Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including NXT TakeOver: WarGames, thoughts on all the matches and where they go from here, New Japan tournament finals on Friday, NOAH!!!, Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul, Mike Tyson wanting to fight again, mailbag and more.
A packed show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: TakeOver
20:33: NOAH
28:04: Best of the Super Juniors/World Tag League finals lineup
34:55: Mayweather-Logan Paul, Holyfield-Tyson
43:00: Mailbag
Candice LeRae suffered an arm injury at NXT TakeOver: WarGames on Sunday night.
During his post-TakeOver media call, Paul “Triple H” Levesque said LeRae was being checked out and being X-Rayed after the show. Levesque said LeRae possibly suffered a broken arm, but they weren’t sure of that yet.
LeRae and Shotzi Blackheart were the team captains for this year’s women’s WarGames match. Team Candice (LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm) defeated Team Shotzi (Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley & NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai) when Gonzalez pinned Shirai after powerbombing her through a ladder.
In the last spot LeRae was involved in near the end of the match, Blackheart hit a senton off the top of a ladder onto LeRae as LeRae had a steel chair on top of her. LeRae was favoring her right arm when her teammates checked on her and as they celebrated after the match.
Levesque also said during the post-TakeOver media call that Bobby Fish suffered a laceration on his elbow in the men’s WarGames match. Levesque said they weren’t exactly sure if it was just the elbow, so they were just waiting to see. Levesque said aside from LeRae and Fish’s injuries, it seems like the most anyone else suffered was just bumps and bruises.
It’s the Bryan & Vinny & Craig Show and we’ve got a PACKED show tonight, a look at NXT TakeOver: WarGames, a largely great show with some totally baffling booking decisions, including the entire layout of the women’s WarGames match. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Johnny Gargano is now a three-time NXT North American Champion.
The unexpected title reign of Leon Ruff came to an end as Gargano defeated Ruff and Damian Priest in a triple threat match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames tonight. Gargano hit One Final Beat and pinned Ruff after getting help from the returning Austin Theory.
Several people wearing Ghostface costumes from the movie “Scream” got involved in tonight’s match and tried to help Gargano. Two groups of people in Ghostface costumes were taken out by Priest hitting dives to the outside. But as Priest was going for The Reckoning on Gargano at the end of the match, another person in a Ghostface costume appeared and hit Priest with a lead pipe. It was revealed to be Theory when he unmasked after Gargano’s win. Theory said it was him all along and celebrated with Gargano after the match.
Gargano had won the North American Championship from Priest at NXT Halloween Havoc this October after interference by someone wearing a Ghostface costume. Gargano tried to break his title defense curse by facing Ruff two weeks after Halloween Havoc, but Ruff won the title after Priest distracted Gargano. Ruff then retained the North American Championship in a rematch against Gargano after Priest punched Ruff so the match would end in a disqualification and Gargano wouldn’t win the title back. Ruff got mad at Priest for treating him like a joke and has been feuding with Gargano and Priest since.
This was the first time Theory has appeared since an angle on the October 21 episode of NXT where Theory said he was quitting after losing two matches to Bronson Reed.
Gargano is the only wrestler who has held the North American Championship multiple times.
Undisputed Era will collide with Team McAfee and Team Shotzi will face off with Team Candice at NXT TakeOver: WarGames tonight.
In this year’s men’s WarGames match, Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish) are facing Team McAfee (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch). Team McAfee will have the WarGames advantage after Dunne defeated O’Reilly in a ladder match two weeks ago.
This will be the second-ever match that McAfee has had. He lost to Cole at TakeOver XXX this summer.
Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley & Io Shirai are on Team Shotzi for the women’s WarGames match. Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm are on Team Candice. Team Shotzi has the advantage after Blackheart defeated Gonzalez in a ladder match this past Wednesday.
Three more matches are also set for tonight. Leon Ruff will put his NXT North American Championship on the line against Johnny Gargano and Damian Priest in a triple threat match, Dexter Lumis and Cameron Grimes will face off in a strap match, and Tommaso Ciampa will take on Timothy Thatcher.
TakeOver begins at 7 p.m. Eastern time. There will also be a pre-show starting at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. It will be hosted by Wade Barrett and Sam Roberts and will include an appearance by ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.
**********
Show Report —
The pre-show was the typical assortment of video packages and talking-head discussion, hosted by Sam Roberts and Wade Barrett. The highlights were the Black Sabbath-soundtracked video package for the men’s War Games match and Ariel Helwani’s interview breaking down War Games as a concept.
WarGames: Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Toni Storm, Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez) defeated Team Shotzi (Io Shirai, Rhea Ripley, Ember Moon & Shozi Blackheart)
This match started really slow with some questionable booking and psychology, but the good effort and stunt-work from these women turned it into an entertaining match by the end.
Team Shotzi has the man advantage, and she’s got a new tank. Dakota Kai and Ember Moon were the first two entrants.
Kai quickly applied a sleeper hold, but Moon flipped out of it. Moon hit a nice headscissor takedown out of a suplex attempt as they traded running offense. Kai got the advantage after something like a capoeira kick. She laid in ground and pound until Moon landed another headscissors. Moon followed it up with a running splash, driving Kai into the cage.
Moon went for another dive, but Kai cut it off and laid in Kawada kicks. Kai then hit the Kai-ropractor as the five-minute call allowed Shotzi Blackheart to enter the match. Blackheart grabbed a toolbox and a crowbar before making her way into the match.
