The first appearance of Samoa Joe, as well as six awesome matches, ensured that NXT Takeover: Unstoppable was another solid NXT event.
With drama in every title division and plenty of action in the mid-card, you have to wonder what happens next.
Matches:
#1 Contender’s Match: Finn Balor vs. Tyler Breeze: Following Hideo Itami’s injury before the show, this was made into a standard singles match, but it was frenetic and full of offense and counters. Breeze had the early advantage with kicks and a Neckbreaker, but the crowd was firmly behind Balor. It got to the point where Breeze threw a tantrum after Balor was able to escape the ring after Breeze couldn’t get the win with the Super Model Kick and the Beauty Shot. With the match now on the outside, Balor capitalized with a Clothesline from atop a platform. Once back in the ring Balor hit his Turnbuckle Dropkick and finished off Breeze with the Coupe De Grace for the win.
Charlotte Flair and Bayley vs. Dana Brooke and Emma: Flair’s athleticism kept her team in the match when Emma and Brooke showed early chemistry. After Brooke broke up the Figure-8, Bayley hit the Belly-to-Bailey on Brooke, allowing Flair to finish off Emma with the Natural Selection.
Baron Corbin vs. Rhino: A strike-heavy match that played more to Corbin’s strengths. Both monsters went back and forth, with neither one getting a real advantage. Just when it appeared Rhino had the match in hand, hitting the Spinebuster, Corbin countered the Gore into a Clothesline and then hit the End of Days for the win.
NXT Tag Team Champions Blake and Murphy vs. Colin Cassady and Enzo Amore w/Carmella: Amore was simply destroyed as Murphy and Blake hit high-impact moves and double teams. It wasn’t until he hit a jumping DDT fro the second rope and tagged in Cassady that things went in their favor. Casually took out Blake and Murphy with Big Boots and nearly won with the Empire Elbow, but after he tagged in Amore, interference on the top rope from Alexa Bliss allowed Blake and Murphy to clean up the scraps and get the win.
NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch: This was easily one of the best women’s matches in NXT history as Lynch and Banks traded blows and innovated throughout. Banks was clearly in control, working on Lynch’s arm, much to the pleasure of the crowd, who love the heel, but still wanted to see Lynch fight back. When she did, hitting a modified Electric Chair Drop and a Missile Dropkick, the crowd went nuts, but Banks fought back too with strikes. Lynch got back into the match by working on Bank’s arm and soon enough locked in her Arm Bar finisher, but Banks was able to get to the ropes. The action then spilled to the outside, where Lynch countered a Suicide Dive and threw Banks into the ring steps. Once back in, Lynch went to the top, but Banks countered with the Bank Statement and got Lynch to tap out to the Crossface for the win.
NXT Champion Kevin Owens vs. SamI Zayn: The Exploder, Half-Nelson Suplexes, DDT variations and the Blue Thunder Bomb, Zayn threw everything at Owens, but he couldn’t put him away. It just felt like Owens couldn’t get on a roll here, as Zayn brought the fight to Owens early and often. It wasn’t until Owens hit the Pop-Up Powerbomb on the ring apron that Owens started to cook. With the fight on the outside, Owens beat on Zayn and a bunch of referees came in to break it up, but Owens dragged Zayn back into the ring and before he could hit the Powerbomb again, William Regal separated the two before Owens attacked him too before the match was eventually thrown out. Soon enough former TNA World Heavyweight Champion Samoa Joe hit the ring and stared down Owens to end the show.
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