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WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II is all set to pop off tonight (Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016) at 8 p.m. ET, live on WWE Network!
CagesideSeats.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, match-by-match coverage of NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II below, beginning with the first match of the evening and right on through to the main event.
Tonight's show kicks off SummerSlam weekend for WWE from New York's Barclays Center, and it's offering up a card that has wrestling fans all are hoping will help Brooklyn establish itself as NXT's WrestleMania.
The main event is a dream match with a lot of heat behind it, as NXT champ Samoa Joe defends his title against a man he feels was handed the opportunity by General Manager William Regal, Shinsuke Nakamura.
In the Women's championship picture, Asuka shocked the world in Dallas when she submitted NXT's brightest star, Bayley. Now, after a delay due to a kayfabe injury, the Hugster is back to avenge her most high-profile loss. For the tag titles, The Revival are the first team to hold the belts twice, and Dash & Dawson aren't acting to intimidated by the Cruiserweight Classic's Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa... but maybe they should be, seeing as how they hold a win over the champs from earlier this year.
Two big debuts happen in non-title action. First, Ember Moon appears to wrestle Billie Kay in a match which should be a preview of the future of the women's division. Then Bobby Roode rides a wave of excitement generated by his theme song and a couple of great promos into his match against Andrade "Cien" Almas.
Plus, a battle that's all about respect between Austin Aries and No Way Jose.
While you're waiting for the show to begin, dig into our predictions - as well as previews for the men's, women's & tag championship matches, plus the three undercard bouts!
Kick your off your shoes, relax, and enjoy all the action with the best damn pro wrestling community on the interwebs. And remember to keep refreshing!
REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.
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WWE NXT TAKEOVER: TORONTO QUICK RESULTS
Austin Aries def. No Way Jose Ember Moon def. Billie Kay Bobby Roode def. Andrade "Cien" Almas
The Revival def. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa Asuka def. Bayley Shinsuke Nakamura def. Samoa Joe
WWE NXT TAKEOVER: BROOKLYN II LIVE BLOG & MATCH COVERAGE
The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams, but I'm just here to liveblog a wrestling show, folks.
Main show feed is live with a video package with the usual Triple H spiel about the future over a recap of last year's TakeOver Brooklyn. Cut to interview sets and candid footage of all the superstars on tonight's card getting situated and then talking about what they were doing exactly one year ago. They issue statements about their intentions tonight and the package concludes.
Tom Philips puts over the sold-out crowd and he and Corey Graves run down the card real fast to welcome us.
Austin Aries vs. No Way Jose
Jose is leading a conga line of fans as part of his entrance. The fiesta is real, folks.
Aries makes his way to the ring and we get a Jolly Rancher-sponsored recap of their feud.
Bell rings and Aries starts off hesitant, skittering away from Jose. Waistlock and ride, he slaps Jose's back and tugs his hair. Jose all riled up, he goes after Aries and Aries gets in the ropes for the break. Aries offers his hand, Jose takes it and slaps the taste out of his mouth. Waistlock takedown from Jose and he follows by stepping and stomping on Aries' head.
Shoot in the corner and Aries bails, Jose gives chase, back in the ring, trading kicks and hands. Aries bails again, Jose off the apron with a double axe-handle. Up the ramp and he punches Aries some more before throwing him back in the ring. Aries begs off but Jose brings more stomps and strikes. Aries back with an elbow, he goes up top but Jose gets under him. Aries counters with a hotshot and runs a knee into him. Stomps and chokes, Aries working him over here.
Big left hand from Aries, whips Jose in the corner and snapmares him before stomping his face. Up to the second, Aries drops an elbow to the back of the neck. Rear chinlock and Aries is grinding his forearm bones into Jose's eyes. Jose to his feet, fighting out with punches before Aries cuts him off again. Running elbow drop gets two! More left hands from Aries but Jose's getting fired up. Big right hands and he dumps Aries back outside over the top. Rams Aries' head into the turnbuckles and follows with big double chops to the chest. Whip and a back body drop and Aries gets in the ropes for a breather.
Jose yanks him away, goes for a lariat but Aries counters with a shinbreaker and a slam into Last Chancery! Jose crawls to the ropes to break. Aries drags him to his feet but Jose lays an elbow in. Elbows from Aries, he goes for the rolling elbow but Jose counters with a TKO! Looking for the ripcord slam to follow up but Aries dumps him out the ropes. Tope suicida! Aries drags Jose back in the ring and drops him with a neckbreaker through the second rope.
