History Awesome / WWENXTTakeOver

* Wrestling/BobbyRoode made his NXT debut, beating Wrestling/AndradeCienAlmas. Special mention to Roode's [[{{Catchphrase}} GLORIOUS]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URNRTrpnT7g entrance]].

* The NXT Women's Championship match between former [[FunWithAcronyms Beautiful Fierce Females]] Wrestling/SashaBanks and Wrestling/{{Charlotte|Flair}} at ''[=TakeOver=] 3'' was widely considered by fans to be one of the best women's matches for quite some time. Banks and Charlotte came in with loaded history and plenty of heat, and both proceeded to deliver in the ring, with Sasha's performance winning over many fans who had been skeptical of her abilities and Charlotte using her gymnastics background to display creativity in the ring that WWE Divas haven't been allowed to show in years. In the end, Charlotte would win this surefire candidate for any Women's Match of the Year poll with what could best be called a [[IncrediblyLamePun Super Natural Selection]].
* The finale to Wrestling/SamiZayn's incredible series of matches with [[Wrestling/{{PAC}} Adrian Neville]] throughout 2014 for Neville's NXT Championship, culminating in Sami finally beating Neville for the title. First, let's paint the picture: Zayn and Neville, close friends since the days of Generico and PAC, faced each other for the gold several times throughout the year, throwing all they had at each other every single time, showcasing the talent and passion that has gained them the respect of the independent wrestling world. Each time, Neville would take a shortcut or capitalize on a lowered guard in order to retain his title. Between frustrations and redemption match series and constant pestering from Neville about how he lacks the pragmatism to be champion, Sami reached a boiling point before ''[=TakeOver=] 3'', shoved Neville's respect into the backburner, and declared that if he couldn't beat Neville at the event he would quit NXT.\\

** How about the fact that Dunne's title reign [[Main/BookEnds began and ended]] in matches that were rated 4.75 by [[Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter Dave Meltzer]].

* In the superb tag title match, Tyler Bate has Wrestling/RoderickStrong by the legs with Kyle O'Reilly hanging on his back and proceeds to do an airplane spin/swing combination. When O'Reilly tries to choke him, Bate flips Strong to his feet and proceeds to ''German suplex both men at once.''

* NXT's tag-team scene once again shows why it's one of the best in the world with 4 teams going at it in a ''chaotic'' ladder match reminiscent of the one from New Orleans. Highlights include Kyle O'Reilly taking bump after bump, some onto ladders, Jaxson Ryker destroying everyone in his path, Lorcan and Burch bringing ''really'' stiff strikes to the bout, and The Street Profits (literally) climbing the ladder to greatness, winning the Tag Titles to much acclaim.
* Io Shirai pulling her own against Wrestling/ShaynaBaszler despite interference from the latter's fellow MMA Horsewomen. Despite tapping out to her, Shirai would not show weakness in defeat by taking out Duke and Shafir before proceeding to hit Shayna with a moonsault ''[[ChairmanOfTheBrawl while holding a steel chair]]'' to show that their war was far from over.
* Having closed out New York with what many called WWE's greatest match, Wrestling/JohnnyGargano and Wrestling/AdamCole [[ToughActToFollow had a lot to live up to, to put it mildly]]. While most would say their previous bout was better, the fact that this one came ''damn'' close to matching it shows how good these two are at their jobs, with ridiculous counters and near-falls as the crowd was practically split on who to root for. In the end Cole hit the Last Shot on Johnny Wrestling to win the NXT Title ''and'' become their 2nd Grand Slam Champion. How did [[Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter Uncle Dave]] rate this match? '''[[BrokeTheRatingScale 5.25 Stars]]''', giving NXT its 2nd match rated more than 5* in the span of a few months.

* Wrestling/CandiceLeRae ''finally'' stepping out of the "Mrs. Johnny Gargano" role she had been stuck in and taking on Io Shirai in what many people called the sleeper hit of the night. Candice showed everyone just why she'd been the ''sole'' female title-holder in PWG history, and why she has made her name on the indy circuit. Shirai, of course, is one of the best wrestlers in the world, and the two put on a vicious match involving German suplexes off the apron, dueling moonsaults, and a couple of hardway bloody noses and mouths.

** Despite that, the duo pulled off an epic brawl against the opposing team which included Ripley taking a 450 while lying on chairs and then a cloverleaf on Shirai on the ropes.

*** Dijakovic is caught in a triangle choke by Kyle O'Reilly. Using what he could of his strength, Dijakovic is able to set O'Reilly on a table so Owens can splash through it while Lee power-bombs Bobby Fish off the ropes through another table.

* Io Shirai finally winning the NXT Women's Championship, and doing so via pinning Wrestling/RheaRipley while Wrestling/CharlotteFlair had her in a Figure Eight.

* In a brutal battle that brought new meaning to the term "stiff fight", Wrestling/{{WALTER}} ''finally'' ended [[Wrestling/BritishStrongStyle Pete Dunne's]] record reign as U.K. champion.

* Wrestling/AdrianNeville ending Wrestling/BoDallas' NXT title reign. After months of lucky wins led to the hated Dallas becoming the longest reigning NXT champion, his luck finally ran out at ''NXT [=ArRIVAL=]'' in a ladder match.

* The finale to Wrestling/SamiZayn's incredible series of matches with Wrestling/AdrianNeville throughout 2014 for Neville's NXT Championship, culminating in Sami finally beating Neville for the title. First, let's paint the picture: Zayn and Neville, close friends since the days of Generico and PAC, faced each other for the gold several times throughout the year, throwing all they had at each other every single time, showcasing the talent and passion that has gained them the respect of the independent wrestling world. Each time, Neville would take a shortcut or capitalize on a lowered guard in order to retain his title. Between frustrations and redemption match series and constant pestering from Neville about how he lacks the pragmatism to be champion, Sami reached a boiling point before ''[=TakeOver=] 3'', shoved Neville's respect into the backburner, and declared that if he couldn't beat Neville at the event he would quit NXT.\\

Furthermore, only days later the main roster held a pay-per-view called ''TLC: Tables, Ladders, Chairs…and Stairs'' which found itself widely panned as inferior to ''[=TakeOver=] 3'' in every way, with only Wrestling/LukeHarper vs. Wrestling/DolphZiggler's opening ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship and Wrestling/BrayWyatt vs. Wrestling/DeanAmbrose's main event TLC match even coming close to the acclaim of ''[=TakeOver=] 3''. Reports started coming in that main roster talent were becoming resentful of the fact that they weren't getting the booking that NXT guys were or the associated accolades, and that some of the wrestlers at TLC phoned in their matches in a form of "silent protest" in favor of Triple H, knowing they wouldn't be able to match the NXT special's quality. At the same time, NXT wrestlers have begun to feel like they've got the must-see product and should be getting paid on the level of the main roster.\\

