13 Best WWE Matches Of 2016 (So Far)

4. NXT Tag Team Championship Match: American Alpha Vs. The Revival - TakeOver: The End

american alpha the revival
WWE Network

The jubilation and heartfelt emotion expressed by American Alpha's Jason Jordan and Chad Gable as they celebrated their NXT Tag Team Championship victory at TakeOver: Dallas was short-lived, courtesy of the irate former champions The Revival.

The continued issues between the teams led to a even more intensely personal match two months later at TakeOver: The End. The rabid fans inside Full Sail University's NXT Arena watched in awe as the tandems wrestled a near-flawless match. The double ankle lock spot was superb, as was the in-ring psychology demonstrated by the heel challengers. Their isolation of Gable and continued cutting off of any potential hot tag was great stuff that old teams like The Andersons would be proud of.

Jordan's late match explosion looked to have the champions in position to successfully retain until The Revival executed a perfect Shatter Machine and regained the titles clean in the center of the ring. It was a shocking conclusion that no one saw coming so close to American Alpha's feel-good moment.

Sentiment notwithstanding, the match was an extraordinary display of tag team wrestling the likes of which professional wrestling fans had not seen since the height of 1980s WWE and the rivalry between The Midnight and Rock & Roll Express.

Contributor
Contributor

Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.