NXT: Brooklyn 4

[#AbsoluteUnit]

This is the first time I'll be watching an NXT event.

Talk Here.

[BaconBits]

I’ve seen all the Takeovers. They’re always a good time.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

is that nigel mcguiness on comentary? well that makes things better.

[BaconBits]

is that nigel mcguiness on comentary? well that makes things better.

Yeah, it’s him.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

Yeah, it’s him.

and mauro. this should be good

[BaconBits]

and mauro. this should be good

I actually find Mauro to be ridiculously cheesy.

[klunderbunker]

Sometimes, there are no words for how awesome Bate is.

[BaconBits]

Sometimes, there are no words for how awesome Bate is.

True indeed. Heâ??s just got a very entertaining quality about him.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

How long do these Takeovers last?

[BaconBits]

How long do these Takeovers last?

3-4 hours.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

3-4 hours.

even with 6 matches? hmm..

[BaconBits]

I will never not love when wrestlers use another wrestler as a weapon.

[klunderbunker]

3-4 hours.

2.5 to 3. The longest ever was New Orleans at just over 3 hours.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

That's Trent 7? LOL, wasn't he the king of the indies at one point?

[Skairipa]

What a callback that towel spot was.

[klunderbunker]

That's Trent 7? LOL, wasn't he the king of the indies at one point?

Uh....not really....

[#AbsoluteUnit]

Good match.

[Skairipa]

Hell of an opener, can't wait for UE vs War Raiders.

AND HERE THEY ARE!

[BaconBits]

This match at the next takeover is going to be bananas.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

who attacked aliester black?

[Skairipa]

Dream vs EC3 this should be fun. Hoping Dream gets a Takeover win finally.

[klunderbunker]

Dream vs EC3 this should be fun. Hoping Dream gets a Takeover win finally.

He's won there before.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

Wait, I remember EC3 from Impact, I thought he was good. This Velveteen Dream, is he Patrick Clark from the last Tough Enough?

[BaconBits]

Wait, I remember EC3 from Impact, I thought he was good. This Velveteen Dream, is he Patrick Clark from the last Tough Enough?

Yes.

[klunderbunker]

Well those are some tights.

[BaconBits]

Well those are some tights.

He always has some fantastic gear.

[klunderbunker]

I'm so scared for Dream going to the main roster. They have something there and he seems destined to be the next Rico.

[Skairipa]

I'm so scared for Dream going to the main roster. They have something there and he seems destined to be the next Rico.

Yeah I'm terrified they'll turn him into a comedy jobber.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

No way is Dream 240 lbs.

[BaconBits]

No way is Dream 240 lbs.

He is pretty tall. They probably exaggerate a bit, but I bet heâ??s somewhere between 220-230.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

He is pretty tall. They probably exaggerate a bit, but I bet he’s somewhere between 220-230.

k..

[klunderbunker]

I love a good superplex.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

very good match.

[klunderbunker]

There he is! And I was wrong like I knew I would be!

[klunderbunker]

Ricochet is something else when he gets going.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

No idea that Ricochet was from Kentucky. Points to KB.

[Skairipa]

Adam Cole is one of the few i dont fear for on the main roster. Feel like he's going to be a huge star when he gets there.

[klunderbunker]

No idea that Ricochet was from Kentucky. Points to KB.

Until then I've had Hillbilly Jim, Rob Conway, Eugene and Chuck Taylor. I've earned this.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

Until then I've had Hillbilly Jim, Rob Conway, Eugene and Chuck Taylor. I've earned this.

Well deserved man.

[BaconBits]

Cool that Ricochet went over.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

Both those guys are going to be studs in the WWE's future.

[Skairipa]

Time to see if my theory about Shayna getting called up comes true.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

I have shayna winning here.

[Skairipa]

This might be Shayna's best match yet.

[BaconBits]

That was a fun match. When Kairi moves on up to the main roster, Iâ??m going to be over people calling her adorable really, really fast.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

That's not how that match was supposed to end.

[Skairipa]

Well that was loads of fun. This is shaping up to be the best Takeover ever.

[klunderbunker]

They're on a roll tonight. Even moreso than usual around here.

