lmao at the shot with a kid with a CODY shirt :lol:

Damn, I thought that sequence won it for Gargano. Amazing shit.

JEEZUS FLIPPING CRIPES!!!

How the fuck did it not end there?!

OMG!!! Jesus christ that is just wrong.

OMG, Johnny is gonna tap him.

I thought Ciampa had it for sure with that. Holy shit this is awesome.

That's one puffy eye.

OMG he cannot do it!!!

JOHNNY WINS!!!

I cannot believe it, they will steal the night after all.

F It, MATCH OF THE YEAR!!!

Well give credit to them, that is a Match of the Year caliber match.  Curious if it will be the first 5+ star match for WWE.

Wow!

YES YES YES!!!! Gargano wins!

Amazing match.

That match is going to be talked about for ages to come.

So all in all we had 3 really great matches, at least one of those being a legit match of the year contender. A solid womens match and title change. And a fun little tag title match with an unexpected heel turn...watcha got Mania?

Unpopular statement: I didn’t love that match like the rest of you. It picked up at the end for me and told the story well enough but I was bored for most of it.

When I posted the title of it being a WrestleMania sized TakeOver, I wasn't kidding. Not just in how long the show was, but in the quality.

All the matches delivered, including two Match of the Year contenders. Lzzy Hale kicked ass, playing Ember Moon's entrance. And not a single minute was wasted.

Greatest TakeOver ever!

Apr 8, 2018 3:08:35 GMT iron maiden said:

Unpopular statement: I didn’t love that match like the rest of you. It picked up at the end for me and told the story well enough but I was bored for most of it.

It did have a lull but damnit, that last 15 minutes were all fucking gold.

2016's MotY rematch?

Apr 8, 2018 3:08:35 GMT iron maiden said:

Unpopular statement: I didn’t love that match like the rest of you. It picked up at the end for me and told the story well enough but I was bored for most of it.

Agreed. I don't know whether I built it up as something different. I thought they would have told a different story. Having followed Johnny's matches, it followed the Johnny Wrestling formula to a tee. Ciampa's dirty, heel work was spot on. Johnny to me, didn't exact sell 300+ days of pent up anger when it mattered most.

 

Some other notes:

I don't get Killain Dain. I don't see whatever they see in him. Average fat man, poorly presented and doesn't exactly set the world on fire in the ring.

AOP aren't going to improve anymore than they have. Intimidation, size and power is all that matters here. Call them up, and they can squash the main roster's tag team divisions.

Bassler, I've begun to change my tune on. Obviously a good student, and a fast learner. I won't give her a lot of credit.. yet.

Unpopular opinion : EC3 isn't good enough to be in the position he's in. They've got to beat that goof-ball out of him quickly. He's done a remarkable job at becoming a star in... TNA, during it's worst period in history. But he ain't anywhere close to the level of performer of someone like Adam Cole or Almas or Black on Johnny or Ciampa in terms of sheer ability in the ring nor, do I think he's as fundamentally sound as he should be. He's potentially another Zack Ryder, great look, great body and oozing confidence, yet he's been mistaken for an actual superstar here.

Yeah I don't get Killian either. He's just one of those guys that it just feels like this is as good as he's ever going to be. I just don't see much upside in him. I did think that EC3 was kind of the weak link in the ladder match but only time will tell on what WWE can do with him. He at least has that look that WWE loves.

I think Shayna will end up being on equal footing with the rest of the top in ring womens performers in a matter of time.  This match she showed that she's well on her way.  Yeah still green but she's learning to put it all together and her style makes for some pretty intense moments.  I still think it might have been a mistake to take it off Ember but perhaps they have bigger things in store for Ember.  I wouldn't mind seeing Ember get the call up at Summerslam and begin the big chase to dethrone Auska, the one thing she couldn't do in NXT. 

NXT Takeover is the closest thing to a sure thing in wrestling. It always delivers.

Making my way through Takeover now, that ladder match was insane.

Also not sure how I feel about the Strong heel turn, like is it something he decided last minute? Or was Roderick planning on doing it all along, prior to the match starting? In which case, why go for pin covers, and potentially take the titles off of the group you are going to join.

If it's the former, I can live with it, the latter on the other hand, ruins the match for me.

Apr 8, 2018 3:08:35 GMT iron maiden said:

Unpopular statement: I didn’t love that match like the rest of you. It picked up at the end for me and told the story well enough but I was bored for most of it.

I feel like the ME of the TakeOver shows are pretty much automatically given 5 stars by the IWC.

I didn't watch the unsanctioned live, so maybe that affected it... but I enjoyed the ladder a lot more. Maybe I expected more?

Apr 8, 2018 14:58:16 GMT System said:

Apr 8, 2018 3:08:35 GMT iron maiden said:

Unpopular statement: I didn’t love that match like the rest of you. It picked up at the end for me and told the story well enough but I was bored for most of it.

I feel like the ME of the TakeOver shows are pretty much automatically given 5 stars by the IWC.

Almost like a Kenny Omega match.

The best Takeover ever, one of the best WWE PPV's ever. Period.

Utterly amazing from every possible standpoint.

So far I've only see Gargano/Ciampa and I thought the match was great. Neither guy really didn't have to do much since the crowd were already molten. It was one of those deals where it was the right feud in-front of the right crowd and they were into it hook, line & sinker. Still, that didn't stop them from having this balls to the walls match. At times Gargano can be too passive, but I thought he started the match exactly as he should. He did a great pitbull impression and everytime Ciampa would establish some distance, Gargano would find a great way to boomerang into the action. I liked how this approach didn't necessarily play into Johnny Wrestling's strengths and like a lot of small kids taking on the big bully, eventually he began to get over-powered. Ciampa was such a mean-dick on control and that suplex off the announcers table was such a sick exclamation point. The spot with the exposed concrete floor was great with the heel getting hoisted by his own petard was great and I especially enjoyed the struggle in that sequence. Sometimes in modern Pro Wrestling guys get obsessed with setting up ladders and tables and it really kills the flow of the match. Here they stuck to instruments that made sense and looked vicious as all hell. I could feel some of those shots with the crutches down here in Australia and it caned worse than getting kicked in the bum by Turnbull. Usually I hate false finishes, but I thought they earned him here, especially the super back-breaker which would normally hurt a match for me. Also thought the ending was great and actually thought it was a human moment. It had shades of Tully/Magnum with Johnny in the throws of ending Ciampa's career/life only to catch himself and see how far he's been driven. The fact it was a callback to the Cruiserweight Classic made the moment sweeter. Usually I have to watch a match twice before I have a proper read on it, but right now it won't be lower than ****.

Also, I'm a member of the IWC and I can safetly tell you I never thought a Balor, Joe, Nakamura, Roode, McIntyre or Owens match was above **** let alone ***** in the NXT main event.