The psychology got strange here, with the babyface team maintaining a two-on-one advantage. Blackheart attacked Kai with kicks as Moon recovered. Kai, the heel, fought off both opponents until being overwhelmed by the numbers advantage. Kai and Blackheart made their way to the top turnbuckle, but Moon put Kai in the electric chair and Blackheart landed a dropkick.
Raquel Gonzalez was next. She hit power moves on both opponents, concluding the flurry with a powerbomb on Blackheart into the cage. Gonzalez picked up Kai in the fireman’s carry and spun around, using Kai as a weapon. Kai hit an assisted diving double clothesline over the gap between the rings before Rhea Ripley entred the match.
Ripley and Gonzalez faced off, but Kai attacked Ripley. Ripley fought off both opponents and hit a series of power moves on Kai as her partners took care of Gonzalez. Moon hit a diving lungblower and Blackheart hit a Code Red on Gonzalez before Ripley opened Blackheart’s toolbox and pulled out a hammer. Using the hammer as a weapon, Ripley beat down Kai, but Gonzalez fought off both Blackheart and Moon.
Gonzalez and Ripley brawled with each other until Toni Storm entered the match and downed Ripley with a German Suplex. Storm brought in kendo sticks and attacked Ripley with one. Ripley was whipped into an exposed turnbuckle. Team Candice beat down their opponents until two simultaneous Tower of Doom spots happened, leaving all six wrestlers down.
Io Shirai was the final entrant for Team Shotzi. She pushed a ladder into the ring until Gonzalez prevented her from entering the match. Shirai almost made her way into the ring after throwing more plunder in and hitting a dropkick con-chair-to, but Gonzalez popped right up and forced her back out. Storm used her belt to tie the cage door shut.
The clock counted down and LeRae was the final entrant. Shirai wanted a fight on the outside but was jumped by Indi Hartwell, who is LeRae’s associate. LeRae entered the ring and Hartwell locked it with a chain, leaving Shirai stranded outside.
Team Candice beat down their opponents with weapons. LeRae wanted a pinfall attempt, but the official wouldn’t count because Shirai hadn’t entered the ring. Shirai appeared on the top of the structure, placing a trash can over her own head, and diving onto all seven competitors.
Shirai grabbed the hammer and attacked all four opponents. She landed a Ripley-assisted DDT and a tiger feint kick. All four of Team Shotzi took out an opponent before Shirai landed a moonsault on Gonzalez, but Team Candice broke up the pinfall.
Moon looked like she was about to attack Storm with a wrench until LeRae broke it up and applied a Garga-No Escape. Blackheart applied Cattle Mutilation on Storm, forcing the submissions to break. There was a parade of weapon shots and offense, concluded with Shirai landing a missile dropkick through a chair into Kai.
Kai fired up and sent Shirai into the turnbuckle before putting the trash can back over Shirai. She landed a diving double stomp, but Moon broke up the pinfall. Moon attacked with a chair before repeatedly driving Moon’s head into a set-up chair. She draped Kai over the chairs and landed the Eclipse through them, but Storm broke up the pin.
Storm hit Storm Zero through a trash can on Moon, but Shirai broke up the cover. Ripley applied her modified deathlock and Shirai landed a dropkick on Storm, but Storm kicked out at two. LeRae took out Shirai with a brainbuster and Ripley with a thrust kick through a trash can lid before facing off with Blackheart.
They climbed opposite sides of a ladder, but Blackheart knocked LeRae off. Blackheart then landed a diving senton onto LeRae through a chair, incapacitating them both.
Across the ring, Storm broke up yet another pinfall on Kai. Gonzalez backdropped Ripley into the cage before attacking Shirai. Shirai went for a Frankensteiner between the rings, but Gonzalez caught it and slammed her through a propped-up ladder, pinning the NXT women’s champion.
Tommaso Ciampa defeated Timothy Thatcher
Like the opener, this lacked focus at the start. It appeared they were going for something closer to MMA simulation, but when it turned into a straight-up wrestling match after Ciampa’s comeback, the action was great.
They performed chain wrestling at the bell. Thatcher found an opening and landed palm strikes. He went for an armbar, but they were in the ropes. They each briefly landed offense before their opponent evened it back up. Ciampa hit hammer fists before making Thatcher’s leg the focus of his attack.
Thatcher was sent to the outside, but upon re-entry, Thatcher downed Ciampa with an uppercut. The official took a long time checking on Ciampa after that, but Ciampa said he was good to go. Thatcher kept up the attack with suplexes before locking on a facelock.
Ciampa’s head was driven into the ring apron. He bit his way out of another facelock, but Thatcher hit a belly-to-belly suplex, but the official wouldn’t count as Thatcher’s leg was under the ropes. The official checked on Ciampa after another uppercut. Ciampa fought out of another suplex and attacked with chops, but Thatcher chopped him down.
Thatcher went for his butterfly suplex, but Ciampa backdropped him out of it. They exchanged forearms until cracking heads against each other. Ciampa built momentum with an extended series of clotheslines before perching Thatcher on the top turnbuckle and landing a superplex for two.
Ciampa went for the Fairytale Ending, but Thatcher countered with a throat chop. Thatcher applied a front sleeper as Ciampa faded, but Ciampa pushed them both outside the ring. Ciampa barely made it back into the ring at the nine count.
Two running knee strikes allowed Ciampa to lock on a bulldog choke. One of the knee strikes busted open Thatcher’s ear, and it was bleeding quite a bit. Thatcher reached the ropes and flatted Ciampa with a German suplex. He hit another and considered his next move.
They made their way to the ring apron. Ciampa fought out of a German attempt but was downed with a forearm. He caught Thatcher coming back in and went for Willow’s Bell but Thatcher dropped to the floor and bounced Ciampa off the ropes.
