It’s TakeOver time! NXT TakeOver WarGames 2020 is upon us! That’s right, it’s the return of the Star Wars page color scheme! I haven’t been able to recap NXT shows of late, doing live play-by-play for two shows at once when you’re a one-man show is just a teeny bit impossible… but I would never miss a TakeOver and I am happy to recap the action for you as soon as it starts! So watch this space.
Pre-Show is currently underway and they have confirmed that the Women’s WarGames match will be opening the show, we’ll no doubt be bookending the beginning and ending of the event with them.
The show begins with a ton of pyro at the corners of the WarGames double cage. Women’s WarGames match is up first!
WarGames: Candice LaRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm vs. Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley & Io Shirai
Dakota is starting out for the heel side. Shotzi has a big new tank tonight. Shotzi even fires at Dakota, but luckily the cage protects her. Shotzi wants to start but Ember Moon decides to take the initiative instead.
Ember double legs Dakota as the match begins. Dakota fights up though, gets a piggyback sleeper in. Ember flips to send her onto her back! Dakota leaps over a legsweep, avoiding strikes, Dakota blocks a heel kick but Ember with a beautiful headscissor takeover from that position! Dakota with a pump kick in the corner, but Ember fires back with a Handspring Line! Snapmare, single leg dropkick, legsweep, leaping stomp to the chest, half senton! They’ve got kind of a weird lighting in this match, it’s a bit washed out. Nothing distracting, just gives it this kind of warehouse atmosphere.
Dakota fights back, Ember with a rana from the mat, Discus Punch drops her! Ember with a wild front suplex slams Dakota right against the cage! Charging knee to the ribs! Ember goes up top, Kai with a high kick cuts her off. Pulls her out and tries for a Gutbuster, Ember blocks it, rolls her over, Thrust Kick! Dakota escapes to the center portion between the two rings. Ember pursues but Kai catches her with a series of kicks, back into a ring, Kairoprachter off the middle rope!
Timer comes for the next entrant. Shotzi Blackheart is in now! She goes under the ring first though, grabs a tool box and a crowbar and throws them into the ring! Shotzi with a charging dropkick to Kai, bulldog, Discus Elbow! Hook Kick! And a diving senton against the ropes! Takes Kai to the center portion, roundhouse kick, baseball slide! They’re still in there, Kai avoids a charging big boot and Kai slams her face into the cage. Ember attacks from behind but Kai yanks her hard into the steel!
Dakota goes over and axe kicks Ember. Shotzi with an enziguri drops her. Shotzi grinds Kai against the cage, hard snap suplex into the corner buckles! Shotzi up top but Kai stops her. She wants a superplex but Ember cuts her off, pulls her into the Electric Chair position – Shotzi with a missile dropkick to take Kai off her shoulders! Timer calls in the next entrant. Raquel Gonzalez out to help her charge, the faces duck two lines though and are attacking from either side. Raquel throws them off though, big line to Ember, Big Boot to Shotzi.
Spinning slam to Ember. Shotzi with a Springboard Rana attempt but Raquel counters with a Powerbomb into the cage! Raquel takes Kai onto her shoulders and spins her into kicks to both faces! Powerslam, senton combo. Raquel helps Dakota balance on the top rope, big springing leap from one side of the ring to the other against the faces! Timer up though, and Rhea Ripely is on the way. Gonzalez says she’s been waiting for this, the hosses have a staredown. Kai attacks Rhea from behind, gets punched away. Ripley with a back elbow to Raquel, who gets held in place for a big boot!
High knees to Kai, Short-Arm Clotheslines! Kai ducks one but gets a Ripcord Dropkick instead! Ember with a big shot to Raquel, Springboard Stunner from Blackheart! Now Ripley grabs the tool box. She picks up what looks like a colorful plastic toy sledgehammer. Nonetheless she smashes Kai with it in the gut, attacks her across the back. Ties her up a bit and tosses her into the cage. Meanwhile Raquel shoulder blocks herself out of her predicament, and the two hosses stare each other down from opposite rings.
