10 Best Matches From WWE NXT Takeover History
From Full Sail to Dallas to Brooklyn.
From its humble beginnings as Florida Championship Wrestling, to the creation of NXT, to the juggernaut that the brand has become, the creative team behind WWE's 'developmental' has shown that they're constantly looking to push the envelope. From a storytelling, in-ring, or presentation standpoint, NXT is often so good that it receives more critical acclaim than its main roster counterpart.
A staple of NXT since its inception is the live TakeOver specials, essentially the same thing as WWE pay-per-views on a slightly smaller scale. Since the first Live event NXT: Arrival, the company has raised the bar in terms of the quality entertainment that two hours of wrestling can provide. While it oftentimes seems like each TakeOver is better than the next, there are standout matches that are head and shoulders above the rest, and in many cases out perform matches from the main roster PPVs.
NXT has built such a strong following on the backs of these TakeOver specials that they were able to run a TakeOver at the Barclay's Center the night before SummerSlam, selling out the building to its 15,589 seat capacity. With TakeOver: Toronto fast approaching and poised to break NXT's attendance record, it's time to look back at the matches that helped get NXT to where it is today.
The following are the top 10 matches in NXT TakeOver history:
10. Sasha Banks Vs. Becky Lynch - NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable
A match that totally stole the show it was on. Between the massive force of nature that was Charlotte and the fan favorite phenomenon Bayley, it was easy for people to forget about Becky in the shuffle. Her performance in this match showed just how short sighted those people were.
The match was a masterclass in ring psychology, with Becky going to work on Sasha's arm early and often, setting her up for her submission move, the 'disarm-her'. Not to be outdone, Sasha started to work on Becky's arm as well in an attempt to take away her exploder suplex and generally hinder her in the match. The match built beautifully to a crescendo, with Sasha barely squeaking by with a hardfought win. The pain on Becky's face after the loss was palpable, and it sold just how brutal and intense the match was.
Coming on the heels of the #givedivasachance hashtag that finally pushed WWE in a positive direction regarding women's wrestling, Becky and Sasha showed exactly what women are capable of in a wrestling ring.
More than anything else, this helped propel Becky Lynch to the megastar status she's currently experiencing. It saw the debut of her steampunk aesthetic, a part of her unique look to this day. Despite losing, Lynch managed to show that she was capable of carrying the women's division, and I don't doubt that it played a part in her current reign as WWE SmackDown Women's champion.