Back in the ring, Ciampa went for a backslide, but Thatcher escaped to the apron. Ciampa tied Thatcher in the ropes and laid in chops before hitting Willow’s Bell for the pin.
Dexter Lumis defeated Cameron Grimes in a strap match
This went way too long for the story they had, which was mostly just a standard wrestling match and brawl with the strap added in for some unique moments.
Grimes brought his own strap, but it was a ruse, allowing him to attack Lumis before the strap had been tied. Grimes beat down his opponent on the outside, sending him into the barricade and attacking with the strap. Back in the ring, Lumis finally avoided a strike and downed Grimes with a Thesz press.
Lumis put on the strap and the match was officially under way. They played tug-of-war with the strap, and Lumis used his power advantage to yank Grimes towards him and hit a clotheslime. Grimes rolled to the floor before Lumis could whip him and tried to escape out of the ringside area, but Lumis used the strap to pull him back in.
Grimes was thrown into the barricade multiple times until Grimes returned the favor on Lumis. Grimes then dropped Lumis over the barricade, buying him time to recover. Lumis creepily tried to climb back in, but Grimes cut him off and yanked him over.
Using the strap as an assist, Grimes laid in strikes on the outside. Grimes grabbed bag that the other strap was in, put the bag over Lumis’s head, and whipped him with the unused strap. Lumis hit a spinebuster and pulled the bag off his head. He tried to tie Grimes up with the strap, but Grimes pulled Lumis into the WarGames support structure. Grimes hit two soccer kicks, but Lumis caught a third and yanked Grimes onto the floor.
Back in the ring, Lumis repeatedly whipped Grimes with the strap. Grimes fought out of a bulldog and hit a German suplex into the turnbuckle. He then grabbed a chair and attacked Lumis with it. Grimes set up the chair and sat down, taunting Lumis, before Lumis pulled Grimes into a fallaway slam.
They traded strikes and Lumis gained the upper hand. He went to the top rope, but Grimes pulled him down and hit a backflip powerslam. Grimes went for the Cave-In through the chair, but Lumis avoided it. They had an exchange until Lumis used the strap to trip Grimes headfirst into the chair. Lumis then applied the head-and-arm choke, blinding Grimes with the strap, and Grimes submitted.
**********
While the announcers spoke, the lights flickered and a video of a vulture aired. It ended with the words “Tick tock.”
It looked like this was for Karrion Kross.
**********
NXT North American Championship: Johnny Gargano defeated Leon Ruff (c) and Damian Priest to win the title
This match was absolutely absurd and ridiculous, but it was a ton of fun. The contest was high-energy throughout with some really innovative action, although some won’t like the smoke and mirrors with Ruff leaving the match momentarily and interference on behalf of Gargano.
Priest was sent outside right away as Gargano laid into Ruff with big moves. Ruff used some unique springboards to evade some offense before using those same springboards to hit a hurricanrana. Priest told Ruff to get out of his way and sent him outside, but Ruff fired back in with a diving dropkick on both opponents. Priest wouldn’t fight Ruff, but Ruff attacked with kicks.
It looked like Priest would hit Ruff with a chokeslam, but Gargano stopped it as he and Ruff attacked Priest. Gargano took out Priest with a dive and told Ruff to do the same, but it was a ruse, as Gargano cut him off with a slingshot spear.
Priest pulled Gargano to the outside and caught a Ruff dive. Ruff ignored Priest’s demands, so Priest hit a Razor’s Edge on Ruff through the plexiglass barricade. The officials checked on Ruff as Priest sold concern. Ruff was taken to the back, and Gargano took advantage with a tornado DDT on the floor.
Gargano went for the One Final Beat on the ramp, but Priest cut it off and landed a spinning heel kick for two. Gargano avoided a Razor’s Edge and landed Sliced Bread for two. They avoided each other’s strikes before Gargano hit a couple kicks, but Priest fired up and leveled Gargano with a lariat for a double down.
Ruff ran back in and landed a dive on Gargano. He laid in ground and pound while keeping Priest at bay before landing a step-up dive to both men on the floor. Back in the ring, Ruff hit a nice springboard cutter on Gargano for two before heading to the top rope.
Gargano popped up and yanked Ruff down. Gargano had a bloody nose or lip. Ruff used the Tyler Bate ring rebound to flatten Gargano with a lariat for two. He went up top, but Priest was in the way. Priest said that Ruff was out of chances and downed Ruff with a boot before hitting a flatliner on both men.
Priest went corner to corner with body splashes before tossing Ruff into Gargano with the Broken Arrow. Gargano escaped a Razor’s Edge and posted Priest’s shoulder before sending Ruff into Priest with a lawn dart. Gargano tied Priest up in the other ring’s ropes and went for another lawn dart, but Ruff hit a crucifix bomb for a great near fall.
Ruff climbed the ropes, but Gargano rolled out of the way of the frog splash and locked on the Garga-No Escape. Priest escaped the ropes and broke it up before climbing the ropes and hitting a spinning heel kick on Gargano. Ruff avoided a corner splash, but Priest shrugged off clotheslines. Gargano landed a superkick, but Priest turned the One Final Beat into a chokeslam.
Three Ghostface killers appeared, but Priest fought them all off. Another three appeared, and Priest took them out with his step-up dive. Priest then landed a corner tope on the other three. Gargano tried to take advantage, but Priest caught a dive attempt and slammed Gargano. Ruff landed a frog splash on Gargano, but Priest barely broke up the cover in time.