Charging dropkick in the corner, Aries looking for the brainbuster but Jose counters it into a Falcon Arrow! Back to the ripcord slam but Aries gets the rolling elbow. Jose back with a lariat that turns Aries inside out! Crucifix driver from Aries, doesn't get all of it but follows up with another corner dropkick for two and a half. Aries up top but Jose cuts him off with an uppercut. Jose looking for a superplex but Aries blocks so he punches him a bunch, Aries slips out, sunset flip powerbomb, Last Chancery!
Austin Aries wins by submission with Last Chancery.
Aries cheap shots Jose post-match and locks Last Chancery in again! Hideo Itami's music hits, it's goin' down! Itami comes down, takes his suit jacket off and Aries beats on him for a second but Itami turns it around and drops him with a roundhouse kick.
GO 2 SLEEP!
HE DID THE THING!
Itami poses for us on the turnbuckle and points to his knee.
Cut to the crowd to show Ric Flair enjoying the action, followed by brief shots of Joe and Shinsuke preparing for their matches. Kota Ibushi and Sho Funaki are hanging out with Nakamura, of course, because it's 2016 and that's the way things are now.
Billie Kay vs. Ember Moon
Collar and elbow lockup to start but Kay grabs a headlock. Ember reverses and gets a hammerlock, Kay fights out by picking the leg. Headscissors takeover from the mat and an arm drag from Moon. Looking for a crucifix but Kay won't drop. Out and down and Kay with a couple forearms and hammer blows to the back before lifting her up and throwing a headbutt.
Whip, looking for a forearm but Ember ducks and comes back with a crossbody. Inverted stomp facebreaker gets two for Kay and she takes her frustration out, raining blows down on Moon's head. Looks for a Canadian backbreaker but Moon gets out. Clubbing blows and she tries again and gets it. Moon starts to fight out but Kay just flips her back and onto her face. Pin attempts come up empty and she's increasingly frustrated.
Ember with a rollup and they trade strikes. Fireman's carry, Moon elbows out. Kicks and a neckbreaker into a half-halch suplex from Moon before a handspring elbow in the corner. Ember going up top, commentary doesn't name it, but it's the O-Face!
Ember Moon wins by pinfall with O-Face.
Orton/Lesnar video package and Tom and Corey put it over real fast before showing us footage of Bobby Roode arriving earlier. He puts New York over but calls Brooklyn the armpit of New York, says he's more Manhattan. Tonight, Brooklyn gets to experience him taking NXT to the next level, making it... glorious.
Video package for Roode. Here's a fun fact they don't mention: He actually made his pro wrestling debut under the name "Total" Lee Awesome. Yep.
Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Bobby Roode
Roode makes his entrance and all of Barclay's is singing along, of course. He's on the Bad News Barrett scissor lift, it's actually pretty glorious.
Roode taking a jog around the ring before grabbing a headlock. Switch to a hammerlock, drop Almas to the mat and he says it's glorious. Lockup again, Roode takes arm control, wrings him through, Almas positions himself but Roode grabs a headlock. Shoot off, duck under, dropkick from Almas but Roode is just out of range. Lockup again, back in the corner, Almas breaks nicely but Roode kicks him in the gut and tries to toss him out, but Almas catches the ropes and takes a quick nap.
Roode in with the kick, Almas catches it, chop, to the corner and back, low dropkick. Springboard headscissors takeover and Almas follows it up with a slingshot dropkick as Roode tries to get back in. Off the ropes, Roode back in, a little Bugs Bunny action as Almas flips over the ropes and casually turns around. Up top, Roode grabs the ropes and knocks Almas down before stomping a proverbial mudhole.
Forces Almas in the corner but he fights out with chops. Big chop from Roode puts him right back, whip to the opposite corner and back again, Roode charges in with a knee. Delayed vertical suplex from Roode for two. Driving knees into Almas' back here before grabbing a side headlock and grounding him all the way. Almas fights his way to his feet and breaks out for the ropes but Roode is right behind him with a knee lift. Back suplex, Almas lands on his feet. Roode in the corner, springboard dropkick from Almas followed by a tornillo!