* The NXT Championship #1 contender's match between Wrestling/AdrianNeville and [[Wrestling/FergalDevitt Finn Bálor]]. We got Bálor's freakish body paint entrance all over again, but this time we saw what he was capable of against an opponent who would not be intimidated by his demon king antics. Bálor and Neville came at each other with everything and put on a dynamic wrestling clinic, a match with ebbs and flows which told the story of "whoever can execute their top rope finisher first is gonna win the match". The crowd was more or less behind Finn, who inevitably won the match with his Coup de Grace [[DeathFromAbove super high]] [[FinishingMove double foot stomp]], and once again a disappointed Neville walked off after showing respect to his opponent while being thanked profusely by the fans.

* What may be even more awesome is what happens after Drew wins. Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish, who previously debuted by attacking both the Authors of Pain and Wrestling/{{Sanity}} after their match, now once again appear at ringside to confront Drew. It turns out that it's just a distraction, because who comes in and attacks the new NXT Champion from behind? Wrestling/{{ADAM COLE}} [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YHtnh1Ow7k BAY BAY]]!

** Killian Dain has [=EC3=] down on a ladder and climbs the ropes with Wrestling/AdamCole leaping onto his back...and Dain just does a Vader Bomb onto Wrestling/{{EC3}} off the ropes with Cole still hanging on top of him!
** Ricochet is being pushed backward off the ladder and ''in mid-air'' turns it into a moonsault onto Cole and Dain on the outside.

* Shayna Baszler making Wrestling/EmberMoon pass out to win the Women's title in a great match that many agreed surpassed their effort in Philadelphia (props to the unique way Baszler countered the ''Eclipse'' into the ''Kirifuda Clutch'').

* Even before the start of the match, fans were outright cheering for Wrestling/TheUndisputedEra's Wrestling/RoderickStrong and Kyle O'Reilly, flanked by Wrestling/AdamCole, who were the heels against the team of Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. The babyface team even got some pretty notable boos during the the first half. By the match's end? The latter duo won over the fans despite the loss. This match was the opener of the show, and it ignited a white-hot Chicago crowd, setting the stage for the rest of the PPV.

* The women's title match, despite it clocking just below ten minutes, was a fun bout, as Shayna Baszler just didn't know what to make of the insane Wrestling/NikkiCross, who just wasn't intimidated by the fearsome former MMA fighter at all. Still, she held her own long enough to lock in the ''Kirifuda Clutch'' on the Scot. Cross refused to tap, ''smiling'' as she passed out.

* The rubber match between Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler, this time for the NXT Women's Championship, was arguably the best WWE women's match of the entire year up to that point (possibly even surpassing Charlotte Flair/Asuka).

* Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane, despite being just over ten minutes long, was (as usual) an explosive battle. One spot had Sane deliver a '''jumping''' implant DDT on the apron.

* Over the course of 47 minutes, the [=WarGames=] Match between Wrestling/TheUndisputedEra and the team of War Raiders, NXT North American Champion Ricochet, and WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne was an absolute joy to watch, with so many epic moments from both sides:
** At one point, Rowe managed to deliver a powerslam to O'Reilly and, after being handed Strong onto his shoulders courtesy of Hanson, a powerbomb to Strong ''at the same time!''
** A brilliant move from Bobby Fish, as the last man for UE to enter the cage, he took the lock of his own shark cage and proceeded to the other cage, locked it in, and threw the key away! The last man for the other team, Pete Dunne, could do nothing but watch as he waited for the officials to find a way to break open the cage as UE took advantage of the numbers game to wear down the rest of Dunne's teammates. Eventually the officials found bolt cutters to break open the cage, and Dunne proceeded to introduce more weapons inside the cage, evening the odds. Dunne enters the cage, and [=WarGames=] officially starts.

* Rhea Ripley and Wrestling/ToniStorm battled for the NXT UK Womens Champion in a classic match. Each of them got a previous win[[note]]Toni bested Rhea in the ''[[Wrestling/WWEMaeYoungClassic MYC 2018]]'', while Ripley became the inaugural Womens Champion[[/note]], so this duel was to settle the score once and for all. Toni came to the duel as the fan-favorite underdog ([[EngineeredHashtag #WeSupportToni]] was in full force) against the dominating and hated Ripley, who dominated most of the match, only for Toni to turn the tide and hit a Storm Zero in order to pick up the win and become the new Womens Champion. The only shortcoming of the match? It had a very short time.

* Io Shirai pulling her own against Shayna Baszler despite interference from the latter's fellow MMA Horsewomen. Despite tapping out to her, Shirai would not show weakness in defeat by taking out Duke and Shafir before proceeding to hit Shayna with a moonsault ''[[ChairmanOfTheBrawl while holding a steel chair]]'' to show that their war was far from over.

* And, of course, Tyler Bate vs. WALTER for the UK title. More than one person has compared it to Hogan vs. Andre and it's not hard to see why. It became only the second ever match in ''WWE history'' - not NXT history, ''WWE history'' - to get a 5.25 rating from Dave Meltzer. Despite being about half the size of WALTER, Bate managed to lift him more than once (for reference: WALTER - 135kg/297lb, Bate - 79kg/175lb), and managed to get back up from several moves that, by all rights, should have wiped him out. Both men brought out the best in each other, and while WALTER retained, he managed to make Bate look unbelievably strong. It also gave us yet another hybrid awesome/heartwarming moment when Bate's Wrestling/BritishStrongStyle stablemates, Trent Seven and Pete Dunne (who had recently announced he was leaving NXT UK for the American NXT), coming out after WALTER and Imperium had left, helping Bate back to his feet and sort of displaying him to the cheering crowd.

* Before the show, Mia Yim was taken out in an attack so Dakota Kai was chosen as her replacement for the first-ever female [=WarGames=] match. It was an incredibly brutal affair building up to Kai being the third member of Rhea Ripley's team to enter...only to [[FaceHeelTurn attack]] Tegan Nox, brutally laying her out and smashing the cage door on her leg. Kai even attacked William Regal before storming off, leaving Ripley and Wrestling/CandiceLeRae at a 4-2 disadvantage.