Ruff took the fight to Priest, but Priest flattened him with a spinning knee. Priest caught Gargano and went for the Reckoning, Gargano hit a thrust kick, but Priest hit a cyclone kick. Priest set up for the Reckoning again, but another Ghostface appeared and attacked Priest with a lead pipe. Ruff tried to take advantage with a roll-up, but Gargano kicked out at two. Gargano then hit the One Final Beat to pin Ruff and win the championship.
After the match, the main Ghostface unmasked as Austin Theory.
**********
The next NXT TV special, called New Year’s Evil, was announced for January 6, 2021.
**********
WarGames: Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) defeated Team McAfee (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch)
This was a truly epic main event, one of the best WarGames matches in history. Everyone played their parts perfectly.
Team McAfee had the man advantage. Kyle O’Reilly and Pete Dunne started.
Neither man could get a grappling advantage until Dunne landed a takedown. O’Reilly tried to turn it into a triangle before applying a cross armbreaker. Dunne fought out and caught O’Reilly in a triangle through the ropes. O’Reilly escaped and went for a kimura. He decided to go with a German suplex, but Dunne flipped out of it and hit a buzzsaw kick before moving onto small joint manipulation.
They went into another fast-paced exchange, which Dunne won with a hand stomp and another buzzsaw kick. O’Reilly popped up and applied a guillotine, but he couldn’t maintain the grip. Dunne hit a release suplex and locked on a cross armbreaker, but O’Reilly turned it into a heel hook.
McAfee acted like he wanted to be the next entrant, but Lorcan stopped him and entered them match himself. O’Reilly took the fight to Lorcan, but the two-on-one advantage overwhelmed him as Lorcan landed a half-and-half suplex and Dunne kicked out O’Reilly’s arm. Dunne held O’Reilly’s arms open while Lorcan laid in chops.
O’Reilly rolled into the other ring and caught both opponents with dragon screw legwhips as they gave chase. He then landed a diving kneedrop on Lorcan, but was immediately met with a dropkick from Dunne. Dunne and Lorcan continued their beatdown as the clock ticked down.
Fish was next in. He fought off both opponents before finishing it off with a suplex on Dunne into Lorcan. He flattened Lorcan with a spinebuster and sent Dunne into the gap between the rings, where O’Reilly hit him with a boot. Fish and O’Reilly then downed Lorcan with a DDT into a German suplex. Dunne tried to stop the attack, but his opponents easily dispatched him. O’Reilly wrestled with Lorcan and Fish wrestled with Dunne until Burch entered the match.
Burch grabbed a bag with cricket bats inside on the way to the ring. He and Dunne beat down their opponents with the bats. Burch taunted O’Reilly and was about to crack him with the bat, but O’Reilly surprised him with a heel hook as Burch frantically tapped. Dunne broke up the submission with a diving stomp, and Burch nailed O’Reilly with the bat.
Roderick Strong was next, but he was immediately laid out by Lorcan and Burch. Strong answered with clotheslines and chops before hitting Dunne with a backbreaker and Burch with an Olympic slam. Strong hit strikes on all three opponents but was cut off and sent headfirst into the cage by Lorcan. Team McAfee regained control as McAfee himself was the final entrant.
McAfee brought four tables into the ring, each of which had the Undisputed Era logo and the members’ names on them. He also brought in chairs. Finally in the match, McAfee went to the top rope as his associates set up Strong on a table. McAfee’s first move was a picture-perfect top-rope moonsault through Strong on the table.
The clock counted down and Cole, the final entrant, grabbed a fire extinguisher at ringside. He used it on his opponents and ran wild on Dunne, Lorcan, and Burch as the match was officially underway.
Cole and McAfee were the only two standing, but Dunne popped up between them. Dunne flattened Cole with a forearm smash and laid in stomps, but Cole countered the Bitter End into a DDT. McAfee caught Cole from behind, allowing Dunne to try to break Cole’s fingers, but O’Reilly stopped him with a chair shot.
O’Reilly talked trash to McAfee, accusing him of “playing pro wrestler.” McAfee was about to start a fight but Cole attacked him with a chair. The match broke down and all eight men brawled with their opponents.
Undisputed Era got the advantage until Dunne attacked Fish from behind. Fish turned the X-Plex into a sleeper, but Lorcan broke it up with a blockbuster. O’Reilly landed a knee strike, but Lorcan broke up the pinfall attempt. Lorcan and Burch hit a Magic Killer on O’Reilly, but Fish broke up the pin.
Cole had the advantage until McAfee cut him off with a chop block from behind. McAfee locked on a figure four leglock as his teammates ran interference, but Cole turned it around and reversed the pressure. Dunne broke it up with a stomp.
Lorcan and Burch set up the table with Cole’s name on it but were cut off by Strong and Fish. Dunne caught a Cole superkick and turned it into an armbar, but Cole forced Dunne’s shoulders onto the mat, so Dunne had to break. Cole then hit the ushigoroshi for a near fall.
Cole set up a table and looked to superplex Dunne through it. Fish and Strong put Burch on a table and tried to bomb Dunne through it, but the table didn’t break. Strong dove off with a splash through Dunne and Burch, breaking the table. McAfee tried to take advantage and attack Cole, but Cole sent him flying through a table.
Dunne, Lorcan, and Burch were all forced between the ropes and the cage. Undisputed Era each hit a strike on all three men.
McAfee was the only member of his team left standing. He tried to climb out of the cage, but Undisputed Era stopped him and took turns tossing him into the cage. They tried to inflict more punishment, but took too long as Dunne, Lorcan, and Burch re-entered the fray and regained control.
