NXT Takeover, SummerSlam Weekend, in a huge wrestling city like Toronto!  What more can you ask for? 

This card is jam packed with glitter and magic making the hair on most wrestling fan’s neck stand up in anticipation.  NXT delivers every single time and tonight should be more excellence.  Will this be another flawless night for Professional Wrestling’s hottest promotion?  Let’s get started on another Good, Bad and Ugly Review!

GOOD

NXT Tag Team Championships – Street Profits(c) vs. Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish

“Bringing the smoke” as always the crowd was fired up right off the bat.  NXT is bringing major heat to Toronto.  The tag team division is alive and well in the “black and gold brand.”  Dawkins sparred and tried to show off some agility in his opening segments, especially with O’Reilly.  Montez Ford shined as usual.  It wasn’t always smooth though, some of the timing was off, and it was far from being tight.  It was still very Good though.  The crowd was into it, and we saw a lot of damn Good wrestling throughout.  Undisputed Era is beyond talented start to finish, and Street Profits are on the money.  This was entertaining and delivered.  It was a solid effort by Montez Ford that really got everything going, flying through the air and destroying everyone in sight.  He is a superstar, going for a “People’s Elbow” but getting interrupted by O’Reilly.  Ford continued his assault working hard to retain the belts.  Both teams putting up everything they had.  Leading up to the epic ending Dawkins hulked out, bodies everywhere, it was Montez Ford way off the top with a Frog Splash for the hard fought win!- Good!  Very Good Indeed!

Candice LeRae v Io Shirai

It is no surprise that Candice LeRae has potential star power.  Io Shirai is the best female talent in WWE/NXT world.  She is ridiculous.  LeRae came out hot but Shirai took over and slowly tortured her former friend.  Io controlled most of the match but there were little spurts of energy by the hard hitting LeRae even getting a few lucky close falls.  I’m not going to say this was perfect, but the crowd was hot, and we saw some great things.  Like the previous match it got better as it went on.  It wasn’t predictable.  LeRae would not quit, kicking out of everything Io Shirai gave her.  It would prove to be too much with a “koji clutch” putting LeRae to sleep and getting a brutal victory.  Again we had a Good showing by these superior athletes.      

NXT North American Championship – Velveteen Dream(c) vs. Pete Dunne vs. Roderick Strong

This had it all right off the bat, the crowd loves all 3 of the competitors, the energy was insane, as well as the non-stop action.  Everyone had their place and time to shine.  The offense was on point projecting the show somewhere higher. This was that special touch everyone was waiting for.  The title was constantly being sought, tons of near falls on every opponent.  All three going at it from bell to bell.  Anyone could have won at any moment of this chaos, but it was Pete Dunne taking way to much punishment, and multiple finishers before Velveteen Dream stole the victory.  This was the match of the night so far, and will be hard to follow up.  Luckily for all fans, the rest of the show doesn’t suck either!   

NXT Woman’s Championship – Shayna Baszler(c) vs. Mia Yim

I do not understand how Mia Yim has been so pushed so fast, I just don’t see it, but she is here, and she is ready to face one of the very best in Professional Wrestling, Shayna Baszler.  If Mia Yim has a chance she would have to bring it non-stop and terrorize the Champion.  That she did, bringing the pressure on in and out of the ring.  If you know Baszler you know she came back strong with her own onslaught of violence.  This was a war, a street fight, not a wrestling match.  Yim resorted to the same tactics imposed every match by Baszler and had the Champ in pain on the mat.  Out of no-where Baszler locked in her game ending finisher the “kirifuda clutch” however after getting her injured arm broken out of the hold, Baszler then got Yim in a Triangle Hold, for the surprising victory.  She had nothing and still one, the Queen of Spades is one of the best to do it!  Fantastic match!

NXT Heavyweight Championship – 2 Out Of 3 Falls – Adam Cole (c) vs. Johnny Gargano

A real life, Good Guy vs Bad Guy, hero vs. Villain except the Villain is loved by the masses as well.  This is top shelf right here.  As expected this was amazing, we had wrestling, brutality and all heart.  Two guys that stay hungry and stay sharp.  This is a true main event for a Championship that matters.  Gargano had a real mean streak here, doing all he can to damage Cole and take away his weapons.  Of course the NXT Champion didn’t give up so easy and did just as much to Gargano, working him head to toe.  This was a classic match with submission wrestling galore.  That first fall seemed like it would never happen it was a broken record of 2 counts.  Cole even had a swift kick to the hero nuts of Gargano for a two count.  Gargano used the chair, and beat Adam Cole with it taking the fall and then beating the hell out of Adam Cole in his now Street Fight Imposed Match.  With Adam Cole now up 1-0 Gargano got his second wind and tried to kill his rival. 

Gargano finally got his first fall back by submission after darting Cole into a chair into the corner then making Cole tap out.  1-1 a 3^rd stipulation finally revealed as a no escape cage death match.  This was a barbed wire, cage match with tons of toys and weapons to add to the destruction.  You wouldn’t even know how much carnage had already taken place based on how hard these guys were going.  The match never let up, both hitting all of their move-set but unable to seal the victory, Cole even hitting 2 Panama Sunrises and resorting to biting Gargano to escape his grasp.  Cole kicked out of a Canadian Destroyer and still the fight continued.  The crowd even chanted “please don’t die” as the warriors were on top of the cage, both plummeting to the mat, Adam Cole then reached over with his last breath and pinned a knocked out Gargano for the victory, retaining his NXT Championship.  This was INSANE!  Just Amazing!    

BAD and UGLY – Have left the building!

FINALS

• Good – 5
• Bad – 0
• Ugly – 0

Overall- Good! All of the above and some bad words mixed in, this was just another example of the very best doing what they do.  NXT no matter who is in front of us does it better.  They have a flawless system and tonight showed again, why we all chant “NXT”!

SummerSlam run by the Mastermind himself Vincent Kennedy McMahon is on deck. I didn’t do a preview for it but here it is, on paper it looks Bad, downright Ugly.  There are a couple of gems however that could make for a savable night.  Some believe the success of an NXT show makes no impact on the other shows however I am one who believes the opposite.  I certainly hope the main roster sees what their NXT brethren are doing and become inspired.  Time will tell at SummerSlam, and I will see you after the PPV for another review of the Good, Bad and Ugly!