Opening Segment

nXt Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler saunters out to the ring to kick off the show. She’s really grown into this role and the confidence is just oozing from her as she grabs a mic and sneers at the crowd.

Last week, she showed the entire locker room that if you step in the ring with her, you’ll get smacked in the face with a hard dose of reality. She’s just tougher, stronger and better than Kai. There’s always gotta be one though…

Crowd chants “Nikki, Nikki”. If she ever gets in Baszler’s face again, it will be the last thing she ever does.

This cues Cross’ music. She’s still wearing her SAnitY entrance gear, which is neat. Cross grabs the middle rope, stretches it back and forth a few times and then enters. She’s gritting her teeth pretty hard, shaking her head as Baszler calls what Cross did last week a joke.
Baszler’s not afraid in the least. She’s the champ and the only place Cross is better than her is in the wacked-out corner of Cross’ brain. She asks if Cross is crazy. Crowd chants “Yes, Yes!”

Cross smiles, grabs the mic that Baszler chucked at her and begs her to put her to sleep with a submission. She pleads repetitively and excitedly for it.
Cross feigns an attack; Baszler drops her title. They attack one another in the ring, but Cross gets the advantage, stomping down Baszler into the corner. No referees out to stop them. Baszler clocks Cross with a right hand and throws her out of the ring. Cross punches Baszler, goes to the top turnbuckle and launches herself with a crossbody splash on Baszler to end the fight.

Baszler’s mouth is a bit bloody as she backs up the ramp, leaving ringside. She’s none too pleased about how that turned out.

Second Segment

“Uncomfortable” by Halestorm is another theme for Takeover: Chicago. Check it out.

Also, book a new match for Takeover…Baszler vs. Cross.

Tag Team Match: TM61 vs. Michael Hubley & Robbie Grand

Miller and Hubley start the match. Miller with sharp chops to the chest and a quick tag to Thorne. Double team on Hubley takes him down to the mat. Hubley counters with a jawbreaker and tags in Grand who gets dropkicked immediately by Thorne. Thorne mounts him for right hands to the head as Grand tries to protect himself.

Miller tags in and fishhooks the nostrils of Grand as the referee gives him a 5 count to stop. Grand with right hands in response. He goes off the ropes and gets a knee to the back by Thorne. Meanwhile, Miller deals with Hubley and chucks him out of the ring. Thorne’s tagged in and he clubs Grand with a forearm to the back of the head. Knock out blow. 1-2-3.

Winners: TM61 via pinfall in 3 minutes

Post-match, TM61 grabs mics to talk to the crowd. They remind the fans of who they’ve beat and that they are winners. They’ll win against the War Raiders, Oney and Danny, and the Undisputed Era, if they’re man enough to face them in the ring. All teams should kneel down and call them “The Mighty”.

No cool points. It continues to show the momentum this team is building in the tag division, but the match wasn’t anything to write home to Mom and Dad about.

Third Segment

We get a recap of last week’s encounter between nXt Champion Aleister Black and Lars Sullivan. That ended with Black on his back and Sullivan holding the nXt Championship high.

Earlier this week, at the WWE Performance Centre, we see footage of Sullivan training for Takeover: Chicago. He’s having his way with a bunch of young wrestling trainees. A few of them get the Freak Accident and Sullivan stands tall amidst the fallen trainees to close.

Singles Match: Danny Burch vs. Roderick Strong of the Undisputed Era

Frantic grapple to start this match. Hammerlocks and headlocks are attempted but defended quickly and countered. The two reset, circle one another and lock up again. This time, Burch traps Strong’s left arm behind his back but Strong fights back with kicks and punches, until Burch is lying on the mat in a crossface submission.

Knife-edge chops from Strong on Burch in the corner. Backbreaker and a cover for 2.
Strong with a front headlock on Burch. Burch works his way out of it, runs off the ropes and receives a dropkick for his efforts. 2 count. Strong continues to lay into Burch with kicks. Abdominal stretch. Burch counters and dumps Strong out of the ring. Strong rushes back in and Burch headbutts him. Both men go down.
Lefts and rights are exchanged. Burch lands a nasty uppercut. Running European uppercut. Clothesline. Missile dropkick off the top! Burch has got momentum. Release German suplex. Flying clothesline.

Suddenly, O’Reilly and Cole run down but they are quickly met by Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan. They brawl on the outside as Burch locks in the crossface on Strong inside the ring. Cole gets up on the apron and distracts Burch. Burch knocks him out but when he turns around, Strong nails him with a backbreaker to get the win.

Winner: Roderick Strong via pinfall in 6 minutes

Strong raises his Tag Title in the air and celebrates in the ring. Pete Dunne, the UK Champ, shows up behind him and dishes out right hands. Abdominal stretch applied until O’Reilly attacks his left knee with the other nXt Tag Title. Strong hits him with End of Heartache. He leaves the ring with his brothers from the UE faction, and they pose on the stage.

One cool point for Strong for squeaking out what was a pretty even match at that point. I liked seeing the chain wrestling to start it off. Burch is becoming a fan favourite and rightfully so.