Everyone climbed various turnbuckles. Lorcan nailed a diving uppercut on Fish, but Cole hit a top-rope neckbreaker on Dunne and Strong hit a superplex on McAfee. All eight men were down.
It looked like everyone started to brawl, but the camera panned up and McAfee was on top of the structure. He “hit” a senton atomico in the middle of the crowd, but somehow missed everyone and splatted on the canvas. That was brutal.
Dunne and O’Reilly faced off with a strike exchange. Dunne snapped O’Reilly’s fingers and hit the Bitter End, but O’Reilly kicked out in a great near fall. O’Reilly hit a brainbuster on Dunne on the steel between the two rings, but Dunne kicked out for another good near fall.
O’Reilly set Dunne up on a chair and headed to the top turnbuckle. McAfee cut him off with a hard chair shot. He tried to attack Cole with the chair, but Cole avoided it and grabbed the chair. McAfee countered a chair shot with a low blow, but Cole hit a pump kick.
Cole wanted Panama Sunrise. Burch tried to interfere, but Strong tackled him through a table. Cole tried for a Panama Sunrise of his own, but Cole cut it off with a superkick and hit Panama Sunrise for two. Cole went for the Last Shot, but Lorcan got in the way and took it before Dunne hit Cole with the Bitter End through a chair.
O’Reilly, Fish, and Strong dispatched Dunne before hitting the High Low through a chair on Lorcan. O’Reilly then hit Lorcan with a diving knee drop through a chair to win WarGames and end the show.
The Internet is nothing if not a supremely safe space — one that is warm, accepting, and even encouraging of all viewpoints.
Such a safe space means I can comfortably unburden myself by admitting WarGames is my least favorite NXT TakeOver every year. Don’t get me wrong: the matches are consistently good. It’s just that I enjoy matches with higher stakes. I love popcorn matches as much as anyone, but we all have our preferences.
It’s also why I think the Survivor Series matches should be launched into the sun. Brand supremacy is not something anyone even pretends to care about. It’s not a thing! Wearing a blue SmackDown t-shirt is the equivalent of Rob Lowe wearing an NFL hat. Modern Survivor Series stinks, but at least WarGames matches are wildly entertaining.
The point of those matches aren’t to serve any substantive storylines. Sure, there are stories that got us to this point, but that’s not the real appeal. The appeal comes from the spots and the movez. What the matches can accomplish are two things: kicking off major storylines (Dakota Kai turning heel last year) and giving the wrestlers signature moments for their video packages (Ricochet’s double moonsault off the top of the cage). Those needs are always going to exist, so WarGames is gonna keep on keepin’ on.
WarGames also provides a way to get more wrestlers on the card; something that we all love to see. And, what a card this is. This is the best of the best of the current era of NXT; a nice blend of established stars and newer faces.
So for the last time in 2020, let’s run down the card and make some terrible predictions!
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Timothy Thatcher
Thatcher is a droplet from God and for some reason, he remains slept on. The old argument that he doesn’t have a personality is lazy and weak. Sometimes, I think those critics are only remembering his long, intentionally boring EVOLVE title run and just assume there isn’t much there. I’ll repeat for the people in the back: my man intentionally wrestled as boring as possible to make his character more unlikable. What a maneuver. What a beautifully meta maneuver.
However, I think an unfortunate outcome of that is people thinking that is only what he is: boring and slow. In reality, it was just a conscious choice. Rarely does the grinding and grappling style invite the casual viewer, but Big Tim makes stretching someone entertaining as hell. He’s been so good for so long, and, with the exception of flips, there isn’t much he can’t do in the ring.
I’m not quite sure what’s going on with Tom Champ, though. When he came back with a cool jacket and vest, it was clear he was a bad dude. He put a big-time beatdown on Jake Atlas after a match and everything! But then, he cut a sunshine day-esque promo after NXT went off the air which means he cut a ‘thank you NXT Universe’ promo to…his coworkers? All of a sudden, he was then a good guy?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This week, he showed up to interrupt Thatcher’s class which is just plain rude. We all know that the number one quality WWE looks for in a babyface is rudeness. 95% of what I write is a joke or sarcastic, but that fact is actually true. Rudeness and terrible senses of humor are the starting point for every WWE face.
Ciampa is at the same point as Johnny Gargano is where wins and losses don’t matter. He can get reheated whenever they need a challenger for a belt and can withstand a bunch of losses. Thatcher is far less established, and needs the win. Thatcher is also better so he’s going to get that win.
Strap match: Dexter Lumis vs. Cameron Grimes
My working title for this column was “The Greatest Love Story NXT has ever told” which is a not at all subtle way to introduce my theory that these two are, you guessed it, very much in love. When I think about why this feud is still going on, I can only conclude they are two soulmates wrestling (no pun intended) with their own realizations of this. Unwilling to deal with these feelings, they resort to combat. Or, you know, it’s just another wrestling feud. (No, I haven’t been outside in nine months. Why do you ask?)
I personally love Grimes more than I love most things, so I get it. I’m into Lumis slightly less, but I get the appeal. My affection aside, and possibly theirs, this feud has to end.
A quick recap of this program so far:
Haunted House of Terror match in October
Blindfold match in November
Strap match in December
The only logical end to this is a casket match on Valentines Day with a video package soundtracked by Alkaline Trio. The world hasn’t exactly been set on fire by this program, yet it soldiers on. Lumis and Grimes, much like death, is a slow march into the sea.
Even though Grimes got a hat over, it seems like NXT has bigger plans for Lumis. He was poised to get a midcard run before getting injured. He plays his character really well and has a dope theme song ripped right out of Tron: Legacy. Lumis gets the win here.
NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Damian Priest
One of the things I loved about NXT was that there was always something new and different happening. With wrestlers constantly being moved up to the main roster and new signings, the roster always churned. It was great to write about because there was always something to say or a different story to explore. When I previewed the last TakeOver, I wrote about the audience needing to realize this isn’t the old NXT anymore. Wrestlers are going to stay for a lot longer and, sometimes, forever.
I realized that I was actually talking to myself which happens a lot. My expectations need to change as well. I can’t keep recycling variants of “Wouldn’t be a TakeOver without a Johnny Gargano match included, lol.” NXT is the only brand that some of these wrestlers will perform on and it’s time to talk and think about it from that perspective. God bless anyone who previews the main roster shows.
I have seen far too much wrestling over my illustrious 35 years on this planet that is delicately perched on a turtle’s back. I have forgotten more matches than I remember but I will never forget March 15, 2019, in Melrose, MA, for EVOLVE 123.
On that unusually warm winter evening, I witnessed Ruff take the worst in-ring beating I can ever remember. Anthony Henry and JD Drake (The Workhorsemen if you’re a real one) chopped the absolute life out of him to the point it was uncomfortable. Just to make sure I wasn’t misremembering, I texted one of my friends who was at the show with me. He instantly responded and said, “It was like watching an assault. I was actually uncomfortable.” If any of you are feeling particularly masochistic, take this match out for a spin.
Seeing Ruff go from that to being the North American champion is borderline unbelievable. From getting the living hell beaten out of him in a crappy auditorium to being an absolute delight on NXT, here’s to you, Leon. Here’s to you.
This story has been such a fun and welcome surprise. I don’t think anyone thinks Ruff is in for a long run with the belt, but it would be incredible if that was the case. Johnny G has some spooky guys, Damien Priest has some mesh shirts, but Leon Ruff has the belt and will somehow keep it on Sunday.
WarGames: Undisputed ERA (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish) vs. Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Tag Team Champions Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch
2020 continues to be very much on its bullshit, but even in this decade-long feeling hell year, who saw “Pat McAfee is the biggest star in NXT” coming? That might sound hot takey, but is it?
He just gets this. He is #good at this. He strolled into the company as a fully-formed mega heel, one that is capable of cutting groan-inducing promos, GIFable moments, and actually doing some work in the ring. And, in what can only be a sign of the existence of God, he made Burch and Lorcan matter. Going from opening shows to the top of the card is good work if you can get it. I’m not entirely sure Dunne needs to be a part of this as he just doesn’t really fit this style of stable. Him leading British Strong Style was one thing, but this is a different animal. Still, I don’t think anyone is ever going to complain about more Peter on their TVs.
Undisputed Era being the “good guys” while still acting pretty much the same as they always have is really fun. They aren’t doing a ton different as lot of it is subtle and speaks to the versatility of Cole and O’Reilly. Cole has kept the same promo delivery, but just redirects his disdain and dislike from “you people” to Pat Mac and his pals. KOR has toned down the cartoonish goofiness but is still wildly entertaining with his promo ahead of his match with Finn Balor as a perfect example of this. Rod Strong, well, he’s not doing much at all which is kind of the perfect use of Rod Strong. And, full offense, but we are super not talking about Bobby Fish when he is *checks notes* out here supporting Q-Anon conspiracy theories.
Like I said at the beginning, WarGames doesn’t matter but that doesn’t mean this match won’t absolutely rip. Still, it’s hard to really get my dander up about the UE bros getting revenge on McAfee when they have been largely terrible to everyone for years. I don’t think McAfee came to NXT to lose twice in a row, so he and his boys take this one home.
WarGames: Candice LeRae, Toni Storm, Dakota Kai & Raquel González vs. Women’s Champion Io Shirai, Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon & Rhea Ripley
The real star power in NXT is on the women’s side. Just look at this staggering amount of talent:
Ripley: Already wrestled a marquee WrestleMania match.
Shirai: A transcendent champion. Please slowly run me over with an Oldsmobile.
Blackheart: Hosted Halloween Havoc. Has a cool lil’ tank.
Storm: Won the 2018 Mae Young Classic.
Moon: Best finisher in wrestling.
LeRae: Still the most underappreciated worker in the world.
Kai: Really good!
Gonzalez: She gets her own section below!
It’s all good. Make this match the main event and let the women shine. I wonder if this is where they officially, officially pull the trigger on Gonzalez as it’s been close to happening for a minute now. Her move up the card has been a deliberate one and she’s proved she’s ready for more. According to the indisputable Cagematch, she hasn’t even wrestled 200 career matches yet, so there’s plenty of room to grow. While we’re here, shoutout to Cagematch for being a valuable and absolutely insane resource for me when I write. It’s especially great, because where else can you find a comprehensive list of every wrestling match ever AND see that Austin Ares has a higher match rating than both Ric Flair and Randy Savage? The people who categorize and catalog this content are even wilder than people who update Wikipedia pages regularly. I love the internet so, so much.
Any team that has Ripley and Shirai on it is never losing. The other side could have the Four Horsewomen and I would still think they would win. Shirai had the big spot last year and I think this time, it’s all Blackheart. She’s clearly not afraid to die in the ring, so she gets to have the moment people are going to text their friends about. But I just can’t help but think that it’s Raquel’s time. She made her debut at the first TakeOver of the year in Portland, OR, (remember that?) and bookends the year with a W. Big Mami Cool holds it down for the bad girls.
Mike DellaCamera refuses to log off. Be his friend or tell him how wrong he is here on Twitter.
A special guest has been announced for this Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: WarGames pre-show.
