WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III Review

WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III
August 19, 2017
Brooklyn, New York

The notorious NXT returns to Brooklyn for another epic TakeOver event. Another stacked lineup is presented as Drew McIntyre looks to put the cherry on top of his epic return to WWE by beating Bobby Roode to capture the NXT Championship.

Match 1: Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade Almas
Love to see these two open up the card, arguably two of the brand's best wrestlers going at it. If you've seen these two wrestle before, you can imagine just how good this match was. They had 13 or so minutes to work with and none of it was put to waste. Despite Andrade Almas having roughly 20 pounds on Johnny Gargano, Gargano was able to use his masterful wrestling techniques to his advantage and it was certainly a joy to see him execute them to near perfection. However, a distraction from Zelina Vega who threw a shirt at Gargano led Almas to plant Gargano with a hammerlock DDT to secure the win. Believable nearfalls and incredible action made this match an incredible way to open the night. 
Winner: Andrade Almas
Rating: ****1/4

Match 2: NXT Tag Team Championship - The Authors of Pain (c) vs. SAnitY
The Authors of Pain are still undefeated at this point and the team of SAnitY certainly have their hands full here. Before the bell even rings, the two teams go at it before Eric Young inserts himself in the match alongside Alexander Wolfe to take on Akam and Rezar. I dig making the late switch of having Young added to the mix and adding some unpredictability to the match. Despite giving up lots of size, Young and Wolfe relied on their craftiness to try and beat AOP including Nikki Cross inserting herself in the match and even helping Wolfe send one of the members of AOP through a table outside in a sweet spot. In the ring, Young and Wolfe team up to hit a neck breaker to seal the big win and secure the tag titles. Great match and while AOP dropped the belts, they looked more than ready to take off to the main roster after this. They are gold. Afterwards, both Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly come out to beat down SAnitY and send a message that they are coming for the gold.
Winners: SAnitY
Rating: ***3/4

Match 3: Hideo Itami vs. Aleister Black
How cool is it to see these two match up against each other? Two of the best strikers in all of NXT looking to punch and kick the living daylights out of each other. What's not to love? Hideo Itami was working Aleister Black early on in the match and the kicks he was delivering to Black looked like they had some serious power behind them. To add to that point, Itami cracked Black's nose pretty early on in the match. Hard-hitting throughout with sweet counters and kicks from each men but it was Black who was able to hit a Black Mass out of nowhere to seal the win. I am convinced that Black has one of the best finishers in the game, love how he can hit it at any point in a match and love how vicious the damn thing looks. Give these guys a few more minutes and this could have been a serious show stealer.
Winner: Aleister Black
Rating: ***1/4

Match 4: NXT Women's Championship - Asuka (c) vs. Ember Moon
The NXT Women's Championship isn't the only thing Asuka puts on the line against Ember Moon, she also puts her undefeated streak on the line as well in the co-main event of the night. Moon starts the match aggressively and attacks Asuka fast and hard. Love the intensity from the beginning, the two have a heated feud and are really making you feel the animosity between the two. Some great exchanges between the two here and while Moon was giving Asuka the work, Asuka had no problem with maintaining the same energy which led to some sweet nearfalls that had the crowd reeling. Awesome finish here with Moon looking like she have had the win in her sights before Asuka is able to clamp her up in an Asuka Lock to seal the win. Great match and a great finish that had me itching for the rematch. Asuka comes out the victor but Moon still comes out just as strong.
Winner: Asuka
Rating: ****

Match 5: NXT Championship - Bobby Roode (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
I've always loved and admired the story of Drew McIntyre. Being called "The Chosen One" by Vince McMahon back in 2009 before leaving the company to grow and mature himself into the star he is today. The lead-in to McIntyre getting a chance for the NXT Championship against Bobby Roode just seemed so beautiful to me. It's crazy to see how much McIntyre has improved in the ring from his first stint and how he's able to really utilize his huge frame by tossing Roode around with case. However, the commentators did a fantastic job in mentioning how Roode has been in the game for years and knows every trick in the book. So despite the huge size of McIntyre, Roode was definitely still in control due to his experience. While the match probably went a few minutes longer than it actually needed to, the finish was fantastic as Roode tried hitting a trifecta of Glorious DDTs before falling to a headbutt and Claymore to seal his fate against McIntyre. What a moment for McIntyre as he celebrates in the middle of the ring with the gold before he spots Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly in the corner of the ring... and boom! Out comes Adam Cole! He beats down McIntyre and poses with his belt to cap off the show. Wow, what an ending.
Winner: Drew McIntyre
Rating: ****

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
As usual, a phenomenal effort from the very beginning to the close. Seriously... what do you want me to say that I've never said about prior NXT TakeOver events before? Incredible wrestling mixed with incredible stories and capped off with Adam Cole, Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly looking like a million dollars.
Rating: 9/10