NXT Takeover: San Antonio Review - 6 Big Talking Points

5. The Rise Of Tye Dillinger Continues

Dillinger SAnitY
WWE.com

Tye Dillinger Vs. Eric Young wasn't the perfect 10 in match quality - more a 7 - but then, an opening match isn't meant to be.

The perfect opener exists to unglue but not exhaust the crowd. It met that objective very well. You could nod along to the emotional beats even before the opening bell, but as obvious as SAnitY's interference was, it was effective enough in maintaining the crucial balance of the Dillinger act. Fans don't really want to see him win - but they don't want to see him get buried, either.

What the match lacked in true, thriller movie suspense, it compensated with an almost horrific tone of lurching unease. Young's hangman spot in the corner generated considerable sympathy for the flailing Dillinger, and Killian Dane's cross-body block on the outside was a heart-stopping jump scare.

Horror flicks suffer when the lead is cast as an idiot to facilitate contrived plot developments, but Dillinger was as brave as he was tactical, almost ripping Young's beard off in the face of his blood-curdling scream. The similarly predictable finishing sequence melee was just chaotic enough to disorient the senses and cast the outcome in doubt.

Given that Dillinger was fated to go down into the basement, that speaks to its unassuming quality.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!