Good morning, good afternoon and good evening and welcome back to the latest article in the 10 Observations series. As you may or may not already know, we here at Sportskeeda were in Orlando, Florida throughout WrestleMania week and as such, we attended all of the main shows. Some were good, some weren't so good, and some were great - but one way or another they got fans talking.
In this entry, we're going to be discussing all things NXT Takeover: Orlando, with the developmental brand once again trying to kick off the wrestling portion of the weekend with a bang. For the first time in a long time, NXT was the underdog going into this scenario, with many people feeling that the card wasn't as strong as previous editions of the event.
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Despite this, it was another pretty successful show that felt like a curtain call for a few superstars on the bill. Every single performer put their heart on the line in order to entertain the fans, and the yellow ropes crew succeeded in piling the pressure onto the main roster ahead of WrestleMania 33.
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With all that being said, here are 10 observations from attending NXT Takeover: Orlando.
#1 Iconic duo
The women's division down in NXT hasn't been at its strongest for some time now with the likes of Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Carmella, Nia Jax and more all moving up to the main roster in the last 18 months. It's been a slow rebuilding process; but now, in the form of two lovely young Australians, they may have found some more fire power.
Billie Kay and Peyton Royce work brilliantly together as the bitchy friendship duo, mainly because it's a very real chemistry that seeps into their in-ring abilities. They've been working together for a long time now, and when they came out for an NXT televised match before the main card began, there was a notable pop for both women. Open your ears, Vince.
Now onto a man who loves a good old fashioned sing song.
#2 Wasted potential
Elias Samson is that guy at a festival who picks up a stray acoustic guitar and plays Wonderwall over and over to the point where you want to smash him over the head with it. It's been clear that he hasn't really clicked down in NXT for some time now, and all hope seemed to be lost until his appearance under a new gimmick on this show.
Samson re-appeared as El Vagabundo during a bout against Oney Lorcan, in a move that garnered a surprisingly strong reaction from the NXT faithful. Fans were chanting for Vagabundo all match long with Samson doing the same thing that he'd always done, leaving fans in stitches. Unfortunately, his sudden promotion to the main roster means that we'll likely never see his like again. Shame.
We knew they'd come...
#3 Hardy excitement
Following the conclusion of NXT Takeover: Orlando, the majority of fans inside the Amway Center flocked out of the arena with less than twenty-four hours to go until the showcase of the immortals. There was a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air, which was furthered when our good friend Nathan checked his phone to see whether or not The Hardy Boyz had lost their match against The Young Bucks at Supercard of Honor.
He did this because if they did lose, it would increase the likelihood of them showing up at WrestleMania. As we all know both of these events did in fact happen, and upon discovering that the Bucks of Youth were victorious there was an even stronger sense of optimism when it came to whether or not Matt and Jeff would be coming home to the WWE.
Did someone hear sirens?
#4 Mini Cesaro
We've already mentioned him once during this article, but his brilliance needs to be recognised - Oney Lorcan is one of the most underrated members of the NXT roster. Fact. The guy is an absolute machine, and his work rate is second to none, with his performance against Samson opening a lot of eyes when it comes to how good this kid really is.
He comes across as a miniature version of Cesaro both in appearance and in his move set. You can tell that he has the ability to put on a strong match with just about anybody, and his tenacity will take him a long way in the WWE - especially if you insert him into the Cruiserweight division. The company have clearly realised how much potential he has, and that can only mean good things going forward.
The Empress of Tomorrow has turned to the dark side.
#5 She's already a heel
After cheating to defeat Ember Moon during their NXT Women's Championship match in Orlando, it was evident to every single fan inside the arena that Asuka had completed her heel turn. However, we couldn't help but feel as if we'd missed something - because to us, Asuka had been already established herself as a bad girl weeks before the event.
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Think about it. The Japanese Superstar has been getting progressively cockier as the weeks have gone on, which she followed up with an incredibly arrogant sit-down interview prior to the Moon match. Sure, this may have been the definitive turning point in her character arch, but Asuka's heel persona had been brewing for a long time.
The Scotsman is back.
#6 McIntyre shocker
Prior to NXT Takeover: Orlando, we decided to take in an independent show in order to wet our appetites before the big event. Therefore, we attended What Culture Pro Wrestling's State of Emergency showcase which was happening 10 minutes down the road from downtown Orlando.
It was a fun enough show, during which we even got to meet Drew McIntyre who was sitting in the cafeteria having a meal in his wrestling gear. It was odd to see him in such a casual setting, and it was even more bizarre a few hours later when he ended up appearing as part of the crowd during Takeover. Honestly, this may have been one of the biggest shockers of the entire weekend.
We love those violins.
#7 Entrance entertainment
While the main event attraction of Bobby Roode vs. Shinsuke Nakamura was an exciting one, we were even more pumped up for the actual entrances of both men. As they had proven just a few months prior, they both have introductions that are already worthy of a spot on the main roster with their over the top personas gaining a lot of attention down in developmental.
When it came time for the main event, the production team certainly didn't disappoint, with Nakamura's simple white sheet entrance being countered brilliantly by the Glorious One who was played out by two incredibly talented pianists. The match itself was good, but the entrances that preceded it were just downright special.
This. Is. Awesome.
#8 Outer body experience
Claiming to have an outer body experience is something that we never really believed in prior to WrestleMania weekend, however during NXT Takeover: Orlando we were stunned to discover that it was actually a thing. When did it take place, you ask? During the Triple Threat Tag Team Championship match, of course.
The Authors of Pain, The Revival and DIY put their hearts and bodies on the line at the Amway Center to the delight of every single fan in attendance. Every single person in the arena was standing up and applauding as these six men proved why they all belong on the main roster one day. This was, as advertised, awesome.
Welcome to NXT.
#9 Fade to Black
This one is obvious, but it needs to be said out loud - Aleister Black's entrance was absolutely incredible. From the moment that the lights went down all the way through to his Darth Vader-esque appearance, we knew we were witnessing the debut of a star in the making.
Some fans will know him better as Tommy End, but it was a smart decision on WWE's part to re-brand him like this. Fans will automatically think of Black when it comes to exciting entrances, and despite the questionable nature of the match itself, we were honoured to be present for the birth of one of the coolest entrances in wrestling today.
It's time to go home.
#10 Saturday exhaustion
Whether or not you've been to WrestleMania before doesn't matter, as you can probably imagine just how tiring it is one way or another. With the events kicking off on the Friday and lasting all the way through until the following Tuesday, it's an absolute slog of wrestling, and it's no surprise that a lot of people suffer from exhaustion before the week is out.
In terms of how they divide it up, Saturday is set to be the busiest day going forward with three of the biggest and most packed Axxess sessions taking place prior to NXT. Plus, a lot of indie promotions take it upon themselves to book their shows on this day - with Ring of Honor being the most notable of them all.
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