During tonight’s episode of NXT, it was announced that ESPN mixed martial arts reporter Ariel Helwani will be appearing on the TakeOver: WarGames pre-show this Sunday. He’ll be appearing with hosts Wade Barrett and Sam Roberts.
Helwani is a longtime professional wrestling fan. He’s been with ESPN since departing MMA Fighting in 2018.
The TakeOver pre-show will begin at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, leading into TakeOver starting at 7 p.m. Eastern. In addition to the WWE Network, the pre-show will air on WWE’s digital platforms.
Here’s the full card for TakeOver: WarGames:
WarGames match: Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish) vs. Team McAfee (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch)
WarGames match: Team Shotzi (Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley & NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai) vs. Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm)
NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff defends his title against Johnny Gargano and Damian Priest in a triple threat match
Tonight’s go-home episode of NXT ended with NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai being confirmed as the final member of Team Shotzi for NXT TakeOver: WarGames. It will be Team Shotzi (Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley & Shirai) vs. Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm) at NXT TakeOver: WarGames this Sunday.
Blackheart defeated Gonzalez in a ladder match in tonight’s main event, earning Team Shotzi the entrance order advantage in WarGames. Gonzalez appeared to have the match won after both WarGames teams and Indi Hartwell got involved, but Shirai appeared and jumped on Gonzalez’s back as she was climbing the ladder. Shirai sent Gonzalez outside and then hit a moonsault from the top rope onto a pile outside of the ring. Blackheart was the last person left standing. She climbed the ladder and retrieved the briefcase to win the WarGames advantage for her team.
Team Shotzi posed together to close tonight’s show.
Shirai had been laid out by Team Candice on NXT last week.
Here’s the updated card for TakeOver: WarGames:
WarGames match: Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish) vs. Team McAfee (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch)
WarGames match: Team Shotzi (Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley & NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai) vs. Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm)
NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff defends his title against Johnny Gargano and Damian Priest in a triple threat match
WWE has rounded out the card for NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
It was announced on tonight’s episode of NXT that Tommaso Ciampa vs. Timothy Thatcher will take place at TakeOver: WarGames this Sunday. This is the fifth match that’s been confirmed for the event.
Ciampa first confronted Thatcher on NXT two weeks ago, but Thatcher said he had no problem with Ciampa and backed away. The confrontation came after Thatcher defeated August Grey and then attacked him following the match.
Ciampa then brought out a chair and sat at ringside for Thatcher’s match against Kushida last week. Thatcher was distracted by Ciampa, leading to Kushida getting the win by submitting Thatcher with the Hoverboard Lock. Ciampa looked into the camera and said that maybe Thatcher has a problem with him now.
On tonight’s NXT, Thatcher presented a Thatch-as-Thatch-can session in the ring. The subject of the session was dealing with distractions. Ciampa appeared and Thatcher again insisted that he has no problem with Ciampa. Ciampa called Thatcher a disappointment. Thatcher said he wasn’t going to be goaded by Ciampa, but he then took Ciampa down. Ciampa fought back and dropped Thatcher with a punch, but Thatcher’s student started brawling with Ciampa. Thatcher took advantage of that by attacking Ciampa and putting him to sleep.
Thatcher was then interviewed backstage and was asked if he set up Ciampa. Thatcher claimed that he didn’t know his student was going to do that and said he was impressed by his student taking initiative. Thatcher said Ciampa learned about distractions tonight — and Sunday at TakeOver he’ll learn about respect.
Here’s the updated card for TakeOver: WarGames:
WarGames match: Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish) vs. Team McAfee (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch)
WarGames match: Team Shotzi (Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley & NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai) vs. Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm)
NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff defends his title against Johnny Gargano and Damian Priest in a triple threat match
It will be Team Shotzi vs. Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm) in WarGames at NXT TakeOver: WarGames on Sunday (December 6).
After losing to NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai the previous week, there was a segment on last Wednesday’s NXT where Ripley addressed the audience. Ripley said people have speculated about what’s next for her, but she’s in NXT to stay and is focused on the NXT Women’s Championship. Team Candice then interrupted Ripley and revealed that they had laid out Shirai. Ripley tried to fight off Team Candice, but the numbers advantage was eventually too much and they beat Ripley down.
It appears that Shirai will be the final member of Team Shotzi for WarGames.
Blackheart is facing Gonzalez on this Wednesday’s NXT to determine which team will get the entrance order advantage in WarGames.
Here’s the updated card for NXT TakeOver: WarGames:
WarGames match: Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish) vs. Team McAfee (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch)
WarGames match: Team Shotzi (Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley, and one partner to be announced) vs. Team Candice (Candice LeRae; Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm)
NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff defends his title against Johnny Gargano and Damian Priest in a triple threat match
Ember Moon will officially be on Team Shotzi at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
WWE posted a video today confirming that Moon will be one of Shotzi Blackheart’s partners in this year’s women’s WarGames match. Blackheart, Moon, and two partners will face Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm) in WarGames.
Storm turned heel by attacking Moon on last week’s episode of NXT. Storm acted like she was coming to Moon’s aid, but she then attacked Moon and threw her into the ring so LeRae, Kai, and Gonzalez could beat her down.
It appears that Blackheart and Moon’s partners for WarGames will be NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley. Team Candice laid out Shirai and attacked Ripley on last week’s NXT.
On NXT this Wednesday, Blackheart is facing Gonzalez to determine which team will get the entrance order advantage in WarGames.
