8 Reasons NXT Takeover Was Better Than WWE SummerSlam
Take notes Vince...
With SummerSlam and NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn in the books, which of the two shows came out on top? SummerSlam definitely had its moments with The New Day winning the tag title, Cesaro/Owens, Jon Stewart costing John Cena his title and the controversial ending to Undertaker/Lesnar, but the show as a whole was fairly average. WWE has trouble filling a 3-hour Raw with intriguing entertainment, so how could they do any better with a 4 hour show?
Well, they couldn't.
NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn was a compact ball of energy that rarely let up. From Jushin Liger cracking jokes at Tyler Breeze's expense to The Vaudevillians capturing the tag team titles for the first time, the entire undercard thoroughly entertained.
Even the arena was more interesting to look at; slight changes to the lighting and use of video boards helped make the product "feel" different.
Need more positives? NXT comprises of 100% less Ryback and Big Show, while Balor and Kevin Owens put on a fine ladder match that would have been match of the night had it not been for the absolute classic Sasha Banks and Bayley put on. If you didn't enjoy their match, well, someone should kick steps against your hand and stomp on them for good measure.
Here are 8 reasons why NXT outdid SummerSlam.
8. Opening Match
Jushin "Thunder" Liger vs. Tyler Breeze or Randy Orton vs. Sheamus; which would you pick? On one hand you have two guys who have met 118 times in the WWE and no longer offer anything of interest in their matches. Sure, Sheamus and Orton are solid wrestlers, and can provide a quality spot or two, but honestly it only received a positive reaction from the live crowd because it was the first match. Had they swapped with Cesaro and Owens, that match would have died a very slow death.
NXT was smart enough to bring out their special guest right off the bat and he provided some fun moments; posing like Breeze on the turnbuckle and even using his selfie-stick midway through the match. By bringing in an international legend it made fans feel like they had to tune in. Who knows when Liger will return? It also shows what NXT and Liger think of Breeze to give him this opportunity. He may not be in the main event scene, but his status is very solid within the brand.