NXT TakeOver WarGames 2019: Results, Highlights, and Grades

NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2019 headed to the Allstate Arena in Chicago with two huge WarGames matches that included some shocking surprises.

NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2019 featured two WarGames matches including the first-ever women’s match inside the structure, along with an NXT Championship #1 contender Triple Threat, and a grudge match between Matt Riddle and the recently returned Finn Bálor.

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WarGames has quickly become one of NXT’s featured matches compared to the WWE main roster; the terrifying stipulation has given us unbelievable matches and never-forgotten spots already in its short two-year history in NXT, and tonight promised to be no different with the latest NXT TakeOver and the first NXT TakeOver since NXT moved to USA Network.

Internet connectivity issues meant the pre-show was unfortunately missed by me; Isaiah “Swerve” Scott faced Angel Garza, with Garza proving victorious, continuing his swift momentum building.

Eventually, the Network started working and off we went…

Women’s WarGames Match: Team Baszler (Shayna Baszler, Bianca Belair, Io Shirai, and Kay Lee Ray) vs. Team Ripley (Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, and Tegan Nox)

Although mobile social media has updated me that Dakora Kai has replaced the earlier-attacked Mia Yim, which occurred during the NXT TakeOver Pre-Show, internet problems refusing to pack it in mean we finally get up and running just after the first match has begun, and just in time to see Io Shirai in the ring with Candice LeRae.

Shirai immediately hits a wicked corner dropkick on LeRae. Shirai is dominant, she’s so much better as a heel, as much as I  loved her babyface run. LeRae gets a bit of a comeback, but only just in time for Bianca Belair to enter the fray and immediately dominate. Belair lands a great standing shooting star press. Belair cuts off a LeRae comeback with a wicked right hand then multiple deadlift powerbombs.

Rhea Ripley is first out to defend Candice LeRae and she immediately goes under the ring and gets chairs, trash cans, kendo sticks, everything, and almost breaks Bianca Belair’s body in two over a trash can as soon as she gets in the ring. Ouch.

NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray is out and also wants a million weapons. She plays into the crowd chanting for tables then leaves it under the ring, top heel work. Ripley hits a tower of doom spot on everyone but Bianca Belair, who then lands a wicked 450 splash on Ripley.

Dakota Kai, who has replaced the injured Mia Yim, is next out but DAKOTA KAI TURNS ON TEGAN NOX. DAKOTA KAI HEEL TURN ALERT. WHAT. Kai absolutely decimates Tegan Nox’s bad knees on the babyface team cage door, then attacks William Regal?! WHAT IS HAPPENING.

Shayna Baszler, still to enter the match, is laughing a lot in her cage. Kai is STILL attacking Tegan Nox. She eventually leaves the arena, Ripley devastated in the ring. Ripley attacks Baszler as she finally enters the match but is outnumbered instantly.

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The commentators announce that because Kai has legged it and Nox is destroyed, WarGames officially begins at a 4-2 heel numbers advantage. LeRae and Ripley get a moment to recuperate then go off on the heels. Baszler and Ripley get LeRae and Shirai in submission moves and glare at each other from across one of the rings.

Kay Lee Ray hits a Gory Bomb on LeRae and Shirai hits a moonsault for a near fall after Ripley breaks it up. Ripley gets hair whipped by BelAir for her troubles, but Candice destroys Belair with a kendo stick. Io Shirai goes to the top of the cage, LeRae follows her and hits an avalanche poisonrana on a chasing Kay Lee Ray from the top rope. This got great quickly.

Io Shirai is still on top of the cage and hits a moonsault from the top of the cage onto LeRae and, as collateral damage, Belair. Ripley lays into Baszler with a chair. Ripley absolutely mullers a flying Kay Lee Ray with a trash can, handcuffs herself to Shayna Baszler to escape the Kirifuda Clutch and hits the Riptide onto a trash can propped up by chairs for the 1-2-3.

