10 Best Wrestling Pay-Per-Views Of 2019 (So Far)

7. NXT TakeOver: Phoenix

Cody Dustin Rhodes
WWE.com

Another guaranteed banger of a show, NXT TakeOver: Phoenix wasn't the most blockbuster card in the brand's recent, unreal history, but it produced a crop of awesome matches of a proper physical bent.

The Undisputed Era Vs. War Raiders NXT Tag Team Title opener was fire - a duel between two colossal powerhouses and two technically immaculate sh*thouses. Matt Riddle Vs. Kassius Ohno was great in card sequencing and in itself; Ohno's despicable heel desperation was really creative stuff, and Riddle endeared himself to the NXT audience as something more different and legitimate to the usual, imported Indy starlet.

On the subject of which, Ricochet and Johnny Gargano wrestled the match of the night in a match of high-octane master craftsmanship - warp-speed, head-dropping brilliance underpinned by super heel work on the latter's part. Bianca BelAir showed ingenuity and passion in her admirable if flawed challenge of Shayna Baszler's NXT Championship. In contrast, Aleister Black, in his failed pursuit of Tommaso Ciampa's "Goldie", entered a mature performance of stunning depth.

His selling was world-class, his professionalism even more so. He lent his aura to Ciampa in a very worthy main event that put its Champion over as the cerebral and vicious Ace of NXT.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!