The Greatest Pay-Per-Views Of All-Time

What's happening kind people?!  In my time of doing these posts of one of the greatest forms of professional athleticism around, there has never been a list of what I feel are the best events to exist.  There have been so many numerous incredible pay per view events throughout not just WWE but across different promotions such as WCW/NWA, TNA, ROH, CMLL, NJPW, and others that they all deserve their place in history for their contributions as to why wrestling is among the best forms of entertainment and athletic showmanship in the world.  With that being said, let's get to this exciting list.

30. Slamboree '94

Slamboree has long been considered one of WCW's special events.  In '94, this event reached new heights as possibly the greatest one of them all.  This was primarily a brawl for all event, as Tag Team Titles, the Bullrope match between Dustin Rhodes and Bunkhouse Buck, and the Legends Match between Tully Blanchard and Terry Funk were so nuts, but were all executed well.  Plus the main event between Sting and Vader was a nice touch to a heavily favored and acclaimed event.

29.WCW SuperBrawl

The first SuperBrawl took place in '91, and was a stacked card.  Practically from top to bottom, each match served a purpose and were all special.  The main event had Ric Flair challenging NJPW's Tatsumi Fujinami for the NWA World Heavyweight Title, as he had lost the belt to Fujinami in Japan during the tremendous WCW/NJPW Supershow a few weeks earlier. The event was also known for Brian Pillman and Barry Windham in a bloody Taped Fist Match and Beautiful Bobby Eaton winning his first major singles title defeating Arn Anderson for the TV Title. This was a non-stop packed pay per view and one that deserves to be seen if you haven't done so yet on the Network.

28. Wrestlemania XXV

Between Wrestlemanias 22 and 24, the event had become good but not the event of their respective years.  With 21 being the last one great one, the pressure was on for this one to break them out of their slump, and it absolutely did.  Aside from the Money In The Bank Match, and the incredible effort shown by retired legends Jimmy Snuka, Roddy piper, and Ricky Steamboat against an arrogant Chris Jericho, it was Undertaker Vs. HBK that became the signature for this event, and ended up outsting Savage/Steamboat as the greatest Wrestlemania match of all-time, as they delivered a match that will be remembered for generations to come.

27. WCW/AAA When Worlds Collide

If there was ever a truly slept-on pay per view within the early nineties, it was without question AAA's When Worlds Collide.  WCW was put in charge of the production value, plus it was able to get seen in American households, but make no mistake about it, this event was true lucha libre at its finest, and what has been considered one of the single best AAA events of all-time.  Before the likes of Rey Mysterio Jr, Eddie Guerrero, Konnan, and Psycosis were well known in America, they were household names in Mexico, and this event really caputed the intensity and passion of Mexican wrestling, especially in the AMAZING two out of three falls match between Octagon and the iconic El Hijo de Santo against La Pareja de Terror, which was Eddie Guerrero and Art Barr.  Wall to wall classic event.

26. TNA Bound For Glory '06

Between '05-'08, TNA was on fire, but especially in '06 when basically every pay per view they delivered was solid.  None more so than their version of Wrestlemania, Bound For Glory.  All the major titles that were on the line changed hands, but in terms of in ring action, while Sting and Jeff Jarrett out on an excellent Title vs. Career Match, it was LAX (Homicide and Hernandez) against AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels in the Six Sides Of Steel that was the true headliner, as this brawl was a definite MOTY candidate.  Bell to bell, this was arguably the best event all year for that company, which is still saying something.

25. NJPW King Of Pro Wrestling 2013

Perhaps there's no more celebrated and revered rivalry in modern NJOW history than the one involving Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada.  This rivalry is known around the world, and has been considered the greatest rivalry of our generation, regardless of promotion.  In this astonishing event, which was packed with incredible matches, these two tore it down for the IWGP Title, but not to be too much outdone, Marifuji took on WWE's current "rock star" Shinsuke Nakamura in an amazing match as well.  King Of Pro Wrestling is typically one of NJPW's premier events, but this one stands out from any other.

