Freak Accident and once again Lars was the only Superstar left in the ring.

Sullivan started climbing up the ladder, but Ricochet jumped on his back and both Superstars fell to the mat as the ladder fell over. Ricochet made his way up the ladder but Adam Cole got into the ring and tipped it over and Ricochet fell out of the ring. Adam Cole then scaled the ladder and grabbed the title to become the first-ever NXT North American Champion.

Opinion: NXT TakeOver: New Orleans got off to an incredible start with this match. There is nothing to complain about here at all, the match was awesome and exceeded expectations. Ricochet made one hell of an NXT debut tonight and showed off his stunning athleticism. It is going to be difficult to top this one tonight. Cole will once again have to compete later in the NXT Tag Team Championship match because Bobby Fish is out with an injury. Give that man a raise.

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