** Io manages to moonsault off the top of the cage onto Bianca Belair and [=LeRae=].
** Locked in a choke by Shayna Baszler, Ripley powers herself out of it, handcuffs herself to Baszler and hits a Riptide on some chairs to get the pin. That's right, Rhea Ripley and Candice [=LeRae=] won in [=WarGames=] outnumbered 4 to 2!

* Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic, as is the norm for both of them, put on an incredible opener as once again, size is seemingly a non-factor for both men to be able fly across the ring and back like they were on 205 Live, setting the pace for the night.
* The OddCouple Tag Team of Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne (aka the [=BroSerweights=]) show a level of chemistry most tag teams ''wish'' they had as their hard-hitting styles help them capture the NXT Tag Team Championship from Wrestling/TheUndisputedEra.

* As divisive (to say the least) as she may be, Wrestling/CharlotteFlair coming out to attack Rhea Ripley after her match to declare that she will challenge for the NXT Women's Championship ''at [=WrestleMania=]'' is pretty awesome, showing how much the brand has come from its developmental days.

* The concept; due to the loss of [=TakeOvers=] Tampa Bay and Boston due to COVID-19, NXT decides to bring back an old favorite: In Your House. And they go all out: designing the set almost exactly like the classic IYH set, having William Regal give promotional consideration, and even bringing Todd Pettengill back to do the intro.
* Io Shirai finally winning the NXT Women's Championship, and doing so via pinning Rhea Ripley while Charlotte Flair had her in a Figure Eight.

** For 90% of women's matches, you'll be lucky to get more than a three star rating--three and a half might as well be the best you can hope for. Well this match got awarded a solid ''[[UpToEleven four]]'' star rating.

** The above moment was just one of many times in the match where [[{{Acrofatic}} Hanson]] is easily busting out moves normally reserved for competitors on 205 Live. Upon entering the match, he manages to nail a ''freaking'' cartwheel to dodge Wrestling/AdamCole, sprints from one corner to the other to decimate Cole and O'Reilly with ''brutal'' corner clotheslines, nails UE with springboard Hart Attacks, and [[Main/BigDamnHeroes saves Ricochet from tapping out to Kyle O'Reilly's submission]] by performing a splash onto O'Reilly through the table! If the latter moment wasn't enough, the turnbuckle he leapt from? [[Main/UpToEleven It wasn't even the one in the same ring.]] Killian Dain would be proud of him.

-->'''Mauro Ranallo going over the highlights post-match''': The ''mother'' of all Air Raid Crashes!
*** Of note, Cole brought in the five tables (along with leaving a sixth outside that Ciampa shoved him through when he tried entering the structure), but only three of them had a member of Team Ciampa go through it (and they were from the Team Ciampa member's own moves, too).

** The ending may well be the single greatest ''HOLY SHIT'' moment in NXT history: After exchanging punches, Ciampa hits Cole with ''[[CrazyAwesome The Air Raid Crash OFF THE TOP OF THE CAGE THROUGH TWO TABLES]]''. Naturally, that got the pinfall to cap off an epic war.

* Io Shirai pulling her own against Shayna Baszler despite interference from the latter's fellow MMA Horsewomen. Despite tapping out to her, Shirai would not show weakness in defeat by taking out Duke and Shafir before proceeding to hit Shayna with a moonsault ''[[CrazyAwesome while holding a steel chair]]'' to show that their war was far from over.

* Wrestling/AndradeCienAlmas winning the NXT Championship from Wrestling/DrewMcIntyre in an outcome that '''[[ShockingSwerve no one]]''' [[ShockingSwerve saw coming]].

[[folder: NXT [=TakeOver=]: In Your House]

[[folder: NXT [=TakeOver=] Portland]]

** To put it in perspective, [[Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter Dave Meltzer]], who gave the above rating, called it ''"the greatest match in WWE history."'' Not NXT history, ''WWE'' history.

* After injury forced the dream match to be delayed for months, [[Wrestling/FergalDevitt Finn Bálor]] and Wrestling/JohnnyGargano showed that the wait was ''more than worth it'', with the two men countering each other's moves non-stop, with Finn showing some of his best non-demon ring-work since his Price Devitt days in New Japan and Johnny Wrestling fighting with everything he had to get his revenge. In the end, it wasn't enough as Bálor came out on top after a John Woo Dropkick, coup-de-grace and 1916 put his opponent down for good.

* Joe Coffey vs. Dave Mastiff in a last man standing match. Within the first few minutes, one of the ring posts collapsed, and before long, both men were battering each other with all manner of objects. Naturally, it spilled out into the audience pretty quickly, and featured a spot with the 143kg (315lb) Mastiff pulling a Green Bay plunge on the 112kg (248lb) Coffey onto a table ''and the table somehow didn't break''.

** The ending may well be the single greatest ''[[HolyShitQuotient HOLY SHIT]]'' moment in NXT history: After exchanging punches, Ciampa hits Cole with ''[[CrazyAwesome The Air Raid Crash OFF THE TOP OF THE CAGE THROUGH TWO TABLES]]''. Naturally, that got the pinfall to cap off an epic war.

[[folder: [=TakeOver WarGames=] III]]

* Before ''[=TakeOver=] 3'', [[Wrestling/FergalDevitt Finn Bálor]] promised Wrestling/TheAscension that he'd bring something to their match that they'd never seen and boy, ''[[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2cdgrr_finn-balor-r-evolution-entrance_sport did he deliver]]''. [[BigEntrance Bálor's entrance]] began with dramatic lighting and a foreboding HeartbeatSoundtrack, leading into his already-impressive hard metal music theme and the reveal on stage of the return of his Prince Devitt body paint tradition. This paint job resembled predatory teeth from his chin to the top of his chest (that made his neck look like the maw of the other half of his namesake, the demon king Balor), and accentuated his theatrical entrance to the point it drew "holy shit" chants ''before he even started down the aisle'' and even had [[DarkIsEvil Konnor and Viktor]] noticeably reeling and contemplating their predicament at ringside. As the match itself went forward, Bálor had the entire crowd behind him and [[Wrestling/KentaKobayashi Itami]], and they quickly began to overwhelm the Ascension with their speed, agility, and energy. Konnor and Viktor did take control of the action for a while, making sure to single out Itami because ''they knew they wanted nothing to do with Bálor'', but once Hideo was able to get them off his back long enough to tag in Bálor, the flurry returned and pretty much never let up until Itami and Bálor decidedly finished the Ascension with simultaneously double foot stomps and pin covers. When you can thoroughly and convincingly [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame freak out and overwhelm]], first mentally, then physically, the very guys who've been doing exactly that to everyone else for the past year-plus, you are definitely '''the man''' in the yard. The crowd's response to the opening salvo? [[CueTheFlyingPigs MARKING OUT CHANTS!]]