24. WWE Wrestlemania X

For the tenth anniversary of the "Super Bowl of wrestling", Vince took Wrestlemania back to where it all began, at Madison Square Garden.  The event was a very good one overall.  One that started with Bret and his late, great brother Own Hart doing battle in a great back and forth match, and ended with Bret winning his second WWE Title from Yokozuna.  Perhaps the event is best known for the iconic, landmark match between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels in not just A Ladder Match, but THE Ladder Match that set the standard for Ladder Matches to this very day.

23. TNA Unbreakable

What a hell of a pay per view.  This has been regarded as the best TNA pay per view of all-time, and that's a very credible argument.  From start to finish, this event was an absolute delight to watch (although we could've done without the Shark Boy match) and showed that TNA was in fact the second biggest promotion in North America.  Every single match was thrilling and memorable.  Although the World Title was on the line between former ECW graduates Raven and Rhyno in a punishing encounter, it was the Triple Threat Match between AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe for the X-Division Title that made headlines as arguably the greatest TNA match ever, and for great reason.  

22. WWE Money In The Bank 2011

Oh the high drama.  The event was in Chicago, and leading up to this event was the now legendary "pipebomb promo" given by hometown hero CM Punk towards Cena and the whole WWE.  He also indicated that he would be a free agent at midnight that night and would leave the company as WWE Chjampion.  Aside from the fact that the event overall was a solid one, it was the main event with he and Cena that was truly worth every penny spent, as this received the last 5-star rating by Dave Meltzer.  The crowd was one of the hottest ever and the match was equally as hot.  If you didn't believe Punk was a bonafide star before this match, you damn sure did afterwards.

21. NJPW Super-J Cup 1994

In the early to mid-nineties, NJPW was on fire, easily as noteworthy as rival Japanese promotion AJPW.  However, in '94, NJPW presented their first junior heavyweight tournament, the Super-J Cup.  This tournament highlighted the talents of Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Pegasus Kid (Chris Benoit), Eddie Guerrero, and others as they displayed some of the absolute best wrestling ever exhibited in the world in one night.  Regarded as "the single most incredible night of wrestling ever" by Dave Meltzer, this event was in fact a masterful showing of some of the world's best, with practically flawless efforts from all involved.

20. ECW Heatwave '98

ECW was riding high in '98, as pay per views such as Living Dangerously and Wrestlepalooza were fun events to watch, but it was Heatwave '98 that served as one of their most intense ever, and that's saying a mouthful.  Dayton, Ohio was on fire (no pun intended) with in ring action, however it was the near riot caused by one of the inflammatory promos ever done in the history of the business by The Dudley Boyz that was arguably as big of a story as the matches themselves.  Fortunately, they got theirs via Dreamer, Sandman, and Spike Dudley, with later assistance from New Jack.

19. WWE Royal Rumble 2000

This highly exciting card was headlined in terms of acclaim not by the Royal Rumble match itself, but by the WWE Title match between then-champion Triple H and challenger Cactus Jack, who had let go of his alter egos Mankind and Dude Love for his most infamous and well-known persona.  This Street Fight match was the match Triple H officially arrived as a star.  In spite of his excessive bloodletting and his ability to sell greatly, Hunter emerged not just with the title still in hand, but the long overdue respect he had been seeking, and he absolutely got it.

18. WCW Bash At The Beach '96

The event that shocked the world.  While we take nothing away from the rest of the evening's matches, as they were mostly excellent matches, especially the Rey Mysterio Jr/Psycosis match, the event was best remembered for the most mind-blowing scenario in decades at that time: the heel turn of Hulk Hogan and the emergence of the New World Order.  The match between Sting/Savage (Luger was in the match too but was taken out due to being knocked out) against Hall & Nash wasn't a bad match, and in fact was very competitive, but once Hogan got involved and dropped the leg drop heard round the world, wrestling would never be the same for the enxt three years.

17. ROH Man Up '07

One of the most talked about and memorable pay per views within ROH's history is without question Man Up of '07.  This event was seen as the best event of the year and rightfully so, as every match was fantastic to exceptional.  The event was highlighted by the INCREDIBLE Ladder War Match between The Briscoes and El Generico/Kevin Steen for the Tag Team belts.  While we will always give it up to E&C, The Dudley Boys and The Hardyz for innovating the tag team Ladder Match, these guys oput on a phenomenal contest that has been extremely hard to top in the sport for tag team ladder matches. Also, who can forget the infamous scene of Jay Briscoe hanging upside down terribly bloodied and Jimmy Jacobs cutting a fantastic promo while drenched in Briscoe's blood?  Not to mention the heated battle between Morishima and Bryan Danielson for the ROH Title.

