Ranking Every NXT TakeOver From Worst To Best
6. Phoenix
'Johnny Wrestling' reframed his 'Johnny TakeOver' persona during a temporary turn right around TakeOver: Phoenix, but an unbelievable North American Title switch sprung from the wreckage of an ineffective and inelegant heel switch.
Flipping the formula of his supercard epic, Gargano became a cutoff merchant in the face of Ricochet's incredible physical feats, using his torturous teases for evil rather than good. It anchored a robust card that took chances in concept rewarded by a near-immaculate execution.
The Undisputed Era surrendered their Tag Team Championships to the rock hard War Raiders, but kept their position as NXT MVPs with another scintillating show-opener. Elsewhere, Bianca Belair pushed back the challenge of Shayna Baszler's MMA Horsewomen but panicked and paid for it in a thrilling Women's Championship clash and Matt Riddle did in nine minutes what he'd done in about as many seconds a few months earlier with a worthy win over Kassius Ohno.
The card could have relegated Tommaso Ciampa's gritty NXT Championship win over Aleister Black to a secondary concern, but the pair assembled a thrilling WWE-style main event in what ended up as a closing montage of Champion Ciampa's best bits before a neck injury sidelined him for the summer.