NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV
Brooklyn, NY
Barclays Center
8/18/18
Brooklyn, NY
Barclays Center
8/18/18
Undisputed Era (c) def Mustache Mountain via Pinfall (NXT Tag Team Championship)
This match started off hot with all four men in the ring and it never slowed down for the entire match and kept you on your toes the entire time. You would never think that Bate was as strong as he is just by looking at him, but that deadlift german on Strong, while O'Reilly was on his shoulders, was pretty impressive. Bate almost had his head taken off his shoulders with a clothesline out of nowhere courtesy of Roderick Strong that looked really nice. I really like the version of the rebound lariat that Bate does and popped when he hit it on the outside and then immediately followed up with the Tyler Driver for a near fall.
I liked that UE had spots in the match where they would cut off one of the members of MM from making a tag and would isolate them in their corner as it gave me flashbacks of the great Revival matches just two years ago. This kind of heel tag work continues to show that NXT knows how to put on compelling tag matches that keep your interest and really make you get behind the babyface team and takes you on a roller coaster of emotions throughout the match. Really nice touch that Trent was put in the same position that Tyler was in the last match where he had to decide whether or not to throw in the towel as Tyler was having his leg worked over but he quickly decided that MM wasn't going out like that again and decided to throw the towel into the crowd. In the end, UE ended up retaining their titles after hitting the Total Elimination on Trent.
I'm glad to see that even though the tag division on the main roster has been lackluster the past few months, the tag division down in NXT hasn't missed a beat as the feud between Undisputed Era and Mustache Mountain has been really good and has given the fans a really great series of matches. This was a great choice to open the show as it got the night started off on a high note and got the crowd pumped for the rest of the night. Rating: ****
After the match, the War Raiders appear out of nowhere and attack the Undisputed Era which sets up our next tag title feud in NXT.
This match started off hot with all four men in the ring and it never slowed down for the entire match and kept you on your toes the entire time. You would never think that Bate was as strong as he is just by looking at him, but that deadlift german on Strong, while O'Reilly was on his shoulders, was pretty impressive. Bate almost had his head taken off his shoulders with a clothesline out of nowhere courtesy of Roderick Strong that looked really nice. I really like the version of the rebound lariat that Bate does and popped when he hit it on the outside and then immediately followed up with the Tyler Driver for a near fall.
I liked that UE had spots in the match where they would cut off one of the members of MM from making a tag and would isolate them in their corner as it gave me flashbacks of the great Revival matches just two years ago. This kind of heel tag work continues to show that NXT knows how to put on compelling tag matches that keep your interest and really make you get behind the babyface team and takes you on a roller coaster of emotions throughout the match. Really nice touch that Trent was put in the same position that Tyler was in the last match where he had to decide whether or not to throw in the towel as Tyler was having his leg worked over but he quickly decided that MM wasn't going out like that again and decided to throw the towel into the crowd. In the end, UE ended up retaining their titles after hitting the Total Elimination on Trent.
I'm glad to see that even though the tag division on the main roster has been lackluster the past few months, the tag division down in NXT hasn't missed a beat as the feud between Undisputed Era and Mustache Mountain has been really good and has given the fans a really great series of matches. This was a great choice to open the show as it got the night started off on a high note and got the crowd pumped for the rest of the night. Rating: ****
After the match, the War Raiders appear out of nowhere and attack the Undisputed Era which sets up our next tag title feud in NXT.
Velveteen Dream def EC3 via Pinfall
Every time I watch Velveteen it still amazes me that he didn't win his season of Tough Enough as he is so damn talented and pops off the screen with his charisma. Dream's airbrushed tights have become something to look forward to on each Takeover and I will miss that once he gets to the main roster as there will be no way he will be able to have tights that say something different each week. This time he used his tights to ask Vince to call him up to the main roster which is pretty creative. EC3, on the other hand, came out wearing his best body builder tan as he was the color of a penny.
Velveteen bumped when EC3 threw Dream's own ring jacket at him which was pretty funny. EC3 controls the early part of the match until Dream is able to hit his twisting DDT on the ramp and this one move would take a toll on EC3 and would be his Achilles heel throughout the rest of the match. EC3 counters a superkick attempt into a headlock driver. A lot of EC3's offense isn't really that impressive and I have to say that for his first real showing in a one on one match he isn't impressing me too much and is making it even more clear just how great Dream is. To me, EC3 could wind up just being another Bobby Roode only not quite as boring. EC3's final downfall in the match was his tunnel vision in trying to hit the One Percenter on the apron only for Dream to keep countering it and this led to Dream finishing him off with a DVD on the apron followed by the Purple Rainmaker onto the apron.