They meet in the center section and start going at it, Ripley tackles Gonzalez to one of the rings. Time’s up again and it’s Toni Storm’s turn. She goes under the ring and grabs a bundle of kendo sticks. Glad she brought enough for everybody that’s very nice of her. She hits a German on Ripley, now Raquel holds her in place for kendo stick shots! Toni is working on undoing the turnbuckle, she exposes the steel and Ripley gets whipped right into it. Toni with a snap suplex to Ember.
Toni and Raquel with kendo stick shots to Shotzi and Ember to keep them down. Kai tosses Ripley into the cage. We have three women on turnbuckles across from each other here… DUELING TOWER SPOT! Wild. And now the time is up again. Io Shirai rushes down and she also makes a pit stop, pulls out a ladder! And she takes it right into the ring. Io wants another weapon, grabs another kendo stick but Raquel closes the door on her. Io protests but Raquel steals the stick and kicks the door into her.
Raquel fights with Shotzi, meanwhile Io grabs a second ladder! Throws it in but then Gonzalez shoves her again and she bounces off the barricade painfully! The fight resumes in the ring, Io hilariously stops to get MORE weapons after she’s done selling. She tosses some chairs in and even gets a hanging kick to send a chair into Raquel’s face, but then she knocks her out of the ring AGAIN. And then Io tries climbing the cage but she kicks her to the floor anyway! This is honestly hilarious, and the kinda bullshit that you have to pull when the babyfaces have the advantage in WarGames…
Io still not in the ring yet, Candice LaRae is up now. She confronts Io, Indi Hartwell appears from the barricade and attacks Io from behind! She lets Candice in and then locks the door behind her. Now Candice is laying into Shotzi with kendo stick shots, Raquel to Ripley. Shotzi is being pelted by stick shots from EVERYONE now. Candice covers Shotzi but the ref doesn’t accept this. Io Shirai suddenly appears atop the cage with a trash can… she wears it over her head and comes flying onto the heels with it!
“This Is Awesome” chant for that very unique spot. That looked like a Jackass clip. Io has the tiny baby toy sledgehammer now!! She cracks it noiselessly across the backs of some heels. Ripley helps with an assisted Tornado DDT to Gonzalez! Io with a Tiger Feint Kick, Shotzi with a German to Candice, Ripley with a Stinger Splash onto a pile and tosses Toni away, Dakota gets a suplex, chair-held Buisaku Knee to Raquel in the corner! First actual cover and all of the heels break it up!
Ember gets Toni alone and she’s begging off. Candice sneaks up on her though, headscissor into the Gargano Escape with a wrench in her face! Shotzi with Cattle Mutilation on Toni! Candice breaks her hold to break up Shotzi’s. Shotzi and Candice have a chair and kendo stick apiece, Shotzi wins that battle easily and is nailing her and Toni until Kai attacks from behind with a chair of her own! Wicked Springboard Dropkick from Io takes Dakota down though! But she gets side-stepped in the corner, Kai with a Helluva Kick! Io gets trapped in the trash can, Dakota with a Double Footstomp onto the can just flattening it!
Flattening it so much that Kai struggles mightily to pull it off. She’s really, really insistent on doing that before she covers. She finally does and the camera cuts away as soon as the ref starts counting, incredible. Anyway Ember is nailing Kai with a chair, has two of them sat up and she hangs her head atop them! Ember up top! ECLIPSE RIGHT ONTO THE HEADS OF THE CHAIR!!! YIKES! Toni breaks up the pin with a trash can shot! Toni with Storm Zero onto the trash can! Io barely breaks it up!
