Ranking the NXT TakeOver: WarGames Card
By Laura Mauro
On Saturday night a pared-down NXT TakeOver: WarGames once again threatens to overshadow WWE’s main roster with an absolutely stellar card. There are just four matches this time around – the highly-anticipated Matt Riddle vs Kassius Ohno bout has been bumped off the main card – but quality over quantity has always been NXT’s strength, and Saturday’s show aims to showcase just how high the quality of NXT’s programming is.
It’s pretty difficult to rank NXT TakeOver cards as a general rule, but this year’s WarGames card is especially difficult. Choosing between the four matches on offer feels a little like choosing which of your kids is your favourite. Every single advertised bout carries the promise of either incredible emotional intensity, phenomenal visual spectacle, glorious theatrical violence, or all three simultaneously.
Last year’s War Games showered us with absolutely unforgettable moments. From Ember Moon’s triumphant (and LONG overdue) NXT Women’s Championship win, to the utter carnage of the WarGames match (remember the medics stapling Alexander Wolfe’s head injury through the cage?) to the gloriously sensual psychology of Velveteen Dream vs Aleister Black, culminating in Black finally saying his name. It’s a tough act to follow, but a year later NXT is unquestionably up to the task.
Let’s take a look at Saturday’s big matches as I take on the difficult task of ranking the NXT TakeOver: WarGames card from ‘best’ to ‘very best’.