DVD Review: WWE NXT Greatest Matches Vol. 1 (Match Compilation)

WWE's NXT Greatest Vol. 1 is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray, available from www.wwedvd.co.uk and all reputable home video stockists. The three disc DVD features 18 of the best matches from the history of WWE's NXT brand, including Sami Zayn vs. Adrian Neville from NXT Takeover: R-Evolution. There's also appearances from Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Sasha Banks, Seth Rollins, Natalya, Finn Balor, Bayley, Charlotte, Bo Dallas and Jinder Mahal. Commentary is provided by Byron Saxton, Jim Ross, William Regal, Brad Maddox, Alex Riley, Tensai/Jason Alberts, Rich Brennan, Renee Young, Corey Graves and Michael Cole.

nxt greatest matches vol. 1 match listing

Match 1 – WWE NXT Championship Gold Rush Tournament Final – Jinder Mahal vs. Seth Rollins (taken from WWE NXT #11)

Match 2 – WWE NXT Championship – Seth Rollins © vs. Big E Langston (taken from WWE NXT #30)

Match 3 – Singles – Bray Wyatt with The Wyatt Family: Erick Rowan & Luke Harper vs. “Y2J” Chris Jericho (taken from WWE NXT #46)

Match 4 – WWE NXT Women's Championship – Emma vs. Paige (taken from WWE NXT #56)

Match 5 – Two out of Three Falls – Sami Zayn vs. Antonio Cesaro (taken from WWE NXT #62)

Match 6 – Singles – Antonio Cesaro vs. William Regal (taken from WWE NXT #80 - Rewind)

Match 7 – WWE NXT Championship Ladder – Adrian Neville vs. Bo Dallas © (taken from WWE NXT ArRival)

Match 8 – WWE NXT Women's Championship Tournament Final – Charlotte with Ric Flair vs. Natalya with Bret “The Hitman” Hart (taken from WWE NXT Takeover)

Match 9 – Singles – Sami Zayn vs. Tyson Kidd (taken from WWE NXT #119)

Match 10 – WWE NXT Championship – Sami Zayn vs. Adrian Neville © (taken from WWE NXT Takeover: R-Evolution)

Match 11 – WWE NXT Women's Championship Fatal-Fourway – Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte © (taken from WWE NXT Takeover: Rival)

Match 12 – WWE NXT Championship – Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn © (taken from WWE NXT Takeover: Rival)

Match 13 – Singles – Adrian Neville vs. WWE Tag Team Champion Cesaro (taken from WWE NXT Live)

Match 14 – Singles – Hideo Itami vs. Tyler Breeze (taken from WWE NXT Live)

Match 15 – Six Person Tag Team – Carmella, Colin Cassady & Enzo Amore vs. Alexa Bliss & WWE NXT Tag Team Champions Blake & Murphy (taken from WWE NXT #151)

Match 16 – WWE NXT Championship – Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens © (taken from WWE Live in Tokyo: Beast in the East)

Match 17 – WWE NXT Women's Championship – Bayley vs. Sasha Banks © (taken from WWE NXT Takeover: Brooklyn)


Match 18 – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Final – Baron Corbin & Rhyno vs. Samoa Joe & WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor (taken from NXT Takeover: Respect)

disc one

The set begins with the first ever NXT Championship match, which acts as a showcase for Seth Rollins as he faces off against Jinder Mahal. There are hints at things to come for the brand, with contest telling a nice story and featuring a handful big spots, as well as some blinding commentary from Jim Ross and William Regal. Another title match follows with Rollins putting the belt on the line against Big E Langston in a very different kind of match, with even more emphasis on storytelling in an overcoming the odds type of affair. Bray Wyatt then more than holds his own with the veteran Chris Jericho, but it's clear that something is being held back here as NXT continues to grow. The first NXT Women's Championship is next with Paige and Emma scrapping over the belt in an okay match. There are a couple of nice near falls peppered throughout, although it's nowhere near the level of bout that we'd see from the brand later on it's growth. 

The first really good bout on the set is Sami Zayn and Antonio Cesaro's Two out of Three Falls match, which features two competitors with an amazing in-ring chemistry. Considering that this is the bout that began to put NXT on the map, it's fitting to see it included here, even if it's perhaps not as special a match as many stated at the time. For me, the bout between Cesaro and William Regal is a better match in almost every aspect. Technicality, story-telling, physicality and selling are all spot-on here as the set really begins to get going at the end of Disc 1. 

disc two

The second disc begins with an underrated ladder match over the NXT Championship between Bo Dallas and Adrian Neville, that presents a lot of fun moments. The pair pull out some stellar spots and string together a nice narrative, and manage to get a massive reaction out of Full Sail Arena come the finish. A special appearance before hand from Shawn Michaels is also included in full. More Hall of Famers are up next as Bret Hart and Ric Flair are in their relatives corner for the first good Women's match of the set between Natalya and Charlotte. As you'd expect this one is full of submissions, with the two women exchange holds really well throughout. 