Ripley with the Elevated Cloverleaf, Io with a dropkick to Toni from that position, Ripley covers for a nearfall. Now Io and Rhea set up the ladder in the center portion, hung nicely with the ropes. Candice pulls Io away though and hits a Brainbuster! Tosses a trash can lid to Ripley and kicks it into her face! Now Candice and Shotzi are going at it with the smaller ladder. Candice wins out, sets the ladder up. But Shotzi fights back, headbutt drops her. Shotzi scales the ladder. Candice does as well, Shotzi headbutts her and she falls onto some chairs! Shotzi climbs to the very top of the ladder, Senton Bomb!!
Ripley Pancakes Dakota. Shirai up top, Over The Moonsault! Cover, Toni tackles Ripley into the pin to break it up! Ripley with a hot shot to Toni, Io up top again. Gonzalez with a back body drop sends Ripley into the cage! Raquel up there with Io, she tries a wild Super Rana to send her across the hung ladder but Raquel hangs on!!! ONE-HANDED POWERBOMB SENDS HER THROUGH THE LADDER!! Cover in the center, and Raquel Gonzalez pins Io Shirai to win the match!
Winner: Candice LaRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm
Great match. Little bit of goofiness, a lot of which made me laugh anyway, but nothing that brought it down, it still ruled for sure. Didn’t expect that win, I guess they’re going all in with Gonzalez now.
Aaaand these pages actually get kinda weird when I make these black blocks too big so I’m gonna make a break riiiight…
…here! Cool.
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Timothy Thatcher
Lock-up. Ciampa with a side headlock takedown. Mat wrestling begins. They break apart. Lock-up, Ciampa with another headlock. Thatcher gets him down and drives his knee into his side. Ciampa breaks a hold in the ropes, chops but Thatcher drops him and goes after his leg, torqueing at the knee. Thatcher just grinding on him, smothering. Stands up and kicks him in the ribs. Ciampa with a snapmare to answer, shots to the chest. Slap to the face, working over the left leg. Drives his exposed knee into the mat repeatedly.
Ciampa tosses him to the floor and goes out there with him, but Thatch back into the ring, catches him with a stomp to the head on his return. Ref has to pause and check on him, his jaw seems messed up. Thatcher with a big uppercut, Front Facelock Suplex! Cover for a nearfall. Now Thatch focusing on the jaw with his chinlock. Knee drop to the gut. Thatcher with knee drives to the back, slams his torso into the apron from the outside!
He spins him over, elbow to the throat. Commentary point out that Ciampa had surgery on his throat and Thatcher is going for it. Ciampa fights to his feet, Thatcher bounces him off the ropes for a Belly To Belly! Cover, he has a foot under the rope and the ref doesn’t count. Thatcher just lets it go and elbow drops him. Cover for a 2 count. Forearms, Ciampa trying to respond but Thatcher drops him with an uppercut. Thatcher grinding at the neck with another hold, it’s quite simple but very effective.
Ciampa fights up and gets a Stunner counter, chops aplenty. Thatcher blocks a shot though and an open hand strike drops him! Hooks his arms for a Butterfly Suplex, Ciampa powers him up onto his back and drives him into the mat facefirst, that was an awkward looking landing… they fight their way up. Big exchange of elbows, Ciampa wins out so Thatch whips him instead but Ciampa bounces back, they collide with simultaneous headbutts! Thatcher takes him to the corner, Ciampa with a kick, clotheslines, five, six in a row and finishing with a seventh flying clothesline! And now a big corner clothesline!
He takes Thatcher up top, looks for a superplex. And he nails it! Nearfall. Ciampa pulling him up with a double arm, but Thatcher fights back with a double shot to the throat! Looking for a cravate, he’s got him hooked and Ciampa is fading! Ciampa manages to force him out of the ring though and they both tumble to the floor! Thatch rolls back into the ring, Ciampa rolls in as well. Ciampa ducks a throat thrust, big boot, pump knee to the head! And a charging knee too! Side headlock cinched in, looks like a Bully Choke actually!
