15 Ups & 6 Downs For WWE NXT In 2019
7. TakeOver: XXV
Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole had a near-impossible task in their June sequel to an April classic - follow it.
The fact that the pair came within touching distance of their era-defining original was as admirable as the match was awesome. Kept relatively lean at 32 minutes, Adam Cole's big night came not a moment too soon, and the Undisputed Era crucially conquered the Champion all on his own for once. A victory for the programme before it fell off a cliff later that year, this went underrated all year just as it did on the night.
The main eventers had stolen all the headlines over WrestleMania weekend, but TakeOver: XXV belonged to NXT's tantalising midcard - Matt Riddle and Roderick Strong's spine-shattering opener was a tour-de-force of pro wrestling brutality, whilst Shayna Baszler's heartbreaking win over Io Shirai set off the 'Joshi Judas' lurking within the 'Genius Of The Sky'.
The rest of the plaudits belonged to the Street Profits, who kickstarted their short but perfectly formed run as NXT Tag Team Champions after a captivating ladder match victory over the last remnants of a once-great doubles division.