This was a decent match but was definitely a step down from Dream's previous Takeover matches which have been the best match on those shows, I feel the reason it was a step below was definitely because of who was in the ring with him as Dream was doing all the great things he always does, but I just don't feel EC3 could keep up and deliver the same quality of match that Dream's previous opponents have been able to give. It will be interesting to see if Dream is indeed called up after this weekend but if not I look forward to what is in store for him next in NXT as he is definitely due a title shot whether it be for the North American Championship or the NXT Championship.
Rating: ***
Before the next match, we see NXT's newest big signee Matt Riddle.
Every time I watch Velveteen it still amazes me that he didn't win his season of Tough Enough as he is so damn talented and pops off the screen with his charisma. Dream's airbrushed tights have become something to look forward to on each Takeover and I will miss that once he gets to the main roster as there will be no way he will be able to have tights that say something different each week. This time he used his tights to ask Vince to call him up to the main roster which is pretty creative. EC3, on the other hand, came out wearing his best body builder tan as he was the color of a penny.
Velveteen bumped when EC3 threw Dream's own ring jacket at him which was pretty funny. EC3 controls the early part of the match until Dream is able to hit his twisting DDT on the ramp and this one move would take a toll on EC3 and would be his Achilles heel throughout the rest of the match. EC3 counters a superkick attempt into a headlock driver. A lot of EC3's offense isn't really that impressive and I have to say that for his first real showing in a one on one match he isn't impressing me too much and is making it even more clear just how great Dream is. To me, EC3 could wind up just being another Bobby Roode only not quite as boring. EC3's final downfall in the match was his tunnel vision in trying to hit the One Percenter on the apron only for Dream to keep countering it and this led to Dream finishing him off with a DVD on the apron followed by the Purple Rainmaker onto the apron.
This was a decent match but was definitely a step down from Dream's previous Takeover matches which have been the best match on those shows, I feel the reason it was a step below was definitely because of who was in the ring with him as Dream was doing all the great things he always does, but I just don't feel EC3 could keep up and deliver the same quality of match that Dream's previous opponents have been able to give. It will be interesting to see if Dream is indeed called up after this weekend but if not I look forward to what is in store for him next in NXT as he is definitely due a title shot whether it be for the North American Championship or the NXT Championship.
Rating: ***
Before the next match, we see NXT's newest big signee Matt Riddle.
Ricochet def Adam Cole (c) via Pinfall (NXT North American Championship)
I knew this match was gonna be good but didn't expect it to be as good as it was. The spot in the match that will most likely be remembered is Cole hitting Ricochet with a superkick while Ricochet was upside down in mid-air in the middle of a moonsault attempt. I loved the strike exchange between the two and the fact that even though Ricochet got the last shot in it almost cost him when Cole fell on top of for a near fall. Ricochet finishes the match off with a nice hurricanrana from inside the ring to the outside and then hits the 630 for the win. Ricochet makes his aerial moves look so effortless and the way he can flow from one move to another is a work of art. Cole did a great job in this match as the heel trying to ground the high flyer early in the match and then once Ricochet did start going aerial he had some great counters to try and take Ricochet out with. This match was so much fun to watch. Rating: ****1/2
I knew this match was gonna be good but didn't expect it to be as good as it was. The spot in the match that will most likely be remembered is Cole hitting Ricochet with a superkick while Ricochet was upside down in mid-air in the middle of a moonsault attempt. I loved the strike exchange between the two and the fact that even though Ricochet got the last shot in it almost cost him when Cole fell on top of for a near fall. Ricochet finishes the match off with a nice hurricanrana from inside the ring to the outside and then hits the 630 for the win. Ricochet makes his aerial moves look so effortless and the way he can flow from one move to another is a work of art. Cole did a great job in this match as the heel trying to ground the high flyer early in the match and then once Ricochet did start going aerial he had some great counters to try and take Ricochet out with. This match was so much fun to watch. Rating: ****1/2
Kairi Sane def Shayna Baszler (c) via Pinfall (NXT Women's Championship)
The story of the match was Shayna working over the knee of Kairi and Kairi doing whatever she had to do to fight through the pain and pick up the win. Toward the end of the match, it looked like Shayna is going to finish Kairi off as she has her in the Kirifuda Clutch but at the very last second, Kairi is able to make it to the ropes. Kairi shows her fighting spirit and is eventually able to muscle up Shayna to hit the Alabama Slam and goes for the Insane Elbow, but Shayna gets her knees up and immediately locks in the Kirifuda Clutch once again, but this time out of nowhere Kairi rolls back on top of Shayna and picks up the surprise win. This match was great, but I feel these two have an even better match in them, in fact, I know they do as their match at the MYC finale last year was better than this match.
