Friday, March 29, 2024
EditorialThe Top 25 Matches in NXT Takeover History

The Top 25 Matches in NXT Takeover History

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What started as a game show contest hosted in 2010 for prospective superstars on the FCW brand to get an opportunity to get a spot on the main roster has turned into a worldwide, global phenomenon. Some say the NXT brand of sports entertainment is the leader in professional pro wrestling because of how high the bar is consistently raised with their signature Takeover PPV’s.

The first Takeover PPV was held in 2014 with all events taking place at Full Sail University. Now, NXT is a nationally recognized brand, filling up arenas across the country and the world. I feel it is appropriate to reminisce on how NXT has performed over the years and the 25 best matches held at these special events. Here are my top 25.

25. Velveteen Dream (C) vs. Matt Riddle – NXT North American Championship (Takeover: New York)

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I loved this match because of the conflict in characters here. On the one hand, you have a beautiful idiot with no self awareness in Matt Riddle and another beautiful idiot with too much self awareness in the Velveteen Dream. Combine the two, and you have some of the best character work in a match you will see. What amazes me about Riddle is that while he looks like your stereotypical high school/college jock who gets all the girls and surfs a lot of waves, he’s all business once he gets in the ring and he effectively outwrestles Dream here.

On the other hand, Dream keeps things so simple, yet refined. He has an elite understanding of what to do in certain situations, and he didn’t defeat Riddle in this match so much as he escaped him. Riddle’s look of surprise that he was effectively countered was beautiful. If you want to see two unique characters at work here turn into an incredible athletic affair, you’ll get your fill here.


24. Bayley (C) vs. Sasha Banks – NXT Women’s Championship (Takeover: Respect) – 30 Minute Iron Man Match

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The women’s revolution effectively started to take form in 2015, when the women of NXT took women’s professional wrestling in WWE by storm. The rivalry between Sasha Banks and Bayley remains legendary and an important part in NXT history. They would have a better match in Brooklyn, but their Iron Man match is still a very well done back and forth affair.

What carries this match is the heel mannerisms by Sasha Banks. Her torturing Bayley right in front of one of her most die hard fans was absolutely perfect, and it created a perfect clash of good vs. evil. Eventually, Bayley was able to overcome with the win, but just like in Brooklyn, they couldn’t help but hold a level of mutual respect with each other. These two always told good stories together.


23. Tomasso Ciampa (C) vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT Championship (Takeover: Brooklyn III) – Last Man Standing Match

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Ciapma and Gargano is arguably the best individual rivalry in NXT history. If not, it is at least in the running. Their rivalry was built upon years as a tag team and as competitors, but came to a head when envy and rage took over. The trilogy of matches between Gargano and Ciampa effectively defined their rivalry, and while this match was the “worst” of the three, it just goes to show you damn good they are.

Their Last Man Standing  is effectively violent, barbaric and remarkably physical. Here, the seeds of Gargano turning towards the dark side were planted, and the finish came when Gargano had Ciampa beat, but his rage caused him to make a mistake and took himself out of the running in the process.


22. The War Raiders (C) vs. Ricochet and Aliester Black – NXT Tag Team Championships (Takeover: New York)

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This was the effective swan song for Ricochet and Aliester Black that they deserved. They had won the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and in going so, earned the right to challenge for the Tag Team Championships and NXT’s champions, the War Raiders. Ricochet and Black were already teaming up on the main roster, and with WrestleMania season looming, it was clear that they were going to lose in lieu of their call up.

That said, you could have fooled me as to who was going to win because this match was bonkers. The reason why it was so impressive was because both teams were copying each other’s styles. Black and Ricochet were content in showing off their great strength while the War Raiders, big as they are, were doing back flips and dives to the outside. It was an unexpected twist that led to an incredibly fun match that could have gone either way.


21. Finn Balor (C) vs. Kevin Owens – NXT Championship (Takeover: Brooklyn) – Ladder Match

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This is kind of a bittersweet match for some because this would prove to be Kevin Owens’ last Takeover. Owens and Balor are two of the more popular acts in NXT history. Owens, because of just how unbelievably talented a heel he is, and Balor because of his popular Demon gimmick. Ladder matches have been done before in NXT, but Balor and Owens raised the bar with some of the spots and physicality that they had here.

For someone as big as Owens here, you have to respect some of what he’s able to do. Balor complimented Owens’ style beautifully here, and they were able to be creative with the ladders. Especially Owens, lining up the ladder on Balor’s body and pretending as though he was going to do something, only to just punch him in the face to the disappointment of the crowd. It’s a very fun ladder match, and one of the best of its kind in NXT history.


20. Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro: Takeover: ArrRival

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Sami Zayn’s quest for respect early in his NXT tenure became prominent when he battled Cesaro of the Real Americans back in 2014. This is a unique match because someone on the main roster was being featured on a Takeover card. These two already had what many considered to be a match of the year, and this was a highly anticipated rematch that people couldn’t wait to see.

When you combine the high-flying, athletic ability of Sami Zayn with Cesaro’s inhumane strength, it makes for a unique combination. These two were unbelievably impressive here, incorporating basic psychology with a great backstory. While Zayn did not come out of the match with the win, he was able to get what he was seeking for the longest time. Respect.


19. The Undisputed Era (C) vs. Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan – NXT Tag Team Championship (Takeover: Chicago II)

Image result for The Undisputed Era vs oney lorcan and danny burchAny match that features the Undisputed Era is bound to be great by default, but at this particular Takeover, they received an interesting challenge in Lorcan and Burch. The tag team weren’t really well known in NXT and were trying to make a name for themselves when they got the better of the UE one night. Therefore, they were in line for a shot at the tag titles.

Sometimes, all you need is an opportunity to make a name for yourself on a big stage, and Burch and Lorcan were able to make names for themselves here. This match is incredibly physical, and the cunning of O’Reilly and Strong were put to the test here. One could think that the match could have gone either way once Adam Cole was sent to the back, but the match came down to which team had the better teamwork, and the Undisputed Era were able to rise to the challenge by literally beating the hell out of Lorcan and Burch. A fun gem here.


18. Ricochet (C) vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT North American Championship (Takeover: Phoenix)

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We are well into Johnny Gargano’s heel turn here, and instead of battling Tomasso Ciampa for months on end, he decides to go after a different prize in the form of the NXT North American Championship held by the high flying Ricochet. Johnny’s story of turning to the dark side is a very interesting one, and in this match, we can see how he is dealing with an internal conflict.

First, Ricochet’s defense and counters of every one of Johnny’s moves were some of the most impressive I’ve ever seen. The dude is made out of something I couldn’t even dream of. However, Johnny was able to dictate the pace of the match and get into Ricochet’s head. However, once Johnny realized that conventional means were not going to work, he had to make a choice. Try to win cleanly or remove the padding on the outside and ensure victory at the cost of his morality. He chose the latter, and it netted him the North American Championship.


17. The Undisputed Era (C) vs. Moustache Mountain – NXT Tag Team Championships (Takeover: Brooklyn III)

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These two tag teams had incredible chemistry, and the story that would carry this feud was the mentor and student relationship that Tyler Bate had with Trent Seven. Beforehand, the Undisputed Era won the tag team championships because Bate threw in the towel when he saw Seven locked in with a submission hold that caused him great distress. In this match, it was Bate who was in trouble and Seven had the opportunity to throw in the towel to save him from turmoil.

However, Seven showed Bate what he should have done in the first place, and trust that he would eventually make it to the other side, which he did. It was incredible storytelling in a match that had great consistency throughout. The near-falls in this match were also insane as well, as Kyle O’Reilly showed tremendous guts, taking a series of tag team moves. Eventually, The Undisputed Era proved just to be too much for the Moustache Mountain duo to handle.


16. Johnny Gargano vs. Aliester Black – Takeover: War Games II

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After it was revealed that it was Johnny Gargano who attacked Aliester Black in a parking lot, costing him a shot at the NXT Championship, the two had a clear and present beef to settle. Johnny’s matches have a centralized story, but in this case, it was as simple as two men who beat the crap out of each other. If you see some of the stiff hits that both men were hitting each other throughout the match, you could convince yourself this match was a shoot.

This match also had one of my favorite overlooked moments in a match at Takeover, which had Aliester Black hold a lifeless Johnny Gargano on his feet, telling him essentially that his sins are essentially forgiven, before putting him away with a devastating Black Mass. It’s an enjoyable, physical match that has a satisfying ending which made sense. Sometimes, that’s all you need.


15. Asuka (C) vs. Ember Moon – NXT Women’s Championship (Takeover: Brooklyn II)

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Asuka was undefeated for the longest time, and it looked like the rest of the NXT Women’s division were amateurs compared to her. Simply no one could touch her on any format. Nia Jax, Ruby Riot, Nikki Cross and Bayley all tried their luck against Asuka, but all failed. Then, enter Ember Moon. Showcasing differently colored contact lenses whenever she fought, she presented a different challenge for Asuka. So much so to the point where she had to use underhanded tactics in order to retain her title.

