Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: NXT TakeOver Continues to Be WWE's Most Reliable Event

1. The Real Winner of the Brand War

NXT TakeOver is a hit. Every single time. 

While WWE's pay-per-views range from flops to fantastic, NXT's big events are steadily engaging and memorable. Fans can count on TakeOver to set the bar high for any PPV weekend. Great matches are a certainty. 

TakeOver: WarGames was the latest exhibit to prove that.

An early bout showed off NXT's new monster, Lars Sullivan. Ember Moon won the vacant NXT Women's Championship and afterward shared an emotional hug with Asuka, the woman she wasn't able to yank that title from in the past.

Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream told the best in-ring story of the weekend.

The eccentric Velveteen Dream earned his brooding foe's respect in a hard-hitting affair. He wanted badly for Black to acknowledge him and say his name. And a drained, battle-weary Black did just that following their fight.

An excellent NXT Championship match between Drew McIntyre and Andrade "Cien" Almas wowed the Houston crowd. 

Andy LaBar of Voices of Wrestling wrote of McIntyre vs. Almas: "This is the best NXT title match in a long time and the most excited I've been about something in WWE this year. I completely lost myself in this match."

If the night had ended there, it would have been a success, but a showcase of strength and savagery followed with the WarGames match.

Car crash followed car crash as The Undisputed Era, The Authors of Pain with Roderick Strong and Sanity all smashed their bodies into steel and flesh in the name of entertainment. Alexander Wolfe bled onto the mat. Adam Cole took a superplex off the top of the cage.

This was no anomaly. 

TakeOver has been WWE's go-to product for a long while. WWE's PPVs are sometimes hampered by overbooking, abrupt endings or flat stories. Brock Lesnar's hoss fights this year have underwhelmed. The ending to Survivor Series' main event was a confusing mess.

NXT's special nights, on the other hand, have given WWE some of its very best matches of 2017.

Credit: WWE.com

Asuka vs. Moon at TakeOver: Brooklyn III. Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate from TakeOver: Chicago. The Authors of Pain vs. #DIY vs. The Revival at TakeOver: Orlando.

The developmental brand doesn't have the star power the main roster has, but TakeOvers are often a more satisfying experience start to finish than their PPV counterparts. 

As Yahoo writer and co-host of The Corner Podcast Andreas Hale pointed out, NXT offers a tauter, more efficient product: 

That's not going to stop anytime soon, either.

WWE keeps stockpiling talent in NXT. Kairi Sane, Johnny Gargano, Lio Rush, Heavy Machinery and The Undisputed Era are sure to make the most of their at-bats in the TakeOvers to come.

2. The Big Grand Slam Champion

Roman Reigns' mantle is getting quite crowded. The Big Dog won the Intercontinental Championship on Monday night when he knocked off The Miz.

Per WWE.com, Reigns is only the ninth Superstar to win the United States Championship, tag team titles, WWE Championship and the IC crown. But there are still prizes the powerhouse has yet to claim.

Credit: WWE.com

If you add winning the Money in the Bank ladder match to the criteria, Reigns doesn't make the cut. Only Ambrose, Bryan, Edge and The Miz have been both Grand Slam champs and Mr. Money in the Bank.

Kurt Angle and Edge have King of the Ring victories to their name in addition to their Grand Slam Champion status. The Rated-R Superstar, though, is the only current member of that group to also have won the Royal Rumble, giving him entry into the most exclusive of clubs.

And three of the current Grand Slam champions are in the Hall of Fame: Angle, Eddie Guerrero and Edge. That's sure to change in a few years as Big Show and Chris Jericho are locks for the Hall. As much as his detractors don't want to hear it, that's an honor Reigns is sure to achieve, as well.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Georgia Dome

Atlanta's Georgia Dome is no more. The city imploded the stadium that hosted a number of memorable wrestling moments. 

The dome was the site of WrestleMania XXVII and where Goldberg won the WCW world title for the first time. It was also the arena that saw Hulk Hogan defeat Kevin Nash with the Fingerpoke of Doom in 1999.

The odd bit of nepotism has often been credited with playing a crucial part in WCW's demise. 

4. The Call-Up Process Remains Unpredictable 

After violent invasions on both Raw and SmackDown, Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose, Liv Morgan, Ruby Riot and Sarah Logan are all members of WWE's main roster.

If you told fans that five women from NXT would get called up in the wake of Survivor Series, not many would have predicted that exact group. That's in part because WWE hasn't been consistent with how it approaches promotion from its developmental brand.

Some prospects spend a good amount of time with NXT and are featured on its weekly TV show before arriving on Raw or SmackDown. Some simply show up as virtual unknowns.

