At Saturday night’s WWE pay-per-view NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III , fans saw a surprising debut by former Ring of Honor star Adam Cole. There were also some major championship losses which could mean some main roster debuts are on the way. The latest event featured two championships changing hands, while another remained in the possession of its longtime owner. Could this have been a major turning point in the landscape of the various WWE rosters? Here’s what came about during the first of the WWE’s big events this weekend from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
According to a results report from Pro Wrestling , the second match of the night had the Authors of Pain defending their NXT Tag Team Championships against Sanity. Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe represented their team as Nikki Cross and Eric Young were ringside. The match lasted 12 minutes in total time with the finale featuring a big spot where Dain hit a cross body to crash through a ringside table with one of the Authors and Nikki. Moments later, Sanity hit a back suplex and diving neck breaker move to finish off the champs. With that, Sanity became the new tag team champions.
The celebration in the ring was short-lived, though. Moments after they had won the title, a pair of attackers rushed into the ring. It ended up being Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish. They didn’t just put down the new champions, but also the Authors of Pain. After laying out all of the NXT stars, Fish and O’Reilly grabbed the tag team belts to give them a look before leaving the ring.
The NXT Women’s Championship was also on the line at the latest NXT TakeOver event. Asuka has held the title for over 502 days, surpassing Rockin’ Robin’s WWF Women’s Championship run as the longest reign in WWE history. On Saturday night, she took on her rival, Ember Moon. The two women’s superstars battled for nearly 15 minutes, going back and forth with near falls and finishers.
#TheStreak is in jeopardy as @WWEEmberMoon takes it to @WWENXT #WomensChampion @WWEAsuka ! #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/Gh2RHy7rpX
— WWE (@WWE) August 20, 2017
Late in the match, Moon was nearly able to go for the Eclipse, but Asuka wisely hid behind the referee. Moon had another near fall after connecting on a super kick. The finish came when Asuka put on a cross armbar and then the Asuka Lock. Eventually, the challenger had to tap out, meaning the longest reign in history will continue.
The grand finale of the night was the NXT Championship match featuring Bobby Roode defending the title against Drew McIntyre. The former WWE star has been on an impressive run since making his return to the company after spending time with TNA Impact Wrestling. In tonight’s match, not only did fans see a tremendous back and forth battle, but also a surprising debut.
We have a NEW #NXTChampion in @DMcIntyreWWE …and a NEW TARGET for the arriving @AdamColePro in @WWENXT ! #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/9dDUGuAea6
— WWE (@WWE) August 20, 2017
This match went on for over 22 minutes. The closing moments saw the champion attempt a DDT and after failing on that, hitting a tilt-a-whirl followed by the Glorious DDT. However, the challenger was able to kick out of the pinfall. Moments later, Roode hit a second Glorious DDT. He was about to go for another, but McIntyre countered by head butting Roode and then delivering the Claymore Kick. After that, Roode was down for the three count as Drew McIntyre claimed the NXT Championship from him.
It was another championship celebration on NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III , and yet another one that was interrupted. Once again, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly showed up. The duo hopped onto the apron, causing a distraction to McIntyre. Suddenly, another attacker rushed into the ring, and fans soon realized it was former Ring of Honor star Adam Cole. The former ROH Champion launched an all-out beatdown on McIntyre and had O’Reilly and Fish help out. The show closed out with the trio standing tall over the brand new champion who was laid out on the mat.
With tonight’s big developments and championship losses, it seems to point toward some new possibilities. There have been rumors that various WWE officials want to call up several NXT stars to the main roster. Among the names mentioned have been Asuka, Bobby Roode, and Authors of Pain. Roode and the Authors were on the losing end of their matches tonight, bringing their title reigns to an end. While they may lay claim to rematches, one has to think it will be a matter of time before they hit Raw or SmackDown Live.
As for Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish, it would seem like just the beginning of an interesting new path for these wrestling stars on the NXT roster.
[Featured Image by WWE]