* The [=WarGames=] match itself was insane, with such spots as two simultaneous towers of doom, a superplex from Wrestling/RoderickStrong to Wrestling/AdamCole off the top off the cage, Alexander Wolfe german suplexing one of the Authors of Pain through a table and [[TheBrute Killian Dain]] doing a goddamn [[Wrestling/RobVanDam Van Daminator!]]

* And this leaves us at the main event. The owner of the longest WWE title reign in the history of the company, Pete Dunne, WWE UK Champion, faced Joe Coffey in a brutal duel for Dunne's championship. For over half an hour, the Bruiserweight and the Iron Man exchanged brutal hits, spots and moments, including [[Wrestling/KurtAngle Ankle Locks]], headbutts, Dunne's trademark fingerbending and kicked-out [[FinishingMove Bitter Ends]], and Coffey's electric chair into german suplex combo and powerbomb into apron.

* Jordan Devlin and Wrestling/TravisBanks were set up to face at the event, but Banks wasn't medically cleared to wrestle after Devlin attacked him in the pre-show. At the match itself, both of them engaged in a brutal brawl before the bell could ring, which ended in Banks's knee being stomped upon the steel steps, sending him to the nursery. So... who came in his place? GM Johnny Saint and his assistant Sid Scala crafted a plan and brought in... '''[[Wrestling/FergalDevitt FINN BÁLOR]]!''' What followed was a Teacher vs. Student duel where Devlin was made equal, if not better, than the first-ever Universal Champion, who won the match after hitting a [[FinishingMove Coup de Grace]]... for the fourth time.

The ''NXT [=TakeOver=]'' [=PPVs=] have been delivering in full spades. But just before we get to a few of the best moments, here's some food for thought: '''there has never been a [=TakeOver=] considered to be genuinely bad.''' WebVideo/{{Cultaholic}}'s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyDFq5OR0Pg mid-2018 list]] of all the [=TakeOvers=] up to then ranked "From Worst To Best" basically admitted that it was inaccurately named, because even the show at the very ''bottom'' of the list (''NXT [=TakeOver=]: Unstoppable'') still got a nod for being entertaining with several great bouts and moments. A better name would have been "Every NXT [=TakeOver=] Ranked From Least-Best To Best".

* The event opened with the NXT/WWE debut of [[Wrestling/KevinSteen Kevin Owens]] against CJ Parker. After being driven to ManlyTears upon the crowd's embracing applause of him during his entrance, Owens awaited Parker's entrance, then [[EstablishingCharacterMoment immediately cut off the expected standard match-opening sequence by crushing Parker in the corner immediately after the bell]], going on a flurry which culminated in an over-the-top suicide plancha done [[{{Acrofatic}} with the grace and agility of a cruiserweight]]. Owens would go on to generally dominate the match, though he did get busted open hardway from the bit of offense Parker did get in, before pinning him decisively with a pop-up powerbomb. An ultimately fitting and very strong WWE debut for one of the most violent athletes in wrestling.
* Before ''[=TakeOver=] 3'', Finn Bálor promised the Ascension that he'd bring something to their match that they'd never seen and boy, ''[[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2cdgrr_finn-balor-r-evolution-entrance_sport did he deliver]]''. [[BigEntrance Bálor's entrance]] began with dramatic lighting and a foreboding HeartbeatSoundtrack, leading into his already-impressive hard metal music theme and the reveal on stage of the return of his Prince Devitt body paint tradition. This paint job resembled predatory teeth from his chin to the top of his chest (that made his neck look like the maw of the other half of his namesake, the demon king Balor), and accentuated his theatrical entrance to the point it drew "holy shit" chants ''before he even started down the aisle'' and even had [[DarkIsEvil Konnor and Viktor]] noticeably reeling and contemplating their predicament at ringside. As the match itself went forward, Bálor had the entire crowd behind him and Itami, and they quickly began to overwhelm the Ascension with their speed, agility, and energy. Konnor and Viktor did take control of the action for a while, making sure to single out Itami because ''they knew they wanted nothing to do with Bálor'', but once Hideo was able to get them off his back long enough to tag in Bálor, the flurry returned and pretty much never let up until Itami and Bálor decidedly finished the Ascension with simultaneously double foot stomps and pin covers. When you can thoroughly and convincingly [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame freak out and overwhelm]], first mentally, then physically, the very guys who've been doing exactly that to everyone else for the past year-plus, you are definitely '''the man''' in the yard. The crowd's response to the opening salvo? [[CueTheFlyingPigs MARKING OUT CHANTS!]]
* The NXT Women's Championship match between former [[FunWithAcronyms Beautiful Fierce Females]] Wrestling/SashaBanks and Wrestling/{{Charlotte}} at ''[=TakeOver=] 3'' was widely considered by fans to be one of the best women's matches for quite some time. Banks and Charlotte came in with loaded history and plenty of heat, and both proceeded to deliver in the ring, with Sasha's performance winning over many fans who had been skeptical of her abilities and Charlotte using her gymnastics background to display creativity in the ring that WWE Divas haven't been allowed to show in years. In the end, Charlotte would win this surefire candidate for any Women's Match of the Year poll with what could best be called a [[IncrediblyLamePun Super Natural Selection]].
* The finale to Sami Zayn's incredible series of matches with Adrian Neville throughout 2014 for Neville's NXT Championship, culminating in Sami finally beating Neville for the title. First, let's paint the picture: Zayn and Neville, close friends since the days of Generico and PAC, faced each other for the gold several times throughout the year, throwing all they had at each other every single time, showcasing the talent and passion that has gained them the respect of the independent wrestling world. Each time, Neville would take a shortcut or capitalize on a lowered guard in order to retain his title. Between frustrations and redemption match series and constant pestering from Neville about how he lacks the pragmatism to be champion, Sami reached a boiling point before ''[=TakeOver=] 3'', shoved Neville's respect into the backburner, and declared that if he couldn't beat Neville at the event he would quit NXT.\\