Sami Zayn and Tyson Kidd have a fairly straight forward match next, that whilst solid and smooth probably doesn't merit it's place on the set. There is, of course, no argument against the inclusion of Zayn's NXT Championship bout with Adrian Neville that is arguable the best (male?) match since the brands inception. It's a superb clash, full of nuances that die-hard wrestling fans will cream over, whilst still managing to remain exciting for the more casual fans. The great mixture of the duos indy skills and their learnings from NXT, everything the pair do is super smooth and silky. If that weren't enough a hot, hot, Full Sail Arena is on hand to provide a brilliant soundscape. 

There's brief video packages placed a various points throughout the set, but my favourite has to be the one looking at the "Four Horsewomen" that does a neat job of introducing the next bout. Of course, that would be the Four Way for the NXT Women's Championship featuring Bayley, Becky Lynch, Charlotte and Sasha Banks in a clash that showcases all four of the women's talents perfectly. There's lots of twist and turns throughout, plenty of stellar near falls and most importantly of all, a satisfying finish! 

disc three

The final disc begins with NXT showing it's willingness to take risks in a very different kind of NXT Championship match between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. There's some beautiful drama here, propelled by killer performances by both Owens and Zayn. When removed from the context of it's show, the match somehow becomes even better than it was originally. An exclusive match between Adrian Neville and Cesaro, from an NXT live event, is everything that I wanted it to be a more. The two make use of the unique arena environment and also produce some brilliant back and forth wrestling that has the crowd going ape-shit by the finish. Another live event match between Tyler Breeze and Hideo Itami is also include and whilst it's not as strong as the Neville-Cesaro clash there is still a handful of great strikes sequences. 

A six person tag pitting Carmella, Colin Cassady and Enzo Amore against Alexa Bliss, Blake and Murphy is an enjoyable jaunt, that exhibits just how over the Enzo and Big Cass act became. Finn Balor's NXT Championship match with Owens then takes things back up a notch or two, in an awesome match. Owens and Balor work the Japanese crowd into a frenzy, knowing exactly what buttons to press to get the reactions that they want. The wrestling is physical and the near falls are paced very well with the contest building to a natural conclusion. 

Arguably the best match of the set is next as Bayley and Sasha Banks take to the stage for their NXT Women's Championship match in Brooklyn. The two characters fit perfectly together and the performers use this to drive what is a compelling contest. The duo barely put a foot wrong and manage to produce a number of memorable moments, before the conclusion pops the roof off the Barclays Center. The set concludes with a decent tag team bout with Balor and Samoa Joe facing Baron Corbin and Rhyno in the Final of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Whilst it's not as red-hot as some of the previous matches on the set, there is a brilliant performance from Balor who owns every second he is on screen.

finally...

atpw dvd rating - 7.42/10

If you've been paying attention over the last four years then you surely knew that this was going to be a great DVD, right? I mean, even the matches that aren't exactly home-runs (most of the earlier bouts on the set) are well worth their inclusion, because of including titles changes or major shifts in the presentation of the product. The addition of two never-before-aired bouts from live events only helps to improve the coolness of the set, by not just being rare bouts, but also being bloody good. 

There may be matches that I'd have liked to have seen make it onto the DVD (a few matches from the Tag Team division perhaps?) but with this being Volume 1, I suppose the producers had to leave matches for upcoming volumes of the series! And therefore, my only gripe about the set, isn't really a gripe at all.

If you're a wrestling fan (and certainly if you're a big NXT mark) then you know you need to get your hands on this. Yeah, the best matches are available on the WWE Network, but to have them all in one easy to access place, with never before seen matches and early NXT bouts not available on the Network yet, is surely worth the extra cost? You know it makes sense. 

Who's NXT?

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As I touched on earlier in the article previewing tonight's Raw, it's become somewhat of a tradition to debut new talent the night after WrestleMania to freshen things up a little. So with that in mind I thought I'd take a look at a handful of NXT'ers who could be next to take the step up to the main roster and just exactly what it is they could bring to the brand.

Kalisto

NXT Accomplishments - NXT Tag Team Champion

Who? - A masked lucha style wrestler, formerly seen in places like AAW: Professional Wrestling Redefined, Kalisto has spent time working with Sin Cara as part of the Lucha Dragons tag team. Plenty of flips and tricks, and high paced offence make it easy to get behind Kalisto. Perhaps, yet to see the best of him in NXT however.

Why now? - Whilst I'm sure we've seen Kalisto at his best yet, WWE will be looking for someone to fill the Latin American market, with the departures of Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio. Lucha Dragons partner Sin Cara has failed to capture the imagination of viewers on his own, maybe WWE is hoping that the come catapult Kalisto into singles success. They've also had run outs on Superstars recently against The Ascension. Cesaro and Kidd are in need of new challengers at the moment, perhaps an impressive debut could put the Lucha Dragons straight into contention.