Out of the two title changes that happened on this show this was the one that I was most shocked about as I didn't see Shayna's reign coming to an end this soon as she has been a dominant champion, but with the latest rumors of what may be happening in the next few months it makes sense for her to lose the title here. I guess out of all the babyface challengers to take the title away from Baszler it makes sense that it was Kairi as she already had Shayna's number coming off of the Mae Youg Classic last year. I would expect we get a rematch from these two at the Evolution PPV.
Rating: ***1/2
The story of the match was Shayna working over the knee of Kairi and Kairi doing whatever she had to do to fight through the pain and pick up the win. Toward the end of the match, it looked like Shayna is going to finish Kairi off as she has her in the Kirifuda Clutch but at the very last second, Kairi is able to make it to the ropes. Kairi shows her fighting spirit and is eventually able to muscle up Shayna to hit the Alabama Slam and goes for the Insane Elbow, but Shayna gets her knees up and immediately locks in the Kirifuda Clutch once again, but this time out of nowhere Kairi rolls back on top of Shayna and picks up the surprise win. This match was great, but I feel these two have an even better match in them, in fact, I know they do as their match at the MYC finale last year was better than this match.
Rating: ***1/2
Tommaso Ciampa (c) def Johnny Gargano (NXT Championship - Last Man Standing Match)
I know I will be in the minority when I say that this wasn't my favorite match of the night. The match was great on its own like all Gargano vs Ciampa matches are, but the fact that this is their third Takeover match in a row and all of them have had a stipulation that allows them to use whatever they can find to inflict punishment on each other it makes it where the all the matches are starting to feel the same and I am starting to feel diminished returns with each match they have as this match wasn't as great as their match in Chicago, to be honest, it feels like they are starting to run out of creative stuff to do in these matches. I would have been fine if Aleister hadn't got hurt and this was the triple threat match as originally planned as at least then there would be another body in the match and that would add a whole new creative element into the match. I wasn't particularly fond of the finish as it didn't make Gargano look smart that he had Ciampa beaten down to the point where Ciampa was begging him to stop and instead of stopping the assault after the second kick (that knocked Ciampa out and would've gotten Gargano the win) he lets his anger get the best of him and goes for the death blow which ends up only grazing Ciampa and in the end winds up costing Gargano the match and the NXT Championship as he smashes his knee into something and is unable to get back to his feet before the count of ten. If Gargano would've just been done with the second kick in the head and won the NXT Championship then the one person Ciampa hates more than anything would have possession of the one thing Ciampa cares about and that would've have dealt a bigger blow to Ciampa than that running knee to the head ever could have.
The fact that Gargano didn't win here must mean the feud has to continue as him winning the title is the logical conclusion to this feud but at this point, I don't want to see them in the ring against each other for a while, at least until the Takeover at WrestleMania next year. I guess since the next Takeover is War Games they could do a Team Ciampa vs Team Gargano match and the addition of teams would freshen things up a bit but I think they should give the feud a rest for a while because if they keep on they are gonna reach the point where the fans won't care as much once Gargano finally wins the title from Ciampa as everyone will be so tired from seeing them in the ring against each other. With everything that I have said you probably think I really hated the match, but like I said the match in itself was great, it's just that compared to their previous two it wasn't as great.
Rating: ****1/4
The fact that Gargano didn't win here must mean the feud has to continue as him winning the title is the logical conclusion to this feud but at this point, I don't want to see them in the ring against each other for a while, at least until the Takeover at WrestleMania next year. I guess since the next Takeover is War Games they could do a Team Ciampa vs Team Gargano match and the addition of teams would freshen things up a bit but I think they should give the feud a rest for a while because if they keep on they are gonna reach the point where the fans won't care as much once Gargano finally wins the title from Ciampa as everyone will be so tired from seeing them in the ring against each other. With everything that I have said you probably think I really hated the match, but like I said the match in itself was great, it's just that compared to their previous two it wasn't as great.