** The above moment is cut short and replaced with a different kind of awesome moment at the very end of the show, when NXT newcomer Kevin Owens, a longtime friend and rival of Sami's, returned to the ring after everyone else left, offering to help Zayn to the back…only to [[FaceHeelTurn suddenly take him down with a harsh STO type move on the ramp]], then viciously powerbomb him back-first into the edge of the ring apron. Within the kayfabe it's a despicable betrayal, especially given the stretcher spot, but this is particularly awesome for those who recall the days of Kevin Steen in Wrestling/RingOfHonor as the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Antichrist of Professional Wrestling]], as well as the heated feud which stemmed from Steen's violent betrayal of El Generico. We're getting Kill Steen Kill, Take 2. ''On NXT.''
* How popular was ''[=TakeOver=] 3''? Well, first off, after it aired, the wrestling section of Reddit actually sent Wrestling/TripleH a [[https://twitter.com/TripleH/status/543537698439704576 fruit basket]] as a thank you gift for it. Think that through, internet wrestling fans sent notorious BaseBreakingCharacter '''Triple H''' a token of their thanks. This is extra notable in light of the fact that this was just weeks off of Wrestling/CMPunk's incredibly shocking tell-all session on his best friend Wrestling/ColtCabana's podcast which took over the wrestling world and painted a VERY torrid spotlight on WWE and especially Triple H. This show ''singlehandedly'' won him back all the goodwill that he'd lost in the eyes of the fans and the younger talent and then some.\\

* The show opened with Tyler Breeze vs. Hideo Itami. Breeze showed more of an impressive mean streak in this match, continuing to grow organically as a fierce competitor within the otherwise campy "Prince Pretty" gimmick and even attacking Itami's leg with a Figure 8 corner post leg lock ala Wrestling/GailKim. Itami, meanwhile, got to both tease the GTS to a massive semi-pop once again as well as showcase some of the force that his educated feet are capable of, even while selling the damage Breeze had been doing to his favorite kicking leg (the left). In the end, the former Kenta won the day with what a Busaiku-like running kick finisher in a solid opener.

* The NXT Championship #1 contender's match between Adrian Neville and Finn Bálor. We got Bálor's freakish body paint entrance all over again, but this time we saw what he was capable of against an opponent who would not be intimidated by his demon king antics. Bálor and Neville came at each other with everything and put on a dynamic wrestling clinic, a match with ebbs and flows which told the story of "whoever can execute their top rope finisher first is gonna win the match". The crowd was more or less behind Finn, who inevitably won the match with his Coup de Grace [[DeathFromAbove super high]] [[FinishingMove double foot stomp]], and once again a disappointed Neville walked off after showing respect to his opponent while being thanked profusely by the fans.
* The fatal four way match for the Women's Championship in which Wrestling/{{Charlotte}} put her title on the line against Wrestling/SashaBanks, Wrestling/{{Bayley}}, and Wrestling/BeckyLynch. Becky and Sasha both came in with a game plan involving working together, with great results at first…but soon after communications broke down, Becky attacked Banks with a strong pump handle back suplex and then went on to compete fiercely in her own right, making a statement that she belongs amongst the top ladies of NXT. Crowd favorite Bayley came into the match focused and aggressive, and when she got her momentum surges in, she got them in good and came extremely close to taking the title home on at least two occasions. Sasha Banks used both her deviousness and her technical chops to perfection, taking the floor several times during this match. Charlotte, meanwhile, took much more of a beating than she gave in this bout. Ultimately, in the end, Sasha would capitalize on a Super Belly to Bayley delivered onto Charlotte, going for a crossface submission attempt on the champ and then converting into a crucifix pin to take her down for the 1, 2, 3 and become the new NXT Women's Champion.

* A villainous moment of awesome for Kevin Owens in the NXT Championship title match. Picking up where he'd left off in the two-month buildup towards this match, Owens continued pissing Sami Zayn off by constantly stalling. This lasted until Zayn suddenly hit a somersault plancha over the ref onto Owens, jump-starting the offense and then staying on Owens. When Zayn got too caught up in punching Owens up on the turnbuckle, Kevin quickly capitalized, then went on to complete control and brutalize Sami with a series of vicious moves which either practically sent him flying out of his pants or flattened him out on his feet. Even the commentators compared the match to [[SquashMatch John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar]], as much like Lesnar Owens was in control almost the entire match. Oh, Zayn had his near falls and flurries of life, but in the end Owens won the title in dominant fashion—as in, the referee had to literally call a KO and stop the match to ensure that Owens didn't powerbomb barrage a possibly-concussed Zayn into becoming a permanent fixture on the mat. Impressive on its own but as Owens himself repeatedly reminded the audience, he had only been in NXT for two months. [[WhamEpisode Damn.]]

* The WWE debut of Wrestling/SamoaJoe, who has a staredown with Kevin Owens.

* Another standout moment that crosses over with NightmareFuel: During the match, Sasha Banks locks in a modified Armbar and then, to add more pressure, ''stands on Becky Lynch's arm as it's being wrenched past her shoulder blade!'' It legitimately looked like Becky's arm [[BodyHorror was about to be snapped in half or ripped out of its socket]], the move was THAT brutal.
* The first half of Sami Zayn's rematch against Kevin Owens was one of these for Zayn, with Zayn smashing Owens around the ring, outside the ring, ''into the crowd'' and back into the ring. Zayn repeatedly dodged and countered Owens' moves, including repeated pop-up powerbombs. If Zayn hadn't gotten over-eager and walked into a pop-up powerbomb against the apron (and been forced onto the disabled list by a legitimately torn rotator cuff), Owens might well have been in serious trouble. Of course, post-powerbomb, it was a very different story...

* Wrestling/JushinThunderLiger proved [[StillGotIt he could still go]] at [[RingOldies 50]], taking on and defeating Tyler Breeze.