Adrian Neville

NXT Accomplishments - NXT Champion, 2 time NXT Tag Team Champion

Notable Matches - vs. Sami Zayn (at Takeover: R-Evolution), vs. Finn Balor (at Takeover: Rival), vs. Tyson Kidd (at Takeover)

Who? - An accomplished indy worker, known mostly for his work in Dragon Gate before his NXT debut in January 2013 (teaming with Oliver Grey to defeat Drew McIntyre and Heath Sltater) "The Man Who Gravity Forgot" became an NXT favourite very quickly. His speed and agility made him an instant fan favourite. In recent times has shown an ability to work a nuanced tweener role in his feud with Sami Zayn and subsequent bout with Finn Balor. 

Why now? - It's been just over two years in the developmental system for Neville and he has done all that can be really done on the hour long Network show. His matches with Zayn and Balor proved that he has developed strongly as a performer, becoming a rounded sports entertainer over his time in NXT. Could be interesting to see how Neville interacted with fellow Englishman Bad News Barrett if bought up.

Sasha Banks

NXT Accomplishments - NXT Women's Champion (Current)

Notable Matches - vs. Charlotte (at Takeover: R-Evolution)

Who? - Since her debut against Paige in December 2012, Sasha Banks has became one of the most accomplished women on a roster of accomplished women. Strong character work is her forte, with the NXT crowd regaling her with their favourite chant "Sasha's Rachet" whenever she makes an appearance. This character work spills over into her matches, which tend to tell stories, whilst also featuring a number of moves not regularly seen out of the Divas. 

Why now? - The diva's division needs some new blood. Paige and AJ have been feuding and teaming for the best part of a year and if hasn't been them it's the Bella Twins who are the focus. Sasha is ready to make the move up, although whether they may wait until she drops the Women's title on NXT first.

Tyler Breeze

Notable Match - vs. Sami Zayn (at Takeover)

Who? - It's Tyler Bloody Breeze. He sings his own entrance music. He's obsessed with his own image and carries a big fluffy selfie stick to the ring. He cuts a mean promo and can go in the ring. What's not to love about Tyler?

Why now? - Quite simply, Breeze has been in developmental for way, way too long. He had his first match in developmental way back in 2010 in FCW and has become one of the brightest stars on the NXT roster. Perhaps one of the most underrated guys down at the Performance center, Tyler would find similarities with The Miz, who seemingly needs to find a new best friend. Could we see Tyler side with Miz tonight on Raw against Mizdow?

Charlotte

NXT Accomplishements - NXT Women's Champion

Notable Matches - vs. Natalya (at Takeover), vs. Sasha Banks (at Takeover: R-Evolution), vs. Bayley (at Takeover: Fatal 4Way)

Who? - At first she was Ric Flair's daughter and then she became a talented and confident competitor in her own right. She's dominated the NXT Diva's division for some time and look good whilst doing. She brings something completely different from any other diva currently on the main roster and has a certain legitimacy to her in-ring performances.

Why now? - Very similar reasons to those given for Sasha Banks, it's time to shuffle things around in the Diva's division. Although, unlike Banks, Charlotte isn't holding any gold around her waist at the moment, so she may get the nod to take the step up first. Especially with Daddy Ric still in town.

So who would you most like to see turn up on Raw tonight? Kalisto? Neville? Sasha? Breeze? Charlotte? Someone else? The roster is deep and any number of superstars could make their surprise debuts tonight, that's all part of the fun of the Raw after Mania!

WWE Raw 30th March 2015 Preview

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It's the Raw after WrestleMania, the best night of the year usually. Will things be the same this year? Let's look ahead at just what might go down tonight.

The Crowd

Each it's customary that before heading home all the Europeans that have made the trip over for WrestleMania go to Raw the next night and throw a bit of a party for themselves. Celebrate being wrestling fans and just have a jolly good time, no matter what is wheeled out in front of them. Tonight, will surely be no different. Expect loud chants, mexican waves and singing along with entrance music, just because they can.

New World Heavyweight Champion

There's a new sheriff in town and he just so happens to be The Authority's Golden Boy Seth Rollins who claimed the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the epic climax of last night's WrestleMania. Will Brock Lesnar be there looking to gain revenge, after losing his title without being pinned? What about Roman Reigns? He had his WrestleMania moment stolen from him by Rollins. There's even Randy Orton, who defeated Rollins earlier in the night, I'd expect things to get heated quickly at the start of Raw.

New IC and United States Champions

Daniel Bryan and John Cena claimed new championship gold at Mania, titles further down the pecking order than they are used. How will the new champs go about re-building the presitge of their newly captured straps? Will Bad News Barrett and Rusev be gunning to get their titles back? How about Dolph Ziggler who came just inches from winning the Intercontinental Championship? The middle of the card has been shaken up by these title changes and having such popular guys holding these belts and keeping them with strong, interesting storylines can only be good for the straps going forward.

