Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Aleister Black, Ricochet & Velveteen Dream

[8.0] "The match was a super fun and entertaining spectacle, reminiscent of many multi-man tag team matches from the indie circuit. While lacking in substance, it was perfect for the context in which it unfolded. The pace was fast, allowing all six wrestlers to showcase their move sets, and Adam Cole even surprised with a Panama Sunrise, a move he had exclusively used in the indies."

[3.0] "Wow, there are some extremely lame people in this match, and one extremely problematic poison pill, so this doesn't hold up very well in retrospect. Like, I enjoy watching Ricochet flip around as much as anyone but that only gets you so far. I've seen worse but I was not feeling this one much at all. Basically just some spots for the sake of them, the rest was just empty space and didn't hold my interest."

[8.0] "Fun spot fest match. Really enjoyed that they revamped the Halftime Heat idea from 1999 (that was a fun match too). Everyone was able to shine and look good in this match."

[8.0] "Very good Six-Man tag team match. The dynamic worked so well, which each performer holding their place. Adam Cole was a stand out for me here! Ricochet also showing why is he is such a talent!"

[10.0] "Just an insane and off the wall match full of action from bell to bell. This is the match that truly shows off what 6 of the best in NXT at the time could do. 9.5/10"

[10.0] "A really really special match and a must watch. Never saw a tag match beign so entertaining, so full of incredible spots. Simple : putting 6 excellent wrestlers, part of one of the best wrestling era (NXT Black and Gold), and giving for 20 min an extremely fast paced match by using almost every moves of their respective movesets (which are insanely large especially with Cole and Gargano)."

[10.0] "This match screamed "PWG" given the amount of high impact spots and superkicks. It was meant to be fun and it absolutely was. Almost every competitor had history with one another, so it's another reason to love this bout. It surely made me miss NXT Black and Gold era"

[9.0] "A really fun 6-Man Tag here. I think this was handled really well when thinking about the build. It didn't really need any, as it's just a one-off match to watch during Halftime, but the added little story of all of them arguing after TakeOver: Phoenix went off the air was a nice touch. As for the match itself, it was just pure action and it worked so well. Everyone looked fantastic here, and that's the main thing I want from a 6-Man Tag. Loved this overall."

[9.0] "This match has reminded me something: six man tag team matches don't always work, but when they work they work so damn well. Since this match took place during the Golden Mine period of NXT (if we talk about the quality of the matches) and it took place on a special like Halftime Heat I understand why it got lost in the shelf, but if you loved the 2018-2019 NXT action watch this match and you're not gonna be disappointed. This match was so much fun, 15-20 minutes of amazing chemistry and fast paced action which never stopped. Arguably one of the best six man tag team matches in WWE history and a real underrated "classic". I repeat, if you loved NXT quality in 2018-2019, you have to watch this match"

[7.0] "This one had total nonstop action. All these guys hit some moves and there was very little downtime."

[8.0] "Really awesome nonstop spotfest that shows the best that NXT had to offer during this time period. ****"

[9.0] "This was an amazing NXT styled bout ' fast paced with cool spots and nice OMG! moments. In addition to that, it had subtle storytelling in all the three rivalries with great call backs to memorable spots from previous bouts. The face team won which was a sensible call to rope in new viewers and make the existing viewers happily bid adieu. The commentary team of Vic Joseph & Shawn Michaels was good to hear. This was such a great return of Heat as NXT were on a roll with an immensely talented roster and extremely engaging storylines. 4.25 out of 5 stars!"

[10.0] "Incredible six-man tag team match right here which is surely one of the best I've ever seen if you ask me, and yet I've seen a lot of them but very few have been as excellent as this one in the WWE history. It was simply a PWG style spotfest so it obviously won't appeal to everyone but it was perfectly what I expected : high-octane action, non-stop pacing, phenomenal sequences, finishers, nearfalls, big moves and everything else you could hope for along with some great execution and interesting writing as there are some neat elements. It would be hard to list everything I liked here but I particularly liked the Meeting In The Middle spot that DIY did with Cole, it was very visual. Everyone was amazing here and performed at their usual level, you had the top six stars of the time in NXT and they all had a story between them so they could only deliver. I would have loved to see it in a big arena but the PC crowd was red hot for this, it wasn't the sad atmosphere that the CWC has now become and anyway it was enough as a context as it was during the half time of the SuperBowl."

[6.0] "This was your usual NXT affair with lots of no selling, big moves and nearfalls with zero rules or psychology to be found. I still enjoyed this match because there's a lot of talent in the ring though. Definitely a PWG style spotfest but it's been done better. Lots of contrived spots such as Cole's superkick counter to Ricochet and that awful finish with Gargano 'accidentally' superkicking Ciampa. I think Black was the MVP here. ***"

[8.0] "This is basically a rapid-fire spotfest that oftentimes ignores tag rules and logic for the sake of spots, but it's a helluva lot of fun and that's all we wanted from this match anyway. ****1/4"

[9.0] "This match is a really, really fun showcase of maneuvers and character in a unique setting. A great time."

[6.0] "Satisfactory match. This is just a spotfest match with fast pace, good action and too many near falls."

[4.0] "An unremarkable spot fest overall. I have seen better spot fest matches before. This was just throwing all moves together and hitting each one after another. And it was uncreative. They did usual stuff like posing their shticks but this came off as a really silly showcase. I understand why this was praised but in my eyes, it was just kind of there."

[9.0] "The sole purpose of this match was to entertain the crowd for about 15 minutes. And it sure succeeded in that goal. Yes, it was a spotfest, but that was exactly what it needed to be and all the performers involved were showcased nicely. I truly enjoyed it. ****1/2"

[9.0] "8. 9/10 : This is a gift, this match is a gift from everyone involved in it to the fans of wrestling. The "NXT 7" have given us the best era of NXT in history and it just is the biggest privilege that we were able to have 6 of them (missing only Andrade) in the same ring for a match before they get called up. But they know that being in the ring together is not enough, no no no, that's what makes them special, they go 110% all out every occasion, like the biggest chip is on their shoulders, and that's how they deliver classic masterpieces like this. In the name of fairness, I must point out 2 little flaws this match does actually have: It kinda threw tagging out the window (but not nearly as grossly as Japan and some indies do). And yes, selling was not their biggest priority and only lasted as long as needed until the next move. But let's be honest, not only were these flaws marginal compared to usually in spotfests of this kind, but the way they were done only to serve the match and never out of lack of care for them does forgive it in my eyes. Regardless, this match is on another level, even compared to NXT it is high above their usual, and that says something. This match is an instant classic and will be pointed to whenever these guys are brought up whatever directions their careers go. Thank you guys, thank you for this amazing match."

[10.0] "the most beautiful 6 man tag team I've seen in my life was definitely a match. When he saw such wonderful matches, he said what matches were on the weekly shows. The wrestler in the ring is incredibly fast, incredibly talented. These wrestlers are used right in the future I hope.. NXT NXT NXT"

[3.0] "This was a match that was put together purely to get as many crowd pops as possible, with little if any thought given to trying to tell any kind of real story. It was a match without any meat on its bones, there was absolutely no substance to it at all. It was the wrestling equivalent of a fast food 'meal'."

[4.0] "If you're a fan of this kind of wrestling, this probably was awesome. I don't really particularly care for stuff like this though, and I've seen so many better spotfests in PWG & other indies over the years. It pretty much did nothing for me. I did like the Dream's very brief 1 vs. 3 moment w/ those PUNCHES though, that was very nice. **"

[9.0] "Of course this was going to be incredible. Callbacks to previous TakeOver matches, the repeat of that amazing Adam Cole superkick to Ricochet mid flip, the breakneck pace from the six man format, these guys don't let up for a second. The stareoff spot is brilliant but I fear it's gonna start to become a bit overused if these kinda matches keep happening. A bit too much offense from the faces for my liking, would've liked a bit more balanced but this was a match aimed at both the casuals and the NXT marks so I didn't mind too much. 16 minutes of pure adrenaline. Also.. THAT PANAMA SUNRISE FROM THE TOP ROPE HOLY SHIT ****"

[8.0] "Easy **** match, a lot of nice spots and great shots. This was it's goal, it was also well executed. A match with no stipulation, I don't think it deserves higher rating."

[10.0] "For a sixteen minute match it was incredible. Guys immediately began to use their entire arsenal and it looked very impressive. All these guys have great chemistry and they just can't show a bad match. ****3/4"

[6.0] "I do love how they just threw the TAG stipulation out of the window. So much so that The Revival mentioned it on twitter . Anyway this was solid. Basically nothing more than a few greatest hits, nothing really of worth beyond that. The Panama Surprise was indeed a suprise, but sadly it still looks like utter shit . Don't really get why people loved it so much but whatever, this is fine. People gonna overrate it because it's NXT but this was just a spot fest mainly, and much better examples can be seen elsewhere. ***"

[8.0] "Great six-man tag team match. Incredible action with some insane spots. Panama Sunrise (Canadian Destroyer) by Cole and a three way DIY finisher combo were my personal favorite spots. Overall, insane action in a span of just 15 minutes. ****Œ."

[7.0] "I did enjoy this but frankly it felt more like an acrobatic exhibition than an actual wrestling match. Don't get me wrong, I love a great pace and crazy spots when it still *feels* like a competitive wrestling match (see the 2019 Royal Rumble 4way cruiser match). That's the main thing that prevents this from being a classic IMO--it was JUST a spotfest. It was JUST guys ripping off moves non-stop to show off. It never felt like anyone really wanted to win the match, that anything was really at stake. While it was certainly entertaining, I don't consider this a truly great match."

[8.0] "Great match and show. They tore the house down. Was genuinely surprised when they booed Adam cole. Great performance by all six especially Gargano, Ricochet and Cole."

[9.0] "The main complaint in many of these ratings seems to be that this match was nothing but a spotfest, but that's all it needed to be. It didn't need to follow NXT canon, and it didn't need to involve storylines. The purpose of this match was to showcase NXT talent in an entertaining match with a relatively brief window of time to do so, and the best way to do that was to put on a spotfest. All six guys performed well and produced a great match. ****1/2"

[8.0] "Exactly what you would expect with a match featuring all these guys. A total spot fest for sure, but it didn't overstay its welcome whatsoever. I want to say all the guys phoned it in, but it still turned out to be quite a fun match, ****1/4."

[5.0] "Without sounding like I'm trying to be an elitist, if you enjoy the usual 'big' NXT match then this will definitely be up your alley. Sadly this style of match isn't my thing at all. It was just a spotfest. There were various callbacks to singles matches that have occurred between multiple pairs of the wrestlers, but I never cared much for those particular matches, so the callbacks did nothing for me. The few things I did enjoy were Black's flurry attacks with (usually) flawless technique, and of course Ricochet's incredible acrobatics. Sadly the majority of the exchanges here felt very light, and particular spots were way too heavily forecast, such as Cole's superkick counter to Ricochet's moonsault. Quite a few moments made me roll my eyes, such as Dream, Ricochet, and Black all posing in the ring, the 3v3 staredown and sudden strike exchange, and that moment where Gargano, Ciampa, and Cole all looked cartoonish as they built up to their 3-way superkick/running knee strike attack on Ricochet. The finish was also annoying because Gargano was meant to try superkick Black and then narrowly miss actually hitting Ciampa, which was meant to play up on the confusion in their relationship, but Ciampa was nowhere near where Gargano was aiming for, yet Gargano still had to immediately pivot and pretend he was close to hitting Ciampa and that he was sorry. I also didn't like how Ciampa was in total melodramatic shock watching Gargano collapse from Black's roundhouse, not moving or making any attempt to defend himself as he just waited for Dream to pick him up and hit the Dream Driver. I appreciated all the effort at making this a 'car crash' of a match, but the final product just came off as very hollow. **1/2"

[8.0] "Excellent trios sprint. Hardly a dull moment, as they went all out (surely the instruction for a showcase match like this blasted all over WWE's social media feeds for free). Impressive showing from Dream -- he wasn't EXACTLY up to speed with all the rest of the (extremely experienced) guys, but he didn't seem to mess anything up (unlike the production crew, who missed multiple Dream jumps and other big spots), and in general Velveteen felt like he belonged thanks to his charisma and crowd connection. Everyone else was about what you'd expect, with the biggest surprise maybe being Cole breaking out the (indie af) Panama Sunrise. For everything great and fun about this match, it went about one phase too long: Cole + DIY hitting the Meeting in the Middle was the apex and should have ended the match. Yeah the Black save was nice, but the face finisher spam that followed fell flat for me, hurting my enjoyment by ... around a quarter star. 4. 25*"

[10.0] "Just an excellent, fun showcase of all six guys with reference to past matches. No real drama or story to speak of, and they could've built on plenty of feuds and storylines if they had the time so it's a weak 3/4, but with the limited time it was incredible. ****3/4"

[8.0] "This was a great display of the NXT talent. Soooo glad that WWE brought back Halftime Heat. I hope this is a tradition that continues. Not necessarily a classic, but good enough that I would watch it again and recommend it to other people. All the guys got their shit in. Heels were booed. Faces were cheered. Looked good for being in the performance center too. Camera work actually stunk a couple times which is rare for WWE. ****"