NXT TakeOver: Chicago II, out of the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, just wrapped up. We’ve got the NXT TakeOver: Chicago II results, as well as our overall thoughts on the show, for you to check out below. Let us know what you thought about TakeOver by tweeting us, @TheRumbleRamble.
NXT TakeOver: Chicago II Quick Stats
- Date: June 16th, 2018
- Attendance: 11,000 // Capacity: 18,211
- Featured Songs: Uncomfortable by Hale Storm // Painless by Fozzy
Undisputed Era (c) vs. Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan
NXT Tag Team Championship Match
.@_StarDESTROYER is ready to RISK IT ALL! #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/7kPFzMfeGa
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) June 17, 2018
Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong represented Undisputed Era for this match against Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan. The crowd was white hot for Undisputed and all four men kept them fired up by moving at warp speed from the start.
This match was insane. No rest spots, no breaks, only high-speed, high-intensity action. The momentum shifted back and forth, each team absolutely punishing the other. Oney Lorcan was about to get the three count on Kyle O’Reilly, but Adam Cole yanked him from the ring just in time. Cole was then barred from ringside, evening the odds.
Lorcan and Burch fought hard and nearly got the victory with a double submission, but were ultimately defeated by O’Reilly and Strong. Oney and Danny got absolutely no reaction during their entrance but received a standing ovation when it was over. That alone should tell you all you need to know about this match.
Winner: Undisputed Era
Velveteen Dream vs. Ricochet
Are @KingRicochet‘s dreams of victory officially crushed? @VelveteenWWE #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/KW0vsjkaWC
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) June 17, 2018
We knew to expect something wild from Velveteen, but when The Dream did the full Hulk Hogan entrance, yellow and red boas and all, our minds were blown.
This one took a slower pace and wasn’t quite as hard-hitting as the match previous, but the crowd’s investment in both characters and Velveteen’s overflowing charisma made up for any awkward moments. Don’t let the pace fool you, however, there were plenty of big spots and “this is awesome” chants.
After a few near-falls, Velveteen got too cocky, screaming that he was a “wrestling god,” which was enough of a distraction to cost him some punishment at the hands of Ricochet. Velveteen almost came back from it but was brought down by Richochet’s 630.
Winner: Ricochet
Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Nikki Cross
NXT Women’s Championship Match
Supreme ring awareness saves @QoSBaszler from the 3-count! #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/dgflLBpo7A
— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) June 17, 2018
Immediately after the bell, Nikki Cross began challenging Baszler to submit her, even laughing when Shayna shoved her to the ground, which completely threw Shayna off. The champ’s hesitation enabled Nikki to get in some offense, rocking Baszler even more.
Shayna came back with a vengeance, kneeing Cross in the face several times and even attempting to suffocate her by covering her mouth and nose at one point. Nikki didn’t go down easily but was eventually caught in the Kirifuda Clutch and put to sleep. Although Shayna got the win, Nikki woke up with a smile on her face. Fingers crossed she pops up on SmackDown with the rest of SAnitY very soon.
Winner: Shayna Baszler
Aleister Black (c) vs. Lars Sullivan
NXT Championship Match
CAUGHT in mid-air! #NXTTakeOver@LarsSWWE @WWEAleister pic.twitter.com/MVcisqgY3O
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) June 17, 2018
The first several minutes of this match was Aleister Black throwing everything he had at Sullivan while “The Absolute Unit” caught and/or no sold every bit of it. After allowing the champ to attempt some offense, it was Lars’ turn and he held nothing back, dominating Black with ease.
Black finally got in a knee to the face on Sullivan, momentarily putting him off his game, and it was all downhill from there. The Antihero continued to wear Sullivan down until landing a Black Mass and retaining his title.
Winner: Aleister Black
Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Chicago Street Fight
Again.#NXTTakeOver #ChicagoStreetFight pic.twitter.com/9avpMdjg3M
— WWE (@WWE) June 17, 2018
First of all, can we talk about how incredibly nerdy these two are? Johnny Gargano came out in Captain America gear and Tommaso had a Thanos shirt and camouflage crutch to match his pants. Amazing.
These two wasted no time in putting the hammer down, Ciampa bringing us straight back to the 90’s with the downright brutality he inflicted on Gargano. After using everything available on each other: (chairs, steps, trashcans, belts) Tommaso cut the ropes holding the mat down, exposing the wood underneath. They each attempted to throw the other onto the wood but failed, resorting to punching each other in the face instead.
As anyone could have guessed, Gargano and Ciampa put everything they had into this match. To make things even better, there was a callback to where it all started, with Tommaso helping Johnny up the ramp, then throwing him into the stage. Ciampa then pulled Gargano on top of boxes of TV equipment, spit on Johnny’s wedding ring and threw it across the arena, but Gargano got his revenge by putting Ciampa through the table below.
Officials tried to stretcher Ciampa away, but Gargano attacked them and wheeled Tommaso back to the ring, ripping the neck brace off, locking him in handcuffs, and repeatedly kicking him in the face. Tommaso tapped out twice, but there was no referee to call the finish. Gargano had completely lost control, beating down the officials as they tried to pull him away, which gave Ciampa time to recover just enough to get the victory with a DDT onto the exposed wood.
With a smile on his face, Tommaso waved a final goodbye to his former best friend while the entire arena chanted “Fuck you, Ciampa” to close the show.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
What letter grade would you give tonight’s show? #NXTTakeOver
— Rumble Ramble (@TheRumbleRamble) June 17, 2018
