NXT World Champion: Shinsuke Nakamura
NXT World Tag Team Champions: #DIY
NXT Woman's Champion: Asuka
United Kingdom Champion: Tyler Bate
NXT TakeOver: San Antonio
January 28th, 2017
Freeman Coliseum: San Antonio, Texas
Tye Dillinger vs. Eric Young (w/SAnitY)
EY starts the match off by throwing his jacket at Tye's feet like he'll give him 1 more chance to join them which is hilarious, and makes me think has that ever worked before? This is fine, its played as the teacher vs. the student, the kid vs. vet. So Tye comes out on fire and EY bumps around until EY goes to the eye and now named Killian Dain attacks Tye on the floor with a crossbody to give his leader control. EY does his EY head and neck work, it's fairly decent but EY has never done it for me outside that awesome comedy bumping machine he was in 2005, This leader/cult main event style EY is just meh. Tye's comeback is really good here, like really good tones of energy, high spots and he busts out some new things showing his teacher you showed me a lot, but here are some things I picked up away from you. Sanity keeps getting involved until Tye takes them out twice, but that distraction allows EY to hit the wheelbarrow neckbreaker for the win. **1/2
Samoa Joe is BACK! And is sitting in the crowd.
Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Roderick Strong
Almas has ditched this funky attire design and is now rocking these all leather joints, he still has his hat and blazer tho. Good feeling out to start, Almas does his usual cocky stuff, while Roddy is all business and after the first chop and backbreaker Almas realizes his in a fight and starts taking it seriously. Almas doesn't really stick to a body part as he would go for the arm but one he doesn't get the armbar he drops it, same with the back like he does moves but it's not his focus as he would rather exchange strokes. Roddy is Roddy, so he sells it all during the little work and has a great comeback, his strikes all sound nasty cause Roddy is the best at the slap thigh sound. He rakes over briefly with a backbreaker, but Almas comes right back with a straightjacket suplex for two. Nasty exchange of stiff elbows and knees to the face, that Roddy wins and he even still sells the arm
Almas sees it and locks in a sweet looking double arm stretch but Roddy reaches the ropes, the match ends when Almas goes for the moonsault but Roddy crotches him before hitting the backbreaker on the top turnbuckle and follows up a minute later with the sick kick for the win. Good stuff, I really hope we get a rematch later this review. ***
Michael "P.S." Hayes is sitting in the crowd.
NXT World Tag Team Championships: The Authors Of Pain (w/Paul Ellering) vs. #DIY
The champs use quickness to stay out of the reach of AoP and do the stick and move game which works for the first 3-4 minutes and really rules. It's the most trouble AoP have been in, more than the Alpha match and the other match they did it in, I think it was the TM match but I don't remember now. Akam eventually catches Gargano off-guard and drops him face first onto the steel rails at ringside to take over. They work Gargano's back, but it's Gargano so his selling is nonexistent. He just lays on the mat or moves in slow-mo and ever once grabs it. Ciampa does his thing during the hot tag, big power moves and knee strikes as the match breaks down. They both hit the double slingshot spear for a great near fall, Akam then murks them both and THEY BUST OUT TRIPLE X's POWERPLEX Finisher
but that only gets two, thankfully in 2018, it's now their finisher instead of the Russian Legsweep/Lariat combo. They do the double submission, that won them the match in Toronto, but Razar powers out of Gargano's stretch and throws him on top of Ciampa to break up the armbar. The champs maintain control with striking wearing AoP out until they hit the double powerbomb spot, and hit the last chapter for the win. Really awesome stuff. ***
SETH ROLLINS HOPS THE RAILS...............HE GRABS A MIC AND SAYS THE SHOW IS TAKEOVER RIGHT? WELL, THIS IS WHERE IT ALL STARTED. HE KNOWS HE'S WATCHING AND IS CALLING HIS ASS OUT RIGHT NOW. Hunter comes out onto the stage in his grey suit but instead calls for security to remove Seth, but he beats them up runs up the ramp, but more guys in black hold him back and drag him to the back.
NXT Woman's Championship: Nikki Cross vs. Peyton Royce & Billie Kay vs. Asuka
This is a thing, it's one of the foregone conclusion bookings, so they have a tough time building any suspense. I did like them teasing Nikki/Asuka a bunch in the early going with the Aussies picking their spots just to get killed at the hands of Asuka. Cross controls the pace for a few moments, and it got me wondering what's she's like in bed. But I only want here if she's doing the crazy motions and facial expressions like in her wrestling, does that make me weird? Anyway, the Aussies and Cross brawl up to the commentary table by the stage. And they hit a double suplex off the announce table, onto a side table right next to it. The Aussies quickly, run back to ringside and take turns beating on Asuka with neither of them getting the pin and with the other not caring who gets the pin either. Thankfully, it's no more than a minute and a half until Asuka makes a comeback and drops Royce with the KO kick for the win. *3/4
United Kingdom champion Tyler Bate is in the crowd.
Roode's TakeOver special entrance this time is just a bunch of thots in matching purple escorting him to the ring like he's prime Flair.
NXT World Championship: Bobby Roode vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
This is the longest World title match in NXT history at 27 minutes, and prob 3rd longest match behind the Bayley/Sasha ironwoman and that Sami/Joe TV match. Solid feeling out to start, they don't chain wrestle or anything but Roode does a fine job at keeping Naka grounded to avoid the knees and striking. Roode controls the majority of this, but he really takes over once he catches Nakamura going for a boot off the middle apron and shoves him to the outside with his shoulder and neck hitting the outside of the ring apron. Roode targets it and it's fine, but the longer it goes and it goes for on for quite a while the lesser I become interested. Nakamura does Naka things, where he finally sells for a bit during the heat, but as soon as it's time for any sort of comeback it's like the match just started. Awesome spot, with Roode, having the Kinshasa scouted so he plays dead on the mat which frustrates Nakamura and that catches him off guard allwoing Roode to roll him up for two, that also allows Roode to go on another run on offense before they start trading near falls. Nakamura goes for a middle rope knee again but Roode rolls to the apron. He gets up but is met with a leaping knee anyway. Nakamura holds his leg in pain as it did damage to him too. He rolls Roode inside and hits Kinshasa. but can’t cover because of the now damaged knee. Roode is out but Shinsuke can’t capitalize. A doctor comes in to check on Nakamura and Roode gets up. Nakamura wants to keep going and rolls back in where Roode hits the Glorious DDT. but Nakamura kicks out and Roode is in shock. Roode quickly follows up with a half Boston crab, An EMT, and A-Train come out to check on him. Nakamura then manages to counter but his triangle choke fails and Roode hits another Glorious DDT for the win. Better than I remembered it being to be honest. They could have told the same story with 15-20 minutes though, and they would have cut all the dull middle/early filler out. **3/4