Rating: ****1/4
I feel this show was a bit of a step down compared to most Takeovers, but even a Takeover that is not as great as some of the others is still a great show as three out of the five matches are rated **** or higher. Show Grade: B+
WWE SummerSlam 2018
Brooklyn, NY
Barclays Center
8/19/18
I'm so glad to see Revival in the title picture as they are so deserving and hopefully once they become champs we can get a more competitive tag division on Raw. In this match, Revival did what they do best which is isolate one person and work on a body part and unfortunately, Bo was the one they decided to isolate as they took Curtis out for a while with a Shatter Machine in the first minute of the match. Curtis did a great job on the hot tag and it seems like they are slowly transitioning into making the B-Team an actual team who aren't shocked every time they win and are starting to gain credibility. The finish was pretty creative and a good way to end the match if they aren't going to put the titles on The Revival right now. Rating: **
As you can probably tell I loved this show from start to finish and I know I'm probably in the minority that thinks that, but I thought that majority of the stuff that needed to be accomplished on this show was and I agreed with pretty much all the booking decisions. I definitely have this show being better than Mania and if it weren't for the Rumble matches themselves I would have it higher than Rumble. They chose the right matches to cut short and the right ones to give time to and the ones that had time ranged from really good to great. For a show that was over six hours, I hardly felt like it dragged which is something that I don't feel much when watching these marathon WWE shows. Rating: A+
NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV & SummerSlam 2018 Match Rankings
18. Braun Strowman vs Kevin Owens
17. Finn Balor vs Baron Corbin
16. Raw Tag Team Championship
15. Andrade Almas & Zelina Vega vs Rusev & Lana
14. Velveteen Dream vs EC3
13. WWE United States Championship
12. WWE Crusierweight Championship
11. NXT Women's Championship
10. Raw Women's Championship
9. WWE Universal Championship
8. Smackdown Tag Team Championship
7. Smackdown Women's Championship
6. The Miz vs Daniel Bryan
5. NXT Tag Team Championship
4. NXT Championship
3. WWE Intercontinental Championship
2. NXT North American Championship
1. WWE Championship
I hope you all enjoy my review for Takeover: Brooklyn IV and SummerSlam 2018, I will be back with the Hell in a Cell review in about four weeks. The week after the Hell in a Cell review I should be posting the first of a couple of reviews for the Mae Young Classic II and that is a review I absolutely look forward to doing as I'm so excited about this tournament. I will see everyone in four weeks as we take a trip down to Hell.
Brooklyn, NY
Barclays Center
8/19/18
Kick Off Match #1
Andrade Almas & Zelina Vega def Rusev & Lana via Pinfall
I'm gonna go ahead and say that I'm not gonna have many complaints about this entire show, but one of the few complaints I do have is that this match was on kick off show and even worse it was the first match on the kick off show which meant they were performing with the least amount of people in the arena. Both Rusev and Almas deserve to be on the main show as Rusev is one of the most popular guys in the entire company and Almas put on one of the greatest matches against Johnny Gargano earlier this year. I know I have probably said this before in one of my reviews but how in the world did TNA not do more with Zelina as she is so great and has added so much to the entire Andrade Almas package.
This match was pretty fun for what it was, Rusev and Almas were in the beginning stages of having a really great match and if they had more time I'm sure they would have. Once the women came in the quality went down a notch but it wasn't anything terrible it's just that Lana still isn't up to par with the other women on the roster but I'm not gonna fault her too much as she is at least trying. Interesting that the finish saw Rusev Day losing without Aiden costing them the match and it was Lana getting distracted that cost them the match, so will Rusev start seeing that all of this has been Lana's fault and not Aiden? Rating: **1/4
One thing I want to mention before the next match was that Jerry Lawler was making his first on-air appearance since the passing of his son Brian, so it was good to see him be a part of the panel tonight.
Andrade Almas & Zelina Vega def Rusev & Lana via Pinfall
I'm gonna go ahead and say that I'm not gonna have many complaints about this entire show, but one of the few complaints I do have is that this match was on kick off show and even worse it was the first match on the kick off show which meant they were performing with the least amount of people in the arena. Both Rusev and Almas deserve to be on the main show as Rusev is one of the most popular guys in the entire company and Almas put on one of the greatest matches against Johnny Gargano earlier this year. I know I have probably said this before in one of my reviews but how in the world did TNA not do more with Zelina as she is so great and has added so much to the entire Andrade Almas package.
This match was pretty fun for what it was, Rusev and Almas were in the beginning stages of having a really great match and if they had more time I'm sure they would have. Once the women came in the quality went down a notch but it wasn't anything terrible it's just that Lana still isn't up to par with the other women on the roster but I'm not gonna fault her too much as she is at least trying. Interesting that the finish saw Rusev Day losing without Aiden costing them the match and it was Lana getting distracted that cost them the match, so will Rusev start seeing that all of this has been Lana's fault and not Aiden? Rating: **1/4
One thing I want to mention before the next match was that Jerry Lawler was making his first on-air appearance since the passing of his son Brian, so it was good to see him be a part of the panel tonight.
