Just to clarify NXT TakeOver events are only broadcast on the WWE Network and usually precede a major PPV such as WrestleMania, Money in the Bank, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Royal Rumble. These are the equivalent of main roster PPVs however they are special event that are streamed through WWE's streaming network. This is a post for another day, perhaps before the regular edition of NXT streams on Wednesday.
All the same I wish I had the patience to go through all the tweets from last night and I get to watch some of the YouTube analysis such as the one above. Braun Strowman won a "Money in the Bank" contract in June so that he could cash it in at any time and get a title shot (and usually how this works is that a competitor who holds the contract will break in when the reigning champ is vulnerable which increases the odds that a championship will change hands in this way).
Anyway last night was the umpteenth match between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. They already faced each other twice before SummerSlam and as indicated in this video there is some fatigue about seeing those two performers wrestling again. There was a twist with this match, Strowman came out to put both on notice whoever wins, Strowman cashes in his contract. Oh yeah a contract which was up for grabs in a squash match with Kevin Owens which thankfully Strowman prevailed.
Anyway, it was a tease to keep butts in seats. That fatigue I was talking about, it was obvious at WrestleMania - even without being at the New Orleans Superdome - that the fans who remained just wasn't thrilled with that match. It seemed very slow paced and both performers just seemed to be going through the motions. You could literally hear boring or this match sucks in the arena. Couldn't say this about last night. With Strowman inserting himself into this main event and being assaulted by the now former WWE Universal Champion Lesnar the match was made more interesting than the previous two from WrestleMania and the Greatest Royal Rumble.
Not to spoil it for you all but Roman Reigns is now the Universal Champion, finally. Another part of this fatigue is that Reigns has been shoved down the fans throats and it seems the WWE Universe knows this. Reigns went from being part of a heel stable to a babyface, and to be honest right now I'm not sure what he is. The fans can get behind him on ocassion and yet it seems he gets a reaction. People aren't indifferent to him so he's doing something right whether the fans cheer for him or boo him.
Lesnar had held the Universal title for 504 days. And as stated before he seemed almost to be a throwback to the days when you rarely see the WWE Champion on TV programming. You want your fix of the champion - it could be Hulk Hogan, Macho Man, Bret Hart, etc. you have to watch a PPV or another special event. Better yet buy tickets for a house show regardless the champion is expected to be the draw so perhaps you need them for the major events. Lesnar has been a part-time performer and thus it was almost sparingly that he would appear on Raw.
This fed into the general angle that he was something of an absentee champion who never watched the product and that he couldn't be bothered to show up to defend his championship. In the lead up to any match between them it wasn't a bad angle to portray Reigns as a full-time performer who took issue with having a champ who was a part-time performer.
Now I see stories of where Lesnar seems interested in not only resuming his UFC career, but he's alsi interesting in continuing to perform in WWE. He's still a part-time performer who may continue to make appearances in WWE. Time will tell if "The Beast" will eventually challenge for the Universal title. What will the new Reigns championship era show? Will the "Monster in the bank" eventually cash in his contract.
Regardless Lesnar held the Universal title for almost two years and it seemed he had a stranglehold on the title. It was almost always Lesnar/Reigns especially this year. I couldn't wait for others to eventually get their hands on the belt and that includes Seth Rollins, the first Universal Champ Finn Balor, hell if Kevin Owens could be taken seriously again perhaps he should get it again. We have a change finally and it was about time perhaps the flood gates will be open to some new blood holding the title!
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