Big crossbody from Almas for two followed by a wheelbarrow bulldog for the same. Forearms on Roode in the corner and Almas signals for the knees but Roode has him scouted and drops him with a lariat for two of his own. Roode sets Almas up top in the corner, looking for maybe a German suplex off the second but Almas fights out with elbows only for Roode to get back in and get it anyway but Almas lands on his feet! Waistlock, switch, Almas with a low-angle arm-trap German of his own! Double jump quebrada but Roode has the knees up. Lifts him for the fisherman but Almas counters into a small package.
Forearms for forearms back on their feet as the crowd does the yay/boo gimmick. Almas gets the advantage and finishes with a spinning wheel kick before finally getting the double knees! Looking for the hammerlock DDT but Roode uppercuts out! Off the ropes, big boot, that beautiful Roode spinebuster! Pumphandle slam from Roode ends it! Commentary immediately points out that he calls it the Glorious Bomb, so I know a lot of folks out there are happy.
Bobby Roode wins by pinfall with a Glorious Bomb.
Now a mysterious video package labeled SAnitY featuring some postapocalyptic looking rioting.
Tom and Corey put the Cruiserweight Classic over and throw to a video package with HHH and the dudes from Orange County Choppers about the trophy the winner of the Cruiserweight Classic receives. Once that's done we get shots of Mauro Ranallo, Noam Dar, Brian Kendrick, Rich Swann, and Kota Ibushi in the crowd next to the trophy guys.
Gargano and Ciampa backstage getting ready for their match and Ciampa gives him a shirt with their names on it and #DIY, which they put over enough that I assume it's their team name.
Video package for the tag title match, like you'd expect since it's next and all.
Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson) (c) (NXT Tag Team Championship)
Ciampa and Dawson to start. Lockup, Ciampa forces Dawson into the corner but Dawson reverses it and referee Drake Wuertz has to pull them apart. Dawson grabs an arm and wrenches it but Ciampa reverses. Switch again, Dawson with a side headlock takeover and a hard chop. Ciampa looks for one of his own and Dawson rolls out of the ring. Revival take their time on the outside but Dawson gets back in at eight. Test of strength, Dawson with a leg kick and he goes back to the headlock.
Ciampa shoots him off, looking for an arm drag, no dice. More headlock takeovers and Ciampa lays chops in. Gargano in and they work Dawson over some more. Johnny Grappling in full effect, working the arm. Dawson tries to get out and eventually gets the tag to Wilder. Gargano with the shoulder armbreaker but Wilder goes for his ear. Waistlock switches and Gargano nails a low dropkick before going back to the arm. Wilder with a scoop slam and he tags Dawson back in.
Dawson misses an elbow drop and eats a pair of arm drags from Gargano before he grabs the arm again. Back and forth and Dawson drops Gargano with a back elbow and tags Wilder back in. Shoulder blocks for hammer blows and Wilder whips Gargano out of the ring. Back in and all four guys square off and trade blows. Ciampa lariats Dawson out of the ring and the DIY boys fly, Gargano with a suicide dive and Ciampa with a knee off the apron!
Ciampa tags back in and stalks Wilder outside, throwing him back in, but Wilder just rolls back out. Tag to Dawson, Ciampa tries to fight them off with elbows but they get a cool double back suplex sequence into drop him. Tag to Wilder again and they hammer him in the corner. Big chop from Wilder and another tag, drop toehold into an elbow drop gets two! Dawson really lays a reverse chinlock in, the veins on Ciampa's head are bulging. Fights to his feet but the Revival keep him from the tag. Sunset flip, Ciampa almost gets it but Dawson pulls Gargano off the mat!
Another tag from the champs and a double team gourdbuster gets two. Wilder whips Ciampa into a sleeper hold but Ciampa counters it with the Stunner! Wilder fights hard and keeps him from the tag and Dawson's back in with a wicked low dropkick to the head. Bodyscissors neck crank but Ciampa fights to his feet. Wilder with the distraction and Dawson goes for a piledriver(!) but Ciampa fights out and gets the tag but the ref doesn't see it! Demolition Decapitation from the champs and Ciampa's out of it. Dawson laying forearms in, Ciampa seems to fire up but a lariat drops him.
Ciampa with the tag finally, Johnny Wrestling in like a house afire! Belly to belly on Wilder but Dawson cuts him off with the back elbow. Roll-through enzuigiri and a jumping neckbreaker get Gargano two! Shoots in the corner, back body drop, but Gargano makes lemonade with the Superman Spear! Tag to Wilder but Gargano doesn't realize, Dawson with the Arn Anderson DDT but Wilder can only get two out of it! Tag back to Dawson, they whip Johnny but he ducks and gets a rollup on Dawson for two.