Kick Off Match #2
Cedric Alexander (c) def Drew Gulak via Pinfall (WWE Cruiserweight Championship)
These poor cruiserweights will most likely never be apart of the main show, but they are used to getting shafted so they definitely don't let that affect their performance and this match was an example of that as these two put on one heck of a match and had the half-filled crowd in Barclays going crazy. The match was centered around Gulak working on the neck of Alexander to weaken him up for the Gulock. Gulak decks Alexander with a really nice right hand at one point of the match. Gulak had a nice ankle lock counter for an attempted handspring enziguri. The finish was a bit botched as they were supposed to trade roll-ups with Alexander coming out with the win, but one of the pin attempts got a bit messed up. This was really fun and props to both guys for giving a great match on the kickoff show. Rating: ***1/4
Cedric Alexander (c) def Drew Gulak via Pinfall (WWE Cruiserweight Championship)
These poor cruiserweights will most likely never be apart of the main show, but they are used to getting shafted so they definitely don't let that affect their performance and this match was an example of that as these two put on one heck of a match and had the half-filled crowd in Barclays going crazy. The match was centered around Gulak working on the neck of Alexander to weaken him up for the Gulock. Gulak decks Alexander with a really nice right hand at one point of the match. Gulak had a nice ankle lock counter for an attempted handspring enziguri. The finish was a bit botched as they were supposed to trade roll-ups with Alexander coming out with the win, but one of the pin attempts got a bit messed up. This was really fun and props to both guys for giving a great match on the kickoff show. Rating: ***1/4
Kick Off Match #3
The B-Team (c) def The Revival via Pinfall (Raw Tag Team Championship) I'm so glad to see Revival in the title picture as they are so deserving and hopefully once they become champs we can get a more competitive tag division on Raw. In this match, Revival did what they do best which is isolate one person and work on a body part and unfortunately, Bo was the one they decided to isolate as they took Curtis out for a while with a Shatter Machine in the first minute of the match. Curtis did a great job on the hot tag and it seems like they are slowly transitioning into making the B-Team an actual team who aren't shocked every time they win and are starting to gain credibility. The finish was pretty creative and a good way to end the match if they aren't going to put the titles on The Revival right now. Rating: **
Match #1
Seth Rollins w/ Dean Ambrose def Dolph Ziggler (c) w/ Drew McIntyre via Pinfall (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
What a great way to start the show proper as these two put on a great match and made it hard for everyone after them to follow. I like this new Ambrose who looks like a badass and instead of being the crazy out of control lunatic he is now calmer which I like. I felt like all the stuff happening on the outside with Dean and Drew didn't distract from the match and in fact, for me, it added to it.
There were lots of cool spots in the match, but the one that stood out was the twist on Rollins' superplex into a falcon arrow as this time it was a top rope inverted suplex into a seated inverted falcon arrow. Even though I was kind of expecting an Ambrose heel turn during the match, I'm glad they didn't as it would have taken away from the great match these two had. I really really enjoyed this match. Rating: ****1/4
Seth Rollins w/ Dean Ambrose def Dolph Ziggler (c) w/ Drew McIntyre via Pinfall (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
What a great way to start the show proper as these two put on a great match and made it hard for everyone after them to follow. I like this new Ambrose who looks like a badass and instead of being the crazy out of control lunatic he is now calmer which I like. I felt like all the stuff happening on the outside with Dean and Drew didn't distract from the match and in fact, for me, it added to it.
There were lots of cool spots in the match, but the one that stood out was the twist on Rollins' superplex into a falcon arrow as this time it was a top rope inverted suplex into a seated inverted falcon arrow. Even though I was kind of expecting an Ambrose heel turn during the match, I'm glad they didn't as it would have taken away from the great match these two had. I really really enjoyed this match. Rating: ****1/4
Match #2
The New Day w/ Kofi Kingston def The Bludgeon Brothers (c) via DQ (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
This was the match that I have been wanting out of the Bludgeon Brothers since their debut as it was back and forth instead of a total squash and I knew they would show their worth once they were in a match like this and for me they did indeed. Finally, a team was able to get some shine on the Bludgeons and give them an actual battle, I feel that should be the story as to why Rowan used the mallets to get a DQ as he was scared that they might get beat since no team has been able to take it to them like this before. While I wish the match would've had an actual finish I understand why they went the way they did and can't wait to see the next match between these two teams. Rating: ***1/2
The New Day w/ Kofi Kingston def The Bludgeon Brothers (c) via DQ (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
This was the match that I have been wanting out of the Bludgeon Brothers since their debut as it was back and forth instead of a total squash and I knew they would show their worth once they were in a match like this and for me they did indeed. Finally, a team was able to get some shine on the Bludgeons and give them an actual battle, I feel that should be the story as to why Rowan used the mallets to get a DQ as he was scared that they might get beat since no team has been able to take it to them like this before. While I wish the match would've had an actual finish I understand why they went the way they did and can't wait to see the next match between these two teams. Rating: ***1/2
Match #3
Braun Strowman def Kevin Owens via Pinfall (Money in the Bank Briefcase On The Line)
I definitely didn't expect this one to go the way it did as Braun just dominated a former Universal Champion like he was a jobber. While it makes sense in one way to make Braun look even stronger as he will be cashing in his briefcase soon, on the other hand, poor KO only got one superkick in and that was it as he got steamrolled in this match. I really have to wonder where KO goes next, perhaps a babyface turn is due for him as a change of pace. Rating: 3/4*