16. NJPW WrestleKingdom 11

The past several WrestleKingdom events for NJPW have been nothing less than stellar, with Okada and Tanahashi headlining most of them, but with the eleventh year of the event, this was an extra special one.  The main event was Okada against Bullet Club leader Kenny Omega, in what has been considered one of the greatest in-ring wrestling contests in recorded wrestling history.  Clocking in at over forty minutes, it's the longest, but this event, as unbelievable as it already was leading up to the main event, will be remembered as the event that hosted perhaps the greatest main event of this current generation.

15. WWE King Of The Ring '98

Pittsburgh, PA is home to the highly revered NHL team Penguins, as well as multiple Super Bowl Champion Steelers, but in '98, it hosted one of the most memorable pay per views ever with King Of The Ring '98.  The KOTR tournament had been known for pushing Bret Hart, Austin and Triple H into higher levels within their careers, but the event this year was more known for the most iconic Hell In A Cell match of all-time with The Undertaker and Mick Foley's Mankind persona.  We all know what happened with the tosses, and the Superman-like  effort of Foley to even continue despite nearly being killed twice.  Likewise, the intensity in the main event between Austin and Kane for the title made this event legendary, if not just for those two matches alone.

14. WCW/NWA Chi-Town Rumble

This event was just fantastic wall to wall.  There was no sincere filler material in this event whatsoever.  While Barry Windham and Luger battled in what was one of the best matches that year, it was stolen completely away by the first of the trilogy of matches between Steamboat and Flair.  This match has remained in my personal top five over the thirty years I've been watching wrestling, and for great reason.  This match was the perfect cherry on top of a stellar sundae already of a pay per view.

13. NJPW WrestleKingdom 7

WrestleKingdom over the years has stood as the industry standard besides Wrestlemania for entertainment all year, but it stands alone for compelling matches that keep you engaged.  For WK7, this was the strongest WK they had produced in the prior few years, as it was headlined by Okada and Tanahashi in one of their beyond wonderful encounters.  The event was also known for no CMLL representation, but made up for it woith an unreal match between Nakamura and Sakuraba, as well as Prince Devitt (aka Finn Balor) in an outstanding battle with Lo Ki and Kota Ibushi for the Junior Title.  One of the best cards of the decade out of NJPW.

12. ROH Final Battle 2010

Arguably the most revered ROH pay per view ever was the 2010 version of their Wrestlemania, Final Battle.  This was a flawless event in structure and intensity, as the drama level was off the page going in.  No match here was less than 4.5 stars here, which is a feat in itself in terms of consistency, but the hellacious main event between El Generico and Kevin Steen (another one of the sport's greatest and most time tested rivalries to this day as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn), as it was career against mask.  Not to mention the unforgettable World Title match between Roderick Strong and Davie Richards and the rest of the card.  To this day, it's hard for ROH to deliver a pay per view as consistent and heralded as this, although some have come close.

11.WCW Starrcade '89

The event that started it all for the mega pay per views was Starrcade in '83, and since then Starrcade had been the constant go-to for classic matches on the card.  This Starrcade was very different, as the event was focused on an Iron Man and Iron Team.  In a series of round-robin tournament matches, each match was intense, physical, and spirited.  The evening culminated with Sting facing Flair and set the stage for Sting winning his first World Title that following July at Bash '90.  Many have referred to this event as one of the greatest Starrcades of all-time, and that's almost a no-brainer.

10. WWE Summerslam '02

At the end of the ultra-fun Attitude Era, we were in the baby stages of the Ruthless Aggression era, which combined excellent matches with envelope-pushing storylines.  This was the best Summerslam in years, as we saw not only the Brock vs Rock encounter, but the memorable and emotional return of Shawn Michaels, as he collided in a stunning Street Fight match against Triple H.  Also, RVD and Benoit put on a clinic that nearly stole the entire undercard.  This was a damn impressive pay per view that needs to watched and appreciated every chance you get.