* Wrestling/SamoaJoe used his Coquina Clutch to make Baron Corbin unconscious, handing Corbin his first significant/clean loss. The match itself was a physical clash in which the much-maligned Corbin showed he could stand toe-to-toe dishing out and absorbing punishment with one of the best in the game and make it look believable.
* Wrestling/SashaBanks, making her entrance in a black Cadillac Escalade (with a security detail), then faced Wrestling/{{Bayley}}, who, in a tribute to Wrestling/DustyRhodes, had yellow polka dots on her headband, for the NXT Women’s title. It was the culmination of a effectively simple storyline years in the making as Bayley the underdog finally won the NXT women's championship from Sasha Banks who'd never believed she could do it. These two wrestled for over 15 minutes, and the crowd was into it the whole time. Notable spots included Sasha with a somersault over the top rope to the outside, Sasha smashing Bayley’s injured hand against the steps and ringpost, and Bayley reversing the Banks Statement into one of her own. The match finished with Bayley performing a [[https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CND3q-BUAAAcltV.mp4 Reverse Frankensteiner]] from the second turnbuckle and then finishing it with a Bayley-to-Belly. Then the two, along with the [[Wrestling/BeckyLynch other]] [[Wrestling/{{Charlotte}} two]] "Four Horsewomen," all embraced in the ring, similar to [[Wrestling/TheKliq The Curtain Call]].
** See that note above about how rare it is for a women's match to rate over a three? This one clocked in at a ''four and a half'' star rating, the highest in WWE history (tied with Asuka vs. Ember Moon II from the 2017 edition); this match (and the below-mentioned rematch) were consensus picks for, if not THE match of the year, two of them.
* Finn Balor defended his title against Kevin Owens in a ladder match, which included a Coup De Grace from the top of the ladder.

* A month before the next ''[=TakeOver=]'' took place, it was announced that the main event would be, in a likely first for the company, a 30-minute Iron(wo)man rematch between Bayley and Sasha for the title.
* Sasha and Bayley's Iron(wo)man match. We have a Women's Championship match [[CueTheFlyingPigs as a main event in a WWE event]]. And not only is it another amazing match with excellent character psychology showing an angry determined babyface and a bitter desperate heel, but the entire crowd was completely behind it, booing whenever Sasha did something blatantly heelish and cheering everything else. To show its power, this bout was the first time in its 44 year history that the ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' Match of the Year went to a women's contest (their match at ''[=TakeOver=]: Brooklyn'' was first runner-up).

* Emma and Asuka pushed each other to their absolute limit in a hot opener, with Dana Brooke backing Emma up outside the ring with cheating maneuvers straight out of Wrestling/EddieGuerrero's playbook and an incredibly tense finish that saw Asuka win with a ''nasty'' spin kick to the face of Emma.
* Enzo and Cass put on their best match ever against Dash and Dawson for the titles, only losing when the champs started to go after Cass's previously injured knee and slammed Enzo from the top rope. Carmella also elbowed Dawson in the face when he tried to use her as a human shield.
* Baron Corbin handed Apollo Crews his first loss in their grudge match, once again putting on another great showing against a well-acclaimed wrestler in the process.
* Bayley took advantage of Nia Jax's arrogance and inexperience to work around Nia's incredible physical advantage. Even after being thrown around the ring like a rag doll, Bayley was able to eke out a submission victory by [[{{Determinator}} refusing to give up]] and repeatedly trapping Nia in the one move her broken body could still perform, a guillotine choke, to retain her championship.
* Finn Balor and Samoa Joe's match for the NXT title began with a modified version of Finn's demon entrance that saw him come out as Jack the Ripper. The match itself was a brutal back-and-forth, with both wrestlers delivering some of the most physical performances of their careers.

* Wrestling/AustinAries is the first one to ever escape Baron Corbin's End of Days and gets him with a rollup.

* Asuka won the NXT Women's title from Wrestling/{{Bayley}} in another great NXT women's match. In a bit of DeathByIrony, Asuka won by outhugging Bayley.[[note]]Asuka's finishing movie is a crossface chickenwing with bodyscissors, and she won after making Bayley pass out by it.[[/note]]
* Despite the interruptions to patch up Samoa Joe after getting busted open over his eye, he and Finn Balor put on an absolutely ''brutal'' NXT Championship match. Finn's entrance has him as the Demon swinging a {{chainsaw|Good}} around![[note]]Meant to reference ''Film/TheTexasChainSawMassacre1974''[[/note]]

* After a hard and brutal match, Wrestling/TheRevival becomes the first 2X NXT Tag Team Champions after beating American Alpha. After the match, two unknown bruisers take down Jordan and Gable. Coming out to the arena is Wrestling/PreciousPaulEllering which prompts a HOLY SHIT chant as the new team leaves with Paul.
* Austin Aries vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. The two of them have a great match with each other going back and forth with each other, one segment involving Austin hitting Nakamura with a Death Valley Driver on the edge of the ring. The end comes with Nakamura hitting Austin with a reverse exploder suplex, then hitting him with the Kinshasa.
* Nia Jax vs. Asuka for the NXT Women's Title. In this David vs. Goliath match, Nia uses her strength and size against Asuka, powering out of many of Asuka's submissions, taking the Empress of Tomorrow to town. Asuka brings Nia down with flurries of attacks before kneeing her in the face to pin her down. Also for good measure, the theme for the Asuka video package is "Karate" from Music/{{Babymetal}}.
* Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship in a Steel Cage match. The two of them are in a brutal fight with each other, tossing each other into the walls of the cage as well as bringing all hell into the ring. Samoa Joe puts Finn Balor, and the Demon, down by hitting him with a Muscle Buster from the top rope!

* The opening match saw No Way Jose, entering with a conga line, taking on Wrestling/AustinAries in a fun match. After Aries won, he continued to attack Jose, causing Wrestling/HideoItami to make the save. He laid out Aries with the [[FinishingMove Go To Sleep]].

* Ember Moon (the former Athena) made her debut, with another [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chdnjMAIZfE cool entrance]], against Billie Kay. Kay held her own, but Ember's athleticism and [[https://twitter.com/WWE/status/767157712299757568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw badass finisher]] were too much.

* Wrestling/{{Bayley}} and [[Wrestling/KanakoUrai Asuka]] continued the streak of very-good-at-worst NXT Women's Title matches, with Bayley giving everything she had, but unable to beat Asuka. After Asuka showed respect, Bayley got a standing ovation, hugged the [[Wrestling/SashaBanks other]] [[Wrestling/BeckyLynch three]] [[Wrestling/{{Charlotte}} Horsewomen]] at ringside, and walked out, in what is likely her final NXT match.

* The 2/3 falls match between #DIY and Wrestling/TheRevival for the NXT Tag team championship. Despite the deviousness of Dash and Dawson, #DIY won the day with a simultaneous Gargano Escape and armbar on both members of the Revival to win the titles.
* Bobby Roode pulls off another GLORIOUS entrance, with a full choir (and the crowd) singing his theme. Tye Dillinger also got a huge wave of love, in fact, the crowd was chanting "Both these guys!" and "This is awesome!" before their match even started.