Thatcher fights to his feet but Ciampa kicks off the rope and brings him to the mat. Thatcher’s ear is bleeding! Ciampa immediately pounds on it! Thatcher fights back up, German Suplex drops him! He looks so goddamn happy to be bleeding. It’s a grizzly sight too. Thatcher with another German Suplex! Thatcher takes Ciampa to the apron, looking for a third German but Ciampa blocks with the ropes. Elbows, Thatcher with a forearm drops him though and Ciampa rolls into the ring.
Thatcher tries to re-enter but Ciampa with an upkick, he looks for Willow’s Bell but Thatcher with a Hot Shot counters, back to the injured throat! Into the ring, drops him with a European Uppercut! Ciampa blocks an uppercut and looks for a backslide, Thatcher ends up tied in the ropes, that was unique… now Ciampa is chopping the hell out of him! Pump kick right to the face, and a rope-assisted Guillotine followed up by a Willow’s Bell! And that is that!
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
A lovely thing to put right after that WarGames match. It was much more technical yet physical and brutal in a totally different way, they just beat each other senseless. Awesome stuff. The two stare at each other afterwards as they slowly leave the apron. I can only describe the vibe I’m getting from this as a pair of hate boners.
Strap Match: Dexter Lumis vs. Cameron Grimes
Grimes brought his own strap, he doesn’t seem to want to wear the strap that Lumis brought. Ref makes sure that’s okay with Dexter and he doesn’t answer which he takes as a yes. They start to put the strap on Dexter but Grimes attacks Lumis before the bell and kicks him to the floor. Grimes throws him into the barricade, round kick, drives him into the fence. Grimes attacks Lumis with the strap, wrapping it around his eyes. Roundhouse kick to the chest. Pulls him to the apron, wraps it around his mouth now. Into the ring, he bundles up the strap and swings it but Lumis avoids it.
Now Lumis with a series of shots, Thesz Press, mounted punches! He takes the strap and finally hooks it around his wrist. Bell rings and Lumis is tossing Grimes around, lariat drops him! Lumis tries to whip him but Grimes slips to the floor. Lumis follows, Grimes with a flying forearm. Whip reversed, Grimes tries to climb up the fence! Lumis yanks Grimes off the barricade for an uppercut to the throat! Dexter raking at him, tosses him HARD into the barricade/fence and it starts to give, dang. Lumis tosses him with the strap again. Now Lumis dragging him across the floor by the strap. Grimes drives him into the barrier to stop him, back suplex sends him OVER the barricade for the off-screen padded landing!
We get the horror shot of Lumis’ hands on the barricade though as he pulls himself up. Grimes is freaked but he attacks on his way back in and yanks him to the floor. Grimes with some elbows! Yanks him in for a big boot! Grimes pulls him up and sits him on a chair, grinding the strap against his eyes again. Lumis goes over towards the table, Grimes attacks him from behind. Grimes grabs Lumis’ bag, pulls out a hilariously identical strap. Then he puts the bag over Lumis’ head to blind him! Grimes uses the second strap as a weapon!
Takes him into the ring and nails him with the strap. Lumis fights back with a Spinebuster! Lumis uses the strap to try and tie up Grimes across the scaffolding they use for WarGames. Grimes is able to stop this though and fights back, he yanks him into the scaffolding! Grimes with some running kicks from the apron! Lumis blocks another kick but Grimes kicks him away… Lumis yanks the strap to send him flying onto the floor! Takes him back into the ring, strap to the back! The whipping finally commences as he brings it across the small of Grimes’ back and torso over and over. Corner clothesline, wants a bulldog but Grimes counters into a German against the buckle!
Brings a chair into the ring now, nails him in the back! And again! A third time! Grimes sits the chair up and seats himself, celebrating his victory. Pulls him up with the strap, Lumis yanks him in though and gets him with a Fallaway Slam! Kip-up! Exchange of shots now, Grimes reverses to take Lumis to the apron but Lumis with a forearm. Dexter goes up top. Grimes yanks him hard to the mat! Collision Course for a nearfall! Now he’s stripping his back in return. Loud shots!
