{"id":93409,"date":"2020-02-18T16:00:15","date_gmt":"2020-02-18T22:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=93409"},"modified":"2020-02-18T16:00:41","modified_gmt":"2020-02-18T22:00:41","slug":"nxt-takeover-portland-hits-misses-2-16-cole-vs-ciampa-balor-vs-gargano-nox-vs-kai-lee-vs-dijakovic-poppy-oreilly-fish-vs-broserweights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2020\/02\/18\/nxt-takeover-portland-hits-misses-2-16-cole-vs-ciampa-balor-vs-gargano-nox-vs-kai-lee-vs-dijakovic-poppy-oreilly-fish-vs-broserweights\/","title":{"rendered":"NXT TAKEOVER PORTLAND HITS &#038; MISSES 2\/16: Cole vs. Ciampa, Balor vs. Gargano, Nox vs. Kai, Lee vs. Dijakovic, Poppy, O&#8217;Reilly &#038; Fish vs. Broserweights"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-1195825170\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p><strong>\u2022Poppy\u2019s Portland Performance &#8211; HIT: <\/strong>I\u2019ve never been a fan of live music performances on a wrestling show, unless they are playing a wrestler\u2019s music as they walk to the ring. Poppy actually sucked me into their four- or five-minute performance to kick off Takeover Portland proper.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2022Keith Lee (C) vs. Dominic Dijakovic \u2013 HIT:\u00a0 <\/strong>If you aren\u2019t going to main event the show, you want to be the first and set the tone. A great decision to start the show with what they knew was going to be an excellent match. Coming into the show tonight, this was the match I was most looking forward to. So I did not complain that we jumped right into it. I loved the build to the match. For the most part, it started as a powerhouse power struggle. In a lot of ways, it was a very stereotypical \u201cbig man\u201d match. Slow, but brutal. As the match progressed and the pacing quickened, as did their offense. The strong and powerful moves still played a part throughout the match, but both men were also able to showcase some of their high-flying abilities. Like Dijakovic\u2019s springboard senton to Keith Lee as he was sitting in one of the announcer\u2019s chairs. My only criticism here is that they did not sell the impact of that spot nearly enough. About two minutes later, they were both in the ring in a crazy powerful and fast sequence of moves. Like they were 100% fresh. I can\u2019t be too picky though, because that sequence in particular lead to a kickout by Dijakovic at 2.933 seconds (an estimation, of course). I would have put money on the fact that Lee would have had the win there. But it wasn\u2019t much longer before Lee would be able to secure the victory and retain his championship. Great show of respect by Lee at the end. Part of me wanted to see Dijakovic turn on him and beat him down to continue the feud. But this was a feel good and wholesome moment, and I\u2019ll always take me a great and organic feeling wholesome moment any day.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2022Tegan Nox vs. Dakota Kai in a Street Fight &#8211; HIT: <\/strong>Wow. In a PG environment, this is how a Street Fight should look. There was a fair amount of weapon use, but they didn\u2019t rely on weapons to get themselves over. They weaved them into spots throughout the match and made them as impactful as they could. For example, when Nox put the trash can over Kai\u2019s head as she was in a sitting position outside the ring and delivered a Shining Wizard. Or when Kai duct taped Nox\u2019s hand to the ring post. As an IT Professional, in my opinion, I would like to tell the timekeeper to buy a new laptop. It looked like an older model Lenovo, and most warranties don\u2019t cover accidental or intentional damage. However, it did make for a pretty cool weapon. See if Nox\u2019ll sign it after the match and throw it on eBay. I was not expecting to see Raquelle Gonzales come to Kai\u2019s defense and cost Nox the match. The audience was just as confused as Dakota Kai was as Gonzales raised her hand after the pinfall. I\u2019m totally fine with the screwy finish here as long as it prolongs the Kai\/Nox feud.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2022Finn Balor vs Johnny Gargano \u2013 \u00bd HIT: <\/strong>The build to this match really didn\u2019t have as much sizzle as I would have liked. NXT is usually pretty good with builds to high profile matches, but this didn\u2019t really connect with either myself or my two counterparts on the PWTorch Dailycast, PWT Talks NXT. I\u2019m the type of wrestling fan where a good story is real integral to how I perceive and enjoy a match. Where I wasn\u2019t super invested in the story, I did find myself struggling to keep my focus on the match periodically throughout. I felt like the crowd may have felt the same way, as they weren\u2019t quite as electric as I\u2019d think the NXT brass would have hoped during some of the mid-points of the match. But, I must admit that they did hook me back in at the end, so I can\u2019t give it a full miss. No doubt that this match was filled with athleticism, technical prowess and talent. But I just wasn\u2019t invested in the feud which made it hard for me to get into the match.