Ember made sure that she was going to face Asuka on a level playing field and give her everything that she had. Never before was Asuka in jeopardy of losing her title and her undefeated streak. It was incredibly physical, and a tremendous back and forth affair. This match also had one of the greatest near-falls ever, when Moon hit Asuka with a devastating super-kick and got a 2.99 count. Asuka proved to be too much in the end, but she didn’t leave this match unscathed.


14. Tomasso Ciampa (C) vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT Championship (Takeover: War Games II)

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Eventually, when Ciampa and Gargano moved on from each other, they found different opponents that they had to contend with. For Ciampa, the Velveteen Dream stepped up to the plate and gave Ciampa gave him a run for his money. It is such an unorthodox match because Ciampa was so used to having to contend with Gargano’s style.

However, if there was one thing Dream shared in common with Gargano, it was his tenacity and ability to kick out of most of Ciampa’s arsenal. You could also convince yourself that Dream had the match one when he hit the Purple Rainmaker.

Unfortunately for Dream, he went to the well one too many times, and he ended up nearly taking his arm off as he missed another elbow. Ciampa then took advantage and escaped with his life and title. Ciampa called Dream a prodigy after the match. That’s all you need to know about how great this was.


13. Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa – Street Fight (NXT Takeover: Chicago II)

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The 2nd match in the trilogy of matches between Gargano and Ciampa came in Chicago. This lacked the extra incentive for Gargano to win because his career wasn’t on the line here, but that didn’t stop this from being a crazy brawl. They kept up the intensity from their match in New Orleans and continued to tear each other apart.

Gargano’s rage boiled over when Ciampa threw away Gargano’s wedding ring, and the boundaries between professional and personal wrestling became blurred. Gargano had the match won but the referees were all distracted from the commotion to even notice. Because a decision was never made, Ciampa took advantage with a brutal looking DDT right onto the wooden part of the ring to give Ciampa a win. Gargano’s rage had costed him the match, and that’s how you tell a great story.


12. Adrian Neville (C) vs. Sami Zayn – NXT Championship (Takeover: R Evolution)

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Sami Zayn had earned the respect he was looking for after his feud with Cesaro. Then, he was on a quest for an even greater prize, that being the NXT Championship. Neville had gotten the better of Zayn on multiple occasions, and Zayn had only so many opportunities before his NXT tenure ended.

This match is the reason why I believe Sami Zayn is better served as a face. He is simply much more believable as a good guy. They have an absolutely incredible athletic affair that can go either way before Neville gets desperate and attempts to use the title to knock Sami out with the referee down. Zayn stops him and then notices what Neville was trying to do.

Zayn was such a good guy and wanted to do things the right way. His career was on the line and he had to decide between ensuring a victory through maniacal means or winning the match the right way with his respect intact. After much deliberation, he chooses the latter, and the right decision pays off in the form of one of the most feel-good victories in NXT history.


11. Pete Dunne (C) vs. WALTER – United Kingdom Championship (Takeover: New York)

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Some people may think that this match is rated too high, but I don’t think so. Here you have Pete Dunne, a man who comes into this match holding the UK Championship for 685 days. Nobody can match him. Then comes WALTER, who looks like he is double his size and will not be dispatched with so easily.

This match is just a straight up fight, and reached a level of physicality that will leave your chest purple just by watching it. What I loved was that the typical tactics that Dunne would try to use would not work here because of WALTER’s pure weight and strength. WALTER took the fight to Dunne in a way that no previous challenger before him could do. Stomping him to the face, loud chops to the chest and powerbombs from the top rope.

Dunne is one tough bastard and took all of WALTER’s offense while applying his special joint manipulation in the process. Unfortunately, WALTER was just too much and Dunne got a worthy match to end his reign. An absolutely incredibly, physical battle.


10. The Undisputed Era vs. Roderick Strong/Authors of Pain vs. sAnity – War Games Match (NXT Takeover: War Games)

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The first time I watched this match, I instantly turned off my Xbox and reset it to the WWE Network to watch it again, because I literally could not believe what all these men were doing to each other. I wasn’t really a fan of the War Games match because I just saw it as an extended version of a steel cage match with the action being confined.

However, these nine men were able to destroy each other across two rings and leave a wake of destruction in their path that gave new meaning to the word “war”. Seriously, just look and some of the things Alexander Wolfe and the Authors of Pain do here.

This effectively established The Undisputed Era as the future of NXT, and they made an incredible first impression here with a victory on their first Takeover match as a trio.