Backstage, Kassius Ohno is showing off some new ring gear during a photo shoot. EC3 shows up and asks if the cameramen are trying to break the camera. Carter says Ohno is not in the top 1 percent.

Ohno says Carter is a narcissistic guy who is 1% away from being 99% unconscious. Ohno says what are you waiting for. Let’s do this. I’ll give you a week to prepare. EC3 says he can see it in lights. Challenge accepted.

Fourth Segment

A promo recapping Ricochet’s work on the independent scene, coupled with some interview footage, is shown. This transitions into the feud with Velveteen Dream. We see their in-house verbal sparring from last week. These two are seriously ready to fight.

Singles Match: Lacey Evans vs. Kairi Sane

Evans has no interest in treating Sane decently, withholding her hand from a handshake. Clear size difference between the two. Head scissors by Sane. Stomp on the right hand of Evans to affect that Woman’s Right. Evans works from the apron to trip up Sane. Springboard elbow drop! 1 count.

Sane goes for a kick. Single leg takedown and a big right hand to the abdomen of Sane. 2 count. Evans has Kairi’s name on her right hand, as if to say this one’s for you and your future pain. Pretty nifty clutch swing of Sane. Seemed like a modification of Cesaro’s swing move that he used to do.

Evans goes for a slap. Sane blocks it and trips up Evans. Punches to the face. Running off the ropes, Sane meets a brick wall as Evans drops her to the mat. Beauty bodyslam. 1-2…wow. Evans was doing a pushup as she covered Sane. No wonder she didn’t get the pinfall victory.

Evans is on the second rope now…180 jump to the top rope and a missed moonsault! Never seen that before. Sane waits in the corner to pounce on Evans. Spears galore! Evans grabs for the ropes as Sane screams and prepares for…the Sliding D! She gets it.

Up to the top rope, flying forearm on Evans. 1-2- kickout by Evans. Sane immediately cinches in an armbar. Evans forces herself up to push Sane’s shoulders to the mat for a 2 count. Alabama slam by Sane. She mounts the top turnbuckle. InSANE elbow! 1-2-3.

Winner: Kairi Sane via pinfall in 8 minutes

One cool point for both women. Plenty of innovative offense from Evans, but Sane battled through it and was her usual spunky self. That might be the end of the feud, but they paired up well against one another. Could be natural rivals.

Final Segment

Tommaso Ciampa is greeted by boos as he steps out on to the stage. He soaks in the “you suck” chants as his entrance music and takes his time getting to the ring. He laughs at the boos from the fans and shakes his head, climbing the steel stairs on to the ring apron.
The chants turn from “Johnny Wrestling” to “You Tapped Out”. Ciampa sits up on the turnbuckle and says you all gave up on him long before he gave up on them. That disgusts him. Whether the fans listen or chant, he doesn’t care.

Ciampa says let’s talk about last week when Gargano came out unannounced to interrupt a match so selfishly. More chants. Please. Can the fans just shut up and let him talk?

Apparently, Johnny Wrestling has become Johnny Badass. Naturally, this encourages the fans to embrace the new nickname as their next chant. Two weeks ago, Gargano almost crippled his own wife (by accident). The best part is this is on Gargano. He brought his wife to the ring. Ciampa was minding his own business. Even when LeRae insisted that Gargano not fight, he attacked Ciampa, which prompted him to defend himself. The truth hurts.
Don’t show up on June 16th. This Gargano fairytale is coming to an end and it will not be a happy ending.

Gargano fights his way out to the stage. He pushes away security to attack Ciampa at ringside. More nXt security try to stop him but they can’t. Suicide dive through the ropes knocks Ciampa over the ringside barrier. Gargano pushes the security guys and referees away and pursues Ciampa. Ciampa nails Gargano with kicks. Security take Ciampa back a few steps and Gargano flies from the staircase at Ciampa.

The fight moves back into the ring as Gargano clocks security guys again. Ciampa nails Gargano in the back of the head and locks in the Garga-NO escape! Referees try to wrench Ciampa’s arms free and they succeed. They jaw at Ciampa to leave, all 6 OF THEM, and motion for him to go backstage.

Ciampa relents and smiles, waving at Gargano from the ramp. Just before the credits, Gargano runs up the ramp and attacks Ciampa on the stage. He slams Ciampa’s head into the LED display boards, which causes some significant bleeding from the top of Ciampa’s head. Gargano applies his signature submission to Ciampa on the floor as referees beg him to stop…and that’s a wrap.

One cool point for that confrontation, which might be the last one before Takeover: Chicago for these two rivals. Love the heat that Ciampa continues to draw from the fans. Depending on how definitive the street fight is, this feud could end in Chicago, which would be fitting as that is where it began last year. Gargano/Ciampa’s been such a hot feud though that it would be reasonable to see it extended to the marquee event of the year: Takeover: Brooklyn.

What do you guys think?

Matches set for Takeover: Chicago so far:

nXt Championship: Aleister Black (c) vs. Lars Sullivan
Chicago Street Fight: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa
nXt Tag Team Championship: Undisputed Era (c) vs. Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan
nXt Women’s Championship: Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Nikki Cross
Ricochet vs. The Velveteen Dream