9. WWE Wrestlemania III

Is there a more famous and world renown Wrestlemania than the third one?  Not only did this set the indoor house attendance record for years.  Not only was it known for the slam heard around the world, but it was also remembered for Savage and Steamboat competed in one of the sport's best treasures, as for many years it was considered the greatest WM match of all-time.  However, every match was distinctive and entertaining, but thanks to Hogan and Andre, it will also be considered the event Hogan got the torch passed to him.

8. ECW Barely Legal

After acquiring television deals and having quite the buzz surrounding them (even assisting WWE with their programming briefly during this time), Paul Heyman made it happen to get ECW to a bigger stage and with the company's debut pay per view Barely Legal, they officially let the world know they had arrived.  Every match was important and each star fought their hearts out to help get the company it acclaim it needed to have.  Joey Styles has called this event the most important day of his life notwithstanding his wedding day and the day he became a father.  For a locker room, this was an emotional sigh of relief.  For the fans, this event marked a victory for the underdog and showing that ECW can shake up the world.  You know a show is crazy when the fans cause the transformer for the building to go out, thus lost signal to any viewer.

7. WWE Summerslam '92

Out of the "Big 4" pay per views within the company (Rumble, Mania, Summerslam, Survivor Series), this is the only one that went across seas to the UK.  This was an exceptional event and was headlined, not by the WWE Title from Warrior and Savage, but the I-C Title between real life brothers-in-law Bret Hart and the late, great Davie Boy Smith, who was in his homeland of London.  This was the undisputed best Summerslam on record, and stands that way to this very day.  The drama was through the roof,and it made this match one of the best efforts from either man within their respective careers.  The pop Bulldog got when he won the title must be heard and seen to be believed.

6. ECW One Night Stand '05

When the doors shut on ECW in 2001, we thought ECW would remain an amazing moment in time.  A time when the underground entity was arguably the most revolutionary promotion in modern history, and was bankrupt.  Vince had bought ECW and decided to give it a farewell, and he allowed Paul Heyman to be in charge of it.  The result was ECW One Night Stand, and it became quite possibly the best pay per view since its debut pay per view, Barely Legal.  This was like a ten year high school reunion, only they came together in five.  Even contracted WWE talent was a part of it.  It was emotional, highly charged, and overall gave hardcore enthusiasts a very warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

5. Wrestlemania XXX (30)

Sometimes, an event revolves around one central story so well that it basically becomes the event.  Such was the case for Wrestlemania 30, as this became Daniel Bryan's official breakout party.  We all know Vince isn't nuts about smaller guys headlining his big event, but when the fans demanded they get behind them as their champion, he succumbed, and the result was one of the most invigorating nights as a viewer and fan of Bryan's, as he had two excellent matches that night and finally became WWE Champion.  On the flip side, the event was also known for the historic streak of Undertaker ending at the hands of Brock Lesnar, thus making it the single most shocking situation in the history of Wrestlemania.

4. NJPW WrestleKingdom 9

New Japan had been officially the number two promotion in the world by this point on a globally acclaimed scale.  However, those that were NJPW faithful would state they were number one.  This argument was extremely prevalent for WrestleKingdom 9, in what was simply a marvelous event wall to wall.  This was the first time NJPW paired up with Jeff Jarrett's Global FOrce Wrestling, in terms of promoting the event, thus fans in North America were also able to withness this beyond amazing event.  There was ZERO filler here and every match was simply on fire.  Once again, Tanahashi and Okada headlined this nearly perfect card, and although they oput on another classic performance, this night belonged to Kota Ibushi and Shinsuke Nakamura, as they had a PHENOMENAL match and one that ended up putting Ibushi on a whole new level within his career.  Put this, alongside commentary by Jim Ross and Matt Striker for the U.S., and this event was just magical.

3. NWA The Great American Bash '89

Without question, the most incredible pay per view under the WCW/NWA banner ever produced.  This was an event that really made the house that Ted Turned made famous truly an impeccable promotion.  The event was highly competitive and intense the entire ride.  While the event was known for its very intense War Games match pitting The Road Warriors, The Midnight Express, and "Dr. Death Steve Williams" against The Fabulous Freebirds, Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy, and The Samoan Swat Team, the event was also acclaimed for the match between Ricky Steamboat and Lex Luger, and one of the greatest main events of the entire eighties, Flair against Funk for the World Title.  If you wanna see great, spirited wrestling during the NWA/WCW renaissance period, you won't find a better example of how amazing they were than this event.