9. The Revival (C) vs. DIY – NXT Tag Team Championships (2 out of 3 Falls) – NXT Takeover: Toronto

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This match made me fall in love with tag team wrestling once again. The two teams tore it down in Brooklyn, but then they decided to add to the fun by adding an extra two falls into this match. The bottom line is that these two had developed impeccable chemistry with each other at this point, and the culmination of Ciampa and Gargano reaching the top of the tag team mountain.

The best part is that this was also the culmination of the first chapter in their journey as future rivals. Gargano and Ciampa had to become one in order to make their separation more emotional. And The Revival were just the right team to complement them.


8. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn- Takeover: Dallas

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Nakamura’s debut in NXT was one of the more monumental debuts for the brand because he was already established as international legend and a Japanese wrestling icon. He had charisma even though he couldn’t speak, and his strong-style of wrestling complimented his future opponent.

Sami Zayn’d transfer to the main roster was already upon us, and his match against Nakamura was his farewell match. The typical tradition is for a prominent wrestler to lie down and take a loss in their farewell match, and while this wasn’t Sami’s retirement, it felt like it in many ways. Overall, this was a highly physical match, and Sami was the perfect person to put over Nakamura in his NXT debut. A highly anticipated debut combined with an emotional farewell makes this a top of the line NXT Takeover match.


7. Tyler Bate (C) vs. Pete Dunne – NXT United Kingdom Championship (Takeover: Chicago 2017)

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The first thing I want you to understand about this match is that Tyler Bate wasn’t even old enough to legally drink at the time. Pete Dunne was 23. So here you basically have two kids going out there and stealing the show in a high stakes Takeover match. The United Kingdom Championship was still a relatively fresh concept as Bate became the inaugural champion by defeating Dunne. So of course, you’d think that Dunne wanted a chance to get his rematch and another crack at him.

What I loved about this match was how polished a match these two wrestled despite their age. Dunne made sure to bring the physicality and Bate was forced to match that level of physicality. Bate’s strength has always been an underrated aspect of his abilities as we’ve seen it showcased time and time again. These two styles clashed in the greatest of ways, and this was literal poetry in motion. Pete Dunne would go on to have a highly successful and dominant run as UK Champion. Long live the Bruiserweight.


6. Johnny Gargano (C) vs. Adam Cole – NXT Championship (Takeover: 25)

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Johnny Gargano had just come off the biggest win of his career at the previous Takeover, and Adam Cole was convinced that he could defeat Gargano one on one. All he required was the opportunity to prove himself once again. What made this a beautiful match was that there were so many underlying stories at play that came to light. At Takeover: New York, The Undisputed Era came out to interfere and Cole believed that cost him precious momentum and the match. Cole made the point that when was left on his own, like in the fatal five way match he won to earn the match, he got the job done.

However, Cole was able to defeat Gargano on his own at this time without Undisputed Era interfering. It was also ingenious for Adam to play with Gargano’s head by pretending to summon them down the ramp, needlessly raising Gargano’s anxiety and giving him a mental edge. The other story was that this was a one fall match. The match at New York was 2 out of 3 Falls. In that match, Cole won the first fall, but lost the next two. Cole believed that if it was one fall to a finish, he’d get the job done and he did. Adam won the big one, proved the doubters wrong and was ultimately proven right in the process.


5. Ricochet vs. Adam Cole vs. Lars Sullivan vs. The Veleveteen Dream vs. EC3 vs. Killian Dain – NXT North American Championship Ladder Match (Takeover: New Orleans)

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If you want to talk about a chaotic ladder match, please look no further. I certainly hope all six of these competitors got raises after this match, because I have rarely seen the level of creativity, ingenuity and physicality that was present in this ladder match. Ricochet made his Takeover debut, and some of the spots that he performed in this match was simply incredible. Whenever he was getting shoved off a ladder, he was using it to nearly kill himself via a dive on the outside.

Adam Cole played the opportunist, Lars Sullivan and Killian Dain constantly engaged in battles of strength, EC3 was looking to make a name for himself and Velveteen Dream was the risk taker. Each participant had a role to play in this match and they all played it beautifully. Cole taking advantage of all the confusion and shoving Ricochet off at the last moment to win his first title in NXT was a beautiful ending to an entertaining match.


4. Sasha Banks (C) vs. Bayley – NXT Women’s Championship (Takeover: Brooklyn)

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This match will forever have a soft spot in the wrestling portion of my brain because this is what started the revolution into women, at least on the surface, being on equal footing as men. The bar was raised tremendously here, and these women went into Brooklyn and absolutely committed highway robbery by stealing the show in front of thousands of passionate fans.

