NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia Results – Jan. 27, 2018 – Almas vs. Gargano

Jan 27, 2018

January 27, 2018
Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Commentary: Mauro Ranallo and Percy Watson

Opening Video

Paul Heyman narrated an intro video package.

Mauro Ranallo and Percy Watson were on commentary. Mauro said that Nigel McGuinness was “under the weather” tonight and wouldn’t be on commentary.

NXT Tag Team Championship
The Undisputed Era (c) vs. The Authors of Pain

The Authors of Pain attacked the Undisputed Era from behind as they entered the ring, before the match started. After the Authors of Pain dominated the first few minutes of the match, Akam “tweaked his knee” and O’Reilly and Fish capitalized on that, going to work on the “injured” knee for a few minutes. Rezar was finally tagged in and destroyed them with a bunch of powerhouse moves like a gorilla press, but Fish and O’Reilly were eventually able to fight back with teamwork. Bobby Fish landed awkwardly on his head like 10 times in this match.

The Authors of Pain gained control and went for the Super Collider, but O’Reilly hit a hurricanrana on Akam, knocking him into Rezar, who fell out of the ring. Akam was then rolled up from behind by O’Reilly for the pin.

Winners: The Undisputed Era (~15 minutes)

War Machine were shown sitting at ringside.

Kassius Ohno vs. Velveteen Dream

Earlier tonight, Velveteen Dream was interviewed by Renee Young. He said he guaranteed a 30 second or less knockout of Kassius Ohno tonight.

Velveteen Dream rules… Dream had on boxing gear. A large, shirtless, muscular man stood by at ringside holding a pillow with a mouth piece on it. A woman put the mouth piece in Dream’s mouth. The match started and the crowd started counting to 30 and Dream suddenly hit a big punch to Ohno, knocking him down… The crowd counted down from 10, but Ohno got up and nailed Dream with a forearm and a big boot. Dream regained control with a huge spinebuster. The crowd was ridiculous behind Dream, chanting his name.

There were a couple of weird spots/botches by Ohno as Dream tried to hit him with a DDT, then a Death Valley Driver. Dream picked him up and hit another Death Valley Driver, then went to the top and hit the Purple Rainmaker off the ring post for the win.

Winner: Velveteen Dream (~11 minutes)

NXT Women’s Championship
Ember Moon (c) vs. Shayna Baszler

A promo played up Baszler as a vicious, dirty player. A few minutes into the match, Baszler stomped on Ember Moon’s elbow/arm, causing her to writhe in pain. Baszler continued to work on her arm for a few minutes as Ember shouted in pain.

Ember finally fought back and suddenly went to the top and hit the Eclipse, but she writhed in pain, grabbing her arm, and was unable to go for the pin. The referee and medical officials checked on her injured arm, but she continued the match.

Baszler immediately grabbed her and locked on an armbar, but Ember got her legs on the ropes… but Baszler dragged her into the middle of the ring and locked on the armbar again. Moon tried to fight free and was able to get on top of Baszler, pinning her down for a three count. Baszler was shocked.

Winner: Ember Moon (~10 minutes)

After the match, as officials checked on Moon’s injured arm, Baszler came up from behind and choked her out, then stomped on her a few times before walking backstage smiling.

Ricochet was shown in the crowd at ringside, introduced as Trevor “Ricochet” Mann.

Extreme Rules Match
Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole

Black did his backflip thing a few seconds into the match and Cole went to grab a steel chair from the outside and the crowd chanted “ECW.” Lots of more weapons were pulled out from under the ring, including more chairs, kendo sticks, trash cans and tables. Black went for a springboard moonsault but was nailed in the chest with a kendo stick.

Later, two tables were set up next to each other on the outside. Black then grabbed a ladder from under the ring, but Cole dropkicked it into him and set the ladder up in the corner of the ring. It looked like Cole’s hand was bleeding and he had blood all over his chest and leg. Cole punched Black in the corner, but Black picked him up on his shoulders and tossed him onto the ladder right on his tailbone.

Black went to top but Cole threw a chair at him, which he caught, then Cole hit him with a superkick and Black fell backwards off the top onto the two tables at ringside… Damn. Crowd chanted “holy shit.”

Adam Cole set up to chairs back to back in the ring and went to grab Black, but Black picked him up and hit an Attitude Adjustment onto Cole right on top of the backs of the chairs… ouch.