Lumis ends up seated on the chair, Grimes tries a Cave-In but Lumis counters looking for Silence repeatedly but Grimes escapes, looks for a powerslam but Lumis escapes and has Grimes’ legs tied up with the strap, he trips him facefirst into the chair! Now he has him in Silence, using the strap to assist and Grimes has to tap.
Winner: Dexter Lumis
That was always kinda destined to be the worst match on the show but this being TakeOver, that isn’t saying much. It was still pretty cool, maybe a bit longer than I’d have gone with but some good work for sure.
We get a dark creepy vignette of a vulture… seems to be hinting at the return of Karrion Kross.
NXT North American Championship: Leon Ruff (c) vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Damian Priest
Gargano with a superkick takes Priest to the outside. Some cradles on Ruff for 2 counts, big body slam for a nearfall. Johnny with a chop to Ruff. Baseball slide to Priest to keep him outside. Johnny with a charging forearm but Ruff escapes, springs on the ropes a few times, slides between his legs. Chop to the chest, Fenix hops in the ropes for a Springing Headscissor, dropkick! Kicking him into the corner. Priest shoves him away and pounds on Gargano instead. Ruff gets between them and pounds on Johnny too until Priest just tosses Ruff out of the ring! Johnny fights back, Ruff with a Springboard Dropkick to Johnny and now he’s up against the big man!
Priest doesn’t seem interested in this fight and just walks past but Ruff with a roundhouse kick! Chop absorbed, Priest hoists him up in a goozle, holding him high with ease. Johnny also comes up and Priest has to contend with him too, the they both slip out and take Priest to the floor. Johnny with a suicide dive. He tells Ruff to go for a dive on him too but it’s a trick as he comes into the ring with a Springing Spear for a nearfall! Priest takes Johnny to the floor and is knocking him around. Ruff leaps off the ramp at Priest and he catches him, big boot to Johnny. Damien stands him up like a little kid and tells him to stop bothering him.
Ruff is not happy with this, pulls him around and slaps him. Priest grabs him and hoists him up, Razor’s Edge right through the barrier and fence and it falls, huge bump! Priest looking guilty now though, apologizing as the refs help Ruff up and help him to the back. Now Gargano attacking Priest, kicks off the ramp for a Tornado DDT (on the second try as his feet slipped the first time). Johnny yells to the camera about how Ruff can’t hang, he’s a joke. He takes Priest to the ring, Priest looks to counter with a Reckoning but Johnny escapes into the ring, Priest in as well, Rolling Wheel Kick!
Gargano ducks a shot, avoids Razor’s Edge, Standing Shiranui for a nearfall! Johnny charges, Priest kicks him away, avoids some shots, bellclap! Johnny avoids a few blows, low kick lands, he hits the ropes, Priest flips him with a lariat! Abrupt “NXT” chant begins. And now in comes Ruff, running down the ramp and leaping over the top rope at Gargano! Charging dropkick to Priest! Mounted shots. Takes both men out, leap to the top, senton bomb to the floor! Now he takes Johnny inside, beautiful Springing Corkscrew Cutter! Nearfall!
Ruff goes up top, Gargano blocks him. Rips him to the mat. Whip, Ruff does a lovely rebound from the ropes for a clothesline, nearfall! He goes up top, Priest is there staring him down. Ruff leaps off, ducks a few lines but Priest with a big boot. Grabs both of them at once for a Lifting Flatliner! Priest with flying back elbows in opposing corners. Lifts Ruff up and just HURLS him at Gargano! Hoists Gargano up for the Razor’s Edge, Johnny escapes, sends him into the post! Priest gets taken to the center portion, Gargano lifts Ruff up – Lawndart sends Ruff flying and he seems to collide heads with Priest!