Debuts

The night of Mania is also famous for debuting new superstars. Could we see anyone from NXT make the step up tonight? Adrian Neville? Sami Zayn? Charlotte? If we see these superstars make their full main roster debuts, where will they slot into the landscape? Straight into a feud? Or a slow build against jobbers and the like? I'd much prefer straight into a feud, as it's a quicker way of getting to know what a wrestler can really do in the ring and will allow those fans who don't watch NXT to climatise to the characters and in-ring skillsets.

Other Mania Fallout

Will The Authority be looking for blood after their clash with The Rock and Ronda Rousey? How will Bray Wyatt react to his loss to the Undertaker at WrestleMania? What next for those unsuccessful in the Intercontinental Championship? Who will step up to challenge Tyson Kidd and Cesaro for the Tag Titles? Will Miz and Mizdow get to go at each other once again? Will Big Show knock some people the fuck out to celebrate his battle royal win?

All these questions and more will be answered tonight on Raw. And I'll miss them all, because I'll be finishing off this 24 hour challenge! Yikes.

From a Nation to a Universe

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As soon as I set eyes on Uhaa Nation it was clear he was a special talent. And that's before I'd even seen him step in the ring. Uhaa's just got that look I mean... look at him...

That's that look that send Vinny Mac into involuntary spasms. It's the look that's got many a WWE superstar hired. But it's also the look that's been all a lot of those superstars have had. And as we've learnt the majority of fans won't take to big muscly blokes with no wrestling skills.

But here's the thing. Alongside that look, Uhaa has been one of the best wrestlers on the independent scene in recent memory. From mixing it up in Japan for Dragon Gate, England for Preston City Wrestling or America for EVOLVE, Uhaa has proven to some of the toughest fan-bases in the world that he's deserving of their affections. Many wrestlers have found the formula to appeal to one market, it takes a special talent to find it for three.

That formula for Uhaa is a combination of impressive power and mesmersing speed, that come together to create something very special indeed. Uhaa is equally comfortable hitting a standing shooting star press as he is a power slam. That's something that a bloke who rocks the scales at over 260 lbs just shouldn't be able to do. Uhaa Nation is a freak of nature. A glitch in the matrix.

So what kind of impact can we expect from Uhaa when he makes his debut on WWE NXT in the near future? There's an endless line of dream matches for Uhaa to run through. 

A battle with Hideo Itami would surely ruse the interest of the Japanese market with each man's history, whilst also offering an intriguing dynamic between the two, with Itami perhaps unable to use his pace to his advantage against the bigger man. Finn Balor would offer a similar situation, and again it's surprising that no one has ever booked these guys opposite each other!

Current NXT Champion Kevin Owens would surely have some to say about the arrival of Uhaa. The two's styles could clash, but Uhaa's not afraid to brawl and we've seen Owens loves a flippy flip from time to time also. Owens adversary Sami Zayn would make an interesting opponent, but perhaps an even more interesting tag team partner. The pair have similar demeanours and the mixture of power and agility could make them one of the best teams to watch in WWE. 

The list goes on... Kalisto...Adrian Neville...Solomon Crowe...Tyler Breeze...heck why not even Enzo Amore could all make for terrific opponents for The One Man Nation. That's before we even start looking at the main roster...Cesaro...Daniel Bryan...Seth Rollins...Dean Ambrose...Randy Orton all would offer different styles of opponents and matches. But I'm getting ahead of myself and getting the wrestling equivalent of a chub on.

Of course, very soon Uhaa Nation will be no more and TAFKA Uhaa Nation will be rechristened. We'll get used to the name, we'll get used to seeing him on our TV and I'm certain he'll fit right in with the talented crop that's currently residing in the Performance Center.

All that's left to do wish Uhaa the best of look in the next chapter of his career.

Match of the Month: February 2015

So it's time to reveal the Match of the Month results for February 2015, a total of 102 people voted this time round with six different countries being represented across Europe and North America. 

Before we get into the Top Three Matches (and those that have qualified for the Match of January to June vote later in the year) let's take a look at the rest of the matches that captured votes this time round.

4th - Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns (WWE Fastlane) 9%
5th ACH, Cedric Alexander & Matt Sydal vs. AJ Styles & The Young Bucks (ROH on SBG #178) 8%
6th - AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka) 6%
7th - reDRagon vs. The Young Bucks vs. Time Splitters (NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka) 4%
7th=  John Cena vs. Rusev (WWE Fastlane) 4%
7th= Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW The New Beginning in Sendai) 4%
10th - Cesaro & Tyson Kidd vs. The Usos (WWE Fastlane) 2%
10th= Kota Ibushi vs. Tomoaki Honma (NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka) 2%
12th - Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks vs. Mascara Dorada & Time Splitters (NJPW The New Beginning in Sendai) 1%
12th= Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Yuji Nagata (NJPW The New Beginning in Sendai) 1%

Congratulations to everyone who earned votes this time around, however special recognition to The Young Bucks who posted three matches within the rankings. Recognition must also go to AJ Styles, Time Splitters and Tomoaki Honma for earning two matches inside the ranking.

