10 Hidden Gem WWE NXT TakeOver Matches That Deserve A Rewatch
4. Undisputed Era Vs. War Raiders (NXT TakeOver: Phoenix)
Amazing tag team duos came and went in NXT, but once they arrived, no group came close to toppling the force of The Undisputed Era, arguably NXT's greatest ever faction.
Simply put, no one could touch UE, regardless of who paired up to represent. Save for Moustache Mountain’s brief two-day dalliance in between the Era’s first two NXT tag team title reigns, UE maintained an unbeatable stranglehold on the division. Thus, when famed tag team journeymen Hanson and Rowe emerged in Full Sail as the War Raiders, the four horsemen of NXT were on notice. When it was time at TakeOver: Phoenix for the Raiders to get their primetime shot at the gold, more than ever before, UE’s reign atop the mountain was threatened, and they knew it.
This was a chaotic affair, a blistering battle that was strongly built with a cohesive narrative, seeing UE struggling to exploit their opponents through masterful heeling. The War Raiders engulfed teams, able to overwhelm opponents with their intimidating aura. Once again in this match, they were just too big, too quick and too powerful. Matching the strength and physicality of Rowe (now Erik) with Hanson (now Ivar), who outside of Keith Lee, is potentially the most agile heavyweight on the main roster, was too much to handle.
O’Reily and Strong tried every trick in the book, but their crafty maneuvers were no match, and their kingdom came crashing down for the time being.