Braun Strowman def Kevin Owens via Pinfall (Money in the Bank Briefcase On The Line)
I definitely didn't expect this one to go the way it did as Braun just dominated a former Universal Champion like he was a jobber. While it makes sense in one way to make Braun look even stronger as he will be cashing in his briefcase soon, on the other hand, poor KO only got one superkick in and that was it as he got steamrolled in this match. I really have to wonder where KO goes next, perhaps a babyface turn is due for him as a change of pace. Rating: 3/4*
Match #4
Charlotte def Carmella (c) & Becky Lynch via Pinfall (SmackDown Women's Championship)
I know most people don't like Carmella, but I can't help but find her very entertaining I guess you can say that I hate to love her. I think Carmella did a really good job in this match picking her spots and trying to turn Becky and Charlotte against each other, I especially loved the spot where she pushed Charlotte into Becky and then took a trick out of the Eddie Guerrero handbook and laid down to make Becky think that Charlotte had hit her. I thought all three girls did a really good job and this match ended up much better than I was expecting. While I wish Charlotte would've been the one to turn heel and Becky would've won the title, I'm fine with what happened as either way it's a much-needed change for Becky and she is now finally able to stop being Charlotte's sidekick and be a main player in the title picture. I look forward to seeing what Becky will be like as a heel as we've never really seen it, can she go from one of the most loved women on the Smackdown roster to one of the most disliked? While it's obvious we will be getting a Charlotte vs Becky feud it will be interesting to see where Carmella goes from here. Rating: ***1/2
Charlotte def Carmella (c) & Becky Lynch via Pinfall (SmackDown Women's Championship)
I know most people don't like Carmella, but I can't help but find her very entertaining I guess you can say that I hate to love her. I think Carmella did a really good job in this match picking her spots and trying to turn Becky and Charlotte against each other, I especially loved the spot where she pushed Charlotte into Becky and then took a trick out of the Eddie Guerrero handbook and laid down to make Becky think that Charlotte had hit her. I thought all three girls did a really good job and this match ended up much better than I was expecting. While I wish Charlotte would've been the one to turn heel and Becky would've won the title, I'm fine with what happened as either way it's a much-needed change for Becky and she is now finally able to stop being Charlotte's sidekick and be a main player in the title picture. I look forward to seeing what Becky will be like as a heel as we've never really seen it, can she go from one of the most loved women on the Smackdown roster to one of the most disliked? While it's obvious we will be getting a Charlotte vs Becky feud it will be interesting to see where Carmella goes from here. Rating: ***1/2
Match #5
Samoa Joe def AJ Styles (c) via DQ (WWE Championship)
I absolutely loved everything about this from the pre-match trash talk all the way to AJ walking out of the arena with his wife and daughter after snapping and beating the shit out of Joe. If the first AJ vs Nakamura match had been as good as this first match between AJ and Joe then WrestleMania would've been a lot better than it was, this match took this SummerSlam that was already at a 7 up to a 9.
The fact that AJ's wife and daughter were in the crowd made the whole thing even better because you knew shit was fixing to go down when Joe was talking shit to Wendy about being her new daddy. I wonder if AJ's daughter was told to say "Daddy you're bleeding" or she just said that on her own, either way, that was a nice little touch to add another emotional aspect of what AJ was going through in that his little girl had to see him look like a bleeding crazed maniac beating up Joe which is not something he would want his daughter to see him do but Joe pushed him to that point and when she says that to him all he can do is tell her he is sorry. Outside of the emotional stuff before and after the match the actual match itself was really damn good and I can't wait to see the next match between these two. Rating: ****1/2
Samoa Joe def AJ Styles (c) via DQ (WWE Championship)
I absolutely loved everything about this from the pre-match trash talk all the way to AJ walking out of the arena with his wife and daughter after snapping and beating the shit out of Joe. If the first AJ vs Nakamura match had been as good as this first match between AJ and Joe then WrestleMania would've been a lot better than it was, this match took this SummerSlam that was already at a 7 up to a 9.
The fact that AJ's wife and daughter were in the crowd made the whole thing even better because you knew shit was fixing to go down when Joe was talking shit to Wendy about being her new daddy. I wonder if AJ's daughter was told to say "Daddy you're bleeding" or she just said that on her own, either way, that was a nice little touch to add another emotional aspect of what AJ was going through in that his little girl had to see him look like a bleeding crazed maniac beating up Joe which is not something he would want his daughter to see him do but Joe pushed him to that point and when she says that to him all he can do is tell her he is sorry. Outside of the emotional stuff before and after the match the actual match itself was really damn good and I can't wait to see the next match between these two. Rating: ****1/2
Match #6
The Miz def Daniel Bryan via Pinfall
This is the one match on the card that was really good, but I felt like it could've been better if a few minutes had been taken off as it seemed like it was dragging a bit at times. I also feel that if this match would have been earlier in the show the crowd would've gotten into more as it felt like they were getting to that point where they were getting tired and it didn't help that this match came after the Joe vs AJ match which was really great. I liked that Miz was still using Bryan's moves on him and was putting holds on him to show Bryan that in his mind he is just as great of a mat technician as Bryan is. I loved when Bryan fired up and started smacking the shit out of Miz and from that point until the finish the match was really good.