2. NJPW WrestleKingdom 10

The most fantastic pay per view possibly of this generation from New Japan came in the form of WrestleKingdom 10.  This event was flawless and every match just kept getting better and better as the event went along.  This was a night of simply thrilling wrestling, as over half the event were four-and-a-half-star matches.  However, the event was (yet again) headlined by Okada and Tanahashi, and this match was quite honestly the best match in their truly storied history.  Seen as the Steamboat/Flair rivalry of our generation, regardless of promotion, these guys delivered one of the matches this decade, and this was also seen as Tanahashi passing the torch of "ace" to the younger Okada.  If you've ever heard about how spectacular NJPW is, there's not a better example than this historic event.

1. WWE Wrestlemania 17

The greatest pay-per-view in WWE history, and possibly all of wrestling, belonged to Wrestlemania 17, as this was virtually the perfect wrestling pay per view.  This has entertainment, but also absolute superb action the entire card.  From Angle/Benoit to the UNBELIEVABLE TLC II match between The Hardyz, The Dudley Boyz, and Edge & Christian to the hard-hitting encounter between Taker and Triple H, this was already up there as one of the best pay per views ever, but it was then capped off by Austin and Rock facing each other in what has to be considered one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches of all-time.  What we didn't exp[ect was Austin turning heel during the match, winning the WWE Title, and shaking Vince's hand, not to mention Jim Ross' EPIC calling of the whole scenario.  This night was brilliant, adrenaline-fueled, entertaining, and enthralling, everything you need to have a perfect event, and Wrestlemania 17 had all this, plus more.

Honorable Mentions

WCW Spring Stampede '94
NJPW WrestleKingdom 8
WCW SuperBrawl II
WCW SuperBrawl III
WWE Wrestlemania XX
WCW Starrcade '88
WWE Wrestlemania XXIV
WCW Beach Blast '92
WCW WrestleWar '90
WCW WrestleWar '92
WWE Summerslam '13
WWE One Night Only '97
WWE Extreme Rules '12
WWE Wrestlemania XVIX
ROH Manhattan Mayhem
ROH Manhattan Mayhem II
WWE Wrestlemania XXI
WWE Wrestlemania XXII
NJPW Invasion Attack '13
NJPW G1 Climax 24
NJPW G1 Climax 26
NJPW G1 Climax 23
NOAH Departure '04
NOAH Navigate For Evolution
WWE Wrestlemania 31
AJW Dream Slam
AJW Wrestlemannpiad IV
AJW Wrestlemannpiad  III
ROH Death Before Dishonor '15
ROH Best In The World '15
CMLL Fantastica Mania '13
ROH 6th Anniversary
ROH Final Battle '04
ROH Final Battle '06
ROH Final Battle '11
ROH Final Battle '12
ECW November To Remember '98
ROH Joe vs. Punk II
ECW Anarchy Rulz '98
ECW Anarchy Rulz '99
ECW Living Dangerously '99
WWE Summerslam '01
ROH Supercard Of Honor
ECW Guilty As Charged '99
DGUSA Enter the Dragon
WWE Royal Rumble '92
WWE Royal Rumble '01
NJPW King Of Pro Wrestling '12
NJPW Destruction In Kobe '14
NJPW New Beginnings '15
WWE Vegeance '05
WCW Starrcade '83
WCW Starrcade '88
TNA Turning Point '05
WWE Backlash '04
WWE Judgement Day '04
NOAH Final Burning In Budokan
WCW/NJPW Supershow '91
WWE Armageddon '00
NJPW Dominion '12
NJPW Dominion '15
NJPW Sakura Genesis '17
NJPW Power Struggle '14
NJPW Best Of Super Juniors XXI
NJPW Best Of Super Juniors XXII
NJPW Best Of Super Juniors XV
NJPW Best Of Super Juniors VIII
AAA TripleMania XVII
AAA TripleMania X