Johnny ties Priest up in the ropes, hooking his arms out there to trap him in the land between rings. Now back into the regular ring, hoists Ruff up, he slips away, ducks a thrust kick – Crucifix Bomb!!! NEARFALL! Ruff struggles his way up top. Priest is still trapped, Gargano rolls out of the way of a frog splash! Ruff is trapped, but Priest manages to elevate himself to get free and he breaks it up! Goes up top, Flying Wheel Kick! Ruff sidesteps a corner charge, clothesline but Priest does not fall. Ruff ducks a line, hits one of his own again but Priest just tosses him – Gargano superkicks Ruff out of the air, yikes!
Priest blocks a One Final Beat attempt, yanks him into the ring for a Sit-Out Chokeslam! But now, here come the Ghostfaces. They swarm in on Priest and attack him. Priest fights back, he knocks them out of the ring. Another trio is here but Priest gets them with a big tope! And now a Taker Dive to the other side! Gargano with a suicide dive to Priest but he counters with a Chokeslam onto the apron! Johnny rolls into the ring, Ruff with a wicked Frog Splash off the top, Priest baaaaaaarely breaks it up! My goodness! Priest pulls Ruff up, Ruff with the little boy strikes.
Priest shoves him away, Trouble In Paradise kick. Johnny charges and wants the Gargano Escape but Priest breaks out, Johnny blocks the Reckoning, Priest nails two consecutive Trouble In Paradise kicks to drop him! He howls. Pulls Johnny up for the Reckoning again but another Ghostface nails him in the back with a lead pipe. Ruff rolls Johnny up but eats a Superkick! One Final Beat and Johnny gets the pin.
Winner: Johnny Gargano
Welp, he’s got a solid hold on the record as 3-time NXT North American champion. Awesome match, the Ghostfaces confound me a bit, is it not copywritten…? Ah well. Cool high spot stuff there, I like how every match on the card has it’s own vibe so far. And one of the Ghostfaces unmasks to reveal it’s Austin Theory, Johnny’s boy. I’m going to assume the other six Ghostfaces were also Austin Theory.
Hype video for what they’re calling New Year’s Evil, which is actually a trademark from WCW I believe, used for an NXT special episode the first week of January. Now then, only the main remains…
WarGames: The Undisputed Era vs. Pat McAfee, Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch & Pete Dunne
Looks like Kyle O’Reilly is starting out for the UE. And Pete Dunne is the first for McAfee’s team, this sounds good! Feeling out bit as neither can land a strike. They clasp hands, trying to wrestle each other down. Dunne grabs an ankle, with a trip but Kyle with a Grapevine attempt, they’re exchanging holds. They both escape! Dunne with a takedown, Kyle with a Triangle Choke, Dunne escapes, spins out, wants to the snap his fingers but Kyle blocks it. KOR gets him into a Cross-Armbreaker, Dunne slips away, avoids a kick. Pete pulls him into the center section with a Triangle of his own, drags him to the opposing ring.
But Kyle grabs an arm and yanks him into the ring as well, looking for a wristlock. Pete lands on his feet off a German attempt, round kick to the head! Singles out an arm, steps on his cheek and now he’s torturing the hand! Ripping at his wrist, stomp to the high of the back! Kyle with chops to the chest to fight back until Dunne grabs the hand and bends at the digits. Rolls him through, double stomp to the hands, round kick to the head! Dunne fights back, X-Plex right into a Cross-Armbreaker!! Kyle struggling out though and pulls him into a painful Heel Hook.
Timer’s up, Pat acts like he wants in but Oney takes the initiative instead. Oney and Kyle trading chops, Kyle with a series of leg kicks, round kick, legsweep! Dunne with a lariat drops him. Oney with charging body blocks. Ducks a roundhouse kick from O’Reilly, German Suplex! Dunne with a running kick to the face. Dunne with a Romero Special like maneuver, putting KOR in position for brutal chops from Lorcan! And then a spiking DDT!
Kyle escapes to the center portion, he gets Dragonscrews in the ropes to both men! He goes up top, Dunne goes over but Kyle kicks him away, diving knee drop to the chest of Oney. Dunne with a dropkick to the leg! Oney with a Single Leg Boston Crab to Kyle, Pete drives a knee into his back and rips at his arm at the same time! They are just torturing him but the timer is ticking down… and in comes his partner Bobby Fish! Body shot to Dunne, high kick to Oney. He is nailing them both, Exploder sends Dunne into Lorcan! Fish with a whip, Main Event Spinebuster!
