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

2. An Epic Years In The Making

Adam Cole Kyle O'Reilly
WWE.com

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.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.