I know the DQ finish won't make everyone happy but it makes sense for the story they can tell from here on out that Miz can claim that Bryan is exactly the joke that Miz has been saying he is as he couldn't get it done, but Bryan will stand firm that Miz can't beat him without cheating. With the DQ ending it's obvious this feud will continue and I will say that this feud is a top candidate to get a Hell in a Cell match next month. I can't wait to see the next chapter of this feud. Rating:***3/4
This is the one match on the card that was really good, but I felt like it could've been better if a few minutes had been taken off as it seemed like it was dragging a bit at times. I also feel that if this match would have been earlier in the show the crowd would've gotten into more as it felt like they were getting to that point where they were getting tired and it didn't help that this match came after the Joe vs AJ match which was really great. I liked that Miz was still using Bryan's moves on him and was putting holds on him to show Bryan that in his mind he is just as great of a mat technician as Bryan is. I loved when Bryan fired up and started smacking the shit out of Miz and from that point until the finish the match was really good.
I know the DQ finish won't make everyone happy but it makes sense for the story they can tell from here on out that Miz can claim that Bryan is exactly the joke that Miz has been saying he is as he couldn't get it done, but Bryan will stand firm that Miz can't beat him without cheating. With the DQ ending it's obvious this feud will continue and I will say that this feud is a top candidate to get a Hell in a Cell match next month. I can't wait to see the next chapter of this feud. Rating:***3/4
Match #7
"The Demon" Finn Balor def "Constable" Baron Corbin via Pinfall
If it had not been for "The Demon" making a surprise appearance I would hope that this match would've been on the kickoff show as bringing the demon back was the only way people were going to care about this match even the least little bit. For some reason, this iteration wants to keep his tongue hanging out all the time as if he were Miley Cyrus. I got to thinking while watching this match that if this wasn't pro wrestling it would be so hilarious that a man the size of Baron Corbin is scared of another man just because he decided to wear some paint on his face and body, but that's the great thing about pro wrestling that crazy stuff like that is completely normal and we as wrestling fans all love every bit of it. Nothing much to really say about this match as it was a squash that the fans in Brooklyn absolutely loved. Rating:*
If it had not been for "The Demon" making a surprise appearance I would hope that this match would've been on the kickoff show as bringing the demon back was the only way people were going to care about this match even the least little bit. For some reason, this iteration wants to keep his tongue hanging out all the time as if he were Miley Cyrus. I got to thinking while watching this match that if this wasn't pro wrestling it would be so hilarious that a man the size of Baron Corbin is scared of another man just because he decided to wear some paint on his face and body, but that's the great thing about pro wrestling that crazy stuff like that is completely normal and we as wrestling fans all love every bit of it. Nothing much to really say about this match as it was a squash that the fans in Brooklyn absolutely loved. Rating:*
Match #8
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) def Jeff Hardy via Pinfall (WWE United States Championship)
This will most likely be a match that is forgotten on this show (with the exception of Hardy's missed dive to the apron at the end) as it was one of the lesser hyped matches going into the show as the main focus was between Hardy and Orton rather than Hardy and Nakamura, but I watched it back and I enjoyed it. I'm glad to see that we didn't get a low blow in this match as Hardy was smart enough to avoid that. There was an encounter in the corner where they kept countering each other's corner moves (Hardy's dropkick and Nakamura's knee strikes) and then eventually hit them which I thought was kinda neat. Hardy tried to take a page out of Velveteen Dream's book from Takeover the previous night but unfortunately, it didn't work as well for him as it did for Dream and this would allow Nakamura to eventually pick up the win. A really fun match and didn't take up too much time. Rating: ***1/4
This will most likely be a match that is forgotten on this show (with the exception of Hardy's missed dive to the apron at the end) as it was one of the lesser hyped matches going into the show as the main focus was between Hardy and Orton rather than Hardy and Nakamura, but I watched it back and I enjoyed it. I'm glad to see that we didn't get a low blow in this match as Hardy was smart enough to avoid that. There was an encounter in the corner where they kept countering each other's corner moves (Hardy's dropkick and Nakamura's knee strikes) and then eventually hit them which I thought was kinda neat. Hardy tried to take a page out of Velveteen Dream's book from Takeover the previous night but unfortunately, it didn't work as well for him as it did for Dream and this would allow Nakamura to eventually pick up the win. A really fun match and didn't take up too much time. Rating: ***1/4
Match #9
Ronda Rousey def Alexa Bliss (c) via Submission (Raw Women's Championship)
First things first whoever is doing Ronda's eye makeup or suggesting she does that needs to stop immediately as it looks terrible as she was out there looking like Black Swan, a little bit would be fine but she goes way overboard, I know Becky had the same kind of eye makeup earlier but it works for her as she always has done stuff like that with her look, but the whole eye paint thing has nothing to do with being a legit badass fighter. Unlike usual I was actually happy to see Natalya come out following the passing of "The Anvil" and it was a nice touch that she wore her daddy's ring jacket. This was what you would expect with Alexa stalling and retreating on the floor and Ronda taking it to her every chance she got until she got ready to finish her off.