Onto the top three...

3rd - Bayley vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks (WWE NXT Takeover: Rival) 15%

This was a smooth match that built well towards it's finish, whilst playing on the interweaving relationships between the four women in the ring. Up there with the best Fatal Four Ways WWE has ever produced this match more than deserves to be represented here, even giving second place a run for it's money.

2nd - Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn (WWE NXT Takeover: Rival) 19%

A terrific story, from start to finish Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn's NXT Championship match was gripping, edge-of-your-street drama. A compelling battle, pitting a vicious, unstoppable villain against a plucky, never-say-die underdog of a hero. This match made a star out of Kevin Owens in only his third match in WWE and put his name on everyone's lips. Most of all it left you wanting more, which may be the reason it found itself in Second place as opposed to our Numbero Uno.

1st - Adrian Neville vs. Finn Balor (WWE NXT Takeover: Rival) 26%

Yes, another top three clean sweep for WWE NXT. With a foundation of good solid storytelling, Neville and Balor put together a hard-hitting and technical series of moves and near falls that knitted their two styles together perfectly. With a finish that was a joy to behold, it was difficult not to enjoy this match. These two clearly have bright futures in the WWE, along with all of the talent name in our Top Three this month, it's a credit to the work that Triple H and his team have done that the "Developmental" group is picking up so many of our Match of the Month awards. The three NXT matches up for nomination garnered 55% of the total vote between them, compared to just 15% for WWE's main roster PPV Fastlane.

And Introducing....

The ATPW Top 10

This list is based on those matches that make our Top Three each month (beginning in January 2014), with each 1st place match earning 3 points, 2nd place match earning 2 points and 3rd place match earning 1 point. In addition any placing in the Top Three in our Year-Half polls will earn the same value, as will a placing in our Match of the Year polls. In essence a Match of the Year Match would earn 9 points.

Just an interesting way of keeping track of things since we started the polls last year. Changes this month see Sami Zayn jump ahead of Roman Reigns into 3rd place, whilst Adrian Neville leap frogs Bray Wyatt to claim 7th.

1st - Seth Rollins (WWE) 35 points
2nd - Dean Ambrose (WWE) 29 points
3rd - Sami Zayn (WWE NXT) 22 points
4th - Roman Reigns (WWE) 20 points
5th - Erick Rowan (WWE) 18 points
5th= Luke Harper (WWE) 18 points
7th - Adrian Neville (WWE NXT) 17 points
8th - Bray Wyatt (WWE) 16 points
9th - John Cena (WWE) 10 points
=    - Triple H (WWE) 10 points
=    - Davey Richards (TNA) 10 points
=    - Eddie Edwards (TNA) 10 points
=    - Jeff Hardy (TNA) 10 points
=    - Matt Hardy (TNA) 10 points

Ones to Watch - Randy Orton, Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler are all capable of breaking the Top 10 next month.

ALL HAIL KING ROLLINS!

WWE NXT Takeover: Rival Review

I had high hopes for this show in the preview yesterday and with matches like Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens and Finn Balor vs. Adrian Neville, this one couldn't really fail...could it?

Singles Match for the NXT Championship

Sami Zayn (C) vs. Kevin Owens

Almost eight months to the day that I saw Kevin Steen battle Tommy End in an absolute war of a match at Fight Club: Pro in Wolverhampton, Steen now under the guise of Kevin Owens was main eventing an NXT special live on the WWE Network against long time friend and rival, Sami Zayn. It was hard not to get tied up in the emotion of this feud from it's beginning at NXT Takeover: R-Evolution two months ago, even if you weren't aware of their entire history and this continued into the show, from clips of NXT General Manager William Regal visiting both men backstage to a terrific highlight package just before the match, as soon as bell time came and the Full Sail Arena went back and forth with the "Ole" and "Fight Owens Fight" chants, that big fight feel was there and it was game on for Owens and Zayn.

And that game was Kevin Owens absolutely battering Sami Zayn for twenty minutes. This was a story that suited both men down to the ground, Owens was allowed to show off an impressive series of power moves, whilst Zayn's "fighting from underneath" selling and offence may be the best in the business right now. Zayn's desperate flurry of offence contrasted nicely with the slower more precise Owens, who constantly went back to a headlock in an attempt to get those fans cheering him to turn on him. The story was compelling and the parts were well cast, similar to Zayn vs. Neville from the previous special, this was two former Indy stalwarts meshing their styles with WWE's sports entertainment jugganaut. 