Tye Dillinger was an NXT mainstay before his SmackDown debut. Braun Strowman, on the other hand, came up with zero televised bouts under his belt. 

And at times, WWE has welcomed wrestlers to the big leagues at a faster pace than one would have expected. Rose, Deville and Morgan fit into that category. We will soon find out if they suffer the same fate as Dana Brooke and Eva Marie, namely getting tossed into the deep end and sinking.

Or else, they may prove to be the next Alexa Bliss, the unheralded prospects who kick the door of opportunity off its hinges on their way to stardom.

5. Flair on the Football Field

In the latest example that wrestling is everywhere, the NFL's Los Angeles Rams invoke a WWE Hall of Famer's name as part of their on-field language. "Ric Flair" is one of the many terms quarterback Jared Goff uses to communicate with his teammates when calling audibles, per Cameron DaSilva of The Rams Wire:

That's a small reminder that Flair didn't just rule the wrestling world in his heyday—he wove himself into the fabric of pop culture.

6. God Speed, Gail

Gail Kim officially retired after a 17-year career. She relinquished the Impact Knockouts Championship on the Nov. 16 edition of Impact Wrestling.

Kim going out on top, handing over the title she was the first wrestler to win, was a fitting move.

You can't tell the story of the women's revolution without Kim. WWE won't acknowledge it, but her rivalry with Awesome Kong and her work for Impact Wrestling were key to building momentum for women in wrestling.

She can walk away from the business knowing she left it better off than when she entered it.

7. A Hideo Itami Primer

NXT will soon say goodbye to another talent when Hideo Itami makes his way to the main roster.

The head-kicking warrior is headed to Raw's cruiserweight division as WWE announced on Tuesday night.

Itami will be an instant boost to 205 Live. He's a strong striker with ample fire in the belly.

For those unfamiliar with his work, either at NXT or during his Pro Wrestling NOAH or Ring of Honor days, the following bouts are a good start to get to know what he's all about:

• Kenta vs. Bryan Danielson: ROH Glory By Honor V
• Kenta vs. Naomichi Marufuji: NOAH Autumn Navigation 2006
• Kenta vs. Kenta Kobashi: NOAH Navigate for Evolution 2006
• Hideo Itami vs. Bobby Roode: NXT TakeOver Chicago
• Hideo Itami vs. Aleister Black: NXT TakeOver Brooklyn III

As part of Raw's cruiserweight division, a number of appealing matchups now await him. Itami vs. Akira Tozawa will be a thriller. The Saitama, Japan, native would also flourish against Cedric Alexander, Rich Swann or Jack Gallagher.

8. Survivor Series Queen

Charlotte Flair's victory over Alexa Bliss at Survivor Series on Sunday extended a burgeoning streak. Per CageMatch.net, she is now 3-0 at the event.

That's a long way from Undertaker's 21-0 mark at WrestleMania, but WWE would be smart to keep The Queen in the winning column at Survivor Series, playing up her numbers there. Flair pushing that number to five, six or seven would create bigger stakes for each subsequent bout at the PPV.

She also has undefeated streaks in the works at SummerSlam (2-0), Royal Rumble (2-0) and Hell in a Cell (3-0) if WWE would rather tell that story elsewhere.

9. A Salute to Sami's Heel Work

Anyone who doubted that Sami Zayn could thrive as a heel has since been made to look foolish. Myself included.

The former NXT champion has gone from an underdog one can't help but root for to a pest one wants badly to punch in the mouth. As Kevin Owens' high-stepping sidekick, he's been brilliant.

On Tuesday's SmackDown, he played KO's yes man, punctuating his buddy's sentences by saying "Double yep" and "Triple yep." He twisted logic to fit his needs. He smirked like a hyena.

And it all clicked.

Zayn has taken each aspect of his character and turned up the volume to the point that what was once endearing is now annoying. His dancing used to be a fun, little addition to his shtick. Now it's become can't-miss heel taunting.

Zayn has not only proved he can be a quality heel, he's suddenly in the running for the best in that category across the entire roster.

10. Owens on Velveteen 

Velveteen Dream stole the show on Saturday, tearing it up at NXT TakeOver: WarGames opposite Aleister Black. And the fans inside Houston's Toyota Center weren't the only ones who noticed.

Owens sent the former Tough Enough competitor a tip of the hat via Twitter:

"

I think plenty of people will be saying your name for years to come. @VelveteenWWE

— Kevin Owens (@FightOwensFight) November 19, 2017"

KO may well be right. Back when he was plain old Patrick Clark, the NXT star showed great promise. He has since taken his flamboyant braggart act and run with it. And after a statement match at TakeOver, it's easy to see Velveteen Dream's name appearing on plenty a marquee in the future.