Pete with upkicks, charges and Fish takes him to the center, Kyle with double high knees takes him down! Back into the ring, O’Reilly pops Oney way up for a round kick from Fish! Codebreaker into a Wheelbarrow German! Dunne tries for a Guillotine on Kyle but Fish pulls him away in a Sleeper! Double roundhouse kicks drop him! Fish with forearms and shots in the corner. Fish with a Dragonscrew Legwhip to Oney. But Oney and Dunne take over and hold them down for the timer to tick down. Faces knock them away just before Danny Burch comes out and he goes under the ring to pull out an orange bag and throw it into the ring.
Burch pulls a cricket bat out from the bag! He misses some shots withit though but nails a German Suplex! Dunne takes up the cricket bat and chokes Fish with it. Burch pulls out a SECOND cricket bat, because you’d never go outside with just the one and he nails Kyle O’Reilly with it! Burch looks to smash Kyle with it but he counters by rolling him into the Heel Hook! Burch is frantically tapping out but the match hasn’t officially begun yet. Dunne with a leaping stomp to the arm of O’Reilly to stop this. Cricket bat shot to the back and that looked painful!
The heels are pummeling ReDragon now but the timer ticks down and in comes Roderick Strong! But he’s taken right down, only to answer with a double flying clothesline! He’s chopping them around, whip to Oney for a dropkick! Ducks a shot from Dunne, Elevated Backbreaker! Olympic Slam to Burch! Taken to the center but from there he fights everyone with enziguri! He charges back and forth with elbows to Burch and Lorcan and high knees to Dunne, amazing! Throws Dunne to the other ring, but Oney tosses him into the cage!
Heels have taken over again, double back elbow to O’Reilly. Brutal chop to Strong from Oney! Dunne with a brutal stomp to the elbow of Fish! They’re getting tossed into the cage again, Pat McAfee is now in. He goes under the ring and pulls out a table. They had the heels take over before this because they didn’t want to portray McAfee as being able to actually change the tide, heh. Anyway he takes a looong time putting in tables, labeled with the names of the respective UE members. Finally they set up Strong’s table. Kyle and Fish try to stop them but they’re cut off. Roddy gets pulled onto the table, McAfee with a lovely moonsault putting him right through the table!
But finally the time is up for Adam Cole, the last man in! He’s looking for something under the ring, he pulls out a fire extinguisher. Sprays them with it, and then pulls out an official UE chair! Nails Lorcan, Dunne avoids the chair shot but gets taken out with a charging knee, Ushigoroshi to Burch! McAfee stares him down from the other ring. But Dunne stands between them. They fight in the center area until Pat attacks Cole from behind. Back in the other ring, Dunne looks to break Cole’s fingers until Kyle nails Dunne in the back with a chair.
Kyle yells at McAfee, clearly having beef. He throws the chair away so Pat will step over but Cole nails him from behind with a chairshot. Now it’s a Pier 6 brawl! They’re battling in both rings to an “NXT” chant. Roddy and Fish are pounding on Burch and Lorcan in one ring until Dunne comes up and attacks Fish. But he escapes a back body drop and goes for a sleeper! Lorcan surprises him with a Blockbuster to break it up! Axe Kick from O’Reilly leads to a leaping knee from Fish! Oney breaks up the pin, Magic Killer-esque maneuver for a nearfall.
Cole takes them both down, McAfee with a chop block to Cole! Pat gets him in a Figure Four as the rest of his team keeps the UE from making the save in the other ring! But Cole rolls around to break it just as the rest of his team get them caught in submission holds of their own! Finally Dunne breaks free to break up the hold! (The others on his team broke their holds too.)