As you can see, I could go on and on, but there are so many outstanding events in wrestling history that have changed with that particular promotion or wrestling in general.  These are all events that, if you never witnessed them, I encourage you to search for them online, whether it be Youtube, Dailymotion, or the like, and witness some history.  For those that you can find on the WWE Network, search for them, sit back, and watch greatness that you don't see consistently like that anymore.  Let's not forget other promotions such as CZW, PWG, Evolve, and RevPro, who also deliver fairly formidable events as well.  For the heartfelt fans of the sport, this list is for you to capture for the first time or recapture the magic all over again.  For casual fans, who think wrestling has lost its way or why hardcore fans are as passionate as they are, check out some or all of these titles and see why for yourself.  Until next time folks!

NXT vs. WWE: Who Won This Weekend's Shows?

What's going on folks?!  It's been almost two years since my last wrestling post, and trust me, I've missed doing them.  I have had a TON on my mind concerning the sport and I'll be back to expressing my thoughts regularly again, starting this week.  This past weekend was an exciting weekend with both the NXT brand and WWE doing shows in Takeover: Chicago and Backlash respectively.  Traditionally, NXT's Takeover shows tend to put Vince's main roster shows to shame, as the NXT guys and girls are able to freely be themselves (for the most part) within their wrestling, and mixed with the grassroots feel of the brand, NXT is almost always the winner of the two.  However, Backlash marked the main roster in-ring debut of Shinsuke Nakamura, as he faced Dolph Ziggler.  How did these events fare against each other?  Let's break each event down.

NXT Takeover: Chicago

The event started in exciting fashion with Roderick Strong facing Sanity's Eric Young.  For those who have followed the indie history of Roddy know just how incredible of an in-ring performer he is.  He has held numerous titles in several promotions including ROH, PWG, Evolve, and FIP.  Likewise, Eric is most known for his touted run in Impact, where he has been Tag Team Champion and World Champion there so on paper, this had the makings of a hell of a match.  Although not a five star classic, this was a pretty good opening match, with Roddy picking up the win.

Next up was the United Kingdom Title, as the current champion, the twenty-year old Tyler Bate faced the man he faced in the finals of the tournament earlier this year, "The Bruiserweight" Pete Dunne.  Folks, this match was EVERYTHING.  These two young men put on a performance the likes of which has only been rivaled by Cena and AJ at the Royal Rumble at the beginning of the year.  Easily a MOTY (that's Match Of The Year) candidate already, there was non-stop action here, but after a nasty miss on the outside by Bate from an attempted over-the-top-rope Poncha, Dunne capitalized with his finisher to become the new UK Champion in the division's undisputed best match.  The WWE presented a UK special that was also a very good event, and the momentum continued with this simply amazing match.  Of course it was that much sweeter with Hall Of Famer, the legendary Jim Ross calling the match with another UK legend, former ROH World Champion, Nigel McGuinness.

Following that match was going to be very, very hard, as Dunne and Bate put on a clinic, but the women were up next, and they would not be denied.  The record-breaking champion, Asuka, faced Sanity's Nikki (Storm) Cross and the young lady formerly known as Heidi Lovelace, Ruby Riot (I'm super proud of seeing her emerge in NXT, as her work is incredible, as is Cross').  The majority of the match was centered on Cross and Riot beating the hell out of each other (as they're no strangers to each other on the indie circuit), but Asuka showed once again why she's the champion of champions, as she nudged out another win, furthering her status as being perhaps the most dominant woman in the game today regardless of promotion.  With Ember Moon, who was originally supposed to be in this mix but was sidelined due to a shoulder sprain, looking on, one has to know that Ember will ultimately be the one that ends the streak and win the title, but until then, Asuka will continue to be THE ass kicker for NXT.

