10 WWE Matches That Were Spoiled Before They Happened
5. The War Raiders Vs Ricochet & Aleister Black (NXT TakeOver: New York)
One of the best matches in TakeOver history had only one thing working against it, and that exact thing won't remotely shock any readers that keep as close an eye on the black-and-gold brand as they do the main roster.
NXT had yet again been hung out to dry by WWE.
The War Raiders' exceptional title defence against the oddly enjoyable makeshift pairing of Ricochet and Aleister Black was electric in execution, exploiting the flights of fancy of all four with death-defying and scientifically engineered excellence. The result - the end destination of all the devastation - wasn't remotely in doubt, despite the very best efforts of all four.
In a shortsighted ratings grab weeks earlier, the company had called up the Challengers alongside Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa in a potential disasterstroke for the ages. Then-NXT Champion Ciampa suffering a neck injury hijacked what was sure to be an epic TakeOver: New York payoff with his former D.I.Y partner, but any future suspense for Ricochet and Black's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic run and title prospects were spoiled from that desperately disappointing moment.