I tend to look forward to the NXT ppv's more than the main roster ones and Takeover: New Orleans demonstrates once again why.
Yet again the "Rookie" show delivers and produces a quality of wrestling you simply don't see on the main roster...........ever. Yes AJ vs Nakamura is set for tonight but if you think it'll be of the same quality as their 5* NJPW match you're out of your mind.
The pre-show was a bit of a chore, from non-stop advertising, no matches and that new guy who though charismatic made numerous botches even going as far as to refer to the Authors Of Pain as "Obese".............twice.
Now I called 100% of the matches (Which I rarely manage) It's not that the ppv was predictible, I just went with the most logical results and for a change they followed suit.
The opening match for the inaugural North American Championship exceeded expectations. What could have just been a spot match turned into quite a bout that showcased the strengths of each man and by the end it was hard to argue that anyone hadn't earned the championship. My one gripe would be Richochet, considering this was his debut and the level of skill the man has I question the logic of having him in the match as little as he actually was.
3 months on Ember vs Shayna is still great and I was looking forward to this finale (Most likely) I think the match should have been longer, but with the time they had they did a great job with several very memorable spots. The outcome? Well let's just say it's what I wanted.
Triple threat tag team bout was better than expected and though the outcome to me seemed obvious, the quality of wrestling and twist saved it from just being yet another above above par match. It did however seem to overshadow the Dusty Cup which was a shame.
The World Championship match is another bout that felt like you knew exactly how it would play out, but that was okay. Sadly though the match was above par it was riddled with awkward exchanges and several botches which demonstrated that these guys simply don't have the chemistry. Good stuff but by all rights should have been better.
And finally the main event a year in the making since Ciampa's heel turn and injury. Did it deliver? Absolutely. The two men put on a clinic out there. Was it the fast paced technical fight they'd normally put on? No. It was an un-sanctioned match so it was a hard hitting no-dq match which entertained regardless. Both men took it to the next level and I can't imagine anyone walked away unhappy (Except Ciampa maybe). Again though I do have a single gripe but as I don't put spoilers on these things I'll simply say "Closing moments" I think that should/could have been handled considerably better.
The Good:
Consistently great matches
Everyone came out looking strong
Logical booking from start to finish
The Bad:
Couple of underwhelming moments
Things I Learnt From This PPV:
Wrestlemania simply cannot follow this
If the whole WWE was booked this logically the product would be considerably better.
The Aleister Black magic is starting to fade already