Ciampa in with the bridging Fujiwara armbar but Wilder breaks it up! Double team suplex but Gargano breaks it up with a spear and they collapse into a double pin! Forehead to forehead they rise and Ciampa and Dawson trade blows like they're in Korakuen! Tag to Wilder and they're looking for Shatter Machine but Gargano gets in! Quick tag and the knee and superkick on Wilder for three but Drake notices his foot on the ropes! No good!
Looking for Project Ciampa but Dawson yanks him out the ring! Gargano with an uppercut to Dawson but Wilder chop blocks him! Dawson grapevines the legs and Wilder goes bombs away with a knee drop off the top! Inverted figure four! Gargano's in agony! He taps!
The Revival win by submission with an inverted figure four on Johnny Gargano.
Ciampa gets Gargano to his feet after the match and they share a moment before Ciampa helps him out of the ring and back up the ramp.
Video package for the Women's Evolution WWE 24 special up now, followed by shots of the three main roster Horsewomen in the crowd.
And, naturally enough, a video package for the NXT Women's Championship match because it's next.
Asuka (c) vs. Bayley (NXT Women's Championship)
Asuka stalking around the ring and Bayley wary, they clash for a moment and break. And then clash and break again. And a third time, this time a little later as Asuka grabs a waistlock. Test of strength in full effect as they struggle but Asuka has an advantage. Bayley fights out, trying a series of quick pins to no avail. Corner avalanche and Asuka whips her in the corner. Bayley comes off and gets caught square in the face with a knee strike!
Bayley to the outside for a moment and when she comes back in Asuka nails her with a trio of hip attacks. Whip in the corner and a fourth hip attack follows. Champion with an octopus hold in the ropes! Nearfall after the break and Bayley rams Asuka into the turnbuckle again and again before having it reversed and eating one herself. Asuka charges in, Bayley pops her up and over but Asuka lays her out with kicks from the apron, hanging her in the ropes. Follows that up with a running pop-up gamengiri and drags her back in for two.
Asuka rams Bayley face-first into the buckles some more but the Hugger snaps and reverses it, just hammering the champ. Modified exploder and Bayley follows with sliding strikes and a knee drop that get two. Gets Asuka in the corner for the tube man elbow, Asuka recovers and whips her to the ropes and goes for a hip attack but Bayley catches her in the ropes and rains blows down and a stunner. Crossbody from Bayley gets two, she goes back up top for a second but Asuka dodges and lands a running knee.
Pushes Bayley back into the corner and lifts her up top, looking for a superplex or something but Bayley fights back with punches and slips out, hanging Asuka in the tree of woe for an elbow drop! Shoves become forearms as they get to their feet and Asuka wins the exchange only to have Bayley cut her off with a running knee! Hip attack in return, then another knee! Asuka picks the leg, STRETCH MUFFLER! Bayley rolls through and they trade pinning predicaments before Asuka goes back to the leg, grabbing an ankle lock.
Bayley rolls through but Asuka stays with her until Bayley finally escapes with a few kicks. Stiff right hand from the champ! Laying those Daniel Bryan kicks in now but Bayley fires up and catches the last one only to have Asuka fire off a slap rush. Backslide for two, Bayley follows up with body blows and forearms. Asuka pushes her into the ropes, spinning backfist! Another kick, Bayley catches and lifts for a powerbomb but her leg goes out. Belly to back mat slam for two but Asuka's ready and she grabs the Asuka Lock! Bodyscissors applied, fingers locked, Bayley's fading!
Bayley rolls through and gets to her feet, fighting out with elbows and landing the Bayley-to-Belly for two! Both women laid out on the mat now, they struggle to their feet and Asuka with the flying armbar setup for the Asuka Lock! But she doesn't get all of it and Bayley stays standing! To the mat and Bayley rolls through for a pin. Not enough! A roundhouse from Asuka gets a stiff slap in return from Bayley! Knockout kicks from Asuka! It's over!
Asuka wins by pinfall with a roundhouse kick.
Asuka pulls Bayley to her feet post-match and they hug. Asuka leaves, Bayley collects herself and has moments with the Horsewomen and Izzy at ringside before heading to the back herself.
