6 Ups And 5 Downs From NXT TakeOver: Chicago
When the crowd chants, 'F*** you' for a heel turn, you're doing something right.
Whenever NXT runs a TakeOver show the night before a WWE PPV, do you think the wrestlers on the main roster get antsy? The developmental brand often sets the bar pretty high for the seasoned wrestlers to match or top, leaving them in an unenviable spot the next night.
TakeOver: Chicago featured five matches that were varying degrees of good, with one of them being purely great. Nothing really dragged, and the two-hour show breezed by, with a truly memorable ending. If you were looking for an enjoyable escape for the evening, you could do a lot worse.
The highest high point of the night had to be the United Kingdom Championship match between Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne, with both men turning in epic performances en route to Dunne defeating Bate to capture the UK title. That match alone is worth the replay, along with a nice performance from Roderick Strong and good showings from Hideo Itami and Bobby Roode.
And we saw a jaw-dropping heel turn that should lead to some high-octane, bitterly personal matches between former best friends. But let’s not spoil that just yet.
Let’s take a look at what scaled the ladder to reach for greatness and what crashed and burned. Let’s get to it…