10 LIVE Observations From NXT TakeOver: New York

9. The Vocal Minority

Ciampa Gargano
WWE.com

I'm one of those (internally) policing sh*theads at wrestling shows.

You are allowed to have fun, in order to create a molten, living atmosphere, but only to an extent. When the production crew finally dims a blinding light, for example, a brief ironic cheer will suffice. Don't chant "You deserve it" for two straight minutes, detracting from the in-ring action. It didn't help my creeping mood that I was sat behind the adopted child of Renee Young and Susan Saint James. "Oh!" he said, after every strike. Literally every move. "One, two - two!" he said, at every kick-out. "Two," he confirmed, helpfully. "Two." Still a more insightful and less repetitive commentator than Michael Cole.

I tried to reason with myself. This gentleman is simply engaged in the action. It would be splendid if he shut the f**k up for a moment, but try not get distracted. You are watching a TakeOver live, in the flesh. Besides which, the guy was only unwittingly annoying. The really self-serving and obnoxious fans did not materialise. Well, one spent the entire main event failing to receive the response element to her "Adam Cole..." call-out, but that was cruelly funny.

The purportedly distracting, unbearable NXT crowd really united on the night...

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!