6 NXT TakeOver: Chicago Reactions Match By Match

A surprise up next, as the NXT Championship match did not close the show. It could be argued that this telegraphed the finish, as it would make no sense to waste a title switch in the semi main event, but NXT booking is so good that there was always the element of doubt.

Itami put in a strong performance here, which is exactly what he needed to prove he's still a player in NXT. The story throughout the match was that Roode was terrified of being hit with a GTS again, as he should be. It's always tough for a babyface to be matched against Roode, as he has so much fan support due to his entrance and the fact that he's so damn good.

There was an excellent sequence to finish the match, with Itami being so unlucky that Roode was knocked underneath the bottom rope and out of the ring by the GTS, only to recover and finish the former KENTA with a pair of Glorious DDTs. Roode's excellent title reign keeps on rolling, and Itami showed that he belongs as a main eventer in NXT. Mission accomplished.