Next was the NXT Championship match, as the champion, Bobby Roode, faced off against Hideo Itami.  Itami, formerly known as KENTA in Pro Wrestling NOAH and one of the in-ring sources of inspiration for the styles of the likes of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan (congrats to him on becoming a first time father BTW), has had quite the span of bad luck since his arrival a couple of years ago.  He suffered a devastating shoulder injury that sidelined him for a year and a half, then returned in 2016, only to sustain a neck injury that occurred at an NXT house show.  Hopefully getting past the injuries and bad luck, Itami had received a shot at the red hot champion, and it was a good match as well.  Between Roode's selling of his shoulder and Itami's selling of his ankle with him missing Roode and dropkicking the steel steps, the storytelling was great, but Itami's aggression in the match was what we had been waiting to see from him since his almost forgotten about debut in 2015.  However, "The Glorious One" pulled out a win and continued his reign as NXT Champion.  In the back, Itami more than expressed his disappointment with the outcome that is on point with a heel turn soon.

The final match was upon us, as DIY faced Paul Ellering's Authors Of Pain for the NXT Tag Team Titles.  We all know Ellering's long and illustrious history with Chicago, managing one of the single most influential teams of all-time in The Road Warriors, so to have his big, young, hungry champions continue his managerial legacy is very profound.  As for DIY, the team of former ROH TV Champion, "The Psycho Killer" Tomosso Ciampa and Evolve Wrestling's icon, Johnny Gorgano has been the darlings of the tag division.  Since their dramatic win over The Revival at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn last year, these guys have been one of the most talked about teams out there, and rightfully so.  They lost the belts to AOP earlier this year at NXT Takeover: San Antonio, and have been struggling to get the belts back.  This match wasn't just a rematch, this was a Ladder Match, and this one was as physical as was expected.  There were several scary spots and bumps throughout the match, including both Ciampa and Johnny Wrestling diving onto AOP from a high ladder and both nearly landing on their heads, as well as a frightening spot by one of the AOP almost beheading Gorgano with the ladder to the face.  At the end of it, AOP retained the belts in a hell of a match, that was the closest to rivaling Dunne and Bate.  The story, however, was after the match, as DIY was on the ramp saying "thank you" to the fans who had given them a rightful standing ovation, and the NXT copyright logo was the screen, which typically indicates the show will end in about five seconds.  WRONG.  Ciampa pulled a MASTERFUL heel turn and destroyed Gorgano, delivering two brutal knee strikes and putting him through a production table, thus causing a stretcher spot.  The ending was superb high drama, and left he crowd surprised and shocked.  Let me just say, this was coming since last year.  Anyone that has followed Ciampa over the past six or so years know that he has spent a large part of his career as a sociopathic heel, and a damn good one at that.  Last year, when they faced each other at Cruiserweight Classic, and Ciampa won, one saw it happening eventually.  I'm surprised it ook this long to pull the trigger but I understand that they wanted to put the belts on them first.

Overall, this event was possibly the best NXT show thus far in 2017.  From start to finish, this event was simply incredible and is now the standard for the Takeover shows.  The past few have been good but not classics compared to others had been, but this one is the best overall NXT show we've had in recent memory.  Kudos to Hunter and the gang for a memorable night.

WWE Backlash 2017 (Smackdown)

How would WWE and the main roster follow the superb efforts of NXT Takeover: Chicago?  Well, their biggest selling points would be Nakamura's main roster debut, and to see how Jinder Mahal would fare in his very first main event against Randy Orton for the WWE Title. Did it work?

The event started surprisingly with the Nakamura/Ziggler match.  Going into it, many felt the match, on paper, should've been a thrilling one.  It was not.  It goes without saying that Nakamura is one of the finest competitors in the world, based off his frequently epic performances in Japan, and even when he was in NXT.  He got to the main roster and...well...he's not the same.  He's as watered down as we knew he would be.  Not saying he's wack by any means.  Far from it.  We just came into this match with such high expectations and it didn't quite measure up.  Nakamura got the win, as we knew he would.

The six woman tag match followed with an overall sub par performance from everyone involved except for probably Natalya, who is finding her rhythm over these past several months and deserves to be mentioned as a contender for the SD Women's Title.  This match was very skippable and was the sloppiest match of the night.  Team Nattie won the match.  Bore.

