The PPV, Takeover: Brooklyn III, begins with a live performance from Code Orange with pictures of various NXT wrestlers.

JOHNNY GARGANO vs. ANDRADE “CIEN” ALMAS (w/Selena Vega)

Off the bat, they do some mat work. Gargano hits a jacknife which barely gets a one count. A crucifix gets Gargano another one-count and then he moves to a front face lock. As Almas delivers some chops, Mauro Ranallo gives his best wishes to Ric Flair. An armbar through the ropes by Almas. Both wrestlers trade with each other their usual offensive maneuvers. A dive to the outside sends Almas into the barricade. It is followed up by a slingshot DDT, which nearly wins it for Gargano. Gargano ties a spear through the ropes for a second time, but Almas catches him and hits a tornado DDT that gets a two. Both Vega and Almas cannot believe it wasn’t three. Almas puts Gargano up top and then lands a big chop. Gargano blocks the superplex and then fights Almas off. Gargano goes for a sunset flip powebomb, but Almas flips out of it and lands on his feet. He sets up running double knees. Gargano pops out of the corner, but he gets hip-tossed into the corner. Gargano locks in a crossface, though Almas reaches for the ropes. Gargano rolls him to the middle, but Almas picks him up for a one-armed buckle bomb and delivers a double knees for a super close nearfall. Almas says it’s over and goes to work on Gargano’s arm. Gargano is out, but he suddenly springs to life with a superkick. He hits another kick and then running snake eyes. Vega throws a shirt at Gargano to distract him, setting up the hammerlock DDT for the win. Winner: Andrade Almas in 13:06.

Analysis: Awesome, awesome opener. Showing stealing type of performances, with an abundant supply of wall-to-wall action and smart wrestling. Despite how fast-paced this match became, they did not sacrifice logical psychology and storytelling for it. Each piece of this match fit into the context of the story, and the psychology was tight throughout. For every twist, there was a turn. The near-falls were also very believable and well timed, and the match made you think both wrestlers had an equal chance of winning the match. I additionally found the finish as a smart way to distract Gargano, who’s clearly mesmerized by being reminded of his former DIY partner turning on him, and it gave him an “out” for losing the match without making him look stupid (unlike how so many faces look stupid in WWE from these types of finishes). **** 1/4





A graphic and video package is shown for the tag title match…





The ring announcer sad that Takeover was trending #1 worldwide on Twitter. He then introduced Corey Graves, who received a strong face reaction and joined the commentary team. Sanity was out first, followed by the Authors of Pain, and they charged the ring and started brawling before the bell could sound.

The brawl went out to ringside and Eric Young took a table out from under the ring. The referee finally managed to get things back into the ring and the match was underway.

Sanity (Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe w/ Nikki Cross and Eric Young) vs. The Authors of Pain (Akem and Rezar w/ Paul Ellering) for the NXT Tag Team Championships.





Both Akam and Rezar just beat Wolfe and don’t show mercy doing so. Wolfe dodges a charge and then Akam eats ringpost. Young jumps on the apron and demands a tag. So Freebird Rule? The ref allows Young, not Dain, to take the tag. Young is able to take Akam into the ring while Wolfe beats on Rezar outside the ring. Young makes Akam run himself into the barricade. Akam throws Young back into the outside area and then into the ring, but Young quickly recovers. A double team back body drop by AOP and then Rezar catches Young and then slams him to the mat for two. Young is trying to get out of the corner, but he takes a vicious stomp from the second rope. Rezar is half-choking Young in the middle of the match and then Young tries sliding under Rezar from the apron, but Rezar catches him, holds him up in the air, and then slams him to the mat. Wolfe distracts them, and Rezar whiffs an elbow drop, but dodges a corner charge to gain a moment of air. Wolfe tags in, and he goes wild on Rezar. Wolfe suplexes Akam then Rezar. Wolfe goes to the top, leaping clothesline, and Akam breaks up the cover and then dumps Young out of the ring. He tags in Akam. A suplex into a powerbomb, though Wolfe manages to kick out. Rezar goes to the second rope powerbomb; Akam protects him, though, and Wolfe hits a Frankensteiner instead. He tags in Young, who hits a leaping neckbreaker to Rezar. Young to the top, though Rezar shakes the ropes to crotch him. Rezar goes for a superplex, but Young block. Akam looks for a Tower of Doom and Cross holds Rezars’ leg. Rezar takes the powerbomb, but Young lands the Macho Man elbow for a close nearfall. Young leaps through the ropes, then Wolfe nails a plancha over the top. Ellering comes into the ring, but the ref has to separate them. The ref gets distracted, though, by Ellering. So, Cross leaps on Akam, but Akam catches her. Dain builds a head of steam and hits a huge spear into Akam, who goes through the table. Young rolls Rezar into the ring, makes a tag to Wolfe. Wolfe holds Rezar up and Young hits a neckbreaker off the top for the win. Winners: Sanity in 11:57.





Analysis: Another great match with bell-to-bell action and twists and turns. However, the dynamics of this match were odd. Sanity was booked to be the babyfaces in spite of using the numbers game to defeat AOP. It is the major reason I never been a huge fan of heel vs. heel matches. Someone has to turn into the de facto babyface, and more often than not, it makes things head scratching. Good thing, though, that the action was so fast-paced, and the majority of the maneuvers were hard-hitting and brutal-looking yet crisp and clean. The debut of ReDragon was a nice surprise, but it is dubious if this was the right way to end AOP’s reign of dominance. To me, it came across as anti-climactic, and it could have been a bigger movement. Still, the match was very good. *** ¾

ALEISTER BLACK vs. HIDEO ITAMI

They are kicking the hell out of each other. Big boot from Itami, but Black just eats it and then they go head-to-head. Itami goes to the outside, but Black jumps off the ropes and sits. He catches a kick while sitting down and then takes Itami down. Itami is startled, but his arm gets captured and Black beats him down. Black is hung up on the ropes. Itami hits a knee drop off the top to the back of the head. Black is bleeding from the nose. Itami puts in a tight side chinlock, and the ref now has gloves on. Snapmare and then knee drops to the head. Itami does the knee drop with the dirt scuff to the face and then sits down in Black’s post to taught at Black. Black gets to his feet with fire, though Itami cuts him off and hits a DDT for two. Itami puts in chinlock, though Black gets to his feet. He ducks a charge and tries to land kicks. Itami stops him, but Black unloads, leg sweet and hits a running knee to the head. Brutal lionsault gets a nearfall. Black uses his foot to lift Itami, though an elbow stops Black Mass before it happens. Itami, with more feet out of the corner, tornado DDT into the ropes, top rope clothesline almost ends it. Fisherman suplex gets Itami a two-and-a-half. Black shows life, but Itami chops him in the neck. Black stumbles into the corner, but jumps out with a cover for two. He hits a roundhouse, and Itami looks like he is out. Black goes to the top, but Itami gets to the corner and wants a superplex. Black elbows him off, but Itami recovers and hits a kick. Itami sets up the superplex. It is blocked, though he hits avalanche Falcon Arrow off the top. Black is out, Itami rolls over for an insanely close near-fall. They get up to their feet and trade blows. A hesitation drop kick to the back of Black’s head. Itami sets up GTS, but Black elbows out. Itami hits him with a knee and then paintbrushes him, but Black hits Black Mass out of nowhere for three. Winner: Aleister Black in 12:24.