[klunderbunker]

Well that was loads of fun. This is shaping up to be the best Takeover ever.

Nah. It's not topping New Orleans.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

I wanted Dakota Kai in that match.

[Skairipa]

I don't know if Gargano and Ciampa can possibly top their last two matches, but I'm excited to find out. Looks like their going to have an hour too.

[klunderbunker]

I don't know if Gargano and Ciampa can possibly top their last two matches, but I'm excited to find out. Looks like their going to have an hour too.
Not necessarily. These shows tend to run about 2:30.

[Skairipa]

Nah. It's not topping New Orleans.

I don't know, i think so far this is on par with New Orleans.

[klunderbunker]

I don't know, i think so far this is on par with New Orleans.

Not for me, though the main event to go means it's not impossible.

[Jack-Hammer]

I think Baszler's heading to the main roster. There are rumors of WWE setting up a Four Horsewomen of WWE against the Four Horsewomen of MMA in an elimination tag team match at Survivor Series.

[Jack-Hammer]

Ciampa's such a fantastic heel, just a wonderful shithead.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

This 3 commentary booth is so much better than the main roster.

[Jack-Hammer]

This 3 commentary booth is so much better than the main roster.

They don't have Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn screaming in their ears telling them 75% of what they want them to say.

[Storm Trooper]

Tommy Sports Entertainment's entrance music is the best entrance music in WWE history. I'm not being sarcastic. It's amazing.

This isn't on par with New Orleans. There hasn't been a match yet to top the Ladder match. Not to mention the unsanctioned match. That's not a bad thing, that's more of an I don't think it's possible to top New Orleans thing.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

They don't have Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn screaming in their ears telling them 75% of what they want them to say.

I get that. But they're better off by themselves. Much more fluid as a team of 3, if that makes sense.

[Jack-Hammer]

I get that. But they're better off by themselves. Much more fluid as a team of 3, if that makes sense.

Sure it makes sense. Triple H allows them and trusts them to do their jobs. They're keeping the focus where it belongs: on the wrestlers and the action in the ring instead of parroting corporate catchphrases all night long.

[klunderbunker]

Sure it makes sense. Triple H allows them and trusts them to do their jobs. They're keeping the focus where it belongs: on the wrestlers and the action in the ring instead of parroting corporate catchphrases all night long.

Also, and more importantly for me: you don't hear them hyping up stuff later in the show more than once a match. The focus is then, not on a match coming later. It could be a #1 contenders match to the Tag Team Titlesbut they make it sound big. That pays off later.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

Sure it makes sense. Triple H allows them and trusts them to do their jobs. They're keeping the focus where it belongs: on the wrestlers and the action in the ring instead of parroting corporate catchphrases all night long.

Awesome. I'm just glad I haven't muted my TV already. And I much agree, all 3 of these guys focus on; the wrestlers and the action in the ring. That's a big plus for me man!

[Storm Trooper]

When Ciampa sat in the chair, shouldn't the ref have started to count Ciampa out as well? Sure it's of his own volition but Ciampa was down as well.

[#AbsoluteUnit]

I need to watch NXT whenever it's available. I miss too much good stuff. (Reminder, this is my first NXT event)

[Storm Trooper]

Ciampa should have handcuff himself to the top rope. He wouldn't be able to fall down and be counted out.

[BaconBits]

Good match. I hope they can move on from this feud now.

[Storm Trooper]

The match was incredible. Johnny losing is long-term storytelling at its best. He turned into the monster he despised and it proved to be his downfall. Now when he comes back he will get back to being his old self and eventually get the title (off someone else).

[klunderbunker]

Takeover: Brooklyn IV
Date: August 18, 2018
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for the biggest show of the year and as usual, there are multiple options for most of the card. The key to tonight though is going to be the live crowd, who are going to be over the top for a show like this. If Gargano vs. Ciampa III is anything resembling the previous matches, we’re in for a major treat. Let’s get to it.

Click on the link below for the full review.

I Don't Know What Else To Say (http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/08/18/takeover-brooklyn-iv-i-dont-know-what-else-to-say/)

[Jack-Hammer]

It's become redundant when you get right down to it, but it's a great kind of redundancy as NXT continues to deliver.

