10 Things WWE Got Right At NXT Takeover: Brooklyn

4. Finn Balor Retains The NXT Championship

finn balor kevin owens
WWE.com

Make no mistake about it, a Kevin Owens title win here could’ve have thrown up numerous interesting possibilities going forward, but having Balor retain the gold was the better choice.

Finn has openly talked about how he's happy to remain part of the NXT family for the foreseeable future, and a loss here in his first big title defence would’ve done him more harm than good.

On the other side, a loss for Owens is fine at this juncture. He’s now an established main roster talent who can be seen on WWE TV twice a week. Whilst it was great to see him walking around Raw with the NXT Championship over his shoulders, the NXT Champion should really be somebody who spends the majority of their time on NXT television.

Frankly put, Owens no longer needs the NXT Title. His character is at a stage where he is looking at the next level of competition on the main WWE roster. As for Balor, the big win over Owens at such a huge event only adds further to his stock.

Plus it likely won’t be all that long before we see The Demon making his way to the main roster himself.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.