* Mickie James vs. Asuka for the Women's Title was the closest Asuka had come to losing since making her debut in NXT, showing the veteran still had moves to keep up with the next generation of women's wrestling.
* Samoa Joe defeats Shinsuke Nakamura to become the first 2X NXT Champion. Nakamura's entrance has his theme played by 10(!) violinists to top his Brooklyn 2 entrance.

* The NXT Women's Championship match was an absolutely tremendous matchup. In what many call one of the best women's matches the WWE has ever had, it not only marked Asuka's final match in NXT (not to mentioned she had left the brand ''undefeated'') but showcased Ember Moon's phenomenal talent as a wrestler.
* Sanity and the Authors of Pain had a wildly outrageous brawl that resulted in Sanity's first title win in WWE.
* Wrestling/JohnnyGargano and Wrestling/AndradeCienAlmas put on a excellent opener that ignited the Brooklyn crowd for the night. The ending was nothing short of genius, involving Almas' manager Zelina Vega momentarily distracting Gargano by throwing a DIY shirt at him (not even three months after Tommaso Ciampa's betrayal of Gargano), allowing Almas to pick up the win.

* The [=WarGames=] match itself was insane, with such spots as two simultaneous towers of doom, a superplex from Roderick Strong to Adam Cole off the top off the cage, Alexander Wolfe german suplexing one of the Authors of Pain through a table and [[TheBrute Killian Dain]] doing a goddamn [[Wrestling/RobVanDam Van Daminator!]]

* After so many chances, Ember Moon finally wins the NXT Women's title in a four-way battle. The ending is great as it looked like Moon was out of it as Peyton Royce set up Nikki Cross only for Moon to fly off the top to hit them ''both'' with her Eclipse finisher and pin Cross for the belt.

* Wrestling/AleisterBlack and Adam Cole beat the absolute hell out of each other in a phenomenal extreme rules match.
* ''Everything'' about Wrestling/JohnnyGargano vs. Wrestling/AndradeCienAlmas for the NXT Championship was nothing short of flawless. They put a spectacular MOTY candidate in front of a '''white-hot''' crowd, not even a month into 2018, and became the first Dave Meltzer-rated Five Star Match for WWE since CM Punk vs. John Cena in 2011. As quoted by Mauro Ranallo, "You could not ask for ''more'', out of an NXT Championship match."

** Killian Dain has [=EC3=] down on a ladder and climbs the ropes with Adam Cole leaping onto his back...and Dain just does a Vader Bomb onto [=EC3=] off the ropes with Cole still hanging on top of him!

** Adam Cole finally dumping Ricochet back and climbing the ladder to become the first NXT North American champion.
* Shayna Baszler making Ember Moon pass out to win the Women's title in a great match that many agreed surpassed their effort in Philadelphia (props to the unique way Baszler countered the ''Eclipse'' into the ''Kirifuda Clutch'').
* Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne are primed to win the tag titles in a three-way battle...until Strong pulls off a massive FaceHeelTurn and joins Wrestling/TheUndisputedEra. Even Cole and O'Reilly were shocked but delighted by Strong's turn. It says something about the show as a whole that some fans joked that the tag match "dragged it down" by being ''merely'' very good.
* A fantastic battle culminates in Wrestling/AleisterBlack upsetting Wrestling/AndradeCienAlmas for the NXT title. The final move has Vega trying to leap at Black, who dodges so she's caught by Almas. As Almas spins around trying to handle her, Black hits the [[Main/FinishingMove Black Mass]] while Almas is still holding Vega, knocking Vega out of the ring so Black can get the pin.
* As soon as the main event of Wrestling/JohnnyGargano v. Tomasso Ciampa was finished, many reviews were calling it the greatest match in NXT history. For 37 minutes, the duo put on an all-out war with amazing spots such as Ciampa grabbing the crutches of a fan to attack Gargano. It culminates in Gargano seemingly falling for Ciampa's begging for mercy, sitting down in a CallBack to their match at the Wrestling/WWECruiserweightClassic, only to dodge Ciampa's cheap shot with his leg brace, then using it himself in an STF to force him to tap out. Also, the fact that Ciampa managed to get nuclear heat from the infamously [[SmartMark smarky]] NXT audience is a CMOA in itself (and hey, being booed this loud and long is the greatest compliment a heel can get!)

* Both the ladder match and Gargano/Ciampa got a Five Star rating from Dave Meltzer, making ''[=TakeOver=]: New Orleans'' the first WWE show to have at least 2 matches rated five stars in WON history! When measured by average, it got a higher rating than Wrestle Kingdom 12! Not an easy task at all!

* To top it off? This PPV was held at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} 34'' weekend, meaning that, once again, an NXT PPV surpassed the reception and popularity of The Showcase of the Immortals.

* Wrestling/TheVelveteenDream and Ricochet had an all out incredible battle lasting nearly a half hour, complete with both men performing the other's moves trying to one-up the other, including Ricochet performing Dream's ''Purple Rainmaker''!
* The women's title match, despite it clocking just below ten minutes, was a fun bout, as Shayna Baszler just didn't know what to make of the insane Nikki Cross, who just wasn't intimidated by the fearsome former MMA fighter at all. Still, she held her own long enough to lock in the ''Kirifuda Clutch'' on the Scot. Cross refused to tap, ''smiling'' as she passed out.

* Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa once again put on one of the most violent and outstanding matches of the year, this time in a Chicago Street Fight.
** Prior to the entrances, as Gargano made his way through the backstage area, his wife Candice [=LeRae=] stopped him; to give him the crutch used in New Orleans before saying, "Kick. His. Ass!".

* In the superb tag title match, Tyler Bate has Roderick Strong by the legs with Kyle O'Reilly hanging on his back and proceeds to do an airplane spin/swing combination. When O'Reilly tries to choke him, Bate flips Strong to his feet and proceeds to ''German suplex both men at once.''
* Ricochet's performance had Mauro proclaiming "this guy is a CheatCode!" That includes blocking a Cole super kick ''in mid-air'' then trying a standing Lionsault only for Cole to kick him in the middle of it. Despite that, Ricochet is able to hit Cole with a hurricarana off the apron and into the ring en route to pinning him for the North American title.

