NXT TakeOver was a series of periodic
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
events produced by
WWE, a
professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling that has little relationship to the rules of the amateur olympic form. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails man ...
based in
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
. The events were produced exclusively for the promotion's
NXT brand division and aired
live
Live may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film
* ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film
*'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD)
Music
* Live (band), American alternative rock band
* List of album ...
on
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...
(PPV) and the
livestreaming
Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but ...
services
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
and the
WWE Network
WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television network owned by the American entertainment company WWE. It primarily distributes original professional wrestling events, films, television an ...
. The first TakeOver event was simply titled
TakeOver
In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company (the ''target'') by another (the ''acquirer'' or ''bidder''). In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are listed on a stock exchange, in contrast to ...
and was held on May 29, 2014. TakeOver events were then held several times a year. The events were originally streamed exclusively on the WWE Network until
TakeOver 31 in October 2020, when the events also became available on traditional PPV before also becoming available on Peacock in early 2021. The TakeOver series came to an end following
TakeOver 36 in August 2021, as in September, NXT was restructured as NXT 2.0 with the brand's succeeding events no longer carrying the TakeOver name, including some former TakeOver events.
With the establishment of
NXT UK
''NXT UK'' is a professional wrestling television programme that was produced exclusively in the United Kingdom by the American promotion WWE. It aired on BT Sport and 5Action (previously known as Paramount Network). In the United States, the s ...
in 2018—a sister brand of NXT based in the United Kingdom—the brand adopted the TakeOver name for
their live events as well.
History
In 2012,
WWE restructured their
NXT brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create a ...
from being a
reality
Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...
-based competition television show to a
developmental territory
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a highe ...
for their main roster. In February 2014, the brand held its first live special that was uniquely titled
Arrival
Arrival(s) or The Arrival(s) may refer to:
Film
* ''The Arrival'' (1991 film), an American science fiction horror film
* ''The Arrival'' (1996 film), an American-Mexican science fiction horror film
* ''Arrival'' (film), a 2016 American science ...
, which was also the very first event to air live on WWE's online streaming service, the
WWE Network
WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television network owned by the American entertainment company WWE. It primarily distributes original professional wrestling events, films, television an ...
, which launched earlier that same month. However, after NXT held an event titled
TakeOver
In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company (the ''target'') by another (the ''acquirer'' or ''bidder''). In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are listed on a stock exchange, in contrast to ...
in May that year, the "TakeOver" name became the branding for all NXT live specials. All NXT live specials were initially held at
Full Sail University
Full Sail University is a Private university, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit university in Winter Park, Florida. It was formerly a recording studio in Ohio named Full Sail Productions and Full Sail Center ...
in
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a city in Orange County, Florida, Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 30,183 according to the 2022 census population estimate. It is part of the Greater Orlando, Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolit ...
, as with the main ''
NXT'' series. They were also originally exclusive to the WWE Network until
TakeOver 31 in October 2020 when they also became available on traditional
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...
(PPV), before also becoming available on
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
after the American version of the WWE Network merged under Peacock in March 2021.
Beginning with
TakeOver: Brooklyn in 2015, the events were held at various U.S. and international locations, with most TakeOvers being named after their host city or
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
, which also began with that Brooklyn event.
Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
, however, all NXT events returned to Full Sail University in mid-March 2020 until TakeOver 31 that October, when events were moved to the
WWE Performance Center
The WWE Performance Center is the official professional wrestling school system of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The promotion currently operates two Performance Center locations, which serve as training facilities for WWE ...
in
Orlando, Florida, presented as a virtual fan viewing experience with a small live crowd called the "Capitol Wrestling Center", an homage to the
Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the predecessor to WWE. The Capitol Wrestling Center was similar to the
WWE ThunderDome, which was a
bio-secure bubble
A bio-secure bubble, also known as a bubble, or hub city, was a hosting arrangement for sporting events that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, under which events were held at a centralized site, often behind closed doors, with strict quarant ...
that the company utilized for
Raw and
SmackDown's programs. Most COVID restrictions were lifted in mid-2021 with the events no longer including a virtual audience and resumed having a live audience. Although the Raw and SmackDown brands resumed live touring in July 2021, NXT remained at the Capitol Wrestling Center. As TakeOvers were only held in Florida since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, they were named either by their installment number (e.g., TakeOver 31) or revived old WWE pay-per-view names (e.g.,
TakeOver: In Your House), with the exception of
TakeOver: WarGames that year.
Since TakeOver: Brooklyn in 2015, several TakeOver events were scheduled as a support event for each of WWE's "Big Four" pay-per-view events at the time (
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle r ...
,
WrestleMania
WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, ...
,
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's se ...
, and
Survivor Series), and occasionally, their other monthly pay-per-views, such as
Backlash and
Money in the Bank.
[ Before the COVID-19 pandemic, TakeOvers also shared the same venue as those PPVs, except when those PPVs were held in a stadium; in these cases, TakeOver was held at an arena in the same city instead. There were also recurring subseries of TakeOver events; TakeOver: Brooklyn was also the first to have its own subseries of TakeOvers.][ Other subseries of TakeOvers included Toronto, Chicago, In Your House, and the most prominent, WarGames, which had been held on the night preceding Survivor Series from 2017 to 2019; in 2020, it was held two weeks after Survivor Series. The event featured the namesake ]WarGames match
WarGames is a specialized steel cage match in professional wrestling. The match usually involves two teams of either four, five, or more wrestlers locked inside a steel cage that encompasses two rings placed side by side. The cage may or may not ...
as its main event. TakeOver: Stand & Deliver in April 2021 was the only TakeOver held across two nights.
Only one NXT TakeOver event had to be canceled. TakeOver: Tampa Bay was originally set to air live from the Amalie Arena
Amalie Arena (officially stylized as AMALIE Arena) is a multipurpose arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, arena football, concerts, and other events. It is mainly used as the home for the Tampa Bay Lightning ...
in Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough C ...
on April 4, 2020. The event was initially postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which began effecting WWE's programming in mid-March; however, it was ultimately canceled with matches planned and scheduled for the event moved to weekly episodes of ''NXT'', beginning April 1.
In September 2021, the NXT brand went through a restructuring, being rebranded as "NXT 2.0", reverting to a developmental territory for WWE. In October, it was speculated that the company may end the TakeOver series as another TakeOver event was not scheduled for 2021 after TakeOver 36 in August. On November 9, 2021, NXT's next PPV and livestreaming
Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but ...
event was announced as WarGames to be held on December 5, 2021. Unlike the previous WarGames events, however, the announcement confirmed that the event would not be a TakeOver event, thus ending the TakeOver series. Vengeance Day
NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day was the 33rd NXT TakeOver and ninth Vengeance professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The event ...
, Stand & Deliver, and In Your House would also continue on as their own events following TakeOver's discontinuation, although the 2022 Vengeance Day aired as a television special
A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of e ...
instead of airing on PPV and via livestreaming, while the 2022 editions of Stand & Deliver and In Your House only aired via livestreaming and not on PPV.
Although the TakeOver series was discontinued, the ''Mat Men Podcast'' reported that WWE may use the TakeOver name again if an NXT event is held in a large venue, such as sharing the same venue with one of WWE's major events, and held as a support show for one of those events, like several previous TakeOvers had done.
Events
See also
* List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events
This is a list of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, detailing all professional wrestling cards promoted on pay-per-view (PPV) and the WWE Network by WWE. Due to the American version of the WWE Network merging under Peacock, and with ...
References
External links
Official website of WWE NXT
{{DEFAULTSORT:NXT TakeOver, Wwe
WWE lists