Result: Rhea Ripley & Candice LeRae def. Shayna Baszler, Bianca Belair, Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray

Grade: ****1/2 (4.5 stars)

The first-ever women’s WarGames match took a little while to get going, only truly getting as personal as such a match should once Dakota Kai turned on Tegan Nox. After then, however, this was absolutely phenomenal and well-deserving of being on an NXT TakeOver. Make sure you watch this.

NXT Championship #1 Contender’s Triple Threat Match: Pete Dunne vs. Damian Priest vs Killian Dain

All three competitors try to land a big move to start, but all fail. Pete Dunne hits signature joint manipulation on Killian Dain then immediately gets leveled by Damian Priest. Dain hits a Michinoku Driver on Dunne, onto Priest’s head, for a two count.

That looked great and painful. Dain hits a combination fallaway slam to Dunne, Samoan drop to Priest. Dain being booked super strong early on. Dunne lands a snap suplex and a double stomp to both of Dain’s hands, but ends up getting double-powerbombed by both larger men.

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Dunne again double stomps on Dain’s fingers but Priest takes over briefly until all three competitors manage to hit each other with big kicks to level everybody. This is great, if slightly difficult to keep track of. Priest hits a Broken Arrow on Dunne onto Kain, then hits the South of Heaven onto Dunne for a close two count.

Priest hits the Razor’s Edge onto Dunne through an announce table, then Dain hits a tope and a cannonball to the barrier on Priest. The action takes a slight break, with Priest and Dain in the ring, until Damian priest hits a massive Razor’s Edge onto Dain, the pinfall interrupted by a Dunne who is somehow back from the dead. Dunne destroys Priest’s face with stomps and the two of them go at it.

Priest, who is six foot seven, leaps over the turnbuckle to take a stirring Dain out so Pete Dunne hits a moonsault to the outside on both of them. Back in the ring, Dunne and Priest go at it again, countering each other’s finishers until Dunne traps Priest in a submission in the center of the ring, so close to the win before Dain breaks it up and lands a CLOSE two count on Priest.

Dain puts Dunne in the tree of woe and launches Priest into him, then cannonballs into both of them. He hits the Vader Bomb onto Priest but Dunne interrupts the fall with a moonsault. Dunne hits the Bitter End on Dain but Priest somehow kicks Dunne off him while still on the floor. Priest hits an avalanche Frankensteiner on Dunne into Dain, then hits The Reckoning on Dunne but Dain breaks it up!

This is unreal. Dain chop blocks Dunne in the knee, dropkicks Priest off the apron, goes up to the top rope but Dunne hits an enziguri. Dunne snaps Priest’s fingers, making him fall to the outside from the top rope, before Superplexing Dain.

Dunne hits the Bitter End on Priest before Dain AGAIN breaks up the pin. Dunne gets a Sleeper on Dain who falls backwards, dropping him hard on Priest. Dunne thinks quickly and pins Priest while Dain is recovering for the 1-2-3 and the win.

Result: Pete Dunne def. Damian Priest and Killian Dain

Grade: **** (4 stars)

The match was great. The closing stretch was fantastically entertaining, and had at least five near falls that caught the crowd completely off guard, thinking it was over. Really, really good. Dunne now takes his NXT TakeOver win and heads to Survivor Series tomorrow night against NXT Champion Adam Cole.

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Matt Riddle vs Finn Bálor

Riddle is over huge with the crowd. Bálor gives one crowd popping arm flail during his entrance before adjusting his pose into a rather …Princely gunshot pose. The bell rings and Bálor laughs at Riddle for trying an amateur takedown. Riddle gets Bálor into a submission spot but Bálor escapes easily.

Bálor has Riddle slowed down and grounded on the mat, which is a stark contrast to his main roster babyface moveset. Good heel moveset. Every slight hint of a comeback from Riddle is being cut off instantly by Bálor. Bálor sends Riddle to the outside then hits a wicked dropkick through the ropes, before repeatedly whacking Riddle’s head off the apron.

