NXT TakeOver WarGames Results: McIntyre vs. Almas and Top Highlights, Low Points
Despite being the developmental system and effectively the minor leagues, the NXT brand has a consistent track record of putting on fantastic TakeOver events that frequently upstage the main roster's performances to follow.
With NXT TakeOver: WarGames, there was certainly quite a lot of promise built into the card itself, featuring a Fatal 4-Way to crown a new women's champion along with the return of the titular WarGames match after nearly 20 years.
However, just because there is a lot of potential for success doesn't necessarily mean it's a guarantee everything will go off without a hitch, as there are always highlights and low points to every show.
Now that the event has concluded, let's look back on what transpired and talk about what ended up being a disappointment and what ended up living up to the hype.
Presented in order of appearance, here are the highlights and low points of NXT TakeOver: WarGames in Houston.
Low Point: Pre-Show
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It's a general rule of thumb that nearly every single pre-show for a WWE pay-per-view is something you can skip and not miss anything.
That is even more truthful when it comes to NXT TakeOver events, as those don't even have a match to help make it feel more important.
Instead, they consist entirely of recaps and analysis, which is great if you're not caught up, but if you've been watching every week, it's simply tedious and a waste of time to pay attention to.
What would at least turn things in a more interesting direction would be if some legends would appear on the kickoff panel to give their thoughts on the talent in NXT, since we don't hear those opinions all that often.
Hearing Shawn Michaels discuss which of the women he thinks can win the championship, for example, would have been much better than simply having Charly Caruso, Sam Roberts and Booker T go around in a circle and say what feels like scripted promotional material.
Low Point: Kassius Ohno vs. Lars Sullivan
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With the way Lars Sullivan has been booked as of late, you had to assume this was going to be his match to lose.
What was a disappointment, though, was how little offense Kassius Ohno was able to get in to make the match at least somewhat interesting.
For the most part, this was just a squash and a means to show Sullivan beating someone up in case you hadn't seen that over the past few tapings.
It was such a one-sided affair that if you missed it, you can watch a 10-second highlight reel of the handful of moves that took place and you'll have the full rundown of what transpired.
Since NXT shows typically have a better overall quality of in-ring performances, this empty shell of a match starting things off just wasn't good enough to get the ball rolling.
Highlight: Aleister Black vs. The Velveteen Dream
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Holy cow, this was a fantastic match and a complete 180-degree reversal from what came before it!
Based on the clash of their characters' styles and how Aleister Black has been untouchable since his debut, this could have easily been booked as another squash with The Velveteen Dream putting up little to no fight.
However, it ended up being perfectly crafted, with the two men showing how they are evenly matched, oddly enough.
As they traded blows, fans were finally given a means to see just how talented and athletic The Velveteen Dream is, as he hasn't been featured as much as Black over the past few months.
Funnily enough, the crowd increasingly went in The Velveteen Dream's favor, chanting "Say his name" and support for him throughout the fight.
Not only were the moves exciting—particularly The Velveteen Dream's modified DDT, which prompted the crowd to break out with a chant of "This is awesome"—but the little touches were amazing as well.
One of those was The Velveteen Dream's having Black's face on his tights, similar to what Rick Rude used to do decades ago.
As they mocked each other's mannerisms and kept bringing the fight, the crowd grew increasingly pumped, eventually standing on its feet and clapping for the two.
Finally, after all was said and done, the cherry on top was Black's getting on the microphone to say "Enjoy infamy, Velveteen Dream"—a perfect way to end it where both men somewhat come out on top.
This segment was beautifully done from top to bottom.
Highlight: Fatal 4-Way for Vacant NXT Women's Championship
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One look at the high caliber of the women involved in this match, and it should be no surprise it lived up to the hype.
All four women went into the match with the credibility to walk out as the champion, so there really were no bad options to pick from among Ember Moon, Kairi Sane, Peyton Royce and Nikki Cross, which is a great way to start.
Thankfully, all of them had their moments to shine, too, with a handful of false finishes that all felt like they could potentially be the end.
When push came to shove, it was Moon who scored a pin over the banshee Cross, securing her first title win that many thought she's been long overdue for.
To help ease into the transition of Moon as champion following the undefeated streak of her predecessor, Asuka herself presented the belt to Moon, capping off their story—at least for now, as they will surely meet someday on the main roster.
The crowd ate this up, especially since the hometown girl was victorious, meaning a rock-solid match was wrapped with a happy audience.
You can't ask for much more than that, so this was a major positive for the night.
Highlight: Andrade "Cien" Almas Wins NXT Championship
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While not a slow or boring match, there was a downturn in momentum from what preceded it along with a handful of sloppy spots that were saved with a great moonsault off the top rope and some great false finishes.
However, the true highlight of this isn't the match itself, but the outcome, which was a total shock to all those who went into this event thinking of Andrade "Cien" Almas as a throwaway opponent being fed to Drew McIntyre.
If you thought Almas was just a stepping stone for McIntyre before he got to Adam Cole, you're forced to rethink the future of NXT since the brand has a new head honcho.
This is great, as it changes the game and keeps the fans on their toes, making all the future episodes of NXT more exciting going forward.
It's also nice to see the massive upgrade Almas received once being paired with Zelina Vega paying off with a true accolade instead of just a general sense of improved credibility.
Where does NXT go from here? We'll have to tune in to find out!
Highlight: WarGames Match
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As it was the titular match, the main selling point of the show and the main event of the night, the WarGames match needed to deliver.
While it had a slow start, the intensity picked up, and it thankfully was able to turn things around to become a worthy finish to the pay-per-view.
NXT TakeOver events have had a history of amazing tag team matches on the card, and this fulfilled its promise of being a hardcore brawl in two rings with nine men attacking each other left and right.
The true standout was definitely Killian Dain, who steamrolled through the competition as the supreme powerhouse of the bunch.
It was also a nice little touch for Roderick Strong to be dressed in the same fashion as The Authors of Pain, as that grouping felt strange beforehand.
These matches are best when having fun with the gimmick, which happened with the two-ring Super Collider from Akam and Rezar.
That was a great example of something small that you just had to smile about since we're unlikely to see it ever again.
Of course, there were bigger spots, too, like the vertical suplex from the top of the cage and the German suplex through the tables to send fans home happy.
What do you think were the best and the worst parts of the event? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below!
Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.
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