I loved the spot where Ronda sat down in the middle of the ring and covered her eyes giving Alexa a free shot at her and then Alexa locks in a headlock and thinks she has done something special only for Ronda to easily escape and slam her down. One spot I didn't like was when Ronda caught Alexa's foot and it was way too obvious that Alexa was doing a backflip instead of Ronda being the one flipping her backward. This was a fun squash where the heel got what she had coming to her for months and finally met up with the one person who could give her the beating she deserved. I look forward to seeing where both women go from here, for Alexa, it's a match with Trish Stratus at Evolution. Rating: ***1/2
First things first whoever is doing Ronda's eye makeup or suggesting she does that needs to stop immediately as it looks terrible as she was out there looking like Black Swan, a little bit would be fine but she goes way overboard, I know Becky had the same kind of eye makeup earlier but it works for her as she always has done stuff like that with her look, but the whole eye paint thing has nothing to do with being a legit badass fighter. Unlike usual I was actually happy to see Natalya come out following the passing of "The Anvil" and it was a nice touch that she wore her daddy's ring jacket. This was what you would expect with Alexa stalling and retreating on the floor and Ronda taking it to her every chance she got until she got ready to finish her off.
I loved the spot where Ronda sat down in the middle of the ring and covered her eyes giving Alexa a free shot at her and then Alexa locks in a headlock and thinks she has done something special only for Ronda to easily escape and slam her down. One spot I didn't like was when Ronda caught Alexa's foot and it was way too obvious that Alexa was doing a backflip instead of Ronda being the one flipping her backward. This was a fun squash where the heel got what she had coming to her for months and finally met up with the one person who could give her the beating she deserved. I look forward to seeing where both women go from here, for Alexa, it's a match with Trish Stratus at Evolution. Rating: ***1/2
Match #10
Roman Reigns def Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman via Pinfall (WWE Universal Championship)
Roman Reigns def Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman via Pinfall (WWE Universal Championship)
Thank you, WWE for finally understanding what we have all wanted out of this match all year and actually giving it to us. They kept it short and Roman came out on top without any real shenanigans that would give him an asterisk beside his name in the record book, just a simple clean as a sheet win. I liked that they had Braun come out and make his challenge face to face because that's exactly what the Braun Strowman character would do and as much as I wanted them to turn it into a triple threat at that moment it was best they didn't as Roman could finally get his official crowning without any excuses. I can definitely see Roman giving Braun a title match as he will say that Braun was a man about the situation since he came to tell them he was cashing in face to face and because Brock laid him out he didn't get the chance to after the match. It will be interesting to see when Brock gets his rematch because we all know it's coming, perhaps they save that for the show in Australia. I have no complaints at all about anything that went on during this match and it is up there with Brock vs Goldberg for great sub-10-minute title matches. Rating: ***1/2
NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV & SummerSlam 2018 Match Rankings
18. Braun Strowman vs Kevin Owens
17. Finn Balor vs Baron Corbin
16. Raw Tag Team Championship
15. Andrade Almas & Zelina Vega vs Rusev & Lana
14. Velveteen Dream vs EC3
13. WWE United States Championship
12. WWE Crusierweight Championship
11. NXT Women's Championship
10. Raw Women's Championship
9. WWE Universal Championship
8. Smackdown Tag Team Championship
7. Smackdown Women's Championship
6. The Miz vs Daniel Bryan
5. NXT Tag Team Championship
4. NXT Championship
3. WWE Intercontinental Championship
2. NXT North American Championship
1. WWE Championship
I hope you all enjoy my review for Takeover: Brooklyn IV and SummerSlam 2018, I will be back with the Hell in a Cell review in about four weeks. The week after the Hell in a Cell review I should be posting the first of a couple of reviews for the Mae Young Classic II and that is a review I absolutely look forward to doing as I'm so excited about this tournament. I will see everyone in four weeks as we take a trip down to Hell.