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This has been as one-sided as it’s possible to get so far. Right on cue, Riddle fires up a comeback, exploder suplex out of the corner, penalty kick and a Broton for a two count. Bálor cuts off the comeback fairly quickly, tries for a slingblade but gets caught in an ankle lock, eventually getting a rope break. Bálor sells the damage really well, then catches Riddle unawares with a great drop kick.

Bálor hits a german suplex that Riddle just completely no-sells before hitting one of his own for a two count. Riddle hits a ripcord knee but gets countered into a double stomp and a slingblade. Bálor goes for the dropkick into the corner but gets speared half to death. Riddle hits the jackhammer (Brohammer, quips Mauro) for a close two count. Bálor hits a Reverse 1916 for a close two count of his own.

Riddle hits a wicked-looking Bro to Sleep, goes to the top rope for Floating Bro but Bálor gets the knees up, dropkicks Riddle into the corner and goes for the Coup de Grace, but Riddle moves and locks in the Bromission. Bálor escapes and gets kicked by Riddle. Bálor recovers and hits the 1916 clean for the pinfall victory.

Result: Finn Bálor def. Matt Riddle

Grade: **** (4 stars)

This was very entertaining and re-introduced Bálor well to the NXT scene while not making Riddle lose much, if anything, in defeat. There was a tiny feeling that both competitors could have stepped up into a higher gear, though, and for an NXT TakeOver match that was curious.

Men’s WarGames Match: The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish) vs. Team Ciampa (Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic, and ???)

Undisputed Era are out first, really dragging out the “who joins Team Ciampa” thing as much as possible. Undisputed Era look so good draped in gold. Ciampa comes out in a really cool mask, one definitely worthy of an NXT TakeOver, and heads straight to the ring. The fourth and final member of Team Ciampa doesn’t come out, and Roderick Strong goes to the ring to start the match.

Ciampa gives Strong his crutch to start the match but Strong launches it over the cage. Ciampa drops Strong over the ropes and kicks him hard. Ciampa lands a big running knee to Strong in the corner. Mauro’s forced pop culture references really annoy me. Ciampa fails for the Fairytale Ending and Strong hits a wicked gutbuster.

Undisputed Era sends Kyle O’Reilly into the ring and he takes Ciampa down and starts swinging at him for all he’s worth. Undisputed Era’s coordinated green trunks look great. Keith Lee isn’t even in the match yet and the crowd are singing “ohh bask in his glory”. Strong delivers endless forearms to Ciampa while O’Reilly restrains him; O’Reilly then hits a flying knee from the top rope right onto Ciampa’s nose.

Ciampa’s first piece of help comes from Dominik Dijakovic, who levels both members of the UE in the ring, turning O’Reilly inside out with a clothesline. Dijakovic just fully launches O’Reilly into Strong. Strong tries to chop Dijakovic who just gets angry at it and lobs Strong everywhere. This has been a showcase for Dijakovic so far, and the crowd gets behind him with a loud “feast your eyes” chant. Dijakovic has O’Reilly between the rings and just keeps leveling him with forearms, O’Reilly bouncing back off the second ring ropes each time.

Bobby Fish is next into the fray, and he goes straight after Tommaso Ciampa. He takes Dijakovic down to the mat as well. Fish and O’Reilly hit the High-Low to Dijakovic with O’Reilly between the rings. They hit Chasing the Dragon on Ciampa. Undisputed Era make sure Dijakovic is out of action before focusing on Ciampa; Fish shouts “we run this, Keith Lee”. I’m sure that won’t come back to haunt you, Bobby pal.

Right on cue, Keith Lee is let into the match and he steams in and cleans house, leapfrogging both Fish and O’Reilly before wiping them both out completely with a crossbody. Lee is over as all hell. Lee goes for a sit-out powerbomb on Strong but Fish and O’Reilly take him out. Ciampa has recovered and is punching anyone that moves. Dijakovic is back up as well, flinging O’Reilly into the second ring.

