What I look forward to at the end of summer is something that I enjoyed watching as a kid and still love to this day. What I'm talking about is wrestling, which is why I was hyped to see WWE NXT coming to the Big Apple for their pay-per-view event NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II at Barclays Center.
This marks the second year that WWE is having their summer PPV event in New York at the Barclays Center. I've recently started watching WWE NXT about two years ago and the brand has become a phenomenon, getting just as popular as its main roster. It's summer event NXT Takeover: Brooklyn took the industry by storm for its first year in 2015 with about 15,589 fans in attendance. With the success of NXT's first event in New York, Barclays Center ended up partnering with WWE to host their summer shows for another two years. This year was no different as thousands gathered to Barclays Center to witness a spectacle about to unfold with some great wrestling talent about to showcase their entrances and moves in the ring.
After going last year, me and my friends decided to go to NXT Takeover again this year hoping for another great event by the WWE. I got to witness some great talent coming in and out of the ring, with some of them making their debut for the first time. Two wrestlers who made their debuts were Ember Moon and Bobby Roode.
After making her debut last year, audiences got to see Adrienne Reese debut on NXT Takeover under her new name Ember Moon. Moon displayed some amazing moves in the ring that could give her the opportunity to make it through the ranks of becoming one of the top divas on NXT. Even her finisher, which was more of a twisting Stunner from the top rope was really impressive. Her outfit made it look like she came out of Mortal Kombat with the red contacts she wore, making her stand out as a unique fighter to look out for. With some of the divas making the move to the main roster, NXT really needed some new blood for the women's division. Reese seems to be great in the ring, so she is someone audiences will really be paying attention to.
Bobby Roode made an impression with wrestling fans at Barclays Center with not just his wrestling style, but by his entrance. He was at an elevated platform that slowly lowered him down as lights started shining over his body. Described as 'glorious' in his promos and on the mic, he really showed audiences what he meant by superstar persona with his grand entrance. His personality did remind me of the likes of Triple H, which everyone compared him to since his 12-year stint on TNA. He really proved himself to have that same stamina and attitude as the veteran wrestler. Even his match with Andrade 'Cien' Almas' was quite entertaining for the crowd. It was like watching two dancers showing off their best moves in a dance-off. Roode has a great presence in the ring, which is something that NXT seems to excel at with their roster.
What I really loved in NXT was the great entrances because it gave these wrestlers a chance to show off their creativity and have a bit of fun with the audience. Other than Bobby Roode, No Way Jose really riled up the crowd with his conga lion where he got some of the people in the audience to join in as he danced his way into the ring. Another one that stood out to me was Shinsuke Nakamura, the latest NXT import from Japan who has been making the headlines for his unique 'strong style' in the ring. With a powerful rendition of his theme from talented violinist Lee England Jr., Nakamura wowed the crowd with his entrance and did his signature poses inside the ring. I don't know what it is, but Nakamura always puts a smile on everyone's faces as they hum to the music to his theme song. His match with Samoa Joe was an even greater event to watch as I saw two different styles of wrestling bout it out in a fight for the championship.
The tag team match was another standout in NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II as The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) had to defend their titles against Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. The Revival was the team who were tough to beat, as other tag teams were unsuccessful to win the titles from them. Gargano and Ciampa made their PPV debut and fans were favoring them to be the winners of the match. Despite not getting that outcome, Gargano and Ciampa proved that they were the tag team that everyone should be on the look out for. The Tag Team match was really the show stealer of the night.
There was an impact of emotions during the night when it came to the NXT Women's championship match between Bayley and Asuka. The feud between these two women were what everyone was talking about as Bayley was ready to reclaim her championship, which she lost to Asuka a few months back. Bayley is beloved by her fans with a flashy style that goes back to Bret Hart during his time in wrestling. It's Bayley's entrance and personality that gets audiences into the spirit every time she appears. Asuka is a contender who was also big in Japan and made a huge impact here in America. Asuka is pretty rash and quick when it comes to her fighting style in the ring, making her a tough contender to compete with. After losing the match to Asuka, it was emotional for everyone in the room as Bayley hugged her wrestling pals Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte who were there to give their support in what was to be her last match on NXT before making her move to the main roster.
Overall, this year's NXT Takeover in Brooklyn proved to be just as good as the first. Entrances were top notch as well as the new wrestlers in the ring. The event was just non-stop entertainment from one match to the next. The Takeover event is really something that fans look forward to besides the weekly show, and it delivered as promised just like last year. It was certainly bigger than ever with these over-the-top matches and not a single match was bad. I would say that me and every other fan would be looking forward to another year of NXT at the Big Apple when they return to Barclays Center next year.