[6.0] "Good studio with a marquee main event . You have to root for Itami to achieve his goals . He has given so much to wrestling he deserves to make it to the top in the largest wrestling company and become a household name . Age and injury may have eroded some of his skill set but let's be honest he wont need that level of skill in the WWE . As for this match it was entertaining but would not really remind one of either of the competitors greatest moments . What the match did is establish both wrestlers as NXT main event caliber players and establish Itami as the next contender for Roode . Matches worth watching : #DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) vs. Riddick Moss & Tino Sabbatelli and my top match was Hideo Itami vs. Roderick Strong ."

[6.0] "I remember eleven years ago KENTA/Strong stole the show in Michigan inside a ROH ring, that match also outshining a higher profile bout KENTA had w/ Aries the next night in Chicago. A lot has changed w/ the Japanese star and that's where Roddy's focus at-first lied, upon that surgically-repaired left shoulder. Later the match dissembled into any hard-charging Roddy bout w/ high-impact, precise moves that has made him one of the most consistent performers of the past 14 years. Hideo's hanging-on, and can still be carried, but he's 50% what he was in the past. Anyway, the people enjoyed themselves and it was a fine 3 1/4 match though the wrong guy won. Then again, WWE needs to cash-in on Hideo while he's healthy, Yet I can't still help and be pissed that NXT chose now as the most opportune moment to air those poignant Roddy videos. I guess they can be aired once more when he does actually challenge Roode for the belt, but it's diminishing returns. Speaking of videos, it's R Riot's turn, and they were fine, but nowhere near as affecting as she was manufacturing emotion instead of the tears Roderick shed. I'm not disappointed Ember Moon won't be challenging for the Women's title in Chicago, her former home, b/c I don't like how she has approached her character. When she first debuted she should have played 'Ember' as a tweener, like A Black is currently doing, instead of pandering b/c now noone cares about her as she broke the barrier of what was a cool, mysterious gimmick. Another individual I'm feeling ambivalent towards is Mr. OhNo for he was far more influential & cool working the indies/Europe/Japan than being a 'middle-of-the-road' guy in NXT. "Who's your Hero? " Not Mr. Spradlin anymore. The A Black/C Bononi opener was a great 90 seconds as it came-off like a MMA contest in which the man w/ the more polished/pro skills won. If #DIY loses in a ladder match, something that should obviously favor them, then it's time for the break-up. 6. 25"

[8.0] "Aleister Black has a great future, I expect great things for him. DIY Looks good. I hope you will soon receiveŽs the call to the Main Roster. Roddy vs. Itami was an Awesome TV Match. Great Episode"

[7.0] "Black is awesome, he can't murder people in 3-minute matches forever though. Cross' interview was crazy and therefore great. Moss and Tino looked fun, so is their match vs. #DIY. Itami and Strong beat the hell out of each other. The main event was good, the episode was good as well."

[8.0] "Great episode this week. Starting to really like Black now and his entrance music and the Black Mask was awesome. The Packages of Ruby Riot, Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate were a great work. DIY looked good and i think Takeover Chicago is gonna be their last NXT match. The Main event was just awesome. Both Hideo and Roddy looked great and performed well. I love Roddy so much, he deserves to be NXT Champion by the end of the year."

[7.0] "Starting to really like Aleister Black now. He looks good. #DIY are just waiting to be called up to the main roster now. They have serious potential. Thinking Chicago might be their NXT swansong? Hideo Itami vs. Roderick Strong was a great main event. Haven't seen much of their work before NXT so I was very impressed by the both of them. Very physical match. ****"

[7.0] "Good main event this week, with some pretty good heavy offense such as Roddy's backbreakers and Itami's Avalanche Falcon Arrow. The bulk of the rest of the show were more profile packages - Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate's were repackages from the United Kingdom Tournament, but the Ruby Riot piece was very good, giving you a great background of what she's about. Good Black squash, but Moss and Sabbatelli still need lots more seasoning."