NXT TakeOver Brooklyn III opens with a musical performance from Code Orange, spliced with footage of past NXT Takeover’s and hype for tonight. This marks the first-ever live performance at NXT.
Johnny Gargano Vs. Andrade Cien Almas
The two technicians begin with chain-wrestling and amateur holds that wows the crowd. Almas takes over with a neckbreaker across the knee in the corner. A nice sliding dropkick gets Almas the first near-fall of the match. Arm Triangle Choke in the ropes by Almas, working over Gargano’s arm. Gargano comes back with a drop-toe-hold into the middle turnbuckle.
Both men hits the ropes and clobber each other with a double clothesline. Strike exchange until Almas takes over with a slap. Eventually Gargano fires back and makes his comeback. Gotcha! Kick, followed by the Slingshot Spear for a nearfall. Almas does his Spidey move in the ropes, but Gargano superkicks him outside, followed by wiping him out with the Tope Suicida! “NXT” chants from Brooklyn.
Back in, Slingshot DDT by Gargano for a nice nearfall. Almas then counters another Slingshot Spear and drives Gargano down, then hits a Tornado variation of Tetsuya Naito’s Destino for a close nearfall. Almas can’t believe it! They battle on the turnbuckles until Gargano goes for a Sunset Bomb, but Almas backflips out of it! Gargano stops the Corner Basement Meteora with an enziguri, but Almas with a Buckle Hiptoss! Gargano retaliates with a La Mistica takedown into the Garga-No Escape! Almas looks for the ropes but they’re too far away! Instead, Almas rolls over and stands up, lifts Gargano up and hits a one-armed Buckle Bomb! Almas follows up with the Corner Basement Meteora, but Gargano kicks out!
Almas with knee strikes while keeping wrist control. Gargano with another superkick, then another one, then lifts up Almas and hits the Lawndart in the corner! Gargano fires up, but then Zelina Vega tosses Gargano a #DIY shirt, allowing Almas to hit a running corner dropkick! Hammerlock DDT gets Almas the win!
Winner: Andrade Cien Almas
Fantastic opening match. Gargano has all the makings of a Daniel Bryan level face, and Almas has slowly and quietly become one of NXT’s best workers!
We cut to a skybox in which Kurt Angle and Daniel Bryan are flanked by Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, No Way Jose and Roderick Strong. Bryan looks petrified and confused by Billie Kay.
We see Drew McIntyre backstage, looking very serious. The next match is the tag team car crash between The Author’s of Pain and SAnitY.
