7 Ups & 1 Down From NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Night 2

2. An Epic Years In The Making

OK, this one was almost a 'Down'.

It was bloated, arguably too long and fell into the trope trap of too many unbelievable near falls following death-defying finisher-style moves. Still, Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly had a story to tell here, and it's hard to grudge them the chance to tell it properly.

This fan isn't too fond of too many kickouts, if only 'cause they almost dip into parody territory, but nobody could deny the effort that went into making this main event epic. Besides, Cole and O'Reilly have been on a pro wrestling journey together since the ROH days. This was the kind of featured spot they could've only dreamed about back then.

Anyone who has followed their exploits since days of Honor, or enjoyed them together as part of Undisputed Era, would've liked what happened here. Was it over-the-top? Yep. Did it threaten to drag during the final five minutes? Sure. Despite those niggles, both guys came through and were all-energy.