NXT TakeOver: Phoenix has come and gone, and once again it did not disappoint.
Each match kept the crowd at Talking Stick Resort Arena entertained the entire night and was a tough act to follow for the main roster.
There was a lot that happened on Saturday night, so let’s break some of it down. Here are five things that we learned from NXT TakeOver: Phoenix!
1. Undisputed Era’s luck finally ran out
For the last year now, Undisputed Era has been at the top of the NXT tag team division. On numerous occasions, they did whatever they had to do—legal or not—to hold on to the coveted NXT Tag Team Championships. After regaining them from Moustache Mountain, it seemed like no one could beat them.
Then came War Raiders, and Undisputed Era had to clutch those belts just a little bit tighter. Ever since Hanson & Rowe attacked Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong at TakeOver: Brooklyn 4, things felt different. It felt like this would finally be the team that knocks Undisputed Era off their pedestal.
Granted, they were able to sneak away with several wins against War Raiders over the past few months, but it was only a matter of time before they couldn’t. At TakeOver: Phoenix, their luck finally ran out.
Who knows how they’ll respond after losing their titles; they might win them right back or possibly move onto another feud. But given how long they’ve stayed at the top, it wouldn’t surprise many if they stay in the main event scene for a while.
2. My, how far Kassius Ohno has fallen
Let’s take things back to December 2016; after being away from NXT for over three years, Kassius Ohno made his return to the company. As one of the black-and-yellow brand’s first highly-anticipated signees, fans were excited for what The Knockout Artist would be able to accomplish.
However, the hype surrounding his return didn’t last very long. While he had an NXT Championship match early on against then-champion, Bobby Roode, his other feuds were rather disappointing.
After a while, he began to develop a heelish attitude, but it still felt like nothing was going to come of it. Three straight losses against Matt Riddle—with the most recent one being at TakeOver: Phoenix—proved that Ohno is now nothing more than a glorified jobber.
He always talked about wanting to prove himself against the “shiny new toys” signed to NXT, but instead put each one of them over every time. Seeing where he was when he returned to where he is now is rather jarring. Maybe the timing was never right for him to be in the main event picture consistently.
We’ll never really know how high up Ohno could have went in NXT. Maybe he’ll get a push in the future, but it seems highly unlikely at this point. All we can do is think about what could have been.
3. Gargano really is Johnny Takeover
Johnny Gargano had always been a main event talent in NXT, that was obvious. He routinely went out and put on match of the year candidates with just about everyone he faced. There was just one small problem with those high-caliber matches: he never won them.
Entertaining the fans is one thing, but consistently losing at the same time doesn’t help further one’s career. Going into his NXT North American Championship match against Ricochet, many wondered whether Gargano could finally walk away with the win. So, what did he do? He faced off with The One and Only and beat him for his first singles title in NXT.
In one night, he went from lovable loser to NXT North American Champion. It was a long time coming for him, coming up short so many times before. Now that he has championship gold around his waist, Johnny Wrestling will do everything in his power to keep it that way.
That means he’s more dangerous than ever before, and the rest of the locker room should take notice.
4. Belair is pretty good
When Bianca Belair became the number one contender for Shayna Baszler’s NXT Women’s Championship, it took many by surprise. She wasn’t horrible by any means, it just felt like she wasn’t a good fit to beat Baszler.
As the match drew closer, I admittedly thought that The Queen of Spades would make short work of Belair. Sure, she would get some offense in here and there, but the champion would just be too much for her to handle. But then the match happened, and boy, was I wrong.
Not only did Belair take it to Baszler, but almost won the title on several occasions. She even dispatched Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir with relative ease when they attempted to interfere. It took the champion locking her in the Kirifuda Clutch a few times to finally put her away for good.
While she didn’t leave Phoenix with the title, Belair impressed many with her performance. If she keeps this up, it won’t be long before The EST of NXT can call herself “NXT Women’s Champion”.
5. Black won’t touch another NXT title
There are certain champions within WWE whose title reigns felt lackluster or overshadowed. Such was the case with former NXT Champion, Aleister Black.
After defeating Andrade “Cien” Almas for the title at TakeOver: New Orleans, it looked as if Black was set to become the centerpiece of NXT. However, his reign was happening at the same time as the Johnny Gargano/Tommaso Ciampa feud.
Black never got to main event a TakeOver as champion, with that coveted spot on the card going to Gargano & Ciampa instead. Then he lost the title to Ciampa, suffered an injury at a live event, and was out of action for two months.
Once he returned, he was on the hunt for retribution. He first defeated Gargano at TakeOver: WarGames II, then set his sights back on Ciampa and the title. His long-awaited rematch was set for TakeOver: Phoenix, as he looked to take back his championship.
However, at this time rumors started to circulate about Black being called up to the main roster sooner rather than later. He would come up short in his title match against Ciampa, but appear in the men’s Royal Rumble match the following night.
In my opinion, this all but confirmed that The Dutch Destroyer will be on RAW or SmackDown Live in the near future. He might get one more feud in the black-and-yellow brand, but his pursuit of any NXT gold is over.
It’s a shame that he never got a decent run with the NXT Championship, but the timing could not have been worse. Hopefully he’ll be able to have more success on the main roster and gets his time to shine properly.