Black went for the pin, but Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly ran down and dragged Black out then attacked him on the outside. They cleared off the top of the announce table and O’Reilly prepared to suplex Black through it, but SAnitY suddenly ran down to make the save. Wolffe and Young attacked Fish and O’Reilly on the outside and Killian Dain hit a tope suicida onto everyone.

On the outside, Cole tried to suplex Black through the announce table, but Black fought him off and hit a double knee onto Cole, sending him hard through the table. Nice… Crowd chanted “NXT” and “mamma mia.”

They crawled back into the ring and Cole nailed Black with a superkick, then picked up a steel chair, but Black hit him with the Black Mass out of nowhere for the win. Excellent match and easily the best of the night so far.

Winner: Aleister Black (~22 minutes)

Ethan Carter III was shown at ringside, introduced as “EC 3.”

NXT Championship
Andrade “Cien” Almas (c) vs. Johnny Gargano

Almas was introduced by a Mexican mariachi band who had luchador masks on. Almas also came out wearing a luchador mask, but took it off during his entrance. He was accompanied by Zelina Vega. Johnny Gargano’s family was at ringside, including his wife Candice LeRae.

After some back and forth grappling to start, Gargano ran and dived off the apron to the outside, but Almas moved and Gargano landed hard on his back. Almas went for a tree of woe stomp off the top, but Gargano moved, then Gargano gave him a belly to belly into the turnbuckles.

After some back and forth, Almas went for a top rope moonsault, but Gargano moved, but Almas landed on his feet and immediately hit a backflip splash onto Gargano. They exchanged stiff forearms to the jaw until Almas hit a running forearm for a near fall, then Gargano nailed him with a superkick for a near fall, then they slapped each other and both fell at the same time.

Almas went for his hammerlock DDT finisher off the middle rope, but Gargano broke free and hit him with a superkick. Gargano went for a sunset flip powerbomb off the top, but Almas landed on his feet and nailed Gargano with a double knee in the corner. Almas then nailed Gargano with a reverse tornado DDT after a series of quick moves, but Gargano kicked out. Standing ovation from the crowd.

DDT by Gargano on the apron. Gargano rolled him in the ring and went for the Gargano Escape, but couldn’t lock it on, but he was able to pick up Almas and toss him face first into the middle turnbuckle for a near fall. Zelina Vega distracted Gargano and Almas hit him with a dropkick, but Gargano rolled him up for a near fall.

Gargano tried to climb the ropes, but Almas broke it up and set Gargano up in a tree of woe, then double stomped down on him off the top rope onto the apron. Double knee into the corner by Almas for a near fall. Crowd was really into this match. Gargano looked totally dazed.

They exchanged slaps until Gargano hit a superkick, then a reverse hurricanrana, then suddenly locked on the Gargano Escape submission… Zelina Vega grabbed Almas’s hand and the ref stopped her, which allowed Almas to dastardly rake Gargano’s eyes to break up the hold. Tope suicida by Gargano onto Almas on the outside, then he tossed Almas into the ring… then Zelina Vega hit a hurricanrana onto Gargano as the ref wasn’t looking, sending Gargano into the ringpost. Gargano was rolled into the ring and Almas went for the pin but Gargano kicked out! The crowd was on their feet and chanted “Johnny Wrestling.”

Gargano rolled to the outside again and Zelina Vega ran at him, but Candice LeRae jumped from out of the crowd and attacked Vega, then chased her into the crowd and through a door.

Springboard DDT by Gargano for a near fall, then he locked on the Gargano Escape again! But Almas got his foot on the bottom rope. What a match… Almas and Gargano went to the apron and Almas pushed Gargano’s head into the ring post, then hit him with the double knee. Gargano’s eyes were glazed over. Almas then hit Gargano with the hammerlock DDT as Gargano’s legs were draped on the top rope… 1-2-3. Freaking amazing match.

Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas (~32 minutes)

After the match, Zelina Vega came out to celebrate with Almas. Candice LeRae then came out and walked to the back with Gargano as the crowd chanted “Johnny Wrestling” and gave him a standing ovation…

…Until Tommaso Ciampa ran out and nailed Gargano with a crutch from behind! Ciampa had a big beard and stared down evilly at Gargano as the crowd chanted “asshole” and the show went off the air.