Instant Reaction - WWE NXT Takeover 5/30
By Benjamin Tucker, PWTorch TV specialist

Overall Score - 8.0

Thursday's NXT Takeover did not match the highs found in NXT Arrival, but it did surpass my wildest of expectations, delivering a very fun two-hour event that once again seemed to rejuvenate the NXT product. After a slow start, the show got on a roll and never slowed down, delivering three majorly hit-worthy matches and only one potential dud.

- The opening Adam Rose-Camacho encounter was about what you would expect after the unique and entertaining Rose entrance kicked off the show. Camacho gets in more offense than anyone else has at this point, but Rose still picks up the victory. This was a perfect opening match, but it's nothing to go out of your way to see. Rose is at his best in front of the vocal NXT crowd, but all of this has been done before.

Verdict: Skip it.

- The real dud of the night took place in the NXT Tag Title match. Kalisto and El Local makes for a fun pairing on paper, but in reality the alternate form of Ricardo Rodriguez is holding his partner back. Whereas Kalisto's offense is stunning to watch, Local slowly lumbers around the ring in the least visually pleasing tights possible for him. Almost every single one of his big spots were botched in some way, whereas Kalisto was introducing new and unique moves despite barely being able to give off any offense the whole match. The tag division is on life support in NXT and needs a shot in the arm immediately.

Verdict: Skip it.

- The highlight of tonight's show was the epic Sami Zayn-Tyler Breeze showdown. Zayn is becoming a problem on NXT in these big match situations in that he truly makes everyone around him look horrible in comparison. Oh, Tyson Kidd did a plancha? Yeah, Zayn did three of those while flipping and high-fiving astronauts. Zayn is a freak of nature in the ring, both in terms of his moveset and selling. He and Breeze put on a clinic with amazing near falls, pacing and fluidity that must be seen to be believed. Breeze's controversial win both protected Zayn while also keeping Breeze strong. This match didn't top Cesaro vs. Zayn from Arrival, but it did steal the show tonight.

On a separate note, kudos to WWE for switching the themes of Zayn and Breeze. Breeze singing his own theme is the perfect heel move for him, even if the beat to the song isn't as strong as his old one was.

Verdict: Watch it

- Rusev absolutely demolished Mojo Rawley, and I loved it. Yes, I'll admit it, I'm slowly warming up to Rusev. The light bits of character given to him (Lana, Putin) make me actually care about what he's doing next. Whether it's producing the right type of heat (i.e. not humor) is a different question, but at least for tonight he looked strong. His utter destruction of Rawley portrayed Rusev as an indestructible force and I dig it.

Verdict: Watch it (if you're tired of Rawley at least half as much as me).

- At first I wasn't a fan of the Charlotte vs. Natalya match because I was looking at it from a closed mind. Once I saw the match for the technical display that it was, I found it to be a thoroughly entertaining affair that held my interest throughout... until they began to reverse Charlotte's figure-four. I honestly have no idea what they were going for. A figure-four is conventionally known to reverse its pressure when the wrestlers are flipped onto their stomachs. Not when flipped 360 degrees. So why would Charlotte be selling the hold? Was she? Was Natalya? There was a two minute mass of confusion that befuddled the announcers and me alike. It brought down an otherwise unique and thoroughly enjoyable match.

By the way, if you're trying to establish yourself as a major heel, don't hug faces. No matter how great your match is. Just a tip. Unless she's breaking off as a face champion.

Verdict: Watch it.

- And finally, Kidd-Neville was a contest that surpassed my expectations. After a slow start, the two delivered a multitude of amazing high-impact offense. It lacked the fluidity of Zayn-Breeze, but remained a satisfying conclusion to the event, especially when compared to Neville-Dallas from NXT Arrival.

In the end, Takeover didn't tread new ground, but it did give NXT back some of the juice it had lost over the last three months. This is a highly recommended show that deserves your attention. Go. Watch it. Now.

Questions? Comments? Reactions? Find me on Twitter @BTuckerTorch, where I talk about wrestling and... stuff!

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