NXT Takeover Rival

NXT Takeover: Rival - February 2015

Winter Park, Florida

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Sami Zayn is the NXT Champion, Blake and Murphy hold the NXT Tag Team Titles, and Charlotte is the NXT Womens' Champion coming into tonight's show.

COMMENTATORS: Rich Brennan, Corey Graves, and Jason "Prince" Albert

NXT Takeover: Rival kicks off with Hideo Itami taking on Tyler Breeze. Itami spends most of this match fighting from underneath, having his knee injured early on which allows Breeze to dominate with submissions and strikes targeting the damaged limb. Miraculously, Itami recovers and mounts a comeback, only sporadically selling any injury. Ignoring the inconsistency, Itami's fighting spirit does make for an awesome sight to see in a WWE ring, as were his hard-hitting kicks (which, to his credit, he did embellish by selling that they were hurting him as well as his opponent) and a nifty hesitation dropkick in the corner. Overall, not a bad match, but not very good one either. (2.5/5)

Bull Dempsey arrived next, a "wrecking ball" and the "last of a dying breed" according to Rich Brennan, a fancy way of saying that this guy is a huge mass of hoss. His opponent in this No DQ match is Baron Corbin, who comes into the ring with a head full of a steam but ends up on defense after Dempsey hits him with a snap suplex on the ramp. The crowd impatiently chants "We Want Tables," loudly booing after Bull teases their use but doesn't pull them from under the ring. Corbin is able to make a comeback with a big spinebuster in the middle of the ring, following it up with a botched clothesline that brings both men over the top (in the wrong order, though, eliciting more boos from the crowd). Dempsey gets a decent response for tossing Corbin into the steps, but its not until he grabs a steel chair that the crowd really comes alive. Before he can use it, though, Corbin hits his End of Days finish and the match is over before a single weapon is used. Puzzling booking for a No DQ match between two archrivals. Meaningless post-match scene too with Corbin simply sitting on the chair and looking at what he had done (which didn't seem like much). (0.5/5)

The NXT Tag Team Championships were on the line next, with the Lucha Dragons challenging the regining title holders, Blake and Murphy. Within the first minute, Sin Cara seems to botch a maneuver on Wesley Blake, a rare goof from one of the brand's more technically proficient workers. A minute or so later, Kalisto slips on the middle rope, but the crowd is brought back into it when Cara connects with a vicious victory roll on Murphy from the top rope. Blake and Murphy take control, though, hitting a double-team pop-up neckbreaker. Kallisto gets the hot tag next, delivering a twisting crossbody before having his Sarita Del Sol countered into a somewhat awkward collar-and-elbow tie-up. Cara and Blake go through a pretty incredible sequence of counters and reversals, leading to a sprint through the final minute. Blake and Murphy showed tremendous resiliency, quickness, and cunning, but they are missing a piece to truly stand out as a great tag team. Solid bout that suffered from some awkward moments. (2.5/5)

Former NXT Champion Neville took on relative NXT newcomer Finn Balor next. While some will likely include this match in their top five bouts of the year, I'm a tad less enthusiastic about it - not because of the effort put in or the number of amazing spots and sequences (there is a ton), but simply because of the gravity of the match. By this point, it was common knowledge that Neville would be leaving NXT for the main roster and Balor was being groomed for a top spot in the brand, hurting the suspense of the match considerably. To their credit, Neville and Balor don't wrestle this match like the finish is a foregone conclusion and the crowd plays along - but it doesn't change the fact that this match suffers from a telegraphed outcome. In terms of the in-ring action, there is little to criticize - these two put on a fireworks display of awesomeness, including a Finn Balor dropkick that sends Neville all the way into the crowd. Great match that may not land in my top 5 of the year, but could sneak its way into the Top 10 or 12. (4/5)

The NXT Womens' Championship was on the line next in a fourway match pitting champion Charlotte against Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Becky Lynch. After a few hiccups in the early minutes, the pace quickens and the crowd warms up, giving this match a sense of urgency and excitement that makes it a bit more meaningful than even Balor/Neville. What is really commendable here is how well everyone is positioned too; Banks is the focal point and anchor of the match, the right spot for the most over heel, while Lynch serves as the glue, capable of working segments with anyone else in the match based on her tweener role (not to mention her impressive versatility as a technician/bumper). Charlotte is the reigning Champion, eager not to lose her title by getting pinned or by having an opponent take a pinfall, essentially "on defense" for the majority of the match. Bayley shines as the underdog, the "perennial loser" whose flurries of offense are a bit unexpected but are delivered with so much spirit that she becomes a very credible threat to Charlotte. While only half of these roles are as fully developed as they could be, should be, or would be in the months that followed, the fact that a women's wrestling match under the WWE banner has any character development in it is still something really special. With a near-flawless finish coming after a series of crowd-pleasing spots, this is a must watch for fans of womens' wrestling. (4/5)

Main event time - Sami Zayn defending the NXT Championship against former friend Kevin Owens. There was a great backstory for this match and the crowd cares about it from the start. Owens dominates for extended stretches, dishing out some fairly typical stuff early on before busting out his more innovative weapons. Zayn's hope spots are well-timed, well-executed, and effectively showcase his mix of high-flying offense and technical skill. The finish of the match is an unforgettable series of events wonderfully reminiscent of peak era NWA - at what point does the match end and the "angle" start? The crowd, fully aware that they are watching a scripted wrestling event (these are the "smartest" fans in the world, right?) buys into what they are watching in the ring. It is professional wrestling in its most intended and awesome form - storytelling perfection that leaves the viewer uneasy and, to some degree, unsatisfied. This is not a match to watch if you are seeking closure or because it is either man's peak performance. No, this is a match to watch because it reaffirms your fandom and love for the concept of professional wrestling. (4/5)

Here is a fairly excellent show so heavily burdened by its weakest parts that its 2.92-out-of-5 score doesn't really do it justice. The last three matches are absolutely tremendous. In fact, there is probably no other Network show from 2015 that features a run of matches as good as those three together (in fact, I'm almost willing to wager there is no show this decade that boasts a string as good as the last three here). Unfortunately, the first three matches offer way less excitement. Itami/Breeze is solid but ultimately unmemorable. The tag titles match was no less than average, but featurd a few flubs. The less said about the Corbin/Dempsey match the better (I'm not positive, but it may be my lowest rated match of the year). Easy rating to give for a show featuring an almost perfect second half, but a boring first...

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand