Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe

[5.0] "Not the biggest fan of steel cage, escape the cage matches. The only thing that me and Jesse Ventura have in common. It was exactly even a really brutal affair. So for my taste it was not what I would hope for Joe and Balor. I enjoy the small parts we got at Dallas over the whole of this. But at least the match was continually stopped."

[8.0] "A great match that ended up being a fitting conclusion to Joe and Balor's rivalry. Not exactly a brutal steel cage match, but still ended up being a fun watch."

[8.0] "Nice steel cage match to end these two men's feud and to end Finn's initial reign in NXT. The first loss of the Demon was a big moment, and it cemented Samoa Joe as the man in NXT as Balor moved up to the main roster a few weeks later."

[7.0] "This was good, but easily the weakest of their Takeover trilogy. Following their Dallas match was always going to be tough, especially with that match's intensity and bloody Joe, but this never came close to matching that level of violence despite the steel cage setting. The second rope Musclebuster was a great moment, but the match as a whole never hit that next gear. *** 1/2"

[8.0] "Surprisingly great cage match every time I have seen it, which is like 4 now. Worst part is actually the overenthusiastic and self=serving NXT home crowd. They burn out by the end of this whole card in a way where they don't believe in the near falls that were baked in here. This crowd even stunned themselves by not believing the finish was the finish when Joe won."

[8.0] "I somehow expected more of a cage match from these two. It wasn't bad in any sense, but even if the cage had a few moments where it worked, it felt like a match with no stipulation. Regardless, Joe and Finn delivered greatly. ****"

[7.0] "Good match, but a complicated one. Perhaps more than any other Demon outing, this feels the least cognizant of that character's supposed quirks. Balor always struggled with that intended shift, but it's almost entirely absent here. As a result, this often feels like their usual match but with a cage surrounding them, rather than a truly vengeful conclusion to the feud. Even still, their chemistry and skill is more than enough to get this over the line, sprinkling in a couple neat uses of the environment along the way. Mostly though, this leans on their familiar physicality, which gives this the grit and toughness to be a satisfying ending, even if not an electric one. ***1/2"

[7.0] "Decent cage match. I think its pretty clear cut that this is the weakest in the Joe/Balor takeover trilogy. By no means is this bad, not at all. Joe and Balor always have good matches. Joe was stiff and brutal while Finn covered the spot portion. The ending was sick with the top rope muscle buster, but other than that the only things of real note are the loud kicks and chops. Im kind of glad the feud is over now and Im looking forward to the next feud."

[7.0] "Pretty good match. I am just not that big of a fan of steel cage matches unless they are doing ridiculous high spots, which this kind of had with the ending, but no matter what I think it is pretty limiting. Pretty good match though."

[7.0] "A good Main Event with a well-used stipulation. You really feel the intensity from the start. A superb Muscle Buster from the top of the ropes ends the match. Probably the only thing to take away from the match. (3*3/4)"

[8.0] "An outstanding end to an excellent rivalry for the NXT Championship. Both have tremendous chemistry and was proved in two different occasions. This was the culmination of the prophecy initiated by Joe that is to send Bálor to the back of the line. Bálor's grit didn't budge him from the threats of Joe heading to this match and it was proven here with his sheer resiliency and great comebacks. After a terrific physical war, Joe crushed the hopes of Bálor and his fans with an awestruck Avalanche Muscle Buster for the decisive win. Joe moved on to another exceptional rivalry while Bálor escalated to the main league. 4 out of 5 stars!"

[10.0] "This is legitimately my favorite cage match of all time. Its so much fun, with some great innovative spots, and just some brutal back and forth between Joe and Balor."

[6.0] "This was a good match, with both Joe and Balor putting in a strong effort, but it wasn't anything special."

[7.0] "A pretty good cagematch which led to some inventive cage spots but didn't go overkill with using the cage. A great way to end a good rivalry."

[7.0] "The match was given not too dynamic and various. Slingblade off the top and second rope Muscle Buster were the most high points of opposition. My rating: ***1/2."

[5.0] "I'm not the biggest fan of gimmick matches, and this didn't do a ton for me. Both guys lacked the intensity in their last encounter and thus this match didn't resonate with me great (**1/2)."

[7.0] "A pretty good title match worthy of being a main event. These guys told a good story and the match had some really good points with an amazing finish, however I believe this was the weakest of their 3 takeover matches, my rating is ***1/2"

[7.0] "It was a good match, no doubt. Probably my favourite of the entire series. It is just that people are disappointed since people expect the sky when two guys with the talent of Finn Balor and Samoa Joe step into the ring. And when they come up a little short, their shortcomings become magnified. I love the sling blade off the top rope, the crotch drop on the rope spot and the big muscle buster in the end. The match was very hard hitting throughout. This could have been a way better match had the escape rule hadn't been there; every time someone tried to escape the fight it looked a weak moment and I kinda detached from the match emotionally. Apart from that, no real complaints. I also loved the camerawork during Finn Balor's entrance."