Burch and Lorcan pummel Fish, grab one of the tables. Strong yanks Dunne neckfirst on the rope as they set up the table with Cole’s name on it. ReDragon and Burch & Lorcan with an exchange of strikes, they drop one another! Meanwhile Dunne with a Triangle Choke on Cole, Cole rolls him over for a nearfall, forces the break, Spike Ushigoroshi for a nearfall! Cole sets up a table now, the one with O’Reilly’s name on it. He pulls Dunne up on the top rope for a superplex through it, but Dunne fights back. Everyone is converging on that side of the ring. Dunne gets powerbombed onto Burch on the Cole table! And then Strong flies off the top with a frog splash taking all three of them through it!
McAfee climbs up with Cole though, hooks him for a Superplex, Cole shoves him and McAfee flies off for a huge bump through the O’Reilly table! “This Is Awesome” chant commences. Dunne, Burch and Lorcan get taken to the apron. Fish, O’Reilly and Strong with charging shots, Cole with a Superkick, they just keep destroying them with charging strikes! This is a mugging if ever there was one, Cole with ANOTHER Superkick and they drop. “NXT” chant.
They turn around to see McAfee was sneaking up on them. He gets shook and tries to leave but they follow him, surround him and then swarm on him with kicks and stomps! Cole tosses him right into the cage! Kyle HURLS him into the steel! Fish and Strong with a big double team to lawndart him into the cage! Finally the other heels make their comeback though and attack from behind. They help Pat to his feet but he crumbles to a knee anyway. Burch hoists Fish onto his shoulders, Oney up top. But UE pulls Fish free, Burch is able to hold O’Reilly up for a Diving Uppercut from Lorcan! Dunne and Cole fighting up top, Cole with a Super Neckbreaker! Finally Strong with a hard Superplex to McAfee!
Another “NXT” chant as everyone is dead. Slowly UE and the heel side aside from McAfee stand up. They exchange in the middle of the ring, UE is winning out but now McAfee is atop the cage! SWANTON BOMB ONTO EVERYBODY! My goodness. O’Reilly and Dunne, the first two in there, now exchanging tired but hard elbows. O’Reilly wins out the exchange, dropping him with a big elbow, but when he tries to follow up Dunne grabs the hands to break the fingers only for O’Reilly to get a shoulder breaker in! Dunne sends him to the ropes, Fingerbreaker, nails the Bitter End! O’REILLY KICKS OUT!
Dunne pulls O’Reilly out to the steely center portion. Wants a Powerbomb but O’Reilly escapes! Snap Suplex onto the steel grate for a nearfall! Kyle sits up a chair. Pulls Dunne into the ring and drags him over to the chair. He puts his face on the seat of the chair, slowly goes up top. But McAfee stops him with a shot to the leg, he drops to the apron favoring that leg. Cole comes in, ducks a chair shot, series of forearms! Pulls the chair up, swings it but McAfee stops him with a low blow. He sizes up Cole for the punt, but Cole avoids it, Pump Kick drops him!
Cole goes up to the second rope for the Panama Sunrise, Burch cuts him off but Fish drives him right through the final table! Pat attacks Cole from behind, tries a mocking Panama Sunrise but Cole with a Superkick out of the air! Now the real Panama Sunrise nailed – NEARFALL!? I sure bought that one! Cole exposes a kneepad now. Wants the Lost Shot, Lorcan saves Pat and takes it instead! Dunne with an enziguri to Cole, sits up the chair, BRUTAL BTITER END ONTO THE TOP OF THE CHAIR! Strong with a leaping stomp to break it up, WILD End of Heartache!! Fish and Strong with a High and Low to Lorcan, O’Reilly off the top with a diving knee drop to the head of Oney and that is finally that!
Winners: The Undisputed Era
Definitely one of those matches that you have to catch your breath after a little bit. Just stellar stuff, they’re not likely to ever have a bad WarGames match, these things are always insane.
And another damn good TakeOver as well, can’t really complain about much on this show. That’s all for tonight.