10 Best Wrestling Matches That Ever Happened In New York City
5. Sasha Banks Vs. Bayley - NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn
NXT is supposed to be a developmental territory and the male wrestlers are supposed to be the main draw of any given event, but neither of those "rules" applied at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, when Sasha Banks and Bayley stole the show in front of a sold-out Barclays Center.
Along with Charlotte and Becky Lynch, Bayley and Banks were part of "The Four Horsewomen" - a group of four female NXT wrestlers who revolutionized mainstream women's competition in the United States. Between 2013 and 2015, The Four Horsewomen wrestled each other in just about every combination, including a fatal four-way match at TakeOver: Rival. In that bout, Banks pinned Charlotte to win the NXT Women's Championship.
In the summer of 2015, Banks, Charlotte, and Lynch were all called up to the WWE roster, ending the era of The Horsewomen. Banks was still champion, though, and it was determined that at TakeOver: Brooklyn, she'd defend her title against perennial underdog (and ultra-popular babyface) Bayley.
The match took place in front of NXT's largest crowd ever, and it captivated everybody. Banks worked over Bayley's injured hand with stomps and a Fujiwara armbar, then took things to another level with a somersault plancha. Banks locked in the Banks Statement, but Bayley managed to escape and hit the Bayley-To-Belly for a near-fall. Both women tried to hit moves from the top rope and eventually, Bayley took Banks off the top with a reverse Frankensteiner, then hit another Bayley-To-Belly for the win.
After the match, Charlotte and Lynch came out and The Four Horsewomen all celebrated the end - and the beginning - of an era together.