NXT TakeOver: WarGames is taking place next Sunday (December 6). Here’s the updated card for the show:
WarGames match: Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish) vs. Team McAfee (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch)
WarGames match: Team Shotzi (Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, and two partners to be announced) vs. Team Candice (Candice LeRae; Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm)
NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff defends his title against Johnny Gargano and Damian Priest in a triple threat match
Team Candice is set for NXT TakeOver: WarGames — and the group includes an unexpected final member.
It was revealed on NXT tonight that Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm will be on Team Candice for the women’s WarGames match against Team Shotzi at NXT TakeOver: WarGames on Sunday, December 6. Storm turned heel tonight by attacking Ember Moon.
LeRae defeated Moon on NXT tonight after Indi Hartwell, Kai, and Gonzalez got involved. Moon hit an Eclipse on Hartwell, but LeRae then won with a stomp. Storm came out after the match and acted like she was going to help Moon, but she then turned against Moon and threw her into the ring so LeRae, Kai, and Gonzalez could beat her down.
After LeRae announced her team members, Storm was interviewed and pointed out that she did say when she came to NXT that she was going to be a whole new Toni Storm.
Moon & Storm had teamed together and defeated Kai & Gonzalez on NXT last week. After that match, LeRae and Hartwell helped Kai and Gonzalez attack Moon and Storm.
Blackheart’s team members for TakeOver have yet to be confirmed by WWE. Later on tonight’s NXT, LeRae, Kai, Gonzalez, and Storm laid out NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai and attacked Rhea Ripley.
Blackheart will face Gonzalez on NXT next Wednesday to decide which team gets the WarGames advantage.
Here’s the updated card for TakeOver: WarGames:
WarGames match: Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish) vs. Team McAfee (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch)
WarGames match: Team Shotzi (Shotzi Blackheart and three partners to be announced) vs. Team Candice (Candice LeRae; Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm)
NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff defends his title against Johnny Gargano and Damian Priest in a triple threat match
WWE has added two new matches to the card for NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
The North American Championship will be on the line at TakeOver: WarGames as Leon Ruff defends his title against Johnny Gargano and Damian Priest in a triple threat match. Dexter Lumis and Cameron Grimes will also face off in a strap match at TakeOver.
The North American Championship match was announced after Gargano and then Priest interrupted a KO Show segment with Ruff as the guest on NXT tonight. Ruff shockingly won the title on NXT two weeks ago after getting help from Priest distracting Gargano.
Ruff and Gargano faced off in a rematch last week, but the match ended in a disqualification when Priest punched Ruff so Gargano wouldn’t be able to win the title back. Ruff wasn’t happy with Priest treating him like a joke. He slapped Priest and later got the better of a three-way brawl with Gargano and Priest.
Lumis and Grimes have previously faced each other in a Haunted House of Terror match and a blindfold match. Grimes defeated Jake Atlas on NXT tonight, but Lumis appeared after the match and taunted Grimes. Lumis pulled a strap out and threw it toward Grimes.
Here’s the updated card for TakeOver:
WarGames match: Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish) vs. Team McAfee (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch)
WarGames match: Team Shotzi (Shotzi Blackheart and three partners to be announced) vs. Team Candice (Candice LeRae; Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm)
NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff defends his title against Johnny Gargano and Damian Priest in a triple threat match
The Undisputed Era are officially set to face off with Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch in WarGames.
After tonight’s episode of NXT went off the air, WWE uploaded a video with NXT general manager William Regal announcing that Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish) will face McAfee, Dunne, Lorcan & Burch in a WarGames match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames next month. The event is taking place on Sunday, December 6.
Tonight’s NXT ended with Undisputed Era making their return and brawling with McAfee, Dunne, Lorcan, and Burch. All four members of Undisputed Era had been attacked by McAfee and his associates in recent weeks.
In the main event segment of tonight’s NXT episode, NXT Champion Finn Balor made his return for the first time since undergoing surgery for a broken jaw last month. McAfee, Dunne, Lorcan, and Burch interrupted Balor and surrounded him. Balor said it’s easy for the mice to play while the cat’s away, but the cat is back and look what he’s just dragged in. The lights then went out and Undisputed Era appeared. They brawled with McAfee, Dunne, Lorcan, and Burch as the show went off the air.
WarGames will be McAfee’s second-ever professional wrestling match. The former All-Pro NFL punter made his in-ring debut in a loss to Cole at NXT TakeOver XXX this August.
Undisputed Era have been part of every men’s WarGames match that has taken place in NXT. TakeOver: WarGames has been held annually since 2017.
This is the second WarGames match that’s been announced for next month’s TakeOver event. Shotzi Blackheart and Candice LeRae will be the captains of the two teams in this year’s women’s WarGames match.
WWE has revealed the date and theme of NXT’s next TakeOver special.
It was announced tonight that NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2020 will take place on Sunday, December 6. This will be the fourth straight year that NXT has held a TakeOver: WarGames event. Prior to this year, the show had been held over Survivor Series weekend in November.
The announcement of the show was made in a promo featuring Shotzi Blackheart. Blackheart told Candice LeRae to get an army because they’re going to go to war. WWE has announced that it will be Team Shotzi vs. Team Candice in this year’s women’s WarGames match. LeRae also took part in the first-ever women’s WarGames match last year. She was on the winning side as Team Ripley defeated Team Baszler.
On NXT two weeks ago, LeRae destroyed Blackheart’s tank. LeRae & Indi Hartwell teamed together on NXT tonight to defeat Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro. LeRae & Hartwell then helped Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez attack Ember Moon & Toni Storm later in the show.
While not confirmed, WWE has also been building up Undisputed Era vs. Pat McAfee, Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch & Pete Dunne ahead of TakeOver: WarGames.