[7.0] "I mean, it was technically sound, but it just didn't feel like that blow off match that I was expecting. I think the Dallas match was far more brutal and really felt like the end of the feud (the crowd and blood clearly did help). Still, good match that is hurt because this feud has run its course. ***1/4"

[4.0] "This match was so boring. The idea was wrong, the crew was dead. This wrestlers hadn't a good feud or series of matches. This one was the worst. The ending was nice, but the match was too slow and boring."

[8.0] "Just like in Dallas, Samoa Joe brought out the best of Finn Bálor here. Samoa Joe was his usual badass, intense self, and it really fit into the Cage aspect of the match, as he made it seem like it truly was the feud ending personal match. I'd say that this is the 2nd best match that the two have had against each other, just behind the Dallas match. Really good match. ***3/4"

[8.0] "I thought this was their best match together. Good end to their feud with Joe decisively beating Balor."

[7.0] "I had many expectations for the first Steel Cage match at NXT. It's a classic brawl inside the cage, but Joe and Balor took many risks with the impact on the cage. For me this is the first good performance by Samoa Joe at NXT, but Balor did not put up the best show. The Musclebuster from the second rope was a great way to close it, too bad the crowd was already tired after the first few minutes of the match. ***1/4"

[3.0] "Really not my cup of tea. Joe has improved marginally from his massive slump in the first part of the decade, but he's a hollow shell of his former self. Balor sometimes interests me but it's getting easier to see why he is accused of being robotic by critics, and I don't think this was his best performance. Didn't get a lot of energy from this, they are meant to be so fired up and hateful but that didn't seem to translate much to the action. Liked the ending but I felt like I could have skipped this one and not missed much at all."

[9.0] "Skeptical of the Main Event, but he did not disappoint. I thought it would be typical in a cage match without raisins. But the opposite happened. Hard, fast, brutal, intense. The best match of the series, I am glad that all ended on a note. ****. Now we are waiting for Balor mainly roster, and Joe's wish that there was a great champion of the budding brand."

[4.0] "This was a good match. But that was probably about as its going to get. i am really happy this feud is over. They have had matches at Takeover two times before. Their were some good spots and moments but nothing that really made me excited. I was hyped towards the beginning but the match turned out to be pretty much the same pace throughout."

[3.0] "Both Joe and Finn worked really hard so I can't fault them for their effort but this felt like the completely wrong match to have in this scenario. We should have got a hateful brawl instead what we got was Finn Balor having the same match he always has except this time it was in a cage, his inability to alter his style or demeanour based on the circumstances just show how one dimensional he is. The fact that the fans were so into this at the beginning shows that they had invested in the hatred of the feud but once they realised that this was going to be a typical Balor performance in a typical WWE style cage match they lost interest. Nobody really bought the false finishes, the cage as usual was a hindrance to the match not an asset and by the end I think most people were just glad it was over."

[6.0] "I gave this match *** stars out of 5. I can honestly say that I am happy that this feud is at it's end. A couple of nice spots, but mostly just brawling."

[8.0] "The best match in this series, although this series wasn't the best out there. Really hard-hitting stuff from Joe, while Balor showed some real fire in certain spots. The cage was used well, but not too much, and in ways I thought were pretty clever. The finish kept both men strong, and was one hell of a move; a second-rope Muscle Buster after grabbing Balor from the top of the cage. Props to Finn for even taking it. Very good match, and a fitting end to this rivalry, even if it overstayed its welcome a little. ***3/4"

[8.0] "I thought this was a good match and in fact really good but I preferred their Dallas match over this one. This had some big spots and some good nearfalls but it really lacked the intensity for being feud ender and a big time cage match. Bálor dawned the demon paint but it had no effect on him in his persona and his performance which ruined that gimmick here for me. Joe looked awesome though and was destructive as always especially in the finishing moments. Really good match here but IMO the weakest match they've had at the last few takeovers. (***1/2)"

[9.0] "Best match of the feud. A brutal cage match that managed to make even the silly escape rules seem suspenseful and make sense. Fantastic finish, too."

[9.0] "Great match. I'm in the minority that enjoyed their Dallas match the most out of the trilogy but each was entertaining in their own right. This was a good cage match, one of the best in a few years. It didn't fully live to my expectations but it was not dissapointing. **** and a good conclusion to a fantastic Takeover"