NXT’s run of amazing TakeOver tag title matches continues.
It wasn’t the outcome folks wanted - the Amway Center crowd made that perfectly clear with a loud “NO ONE LIKES YOU” chant at Authors of Pain - but a well told story presented Akam & Rezar as nigh unstoppable. Which is why, despite some crowd-pleasing teamwork between bitter rivals The Revival and #DIY, Paul Ellering’s men are leaving Orlando with those new tag belts.
Are #DIY (@JohnnyGargano & @ProjectCiampa) and #TheRevival (@ScottDawsonWWE & @DashWilderWWE)...on the same page?! #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/dGG29XoZdz
— WWE (@WWE) April 2, 2017
There are almost too many cool spots and great storytelling beats to mention. But one that will go down in the history of the brand is this, where Dash & Dawson first came to Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa’s aid to put Rezar through a table at ringside...
Every now and then, #TopGuys can also be #GoodGuys. pic.twitter.com/EVzKdYgEYt
— TDE Wrestling (@totaldivaseps) April 2, 2017
They also teamed up to try to get Akam to submit after that, but his partner recovered and muscled through Ciampa & Wilder to break up the crossface/Figure 4 combo Dawson & Gargano had on the Author:
SUBMISSIONS ALL AROUND, but this #TripleThreat Elimination is still going STRONG as it streams LIVE on @WWENetwork! #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/ORN08lO8LF
— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) April 2, 2017
Ending their partnership (of course it was Dawson who did it - The Revival hint at a face turn repeatedly, but can’t completely change their heelish ways) ended up resulting in #DIY being eliminated first. The Top Guys fought hard after that and survived some amazing nearfalls, but after a devastating Super Collider, Dawson couldn’t get his shoulder off the mat.
Hate them all you want. AoP isn’t going anywhere. Could The Revival or #DIY?
For a complete rundown of the show with all of the match results, head over to the live blog here.