5 Ups And Downs For WWE NXT Takeover: Rival

By Scott Carlson /

DOWNS€

5. Title Changes Hands On A Ref Stoppage?

The only reason this item ranks as a €œdown€ is that it likely has fans divided €“ some think it was a brilliant move that is never used, while others believe it was a terrible decision. Kevin Owens assaulted longtime friend and rival Sami Zayn moments after he won the NXT Championship at (R)Evolution. Although it was Owens€™ debut with the company, he managed to parlay that attack into a title match at Rival. During their match, Owens repeatedly attacked Zayn€™s head, snapping off several powerbombs and other high-impact moves that left Sami incapacitated and unable to continue. Despite his waiving off attempts to stop the match, the ringside doctors and referee put an end to the match €“ and Zayn€™s two-month title reign €“ awarding the NXT Championship to Owens. Several WWE matches have ended due to ref stoppage, but having a company€™s major title change hands as a result of such a decision is extremely rare. It€™s a legit shocker that accomplishes several goals, which will be detailed later. Call this a bold move that has some highly positive fallout, but a move that understandably could be tough for some fans to swallow initially.