The Undisputed Era vs. Mustache Mountain was a lot of fun, I don't know if it was quite on the same level as their previous two matches but that's mostly just nitpicking as all three will be viewed as classics. I didn't know this until yesterday, but Uncle Dave himself gave their rematch on the July 11th episode of NXT 5 stars. Hard hitting action, great storytelling and I've come around to being a fan of Trent Seven over the course of this program. Tyler Bate is packed with talent, especially to be as young as he is. If he ever makes it to the main roster, however, with Vince still running things, his size is going to be an issue but that's for another time. There were a few points in the match where I genuinely thought the titles were in danger of changing hands, such as during that awesome diving knee/Burning Hammer spot and that's always a plus in these sorts of matches. The UE retaining in the end was what I ultimately expected, which is fine as they're a great team, but the War Raiders jumping them afterwards was a nice surprise. ****1/2

The Velveteen Dream vs. EC3 was the "weakest" match on the card but that's not to say it was a weak match. There are usually 3 or 4 outstanding matches on the card while the 1 or 2 others are simply very good and that was the case here. It was a little awkward at times but the two of them eventually got into it and I liked that the match was something of an "anything you can do, I can do better" type of outing, which has become a specialty of Dream. To be completely honest, I felt that, throughout much of the match, Dream was the one having to slow himself down so that EC3 could keep up which, again, only give you an idea of how good Dream is, which is amazing considering that he's only been wrestling for a few years while EC3 is 15+ year veteran. The ending of the match was a nice twist, Dream's DVD onto the ring apron looked great as he maintained his balance and the modified Purple Rain elbow drop onto the apron was a nice touch to score the win. Dream needed this win as he was in danger of becoming the guy who puts on great matches but keeps coming up short. His last, and only, TakeOver win was against Kassius Ohno and that was at the beginning of the year; not that Ohno isn't good or anything, but he's sort of the unofficial gatekeeper of NXT, the established indie veteran who puts over the younger guys on their way up. EC3 is still pretty new to NXT, he's not even been there for 6 months, so Dream needed this more and I'm glad he got it. ***1/2

Adam Cole vs. Ricochet was about what I figured it'd be: a really fun, high energy match that really got going after a bit of a feeling out process. When Ricochet gets going, he's a lot of fun to watch and Cole is just the sorta classic heel jack of all trades in that he's comfortable with and able to adapt to just about any style of wrestling while looking like a star. It was ultimately a really fun back & forth bout that kicked up another notch with that really spectacularly timed spot of Cole countering the springboard moonsault attempt with a super kick that landed right on the money in what may have been the spot of the night. Just a lot of fun, hard hitting action kept the match going, the hurricanrana from Ricochet over the top rope and onto the floor was a nice touch to set up for the 630 Senton for the win. I predicted a title change here as Ricochet becomes the new NXT North American Champion, which is fine with me as Cole's had a good run while Ricochet continues to look like a top guy. ****

Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane turned out to be much better than I was anticipating and may have been the best overall showing for both women in NXT. The action was really physical and was coupled with some great, old fashioned storytelling of Sane being the scrappy, courageous, underdog babyface struggling to overcome what Baszler was throwing at her. Baszler is a great heel and she's done a helluva job weaving the pro wrestling and MMA stuff together. Mauro Ranallo again showed why he's so damn useful by touching on Sane tapping into the whole bushido thing, tapping into her "warrior spirit" and all that while screaming at the top of her lungs to help get the adrenaline going. It's pretty common in Japanese wrestling and Mauro's explanation made it so that Kairi wasn't just some goofy chick screaming her head off. Sane looked her strongest as she endured Baszler's assault, including a great tease in which you weren't sure if she was about to "pass out" from Baszler's choke; it was a great little tease as she was literally fingertips away from the ropes when it looked like she'd finally faded, only to lash out and grab the bottom rope in desperation. When Baszler locked her into the choke after countering the Insane Elbow, I figured that was it but Sane counters with a quick roll of her hips that forced Bazsler's shoulders to the mat for the three count. I didn't think Sane would win this and the way it came about protected Baszler much as her first loss, in a non-title match of course, to Ember Moon did in that she lost due to what amounted to a quick roll up. As with Moon, though to a greater degree, this worked out as Sane had taken a lot of punishment and just never gave up rather than looking like some flukey win, though she was also helped by the fact that Sane had already beaten Baszler during the first Mae Young Classic, as we were again reminded of. Baszler is probably main roster bound, she's miles ahead of Ronda Rousey in terms of character and can probably be of help. Plus, there are rumors that WWE is doing a Four Horsewomen of MMA vs. the Four Horsewomen of WWE match at Survivor Series, which is sensible as it could lay the groundwork for the rumored Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey match for WrestleMania next year. ****1/4

