WWE NXT Results: Biggest Winners, Losers, Moments from TakeOver: Brooklyn III

Erik Beaston@@ErikBeastonX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistAugust 20, 2017

WWE NXT Results: Biggest Winners, Losers, Moments from TakeOver: Brooklyn III

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    Credit: WWE.com

    A united and potentially unstoppable force invaded NXT Saturday night at TakeOver: Brooklyn III en route to recognition as the biggest set of winners from the event.

    Adam Cole, Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly attacked new tag team champions Sanity and left new NXT champion Drew McIntyre lying in a heap, establishing dominance and giving fans a hint of what is to come for the red-hot brand.

    Other winners from the monumental night included Ember Moon, who enhanced her star despite losing the biggest match of her career, and Andrade Almas, whose victory over Johnny Gargano was the most significant of his NXT run.

    Not so lucky was Hideo Itami, who suffered another major loss, and Roderick Strong, who did not appear on the broadcast.

    Relive Saturday's show and delve deeper into why those Superstars earned the distinction they did with this recap of the latest installment in the TakeOver series.

Winner: Andrade 'Cien' Almas

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    Credit: WWE.com

    Andrade "Cien" Almas needed two things to dig himself out of the hole in which he found himself earlier this year: a manager and a high-profile win.

    He found both in short order.

    With "business manager" Zelina Vega by his side, Almas strolled into Barclays Center and knocked off Johnny Gargano in a fantastic match to kick off TakeOver: Brooklyn III.

    Assisted by a well-timed T-shirt throw by Vega, Almas scored the biggest victory of his NXT career to date and the win that could well turn his fortunes around.

    Long a glorified jobber who competed against, and lost to, incoming stars, he appears to have the attention of management as the brand enters the fall months. As witnessed during his superb match with Gargano, he has the in-ring talent to match up with the best the industry has to offer.

    He needed momentum and someone to help him garner heat with the audience. By the end of Saturday's show, both were his. It is up to him and NXT officials to build on the foundation that has been laid and elevate the luchador to heights he has yet to reach in the developmental brand.

Loser: Hideo Itami

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    Credit: WWE.com

    Hideo Itami should have been an enormous star in NXT. Injuries and a lack of natural charisma hurt his progression, though, and Saturday night he looked like a Superstar on the final legs of his run with the promotion.

    Sure, he unloaded and endured hellish strikes during his match with Aleister Black, but one's effort in the ring is not necessarily reflective of one's spot on the card. For the first time during his NXT run, he looked like a glorified jobber, a Superstar who could ensure a good match but not once seem like he could win.

    Don't believe me?

    Fire up WWE Network and skip ahead to the moment he hoists Black on his shoulders for the Go To Sleep.

    The lack of reaction is stunning. A move fans waited so long to see him execute on NXT television was reduced to an apathetic tease that generated little in the way of excitement. Instead, Black fought out of the fireman's carry and delivered Black Mass moments later for the win.

    The infiltration of NXT by Ring of Honor alumni Adam Cole, Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly, coupled with Bobby Roode and the aforementioned Almas, has created a brand in which Itami simply does not fit.

    That's unfortunate given the skill he clearly possesses.

Winner: Ember Moon

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    Credit: WWE.com

    In losing to Asuka Saturday night, Ember Moon won the respect of the fans.

    That would not have been possible had she predictably won outright.

    Moon needed to come close and fall just short. She needed to show the raw emotion of defeat. There needed to be tears, she needed to look to the fans for support and they needed to erupt in acceptance of the young star.

    Like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's loss at WrestleMania 13 and, on a lesser scale, Dolph Ziggler's from Payback 2013, Moon elevated her star and became an even more beloved performer for having gone through the heartache of Saturday's defeat.

    Making matters better for her was the strength of her performance in the match itself.

    Moon worked the bout as if she were a veteran of high-profile TakeOver matches. The once-timid Moon, who debuted last year in the same building against Billie Kay, was confident, strong and convincing as she nearly did what no other female competitor has proved capable of doing: beat Asuka.

    She came into her own before the eyes of the NXT faithful and, in the process, was half of one of WWE's best matches of 2017.

Loser: Roderick Strong

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    There was barely a mention of Roderick Strong Saturday night at TakeOver despite the fact he has been a constant presence in the main event and an ongoing thorn in Bobby Roode's side.

    An appearance was not teased. He did not appear in any backstage segments. He was conspicuous by his absence, especially considering how much television time has been devoted to him, his story and his intensely personal rivalry with Roode.

    It was a disappointment for Strong, who is as over with the NXT faithful as anyone.

    It is highly likely he returns to the main event scene beginning Wednesday night on the WWE Network, resuming his rivalry with Roode. That does not make up for the disappointing lack of The Messiah of the Backbreaker in Brooklyn, New York.

Winners: Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish

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    After disappearing from the national radar, Adam Cole, Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly appeared Saturday night and sent a message to the NXT fans that was both loud and clear: no one is safe.

    O'Reilly and Fish made the first impact, attacking both The Authors of Pain and new NXT tag team champions Sanity following a wild and chaotic bout.

    From there, they distracted new NXT champion Drew McIntyre, allowing Cole to attack.

    The Ring of Honor alumni stood tall to close out the show and announce to the world their impending dominance.

    It is clear the trio will be positioned as heels, but for how long can NXT officials expect the fans to boo three Superstars they were excited to see pop up in the company for the longest time?

    Regardless of whether they attack good guys or bad guys, the trio exploded on to the scene and figures to be the centerpiece of NXT booking for the foreseeable future.

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