Last night’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event was met with much anticipation and hype, and boy did the show deliver. We kicked things off with Triple H in the ring telling the fans that they made NXT what it is by telling us that the future is now. He raises his hands and we pan out to the Barclays Center going absolutely insane as Triple H screams “WE ARE NXT!” and that energy carried on through the rest of the night.
Let’s take a look at what went down on a night that SummerSlam will have a hard time topping, featuring multiple title matches, the NXT debut of an international legend and what might possibly have been the first Diva’s vignette WWE has ever done.
Balor Retains in an All-Timer
Backstage we see Balor arriving at the arena and with him are fellow internationals Neville and Cesaro. Could this be the new Balor Club?! (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE)
After the amazing title match that Bayley and Banks put on, Balor and Owens need to deliver an all-timer to be remembered as the match of the night.
(Side note: They show Seth Rollins ringside and I’m 99% sure he’s with the girl whose nude he accidentally posted which led to his nude being posted by his then-girlfriend, so I guess we know what happened there.)
Main event time and we see Owens first, making his Goldberg-style entrance through the back, he yells into the camera that he sat up top in this arena watching a WWE pay-per-view and tonight he main events. The crowd definitely loves them some Kevin Owens as the challenger explodes in “his mother-effing ring” as he so eloquently puts it. Owens goes and says hi to his wife and son ringside and how the hell are we supposed to root against this guy?!
Balor is out next and in typical Finn Balor fashion, his intro is freaking awesome. The arena and stage lighting is absolutely on point as Balor makes his way out in his latest body-paint creation.
Balor crawls towards his title sitting on the ramp and after about five more minutes of crawling finally makes his way into the ring. Don’t get me wrong the intro Is awesome, it’s just way too long.
Owens for his part is sitting in a chair at the announce table in typically amazing smug Owens style.
The title is raised above the ring with both men looking on and the second ladder match in NXT history is finally on. Interesting note from the intros, Balor is giving up 75 pounds against Owens.
We’re reminded that this is Balor’s first ladder match and well if you don’t know about Kevin Owens history in ladder matches do yourself a favor and watch this.
Owens tells Balor that he’s going to climb the ladder, take the title and kick Balor’s ass before pushing his face and here we go. Balor hits a standing dropkick to take early control.
Chops in the corner to Owens from Balor and the champ looks ready to go. Owens hits a running elbow to take control and then follows it up with a senton on the Champ before playing to the crowd. The NXT Universe explodes as Owens slows things down… but only because a fight apparently broke out in the crowd. Good time to get kicked out guys.
Balor reverses a powerbomb attempt by Owens and hits a double foot stomp as the challenger rolls out of the ring. Balor tries to follow but Owens hits him with a forearm and then a cannonball in the corner on the champ.
Owens for the third time tries to go for the ladder and again Balor stops him. The crowd breaks into an Ole chant in honor of Sami Zayn so Owens does what he does best and amazingly pretends to injure his shoulder a la Zayn and the announcers totally miss the opportunity to connect the dots.
Balor hits a slingblade and Owens rolls out of the ring to get the ladder but Balor hits a flying forearm on the ramp and grabs the ladder himself. The Champ tries to take the ladder to the ring but Owens grabs the end and drives it into Balors midsection against the ring multiple times.
Owens sets the ladder up on Balor and goes up the ramp before running and… stopping and punching Balor. Amazing.
The two battle ringside and Balor tosses Owens over the barricade into the crowd but the challenger drags him over as well and the two are exchanging blows in the crowd before Owens throws Balor into the barricade.
Owens tries to powerbomb Balor but the Champ counters and flips him over the barricade. He jumps on the barricade but Owens catches him mid-air and slams him into the barricade before literally throwing him over the announce table and standing on it to pander to the crowd.
Owens finds another ladder under the ring, but Balor goes flying off of the announce table and kicks it into his face! Balor rolls the ladder into the ring but Owens grabs it and pulls it back out, so Balor hits a senton over the top rope to the outside!
Needless to say, business has picked up.
Balor sets up the ladder again and starts to climb but Owens grabs his leg and pulls him off before throwing the Champ face-first into the ladder and then out of the ring. Now Owens sets up the ladder in the middle of the ring and begins to climb but man that ladder looks a little too short to actually get the title with..
Balor back in the ring with another ladder and Owens tosses the first out of the way after taking Balor down. He picks up the other and throws it at Balor but the Champ dodges and hits a byclce kick to Owens who stumbles into the corner and onto the ladder.
Balor tries to run at Owens, but the challenger catches him with a vicious clothesline. Owens now using the ladder as a weapon, stomping Balor with it as dueling “Let’s Go Balor! Fight Owens Fight!” chants break out in the crowd. Owens picks up Balor and slams him back-first onto the ladder before hitting a senton right on top of the steel.
Owens taunts Balor’s pose an picks up the ladder but the Champ begins to fight back. KO grabs Balor and tries to powerbomb him but Balor reverses and Owens lands viciously on the ladder! OUCH!
That looked painful as hell and now Balor is trying to set up the ladder and go for the title. Owens pulls him off and throws him into the ladder in te corner before tipping the other ladder over and going for a cannonball but Balor dodges it and Owens crashes into the ladder!
Balor dropkicks Owens and hits the challenger with a Coup D’ Grace before setting up the ladder in the middle of the ring! Balor begin to climb and again Owens grabs him and pulls him off of the ladder before HITTING A MASSIVE POWERBOMB!
Both men are down after that huge move and that’s perfectly fine we all need a second to catch our collective breath here.
Owens again begins climbing the ladder as Balor crawls towards it and begins climbing the opposite side and nope, forget climbing, Balor tips the ladder over and Owens slams into the turnbuckles!
Balor struggles to set up the ladder and Owens pulls him out of the ring looking for a powerbomb but the Champ lands on the apron and hits Owens with a huge kick before trying a running double foot stomp but Owens dodges it and hits Balor with a Pop Up Power Bomb on the ring apron!
Both men again down ringside and whoever gets to their feet first could very well end up winning the match. Owens drags himself into the ring and struggles to get to the ladder and set it up.
Owens begins to climb to the top but somehow Balor gets back in the ring and tries to tip it over but Owens jumps off and hits Balor with a huge super kick! Owens again sets up the ladder and Balor tries to get up so the challenger yells at him to stay down and hits an absolutely vicious super kick again!
Owens grabs the second ladder and wedges it between the bottom turnbuckle and ladder and climbs to the top, dragging Balor to the top. Oh my God he wants to suplex him onto the other ladder!
Balor fifghts it off as muchas he can and hits Owens with a forearm but Owens won’t stop. Balor slams Owens head onto the ladder and the challenger falls off and lands unbelievably stiffly onto the wedged ladder!
Balor struggles to get the title with the ladder off-center and somehow Owens is back again trying to take Finn off. Balor kicks Owens in the head and hits a massive Coup D’ Grace OFF OF THE LADDER!!!!
Balor legitimately looks like he might have broken his ankle but somehow he sets the ladder up in the middle of the ring and climbs the ladder to grab the title and get the win!
WHAT A FREAKING TITLE MATCH! GOOD LUCK TOPPING THAT AT SUMMERSLAM FOLKS!
Balor is still your NXT Champ and if that was indeed Kevin Owens final match in NXT, what a way to go out.
FLIP THE PAGE TO SEE WHO WON POSSIBLY THE GREATEST DIVAS MATCH OF ALL-TIME…