Tomasso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano for the NXT Championship in a Last Man Standing match was about everything you've come to expect and hope for out of these two. That means the match was filled with great action, impeccable storytelling and emotional drama that kept you sucked in from bell to bell. This may be the "weakest" of their matches as Last Man Standing matches can be tricky in that you can lose some of the drama because of the attempted count outs or if it doesn't seem as though you've really done enough to beat down your opponent for a count of 10. The ultimately played into the story of Gargano's anger getting the best of him, maybe even "changing" him and who he is during the match and, must like their bout in Chicago, it cost him. I groaned when Ciampa brought out the pair of handcuffs but I ultimately like how their use ultimately came about and I thought the ending was original with Ciampa cuffed to the stage area as Gargano beat the snot out of him all while Ciampa profusely apologizes. The ending came with Gargano hitting a big running knee that takes Ciampa out but his momentum carries him off the stage and onto a platform where his knee smashes into one of the equipment containers, possibly "dislocating" his knee as the ref begins his 10 count. At the last possible moment, Ciampa rolls off the stage and, thusly, onto his feet just before the ref hits 10 while Gargano is unable to make it to a fully vertical base so Ciampa retains, leaving Gargano despondent. ****3/4

As I said earlier, it's become a bit redundant praising the NXT TakeOver events, but I'll happily continue to do so as they're just so consistently great to watch. The TakeOver for New Orleans earlier this year may be the best of them but this was certainly no slouch by any stretch. I mean, it was an A+ show no matter how you look at it, at least in my opinion, as all you can really do to distinguish things is to nitpick at the small things.

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

What an amazing event. Every match had something to offer....

▪ Tyler Bate's giant swing with a guy on his back, German suplex also with a guy on his back.

▪ Excellent opening tag match with false finishes galore. Surprise attack at the end as well.

▪ Dream's special moves on the apron, EC3's cool entrance and Dream's tights reading -Call me Vince-

▪ Bayzler and Sane telling a good story in their match, Sane getting her foot twisted backward made me cringe. Surprise winner out of the blue.

▪ Kole's precise siperkick timing on a springboard moonsault! That was incredible. Awesome special move for the win.

▪ Another classic tilt between Johnny Wrestling and Ciampa. Spot filled, great story telling and a perfect cap to a fantastic TakeOver event.

[smarkmouth]

All I can think about is Johnny hurt his knee. And now he's going to wear a knee-brace. And how that knee-brace is going to be the physical manifestation of his continued transformation into Tommaso Ciampa.

Related pic:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57d7a354e6f2e167d716584e/t/57fd1b8ae58c62379e7a0110/1476205454357/IMG_2591.PNG

[#AbsoluteUnit]

K, so I heard about the buzz about Matt Riddle, and I saw him on my tv last night at NXT: Brooklyn 4. That guy legit looks like he hits the reefer everyday. That's all.

[Jack-Hammer]

K, so I heard about the buzz about Matt Riddle, and I saw him on my tv last night at NXT: Brooklyn 4. That guy legit looks like he hits the reefer everyday. That's all.

That's because, allegedly, he does hit the reefer just about everyday. And yeah, I know exactly what you mean as I thought the same thing the first time I laid eyes on him.

The guy's got all kinds of talent and he comes across more like he's 22 than 32 and while age doesn't automatically go hand in hand with wisdom and temperance, I hope it does in this case or he's not gonna be around for long.