NXT Takeover War Games 2: Results, Review, and Analysis

Credit: WWE.com

Velveteen Dream comes out to the ring dressed up like – who else – Hollywood Hulk Hogan, NWO style. Potentially a hot take – Tommaso Ciampa’s theme song is way too intense for him. “No One Will Survive?” Come on.

Dream basks in the cheers that befall him as soon as he bell rings – “Velveteen! Velveteen!”

Dream practically planks on Ciampa’s back during some grappling, which you can be sure Ciampa loved. Dream is exceptionally wiry during this match; Ciampa simply cannot keep hold of him.

Ciampa attempts to play a bit of a game with Dream, waving his lost headband in his face. Dream doesn’t mind though; he grabs “Goldie”, the NXT Championship to taunt Ciampa in return.

Dream sets up for a stomp at one point, but Ciampa rolls out to avoid it. Dream comes flying back out on top of Ciampa though, but after the two are in the ring for a bit more, Ciampa shoves Dream off the ropes and out of the ring again.

Ciampa lands a massive running knee to Dream in the corner, and it looks like it knocks Dream clean out. Instead of going for the pin, though, Ciampa slides away; he’s nowhere near done.

Ciampa lands another running knee on Dream… while he’s flayed over the Spanish announce table. Back in the ring, Ciampa gets Dream in a series of headlocks, so much so that Dream begins to drool, and Ciampa rubs it in Dream’s face.

Dream lands a huge neckbreaker on Ciampa before he lands embarks on a series of strikes. Dream looks to hit his twisting DDT, but Ciampa counters. Dream hits three leg drops to Ciampa, an ode to Hogan, but Ciampa still gets a near-fall via a spine buster.

Dream and Ciampa are hurt – Dream tried to go for an elbow off the top rope, but he has to step down. He does, however, begin to use Ciampa’s injured leg against him. Tommaso allegedly taps, says Percy Watson, but the ref says nothing.

Dream hits a Figure 4 in the middle of the ring, and Tommaso is really feeling it. Ciampa reverses the pressure, but Dream flips it again, striking Ciampa in the head.

Ciampa tried to suplex Dream, but Dream reverses with a suplex of his own, and he launches the two out of the ring. Ciampa’s hurt, but so is Dream. They both make it back in the ring by the ref’s 9 count. Dream kicks the ref in the face, and Tommaso takes advantage by rolling Dream up. The ref catches Ciampa holding the tights and calls off the pin though. Dream gets a quick near-fall, before rolling Ciampa up on his shoulders in a firemen’s carry; Ciampa rolls off.

Ciampa hits Project Ciampa, and it looks like this could be the end, but Dream kicks out! Ciampa grabs Goldie and hands it to the ref, but Dream hits Ciampa and nearly misses the pin.

There’s like… six other near-falls. Even Mauro has to say “holy bleep!” Ciampa is now only wearing one boot. Ciampa pulls up the mat to expose the floor and attempts to DDT Dram onto it, but Dream drives Ciampa into the announce tables.

Ciampa HIT MAURO. Dream hits a rolling Death Valley Driver and hits the Purple Rainmaker, but Ciampa kicks out! He goes for it again, but he falls off the rope, hurt. Ciampa hits a DDT on Dream in between the two rings. He drags Dream back into the ring and gets him for the pin. Ciampa is still NXT Champion.

Holy crap, that was a good one.