Joe walking the corridors with security and the feed goes to Nakamura getting his entrance gear on, and then we get the obligatory video package for the NXT Championship match.
Mick Foley and his daughter Noelle in the crowd now, and so is Finn Balor.
Samoa Joe (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT Championship)
Shinsuke's getting played in live!
Joe needs no such frivolity, though. Champ's all business.
Both guys hot at each other like you'd hope and Weird Hair nearly doesn't even get to make the introductions. Lockup and Joe shoves Nakamura in the corner and starts raking his forearm across his face before the ref forces the break. Lockup and break and they trade kicks before going to the mat. Joe has Nakamura down and mounted for a second but Nakamura breaks free. Joe pushes him to the ropes and grabs an arm wringer. Nakamura trying to fight out but Joe's got the leverage and even headbutts the wrist at one point. Nakamura finally rolls through to escape, grabs a side headlock but Joe reverses to a headscissors and they break off.
Joe with a side headlock, Nakamura goes to shoot him off but Joe slides to the mat and stops him. Nakamura goes to the nose to force a break and does the corner arm shimmy taunt. Knee lifts to Joe and the champ slumps in the corner. Good Vibrations time! Joe rolls out and picks Nakamura's leg, bringing him out and firing right hands. Nakamura with right hands of his own and another knee lift but Joe fires back with a chop and they head back inside.
More hands and knees but Joe shoots Nakamura into the corner and hits the enzuigiri. Shinsuke to the apron, Joe goes to drag him up gets kicked in the face. Nakamura looking for a guillotine knee drop but Joe rolls out of the way and Nakamura hits the apron knee first. Joe with a suicide dive! Rolls Nakamura back in the ring, goes for a pin, only gets two. Back to his feet Nakamura with more hands and knees but Joe bowls him over and follows it soon after with an elbow drop. Disdainful kicks and then Joe locks a Stretch Plum in, wrenching the hell out of Nakamura's arm in the process.
Nakamura gets to the ropes but he's in real pain. Joe with the standing surfboard, Nakamura back to his feet and breaks it with a knee. Low sweep from Joe and then the powerbomb for two right into the over-the-knee grip Boston crab and then the STF! Into the crossface after that, what an excellent submission sequence this is! Nakamura rolls it over into a pin and when that fails, gets a leg-feed enzuigiri on the champ. Joe with a Penalty Kick, goes to whip but Nakamura fires back with a knee and a spinning heel kick!
Nakamura levels Joe with a forearm! Knees and kicks, he sets Joe up in the corner, there's the knee lift! Looking for the inverted exploder but Joe charges in. Manhattan Drop, big boot, senton but Nakamura rolls out of the way! Nakamura with a front facelock, trying to lay a guillotine in but Joe lifts him so he floats over. Nakamura with the devastating grounded knees to the head! He charges in and Joe gets the corner uranage but it's not all there. Joe trying to set Nakamura up for the Muscle Buster but he fights out and nails Joe with a single-leg missile dropkick!
Back to their feet they trade forearms-- the King of Strong Style takes the lead shortly but Joe wins the war with a strike rush ending in a huge left-handed lariat. He goes for the right but Shinsuke catches it with a flying armbar! Joe has his hands locked, though, and Nakamura shifts to the triangle. Joe hosses his way out and turns it into a cloverleaf but Nakamura gets to the ropes.
Coquina Clutch but Nakamura backs him into the corner before he gets all of it. A second try and Nakamura rolls him through only to eat a stiff knee to the face! Elbows pounding down and Joe gets the full Coquina Clutch with bodyscissors but Nakamura gets to the ropes! Joe looking for the Muscle Buster again, laying elbows in but Nakamura fires back. Chops and headbutts, Nakamura looking for the inverted exploder but can't get it so he dumps Joe on his neck with a German suplex! Looking for Kinshasa but Joe counters with a scoop powerslam!
Joe with punches in the corner, one more try for the Muscle Buster, lands an enzuigiri, he finally gets it! NOT ENOUGH! A second Muscle Buster but Shinsuke slips out! Kinshasa! STILL NOT OVER! Joe clutches his jaw in agony! Shinsuke to the second, another knee to the back of the head! Kinshasa again! It's over!
Shinsuke Nakamura wins by pinfall with Kinshasa.
Shinsuke soaks it in for a minute, drops a big YeaOh! for the crowd, and we're done here, folks.