Looking back at the first Takeover lineup.

[Deleted]

We're a couple of months away from the five year - holy shit, it's been five years, time is evil - anniversary of the first Takeover, so decided to look back at the lineup and see where all things have wound up with it since. These were the matches on the show -

Adam Rose vs. Camacho
The Ascension vs. El Local & Kalisto
Tyler Breeze vs. Sami Zayn
Charlotte vs. Natalya
Adrian Neville vs. Tyson Kidd

One thing that's really wild to think about is of twelve competitors on the show, nearly half - Rose, Camacho, Ricardo, Neville, and Kidd - have been gone from wrestling in WWE for at least a year and a half at this point. Kind of goes to show that for NXT being called the future of WWE the future is a tricky thing.

[Cvslfc123]

I knew Camacho wouldn't make it when I heard him call spots from the 5th row at an event I went to in 2013.

[Deleted]

Feb 14, 2019 10:36:31 GMT -5 Cvslfc123 said:

I knew Camacho wouldn't make it when I heard him call spots from the 5th row at an event I went to in 2013.

It's crazy what a decent niche he's carved out for himself in New Japan...I actually enjoy a lot of his work there. I thought he was destined for failure too as Hunico's lackey.

In retrospect that card was so...lackluster...given what NXT Takeovers have ultimately become.

[CMWaters]

While not called Takeover, let's also not forget we're also a few days away from the anniversary of NXT's first PPV-like event, Arrival (aired February 27, 2014).

Where we had:
Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn
CJ Parker vs. Mojo Rawley
NXT Tag Champs The Ascension vs. Too Cool
NXT Women's Champ Paige vs. Emma
Xavier Woods vs. Tyler Breeze (which had Rusev get involved)
NXT Champ Bo Dallas vs. Adrian Neville in a ladder match

[Prince Petty]

Even though half of those people aren't in the WWE any more, the fact that one of them (Charlotte) is possibly about to main event Wrestlemania is pretty special.

Breeze and Zayn both could, and should, be more than they currently are in the WWE. But they seem to suffer from the WWE's inability to develop midcarders.