8 Lessons Learned and Questions Raised from NXT Takeover Brooklyn 4

Last night saw Summer Slam weekend kick start properly and with a bang as the stars of NXT Took over Brooklyn for a fourth year in a row in what yet another Must-see showcase of the future. The night was jam packed full of title changes, surprises, and all-round excellent wrestling that has put the stars on the main roster under serious pressure to deliver to a high standard tonight! In today’s blog post I’m going to be running through some of the lessons learned and questions raised during last night’s live special so grab a drink and lets dive into it!

Tag Team Wrestling Is NOT Dead in the WWE

While the tag team talent in the WWE is undeniably fantastic there has been plenty of discussion amongst the community regarding the current state of how the division is booked and treated. RAW and Smackdown LIVE continue to fail in delivering top quality must see action amongst the men and struggle to show the very best of its tag team division; however, this past Sunday’s NXT Takeover event kick started with a big point being proven. It’s here that fans can truly tune into excellent must-see tag team wrestling with the undisputed era and Moustache Mountain highlighting that very fact. Their tag team championship bout genuinely had fans on the edge of their seats and everyone in the arena alive and completely invested. This was an excellent start to the show that proved the WWE can most certainly do tag team wrestling amazingly well its just not happening enough.

Moustache Mountain Have a Huge Career Ahead

While they haven’t been apart of the WWE for all too long, Tyler Bate and Trent Seven have been making one heck of an impact. Now, NXT originals, former champions, and leaders in the UK division, Moustache Mountain have established themselves as true top talents in a very special area of the WWE roster. This Saturday the two competed in one of the strongest tag team bouts of the year so far proving that very point once again and while they failed to come up on top the pair impressed and turned heads. There were several times the two looked to be closing in on a victory and the storytelling they provided throughout was simply a joy to watch. They may not hold tag team gold but Bate and Seven are climbing the ladder more and more.

The Era of the Vikings Begin

And to conclude the tag team section of this post today we must discuss War Raiders. With Hanson and Rowe making a surprise appearance last night, the two led fans to believe things were finally about to pick up for them. Still NXT newbies to a certain degree, this is one of the most exciting teams to grace the NXT stage and with an impressive and must-see indie run I’m genuinely excited for what we are all about to see from them. Attacking the Undisputed Era is a huge statement and while the story may not be as strong or convincing there is no denying the wrestling we will see between these teams will be phenomenal.

The Clash of Egos Was Needed

One of my personal favourite matches from this year NXT Takeover Brooklyn card came from the singles bout between the Velveteen Dream and EC3. A true clash of egos this was an interesting match considering both men were so massively in need of the victory. The wrestling from start to finish as truly fantastic and I have to admit it was Dream I could not take my eyes off however, the true showcase of these two egos was so clear and strong and it made for one of the most entertaining, character full, and sensibly booked matches of the night! This was exactly what both these superstars needed and seeing Dream finally score a big victory left a good feeling amongst the NXT universe.

The Dynamic have Changed

The one on one match up for the North American Championship between Ricochet and Adam Cole was always sure to be a must-see. Two of the best in ring performers of this generation, the two former indie darlings wowed the Brooklyn crowd and everyone watching from home this past Saturday. While the two differ in styles they worked fantastically well together to provide fans with a genuine wrestling match highlight of the year. This was exactly modern-day wrestling at its best and with Ricochet walking away as the brand-new champion a change in the dynamics was made evident. The Undisputed era lost a great deal of momentum last night and the next couple of months will be interesting for them however, with Ricochet as the brand-new champions the state of the roster has changed and been shaken up massively.

A Match Needed in the Women’s Division

Women’s wrestling in the WWE right now is generally a big topic of conversation. Everyone has an opinion and there is plenty to discuss both good and bad. The quality of in ring performances however has fallen a little low recently and this weekend has been an important one for the division to truly match what they do in the ring to the solid storyline’s and opportunies they are being given. The NXT Women’s Championship match between Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane was one that I generally did believe had a lot of potential considering the standard they have previously performed at against one another and the two did not disappoint. Miles ahead of what we saw from them last year, this was genuinely one of the best matches of the night and a bout the division truly needed. This was easily Baszler’s best performance and this was the match fans had been waiting to see from Sane since her arrival.

Will Shayna Baszler Appear at Summer Slam?

After losing her NXT Women’s championship to Kairi Sane last night there has been great talks amongst fans regarding whether Baszler will make an appearance during tonight’s Summer Slam pay per view. We saw Rousey and her fellow four horsewomen pals at ringside during this match last night and it will be interesting to see if Baszler officially arrives on the roster tonight to make an impact or if she takes a sit at ringside also.

Is This the Match of the Year?

Now, I do plan on doing an entire blog post looking at the feud between Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano so keep an eye out for that but of course we have to touch on this match in today as the main event of last nights NXT Takeover show has got everyone talking and rightfully so! Ciampa and Gargano completely tore the house down (quite literally even) in one of the best wrestling matches I have seen in a long time. When asking what makes a match “match of the year” and what makes a match a five star you have to consider brilliant wrestling, a good crowd, excellent storytelling, and a realistic feel and this match had all of that and more. Of course, we have to question whether we actually need or want to see these two collide again (personally I don’t believe they can do anymore so I vote no) but after seeing what these guys have done in the past it was amazing to see them top their last performance once again in what a phenomenal match and overall performance was.

We also have to wonder what is next for Johnny Gargano and this feud as a whole.

Overall, NXT Takeover Brooklyn four was a brilliant show as expected. Once again, the roster raised the bar and I can honestly say I enjoyed every single match. From start to finish the NXT universe was treated to a night of excellent wrestling and gripping storytelling making for one of the best wrestling shows of the year so far! The question now however, is can Summer Slam and the stars of the main roster top it?

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