Adam Cole is let out and enters the match, but not before bringing a table into the ring to a thunderous pop. Cole gets more and more tables. He leaves one set up opposite the cage door, which is a bad idea because Tommaso Ciampa launches him into it before Cole can get into the cage.

Undisputed Era cowers in one ring away from the babyfaces, who still have a numbers disadvantage. Keith Lee has O’Reilly up on his shoulders but Bobby Fish hits a nasty low blow.

The countdown to a new member starts. The fourth member of Team Ciampa is… KEVIN OWENS. KEVIN OWENS IS IN WAR GAMES. KEVIN OWENS IS AT NXT TAKEOVER. WHAT IS HAPPENING?! Adam Cole looks like he’s seen a ghost. Kevin Owens enters the cage and demolishes everyone, hitting a sleeper suplex on Kyle O’Reilly then powerbombing him into Bobby Fish. Owens tells Cole to suck it, drops him with a Stunner that Cole sells brilliantly, before Strong breaks up the pinfall. Dijakovic and Lee launch Strong through the ring ropes into the second ring.

Ciampa hits a draping DDT on O’Reilly. Tables are getting set up in both rings. Keith Lee hits a top rope crossbody onto everyone that isn’t Kyle O’Reilly, who locks in a submission on Lee. Dijakovic uses the second ring’s ropes to hit a springboard moonsault to break up the submission. Owens hits a Swanton bomb on Fish but Adam Cole breaks up the pinfall Ciampa attempts. Strong hits an avalanche Strong Slam and Fish & O’Reilly hit the High-Low on Lee, but the pinfall is broken up by Dijakovic.

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Owens chucks every UE member that isn’t Cole into the side of the cage, banters off O’Reilly, then teases a package piledriver twice before Cole superkicks him. Owens and Cole damage each other in a painful-looking Canadian Destroyer spot between the rings. Tommaso Ciampa is back up and hits Project Ciampa to O’Reilly, then demolishes Fish and Strong but gets superkicked by Cole. Ciampa and Cole struggle for dominance in the corner with two tables placed precariously behind them.

Cole and Ciampa both go to the top of the cage while Keith Lee is double-teamed until Dominik Dijakovic chokeslams Strong through a table. O’Reilly has Dijakovic in a triangle on the table but Owens frog splashes O’Reilly through it. Keith Lee then powerbombs Bobby Fish through another table. Tommaso Ciampa and Adam Cole are still on top of the cage, and Tommaso Ciampa hits an avalanche Air Raid Crash on Cole, from the top of the cage, through two tables, for the pinfall victory to a crowd almost silent through shock.

Result: Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic and Kevin Owens def. The Undisputed Era

Grade: ***** (5 stars)

That was an absolutely outstanding way to end NXT TakeOver: WarGames. The match was paced really well, the massive surprise with the returning Kevin Owens completely unglued the crowd, and the final stretch was some of the most captivating wrestling you could ever hope to see. The match-winning Air Raid Crash from the top of the cage through two tables was terrifying. The most impressive competitor of the match, though, was Dominik Dijakovic, who put in a serious star-making performance. Brilliant work from everyone involved.

Overall PPV Grade: ****1/2 (4.5 stars)

NXT rarely ever disappoints with their NXT TakeOver spectaculars, and this was no different; NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2019 was outstanding viewing.

The women’s WarGames match was brilliant and included a genuine shock in Dakota Kai’s heel turn before a classic “babyfaces overcome the odds” story, the men’s equivalent was almost disturbingly violent and impossible to avert your eyes from, with a monstrous surprise entrant and a genuine star-making performance thrown in for good measure. The two matches in between were both thoroughly entertaining, and the triple threat sets up an interesting conundrum for Adam Cole tomorrow at Survivor Series.

Brilliant, brilliant PPV. NXT TakeOver does it again.