Of course, no story would be complete without drama and suspense and through a series of near falls for both men this match had it in spades. Zayn managing to pull out a series of impressive moves on the bigger man, including a Blue Thunderbomb and a Half and Half suplex, which even if I wasn't entirely convinced it was over, still made me sit up and take notice. The move that everyone thought could get the win for Zayn was the Helluva Kick, but after two missed attempts, cleverly, Zayn was never able to hit the move in the match. This gives him even more reason to have a gripe with the way the match ended. Keeping a move like the Helluva Kick feeling special in a WWE where almost every finishing move has been kicked out of is vital going forward.

That finish though. That finish. If anyone says they predicted this ending in such a fashion, then they are a lying bastard. Owens battered Zayn with strikes, a Pop-Up Powerbomb and four regular powerbombs, whilst Doctor's attempted to see to Zayn, leading to the referee calling a stop to the match and awarding Owens his first NXT Championship in just his third televised match for WWE. It was a shocking moment, a rare thing in wrestling these days, whilst also preserving the two for a rematch later down the line. As good as this match was, you know the rematch will be that much better for how this one was booked. And let's not forget Owens has to defend the title against new number one contender Finn Balor as well. Triple Threat?

NXT Championship Number One Contenders Tournament Final

Finn Balor vs. Adrian Neville

As mentioned in yesterday's preview, the number one contender's tournament has done wonders for both of these competitors, especially Finn Balor, allowing him to look like a credible threat in NXT, whilst allowing Neville to recoup from two high profile losses to Sami Zayn. This was hammered home by a well produced promo video, shown on the Kick-Off show and just before the match itself, detailing the tournament in full as well as having words from Neville and Balor outlining what kind of match we could be in store for. 

This match was everything it promised to be and more, becoming a storytelling epic, as Neville showed some of heel-ish tendencies that made his feud with Sami Zayn such a pleasure to watch, denying the crowd of Balor's Tope Conhilo twice, meaning that when Balor finally hit the move it got a much bigger pop than it would have first time round. Slapping on multiple headlocks and controlling the pace of the early goings allowed the changes in pace to really stand out and rally the crowd even further behind Balor, meaning the crowd was fully behind the Irish man, which allowed for his win to feel even more special when he pulled it out of the bag following a dropkick into the bottom turnbuckle and a Coup de Grâce to pick up the win.

Played out on top of the foundation laid by the storytelling was a hard-hitting and technical series of moves and near falls, that knitted the pair's styles together and held the attention for the duration of the bout. Neville's series of German suplexes were beautiful and looked completely different to how most of WWE performs the move, whilst the closing three minutes of the match from the build up to Neville hitting Red Arrow onwards were an absolute joy to behold. The only complaint anyone can really have with this bout was the length, it really could have done with an extra five or so minutes to tell the story a little better. There were very few times in the match when I genuinely believed the match was over, with only the finish and Balor's small package after catching Neville with his knee's on a Red Arrow attempt truly making me think the bell was about to ring.

It seems like Neville's time in NXT is coming to a close following his loss here and it may only be a matter of time before he's beckoned up to the main roster, where dream matches with the likes of Cesaro, Daniel Bryan and Dean Ambrose await. This match allowed Neville to give back to NXT in a big way, as he worked hard to make Balor look like a star, in perhaps one of the most selfless performances in recent memory. Howay the lad.

Fatal Fourway for the NXT Women's Championship.

Charlotte (C) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley

Up there with the best Fatal Fourways WWE has ever put on, in rarified air alongside Edge vs. John Cena vs. Randy Orton vs Shawn Michaels from Backlash 2007 and Adrian Neville vs. Sami Zayn vs. Tyler Breeze vs. Tyson Kidd from NXT Takeover, this was a great showcase of the women's division in NXT. Playing on the interweaving relationships between the four, the match took several twists and turns developing on these relationships throughout the bout, with Becky and Sasha initially teaming up to keep Charlotte down, before Becky turned on Sasha with a lovely pumphandle suplex, Bayley continuing to show a more aggressive side to her game, as well as sequences of action between Charlotte and Bayley and the closing sequence with Sasha Banks.

The match flowed incredibly smoothly, building towards it's climax, a showdown between Sasha and Charlotte, naturally with each step feeling like it was leading to that final moment. After sending Bayley to the outside and failing to get the cover, Sasha locked in a vicious Crossface with Charlotte steadily edging towards the ropes. However, just when it looked like Charlotte had made it, it was Sasha who was one step ahead, switching into a Crucifix pin and picking up the victory and her first NXT Women's Champion, ending Charlotte's reign at 258 days. I was completely and utterly tied up in the emotion of this one, wrapped up in the story of the match and that was only exaggerated by the hug between Sasha and Charlotte after the match. There isn't a "Diva" on the roster, that knows her character and plays it to a tee as much as Sasha Banks. A deserved win and a terrific match.

