10 Best NXT TakeOver Spotfests
Some of the maddest matches from the Black and Gold Brand.
NXT revolutionised wrestling.
Combining the work rate and innovation of the independent circuit with the bright lights and production budget of WWE, NXT has changed the way that the biggest game in town operates.
From reality show to feeder system to a standalone brand, it's come a long way since the days of The Nexus and is still going strong even through a global health crisis.
Whilst NXT is known for its ultra-technical style and well-thought-out matches, even the Full Sail crew aren't immune to a spotfest now and again. As much as we all like to pretend we're into super high-end matches, we all love a car wreck from time to time and NXT fans are no exception.
Some great hardcore brawls have taken place on NXT TV - think back to the war between Asuka and Nikki Cross - but if you want some vintage cuts then you have to turn to TakeOver.
When NXT gets to show off on a big stage, it always means that the stakes are higher, the tensions are higher, and the spots... well, they just go nuts.
The following ten bouts are all gloriously mad and have given birth to some of the most memorable in-ring moments in NXT history. Buckle up...
10. North American Championship Ladder Match - TakeOver XXX
We'll start with the most recent, because we have short memories.
At NXT TakeOver: XXX, five men battled in a ladder match for the vacant North American Championship. The participants ranged from NXT veterans like Johnny Gargano to TakeOver debutantes like Bronson Reed and this clash of characters and styles made for an interesting dynamic.
Since the brand's first ladder match six years ago, NXT has developed a style of fast-paced, spot-heavy ladder match that has produced some truly spectacular viewing and this one was no exception. Highlights included Johnny hitting a wicked powerbomb off the ladder onto Cameron Grimes, Velveteen Dream disappearing through the Earth, and Bronson Reed leaping off the top of a giant ladder with Candice LeRae on his back to crush her husband on the floor below.
The match ended when Damian Priest kicked Cameron Grimes' head into a different dimension and pulled down the gold, but he wasn't the only person to leave this match a winner. Grimes established himself a fixture of NXT's midcard, Gargano added to his astronomical list of TakeOver moments, and Bronson Reed put in an absolutely star-making turn.
All-in-all, this was really fun.