7 Ups And 3 Downs For NXT TakeOver XXV
4. Strong, Riddle Throw Down
It was kind of a foregone conclusion that Roderick Strong and Matt Riddle would have a hard-hitting, rapid-striking matchup at TakeOver.
But the two opened the show with a match that left you wondering how either man had all their teeth intact afterward. Strong repeatedly unloaded on Riddle, whose “injured” back was the story of the match. The Original Bro kept coming back, at one point hitting a Go to Sleep/German suplex combo that would have been fine as the finisher.
Strong would counter later by getting his knees up on a Floating Bro and quickly hitting a gutbuster and Tiger Bomb for two, then immediately turning it into a Strong Hold. But in the end, Riddle gutted it out, which makes a ton of sense since he’s likely being positioned as a future NXT Championship threat.
But man, what a fantastic opener.