Singles Match

Tyler Breeze vs. Hideo Itami

 An exciting, technical and psychological opener, that gave just enough of a taste of what these two can do together in the ring to whet the appetite for the matches still to come. Breeze continued to show why he's NXT's secret weapon putting a shift in, looking comfortable when in control of the match, working over Itami's knee and leg with a series of strikes and submission holds, including a Figure Four Leglock around the ringpost, a move which always get's a pop out of me. Itami's selling was solid, grabbing the leg after the Single Leg Running Dropkick that got him the pinfall victory was a great touch, however I would have liked to have seen the leg play a bit more of a role following Itami's "Hulking Up" in the closing stages of the match. These two could do better in a main event situation, but as an opening match it did everything it needed to do.

Tag Team Match for the NXT Tag Team Championship.

Murphy & Blake (C) vs. The Lucha Dragons.

If you asked someone unfamiliar with WWE and NXT which one of the guys on this show was on the main roster, I very much doubt whether they'd pick Sin Cara out of the bunch. He's become even more sloppy as of late, genuinely looking like he would rather be anywhere else and this match was no different with Cara botching a number of big spots and highflying moves, that made him and his opponent look like morons. Even Kalisto picked up the Botchcaraitis, stumbling on an attempt at a dive to the outside. Luckily, Murphy & Blake impressed on their biggest match to date, with a series of good looking double team moves, including the running brainbuster into frogsplash combination that got them the pinfall victory. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them going forward and much much less of Sin Cara.

No Disqualification Match

Baron Corbin vs. Bull Dempsey 

The less said about this one the better, I think. It was sloppy as a soup sandwich, Corbin failing to clothesline Dempsey outside the ring, but Dempsey going over the top anyway to a chorus of loud boos, is simply unacceptable for guys who've been in the developmental system for three years. Whilst there were decent spots in the match, such as Dempsey hitting a suplex on the ramp, the distinct lack of in-ring chemistry between the two, an awkward looking End of Days finish and the aforementioned sloppiness made this one a complete dud.

Finally...

What a show! What a fucking show! The two top singles matches delivered two completely different and throughly entertaining contests, whilst the Women's Championship match provided four women the opportunity to shine at the same time. If only we could wipe Corbin vs. Dempsey (and parts of the tag title match) from the record.

Either way NXT did it again...and they will do it again...The Future is Now.

WWE NXT Takeover: REvolution Review

WWE NXT's fourth live special had a lot to live up to, following on from the red hot Arrival and Takeover, and the decent Takeover: Fatal 4Way, Takeover REvolution couldn't afford to dissapoint. Did Takeover: REvolution live up to the hype? Could it reach the heights of Arrival and the original Takeover? Let's find out shall we?! 

You're So Zayn

 

You probably think this section is about you. Well, it's about Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville who main evented the show with an exhilariting NXT Championship bout that had the crowd on the edge of their seats from the outset. This was a drama filled, rollercoaster of technically sound wrestling action that topped of the show perfectly.

The two men moulded together nicely, it was clear that the two had made the most of their numerous matches before WWE TV Tapings and at WWE and NXT house shows over the past year. The sequences of action flowed very smoothly indeed, without ever feeling over rehearsed, with a series of action ending in an Blue Thunderbomb dropped from an Electric Chair position from Zayn being a highlight amongst highlights.

Whilst there was a number of impressive moves (REVERSE RANA!) it was in the WWE main event style of story telling that this match really came into it's own. Neville working to ground Zayn early on made perfect sense, with the commentary team working hard to get over the reasons for this, with the crowd being so into Zayn that they stayed hot throughout a series of main event chinlocks from Neville. This put down a solid foundation for a Zayn comeback, with the pace quickening and the match going back and forth with a series of well worked near falls for either man, with Zayn coming close with a Koji Clutch and the aforementioned Reverse Rana from Neville being amongst the best efforts.

Other strong story telling elements included Neville rolling out of the ring after a number of big moves from Zayn, most notably a Three Amigos that closed with a beautiful half and half suplex. This got the crowd even more behind Zayn, as the frustration on Zayn's face emanated through the screen, this also allowed Zayn to reach into his impressive catalogue of aerial offence. Zayn's moral dilemma whilst holding the title belt, with referee having been bumped for the second time, was also strong, if not a little too long, but worked nicely into the closing sequence, rounding off Zayn's story well, as he went on to pick up the win with a Exploder Suplex into the turnbuckle, followed up with a Helluva Kick for the pinfall.

In many ways, this felt like the Performance Centre coming full circle, as Zayn and Neville showcased that their Indy stylings could be meshed with WWE's sports entertainment style, with both men looking more than ready to make the step up to the main roster, more so than at any point during their run in Developmental. Zayn's celebration was given more than enough time to settle in, something that is sometimes lacking from WWE title changes, whilst a storyline twist that saw the debuting Kevin Owens attack Zayn post match with a Powerbomb onto the ring apron seemed to set up the main event for the next NXT special.

