The third iteration of an NXT TakeOver special featuring War Games is in the books. With it, fans saw milestones including the first women’s War Games match, fresh faces vying for a spot in the NXT Championship picture, and the TakeOver returns of former NXT Champions Finn Balor and Kevin Owens. All of that’s not to mention Dakota Kai turning heel, Johnny Gargano registering a rare TakeOver absence, and a show with four matches that all delivered.
For all of the more obviously noteworthy elements in play at TakeOver, there were a number of hidden highlights that many fans missed. This article takes a look at ten particularly interesting observations from NXT’s instant classic event over Survivor Series weekend.
10 10. Though No Titles Changed Hands, Every Champion Lost
NXT TakeOver specials are known for their in ring quality, but importance to storytelling. Since their inception most title changes—particularly for the NXT Championship—have happened on TakeOver specials, and it’s not unusual for these events to have big implications moving forward.
On Saturday night, Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler and NXT Champion Adam Cole both got pinned by top contenders. However, both did so in War Games matches, without their titles at stake. North American Champion Roderick Strong and Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly were part of Cole’s losing team, too, meaning that every champion in NXT lost, though none dropped their belts.
9 9. Kevin Owens Re-Debuted The Way He Started
One of the most talked-about developments from TakeOver was the surprise appearance of Kevin Owens, who was the mystery fourth man for Tommaso Ciampa’s War Games team. The introduction of Owens made sense, if only because The Undisputed Era had gone after him on the preceding Monday night.
Owens returned to NXT in much the way he debuted there. Not only was he wearing the t-shirt design popularized for him in NXT, but he also came back as a face, just he had debuted for his first NXT match—the only televised NXT match he wouldn’t work as a heel. Additionally, much like NXT TakeOver: R-Evolution where Owens first wrestled, he ended the show with a surprise. December 2014 saw him turn heel against Sami Zayn, whereas five years later he was a surprise entrant into War Games.
8 8. Dakota Kai’s Betrayal The Most Devastating Ever In A War Games
The fact that Dakota Kai would make a heel turn wasn’t entirely surprising. NXT planted seeds when she was originally not selected for Team Ripley in War Games on account of coming across as a weaker option than Mia Yim. The suddenness of her turn—taking out Tegan Nox before she could enter the match, and never getting into the ring herself—was a surprise, though.
There’s a history of betrayals in War Games, including Curt Hennig turning his back on the Four Horsemen in 1997, not to mention Sting abandoning Team WCW to launch his Crow loner persona. However, in never entering War Games and taking out her partner, Kai yielded not a four on three or five on three disadvantage, but rather a four on two disparity--the starkest in number of teammates ever seen in War Games.
7 7. The First Three Falls To International Stars
NXT has a history of celebrating international talent. Nonetheless, in a show with just four matches, it’s noteworthy that the first three straight falls went to international stars not hailing from the US.
The opener saw Rhea Ripley beat the odds to pin Shayna Baszler for her team. From there, Pete Dunne from England won the number one contender’s Triple Threat, while Irish Finn Balor defeated Matt Riddle in the third bout. Tommaso Ciampa was the only Superstar born and raised in the US who picked up a fall during the show.
6 6. The Undisputed Era Sets Up Its Own Demise
In a fun sequence of events, Adam Cole entered the cage for War Games not by attacking his opponents, but by fetching a series of tables from underneath one of the rings. He immediately suffered consequences as Tommaso Ciampa sent him crashing through a table he’d propped at ringside.
Whatever Cole’s kayfabe plans may have been, they backfired completely in the closing stretch of the match. First Dominik Dijakovic choke slammed Roderick Strong through a table, then Kevin Owens frog splashed Kyle O’Reilly through another. Keith Lee powerbombed Bobby Fish through a third, before Tommaso Ciampa hit an Air Raid off the top of the cage to finish off Cole himself for the pin.
5 5. WCW Callbacks Abound In The Triple Threat
On a night when NXT staged two War Games bouts—a staple WCW match type—the Triple Threat Match had its own callbacks to the WCW brand. Damian Priest came to the ring in attire inspired by Outsiders Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, as Mauro Ranallo pointed out. Moreover, he continually went for the Razor’s Edge, a move Hall used most famously in WWE, though Hall himself arguably peaked in WCW where, among other things, he was a War Games participant.
Not only did Priest use Hall’s signature move, but Killian Dain more than once went for the Vader Bomb, which the announcers also called by name. Vader, of course, also starred for WCW, including fighting inside War Games in 1993.
4 4. Only One Match With DQs And Countouts In Play
Out of the four matches staged at TakeOver, it’s interesting to note that only one was contested under traditional wrestling rules, including having the possibilities of disqualifications or count outs in play. That was the grudge match between Matt Riddle and Finn Balor.
Of course, the show was focused on its featured War Games matches. Nonetheless, the abandonment of traditional one on one matches fit the Survivor Series weekend customs in its own odd way. After all, in its early years, Survivor Series was all about eight or ten man elimination tag team matches, in part to offer something novel to fans while not blowing off rivalries.
3 3. Matt Riddle Furthers His Goldberg Issue
Fans who follow wrestling closely over social media are aware that Matt Riddle has had his issues with WWE legends, and perhaps none more so than Goldberg. That included The Original Bro knocking Goldberg’s less than stellar in-ring performances, and Goldberg suggesting Riddle hasn’t accomplished enough to have a credible opinion.
It’s noteworthy that Riddle not only busted out a spear against Finn Balor, but also registered near fall off of a Jackhammer. Using Goldberg’s signature repertoire felt like a pretty overt way of furthering tensions with Goldberg, whether its Riddle’s own plan or a step toward them actually working together in WWE.
2 2. Ranallo Avoids Calling Balor A Former Universal Champion
Finn Balor’s return to NXT was big news when the black and gold brand premiered on the USA Network, and his heel turn to follow also turned heads. It was significant that after over three years working Raw and SmackDown, he returned to NXT, and worked his first TakeOver special since 2016 this weekend.
In building up Balor, Mauro Ranallo cited that he had achieved huge success in Japan, in addition to in NXT “and beyond.” It’s noteworthy that Balor wasn’t cited for arguably his biggest career accomplishment of all as a Universal Champion on the main roster. Of course, Balor hardly had a reign—getting injured in his title-winning match. Nonetheless, it felt like commentary went out of its way not to call attention to Balor’s main roster run and how transitioning back to NXT might be a step backward or forward.
1 1. Ciampa Paints Up Like A Road Warrior
Tommaso Ciampa captained his team going into War Games. Though he was the smallest man in his unit, it made complete sense for him to be at the helm as the most experienced NXT performer (besides, arguably, surprise addition Kevin Owens).
Ciampa showed up ready for war, including not only camouflage pants but uncharacteristic face paint. With a bald head and cut physique, he looked more than a little like a Road Warrior. Of course, Animal and Hawk more than once had their own battles in the early days of War Games, and it felt as though Ciampa was paying homage.