The Tag Team Title match with The Usos and Breezango aka The Fashion Police was next.  This was surprisingly an entertaining match.  Over the past couple of weeks, Breezango has produced some very humorous skits on SD, as they've been under the guises of detectives going after the ugly and unattractive, much less going for the Usuos titles.  I've been  a fan of Breeze's since NXT, as the former student of Lance Storm is a damn good performer (let's not forget he was former FCW Tag Team Champion with Roman Reigns years ago).  Plus, The Usuos have been delivering some pretty good promos going into this match and has gotten the interest of the fans back, even though their heel personas get chopped and screwed whenever they appear on Talking Smack.  Breeze's performance in the match was, at times, hysterical as he proved he not only knew how to wrestle, he was a great entertainer as well, plus with Fandango, they officially got themselves over at Backlash.  Unfortunately, The Usuos retained the belts, but this match belonged to The Fashion Police for entertainment value alone.

Relative underdog, Sami Zayn, faced off against Baron Corbin, but it wasn't an impressive match by any means.  We all know Zayn can go.  This we know.  Look up his matches in NXT and in the indies as El Generico if you're not aware of his work.  Corbin, although still a little rough around the edges, continues to get better and better since his departure from NXT.  This match, however, was another lackluster match and so far this event is flat.  Zayn picked up the win, but I'm not sure what, if any, impact this had.

One match that we knew would make up for the lack of appeal for this event thus far was the U.S. Title match between A.J. Styles and Kevin Owens.  No strangers to each other, here or in the indies, Styles and Owens did a great job and saved this show from being damn near a complete failure.  Although not their best match against each other, this was still a good match that deserves to see more from these two stellar athletes.  Owens won by countout, which means this rivalry for the belt isn't over and I would expect the former Universal Champ and WWE Champ to give us an even better match or two before Summerslam.

The main event was here.  In what has been a very average to below average pay per view for the SD brand, Randy Orton defended the WWE Title against the most unlikely and surprising challenger since James Ellesworth, Jinder Mahal.  Before I go into this match, I'm not necessarily criticizing Mahal.  He's not a bad in-ring competitor, but the stench of 3MB, which could've destroyed the careers of he, Slater, and McIntyre, plus the fact that when he returned to the WWE, he immediately jobbed to the likes of Finn Balor (did we forget that he also gave Balor a mild concussion that very same match) just doesn't add up to number one contender.  Had he been given a good run before the match that made him number one contender, then it would've made more sense.  No matter the case, Mahal and Orton collided, and kudos to the thirteen time champion for making Mahal look like a million dollars in this match.  One of the most terrifying spots ever witnessed happened when Orton was going after The Singh Brothers (formerly The Bollywood Boyz-former Global Force Wrestling Tag Team Champions), and he attempted to slam one of them, only for this particular Singh brother to land extemely bad on his head and neck on the broadcast table.  Seriously, it looked like it nearly killed him and the look on Randy's face right afterwards reflected it.  However, in what has to be considered the most shocking upset in years, Mahal defeated Orton to become only the second Indian-born WWE star to win the WWE Title (Great Khali won the World Title back in the early part of the decade).  The looks on the people's faces, including Lesnar Guy who was in attendance, were priceless.  Mahal, a relative jobber, and 3MB joke, had become the WWE Champion. 

Folks, the truth is the WWE Title this year has been terribly misused.  The title was won by Cena at The Rumble, lost at Elimination Chamber in February to Wyatt, lost at Wrestlemania to Orton, and now won by Mahal, all within nearly six months.  The booking is makiing this ever prestigious belt look like a non-important accessory, and it's disgraceful.  Once Mahal loses the belt, because he will, and soon, it needs to stay on that guy past a month.  Make the belt mean something.  The Universal Title on Raw isn't any better, as their champion, Brock Lesnar, won it at Wrestlemania, and hasn't been seen since. For a part-timer to win the title and be off televsison and pay per views like he's been is an outrage.  So much for title legacy, huh Vince?

As for these events, NXT clearly provided the beatdown to Smackdown and their pay per view.  Typically SD pay per views aren't extraordinary but they're better than Raw's.  This is the case here too, but not by much at all.  This was the worst SD pay per view yet, and I hope it picks back up for Money In The Bank.  As for NXT Takeover: Chicago, this was a knockout, and let's hope NXT Takeover: Brooklyn will be as good or better than in the past two years.  For the record, every event in the game may have to bow down to New Japan's Dominion in a couple weeks, just so you know.  For now, see you when I see you!