8 Ups And 1 Down From NXT TakeOver WarGames

Ripley shines, Balor triumphs, KO, and Kai shock.

Ciampa NXT
WWE.com

If you’re a regular viewer of NXT TakeOver specials (and this column’s review of them), this should come as no surprise: WarGames dominated Saturday night.

NXT’s latest PPV installment was a huge hit, with the first women’s WarGames match leading off and raising the bar right from the get-go. The entire event featured wrestling that ranged from solid to outstanding, with nothing that you would term bad – or even pedestrian.

TakeOver featured a surprise return, a heel turn, huge car-crash maneuvers, smart booking, and star-making performances, something we don’t see very often from WWE. You’ve got to give it up for finally getting Keith Lee and Dominick Dijakovic onto a TakeOver, and giving Rhea Ripley an opportunity to shine was an incredibly smart move.

Finn Balor looked great in his return to an NXT ring, and he’s now not alone with another former NXT champion returning to the promotion. Undisputed Era once again was a main attraction, but no longer are they the unbeatable heels. They’re still the strongest faction in NXT, but they showed their vulnerability Saturday.

All in all, TakeOver once again threw the gauntlet down at WWE’s feet, with Survivor Series coming up Sunday night. But before you can speculate on whether they can top NXT, let’s dive into WarGames.

Let’s get to it…

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Contributor
Contributor

Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fortunately became a fan in time for WrestleMania III and came back as a fan after a long high school hiatus before WM XIV. Monday nights in the Carlson household are reserved for viewing Raw -- for better or worse.