The story was simple, but powerful. Sasha Banks is very talented, but also very egotistical, dubbing herself as The Boss. Bayley makes herself of no reputation. She’s simply the sweet, loveable and huggable performer that wouldn’t harm a fly but will work hard to get what she wants. The two personalities and styles clashed back and forth and provided us with emotional storytelling and a satisfying finish in the form of Bayley’s victory. This, coupled with The Four Horsewomen posing after the match as a sign of mutual respect between those performers is all the evidence you need of how special this match was.


3. Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole – 2 out of 3 Falls – NXT Championship (Takeover: New York)

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It’s amazing that this was a match that was basically an impromptu match because of Tomasso Ciampa’s untimely neck injury. However, this is about as great of a backup plan as it can get. Cole and Gargano took similar paths to get to where they were, but they never collided one on one in NXT. When they did, it was time to get down the business. Gargano wasn’t able to over Ciampa for the title and he had struggled on Takeover events. Meanwhile, Adam Cole was establishing himself as a top name, but he hasn’t proven he can win the big one.

I’ll be honest in saying that the first two falls were very solid, but they were also your typical run of the mill and by the numbers as it can get. However, once the urgency started and the third, predictable and deciding fall started, both men put on their working boots. This match had some of the most heart-stopping kickouts I’ve ever seen. Johnny Gargano had to fight through hell and highwater and it was looking increasingly likely that the NXT Championship would elude him once again. Everything that he fought for and all of the obstacles that he had to face seemed to be too much, but he kept fighting.

I liked the story they told with Gargano’s perserverance, and the only reason why this match isn’t any higher is because admittedly some of the kickouts were ridiculous. He was taking tag team moves, piledrivers and stiff Last Shots with little time to recover. However, within the context of the match, it was highly entertaining to watch live, and listening to Ranallo have a seizure on the air calling the match never fails.


2. Andrade “Cien” Almas (C) vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT Championship (NXT: Philadelphia)

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This was just astute wrestling through and through with little nonsense in between. Andrade will remain the most underrated NXT Champion of all time to me, because what started out as a run of the mill gimmick turned him into one of NXT’s most gifted in-ring performers. Of course, this performance was accentuated by the performance of Gargano once again.

Gargano had been experiencing a run of major losses in lieu of being betrayed by Ciampa, and that mental block never seemed to elude him. So he was already going into the match with a mental deficiency in that regard, but throughout the match, he showcased that he was more than ready for the challenge. However, Almas wasn’t prepared to let him get any advantages and responded Gargano’s ingenuity in the ring with physicality and hard-hitting moves. Unfortunately, Gargano’s spirit enabled him to keep fighting.

However, the MVP of this match belongs to Zelina Vega for not only continuing to manipulate Johnny’s head with reminders of what he used to have, but by also interfering on Andrade’s behalf beautifully. When LeRae had enough and got Zelina out of the picture, it was just down to Almas and Gargano. That had to be my favorite sequence in an NXT match ever, because there was no nonsense and it was truly just down to who was better. Almas and the damage he inflicted on Johnny’s head proved to be too much, and Almas lived to fight another day. What an incredible outing by both men.


1. Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa – Unsanctioned Match (Takeover: New Orleans)

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The greatest match in NXT history is the battle between two former NXT tag team champions turned bitter enemies. This match was something that was practically about two years in the making. From the time they entered the CWC, to the time where they became tag team partners, to the time the won the tag team championships, to the time where Ciampa viciously attacked Gargano to the time where Gargano was given consistent reminders of Ciampa. It all led to their legendary match in New Orleans, and if Johnny lost, he was never to wrestle in NXT again.

Not only was this a brutal fight for the ages, but Gargano was literally fighting for his life here. If he lost this match, he would have lost a match, his friend and his NXT career all in one swoop. So with every near fall, you would hold your breath in the hopes that Gargano would find a way to win and vindicate himself. It was an intense, grueling and physical battle that Gargano seemed destined to lose.

Johnny then got the advantage over Ciampa, but not before Tomasso would try to give Gargano the workaround one last time. It seemed to work for a while and it looked like Johnny’s naive nature would come back to cost him yet another big match. However, we saw an evolution in his character, and he knew better than to trust him. Surely enough, he caught Ciampa slipping, and won the match greeted by his wife afterwards. It was a beautiful story told from the fall of 2016 all the way to the spring of 2018, and what a story it was. And that is how you build to the best match in NXT history.