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2022Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair &#8211; HIT:<\/strong> I have grown to become such a fan of Belair\u2019s over the past handful of months and Ripley has secured her spot as my favorite female competitor on the NXT roster. The announce team were really putting Bianca Belair over strong, almost to the point that I felt like she was the champion already. Not that she doesn\u2019t deserve the praise, but she\u2019s supposed to be the heel and they were touting her accolades like she was an up and coming babyface. I honestly wouldn\u2019t be surprised to see her move up to the main roster and turn face, and maybe this is just a little trial run for that. It\u2019s hard to root against a strong black woman with \u201cMaking Black History\u201d patterned all over her attire, so I did not feel like she was positioned as a heel since the moment she walked through the curtain and into the arena. Her parents were ringside and acknowledged by commentary. All of a sudden, my prediction of \u201cThere\u2019s no way Ripley loses\u201d seemed like it may be in jeopardy. This was Bianca\u2019s match to shine in. Rhea Ripley, at least in my eyes, is already a star in the making, if not already crossed that threshold to star. Bianca came off as such a credible threat to Ripley\u2019s title, I genuinely began to believe she might actually win. I think this was so masterfully executed. Ripley retained her title and Bianca Belair\u2019s stock was raised tenfold even in her loss. As I expected, after Ripley\u2019s win, Charlotte attacked and announced that she picked Rhea\u2019s NXT Championship to challenge for at WrestleMania. Then, she attacked Belair. That attack to Belair pretty much secured it for me. I\u2019m predicting it now. Belair is added to their match at WrestleMania.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2022Undisputed Era (Kyle O\u2019Reilly &amp; Bobby Fish) vs. The Broserweights &#8211; HIT:<\/strong>Well, it was fun while it lasted. But the Broserweights entrance tonight officially marked the moment where the gimmick jumped the shark\u2026 Or should I say that it \u201cjumped the Bobby Fish\u201d? Not only did Riddle inorganically try to get a \u201cHow much fish could Bobby Fish fry if Bobby Fish could fry fish?\u201d chant going, the crowd didn\u2019t seem to be behind it either. Then, the dreaded \u201cWords on the screen\u201d returned with the words to the chant. Complete with a bouncing, karaoke-style fish that landed on each word as it was meant to be said. On top of that, the video wall graphics morphed into a cartoon fish with a Bobby Fish head, chanting along. Matt Riddle was manhandling Undisputed Era so badly, I daydreamed a little bit about him actually retiring Brock Lesnar. Where parts of this match felt more like a Tornado Tag rather than your traditional tag team contest, I loved the level of teamwork shown by both teams throughout. Especially during that dual-submission spot towards the end of the match. Even though I may not have liked their entrance, I was over the moon by the time they stripped Undisputed Era of their Tag Team gold. What a phenomenal performance by all involved.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2022Adam Cole vs. Tommaso Ciampa &#8211; HIT : <\/strong>Going into this match, I really hadn\u2019t come up with any sort of prediction as to who would win. Though, odds tipped in Ciampa\u2019s favor after seeing KOR &amp; Fish lose the NXT Tag Titles in the last match. I figured if UE were going to lose their gold, having it happen in one night may make for some good television going forward. As far as the match goes, I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ve ever seen a Cole or Ciampa match that wasn\u2019t great or better and this was no exception. These two ring veterans put on one hell of a match and really played up the surgically repaired neck of Ciampa. At multiple points in the match, I cringed and winced as I watched Ciampa\u2019s neck in potential jeopardy. Never once did they lose the crowd and the false finishes garnered such an emotional response from the audience. I can\u2019t gush enough about this match. They pulled out all the stops and pulled me in every second of the bout. My only gripe was the finish. I feel like Ciampa and Gargano have reached El Generico\/Sami Zayn and Kevin Steen\/Owens level of \u201cWe\u2019re friends!\u201d \u201cWe\u2019re bitter enemies\u201d. But, their feud was the hottest thing of 2018 so if it\u2019s reignited and done well, I can\u2019t gripe too much.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>RECOMMENDED:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2020\/02\/12\/2-12-nxt-on-usa-report-wellss-report-on-lio-rush-vs-angel-garza-velveteen-dreams-next-move-takeover-portland-finishing-touches\/\">2\/12 NXT ON USA REPORT: Wells\u2019s report on Cole vs. Kushida, Grimes vs. Gargano, Lio Rush vs. Angel Garza<\/a><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2378590088\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-1619205841\"><div id=\"pwtor-3908416392\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>\u2022Poppy\u2019s Portland Performance &#8211; HIT: I\u2019ve never been a fan of live music performances on a wrestling show, unless they are playing a wrestler\u2019s music as they walk to the ring. Poppy actually sucked me <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2020\/02\/18\/nxt-takeover-portland-hits-misses-2-16-cole-vs-ciampa-balor-vs-gargano-nox-vs-kai-lee-vs-dijakovic-poppy-oreilly-fish-vs-broserweights\/\" title=\"NXT TAKEOVER PORTLAND HITS &#038; MISSES 2\/16: Cole vs. Ciampa, Balor vs. Gargano, Nox vs. Kai, Lee vs. Dijakovic, Poppy, O&#8217;Reilly &#038; Fish vs. Broserweights\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":93410,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,28,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-93409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists_hitsandmisses","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-18-at-3.58.03-PM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93409"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93411,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93409\/revisions\/93411"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}