 

Captain Charlotte

It was terrific to see two females competitors featured so heavily on the show and Charlotte and Sasha Banks did everything they could to make sure that NXT continues to treat it's females this way going forward. A big improvement on Charlotte's bout with Bayley on the previous special, this was an engaging and athletic encounter, with both ladies character work being allowed to shine through.

Sasha Banks' character in particular came across very well, with her constant mocking of Charlotte and her father Ric Flair, making it easy to dislike The Boss of NXT. She seemed to have everything about the character thought out, and this played well against Charlotte's more athletic based approach to the match. I was, however, a little disappointed to see her pulling out a suicide dive, mid-way through the match, as it did seem a little out of character and out of place during this match. A sequence where Banks repeatedly went for covers on Charlotte helped to make up for this however.

At the times the bout was not quite as crisp as it could have been and there were a few communication errors, with the two rushing a few of the earlier sequences. However, these errors were quickly ironed out and the two finished the match looking more than comfortable in the ring together. Charlotte landing on her feet following a missed Moonsault and turning it into a Senton, followed up by a strong closing sequence ending up with a Top Rope Natural Selection was some of the strongest women's action WWE has put on in 2014.

With these two performers fitting together nicely in the ring, it would be a shame for their feud to finish her, although with Charlotte picking up a clean victory it's difficult to see where they can go from here. Becky Lynch could make the step up ahead of her BFF, although it's difficult to see how Sasha would take the backseat in the feud. Perhaps Bayley will be thrown back into the mix to keep things interesting? The division could definitely do with a fresh injection of talent with Carmella and Alexa Bliss the only other two active women on the roster.

The Undercard

 

The highlight of the undercard was a well booked tag team encounter pitting The Ascension against relative NXT newcomers Hideo Itami and Finn Balor. Of course, Balor's new paint job was a big talking point heading out the show, but I was equally impressed with both Konnor and Viktor who did more than enough opposite two internet favourites to make me take notice. Viktor, in particular, was part of some nice wrestling opposite Balor. For me this was the strongest Ascension bout to date and to suggest that Itami and Balor carried the bout would be naïve, as the two put in more than their fair share in order to allow Itami and Balor look the best they possibly could.

The build to the hot tag was done nicely, with Itami working the face in peril role, with a refreshing scrappy style. Itami always looked like he was trying to make the tag, whilst Konnor and Viktor looked incredibly comfortable whilst in control of the match, which made for a great moment as soon as Itami eventually made the tag to Balor. This is where the match really got going with both Itami and Balor able to show off an excited arsenal of offense, with a handful of false finishes thrown into the mix. Towards the finish there was a number of momentum changes between the two teams, including a huge pop for a GTS attempt from Itami, before Balor hit Viktor with a Pele Kick, Itami hit Konnor with a Busaiku Knee Kick and the pair hit Double Double Stomps with Balor picking up the pinfall victory.

In another tag team match, The Lucha Dragons defended the NXT Tag Team Championships against The Vaudevillains, in a rather basic bout. It was a very paint by numbers match, that was livened up by some unique offense by Kalisto and Aiden English who both looked like the stars of their respective teams when given the chance. Sin Cara on the other hand looked like he'd rather be anywhere else, with almost everything the former Hunico did in the ring looking sloppy and lethargic. With the Lucha Dragons picking up the victory, I'm not quite sure what's next for the paper thin NXT Tag Team division.

Before he turned on Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens was in action against CJ Parker. Owens couldn't have hoped for a better debut, as he looked incredible ploughing through Parker who certainly isn't a crowd favourite at NXT. An impressive series of offense including a Tope Conhilo, Pumphandle Neckbreaker and Pop Up Powerbomb allowed Owens to quickly get over his style to anyone who hadn't seen him before. Parker's minimal offense did lead to Owens getting busted open, which added even more to Owens image and the match itself.

Baron Corbin also continued his run of squashing opponents as he ran through Tye Dillinger in a matter of seconds. Finishing off Dillinger with his End of Days move, Corbin is beginning to feel like a one trick pony, and whilst it is fun to see him destroy opponents week after week, he's going to need to show something else if he's going to move forward as a WWE wrestler. The feud teased with Bull Dempsey doesn't fill me with hope for Corbin's future.

Finally... 

 

 For me, this was the strongest NXT special to date, with almost every element of the show delivering in spades. The main event was the Match of the Night no doubt, with Neville and Zayn presenting a great mash-up of Indy and WWE styles, whilst the Women's Championship bout and Itami & Balor vs. The Ascension working nicely in supporting roles. Kevin Owens debut also worked well, presenting a destructive force in ring, whilst thrusting him straight into a main event storyline. The only match that felt like it struggled was the Tag Team Championship bout and even that had Kalisto and English shining through.

This show get's a big thumbs up from me, and WWE's next PPV offering TLC will have to work extremely hard to better this two hours of action.