* Though not quite the quality compared to their two previous encounters (which, of course, are two massive [[ToughActToFollow tough acts to follow]]), the Last Man Standing match between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa was an absolutely insane battle with both of them pulling out extremely vicious spots.

** After most of the competitors had been taken down to the ring courtesy of a multi-man Tower of Doom in which everyone sans Ricochet went down to the mat, Ricochet proceeded to deliver '''a backflip senton from the top of the cage!'''

** The above moment was just one of many times in the match where [[{{Acrofatic}} Hanson]] is easily busting out moves normally reserved for competitors on 205 Live. Upon entering the match, he manages to nail a ''freaking'' cartwheel to dodge Adam Cole, sprints from one corner to the other to decimate Cole and O'Reilly with ''brutal'' corner clotheslines, nails UE with springboard Hart Attacks, and [[Main/BigDamnHeroes saves Ricochet from tapping out to Kyle O'Reilly's submission]] by performing a splash onto O'Reilly through the table! If the latter moment wasn't enough, the turnbuckle he leapt from? [[Main/UpToEleven It wasn't even the one in the same ring.]] Killian Dain would be proud of him.

* Jordan Devlin and Travis Banks were set up to face at the event, but Banks wasn't medically cleared to wrestle after Devlin attacked him in the pre-show. At the match itself, both of them engaged in a brutal brawl before the bell could ring, which ended in Banks's knee being stomped upon the steel steps, sending him to the nursery. So... who came in his place? GM Johnny Saint and his assistant Sid Scala crafted a plan and brought in... '''[[Wrestling/FergalDevitt FINN BÁLOR]]!''' What followed was a Teacher vs. Student duel where Devlin was made equal, if not better, than the first-ever Universal Champion, who won the match after hitting a [[FinishingMove Coup de Grace]]... for the fourth time.

--> '''[[https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2019/1/12/18179958/nxt-uk-takeover-blackpool-results-recap-reactions Henry T. Casey:]]''' ''Yes, Mastiff got the win, but wins and losses don’t matter as much as [[Wrestling/CodyRhodes Cody]] [[Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling wants them to]]. From Dennis catching his super-heavyweight opponent in mid-air, to repeatedly getting back up from serious punishment, this match showcased his fighting spirit, and left people tweeting about how they’re his newest fans.''
* Rhea Ripley and Toni Storm battled for the NXT UK Womens Champion in a classic match. Each of them got a previous win[[note]]Toni bested Rhea in the ''[[Wrestling/WWEMaeYoungClassic MYC 2018]]'', while Ripley became the inaugural Womens Champion[[/note]], so this duel was to settle the score once and for all. Toni came to the duel as the fan-favorite underdog ([[EngineeredHashtag #WeSupportToni]] was in full force) against the dominating and hated Ripley, who dominated most of the match, only for Toni to turn the tide and hit a Storm Zero in order to pick up the win and become the new Womens Champion. The only shortcoming of the match? It had a very short time.

* Ricochet and Johnny Gargano putting up an absolute clinic not unlike the former's spectacular match with Will Ospreay years ago. Both men brought out the best in each other, with ridiculous counters and insane high-flying moves from both these guys that ended with Johnny Wrestling winning the North American title.

Up to this point, ''New Orleans'' was widely considered to be the absolute best of the NXT [=TakeOver=] events. ''New York'' had faced an immense amount pressure due to it 1) taking place during [=WrestleMania=] weekend, and 2) being the culmination of Johnny Gargano's long-awaited coronation as NXT Champion (which unfortunately faced even more uncertainty due to Tommaso Ciampa's untimely injury). But just when you thought NXT couldn't top itself, '''''THEY DID'''''.
* The opening match had Ricochet and Aleister Black challenging the War Raiders for the tag team titles. It was nothing less than a series of absolutely insane spots that included the Raiders hitting Ricochet with a combination German suplex/lariat broken by Black leaping off the top rope. Before that was Ricochet hitting a ''fallaway slam'' on Hanson as well as all four topping themselves with leaps over the top rope onto each other.

* Velveteen Dream makes his entrance dressed as the Statue of Liberty carried on a platform. He and Matt Riddle proceeded to have a terrific battle with numerous near falls before Dream wins.

* In the astonishing main event, Wrestling/JohnnyGargano, at ''long'' last, wins the NXT Championship in a bout that saw ''many'' near-falls, with Johnny Wrestling kicking out of many and fending off the Undisputed Era to finally win the big one. This match also has the distinction of being the first [[BrokeTheRatingScale 5.5 star match in WWE.]]

* Matt Riddle and Roderick Strong start the night with a bang, with the two having a stiff and hard-hitting match that played to both men's strengths well and had the crowd pumped from beginning to end.

* Velveteen Dream's entrance this time? Begin with folks marching out to the ultra-cheesy entrance theme of the Mountie that turns into a full-on dance number celebrating the recently crowned NBA Champion Raptors with Dream coming out in Raptor colors.

* The wild, bloody, insane 2-out-of-3 falls battle between Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano outdid anything they had before. Cole won the standard first fall when Gargano hit him with a chair. The second fall was a wild street fight where Gargano evened up the score. That left the final fall inside a ''barbed wire steel cage'' that was an epic war so brutal that even jaded wrestling critics were calling it a classic battle.

If Blackpool was in a tough position [[ToughActToFollow trying to follow the American NXT TakeOvers]], then Cardiff was in an even tougher one - it was the first time WALTER had defended the UK title on PPV (and against inaugural UK champ Tyler Bate, no less), and it would have to live up to Blackpool. Fortunately, come the night, it did that and so much more.

* Cesaro vs. Ilja Dragunov. Dragunov's usual intensity was somehow cranked up even further (and that's saying something), and this was no squash match between a main roster star and a relative newbie; Dragunov put up an absolutely ferocious fight, even after Cesaro spun him a monumental ''forty times'' (although that number has been disputed, it was certainly still a high one), and it was all capped off by Cesaro walking back to the ring after his victory and [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments hugging Dragunov]].
* South Wales Subculture (Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster) winning the NXT UK tag titles off of Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake and Zack Gibson) in a triple threat match between them and Gallus (Wolfgang and Mark Coffey), making them the first ever Welsh champions of any kind in WWE history. Much was made of them as hometown heroes (although while Andrews is a Cardiff native, Webster is actually from Brynmawr in the valleys), and when Andrews dragged Webster over Gibson and the ref counted to three, the audience ''exploded''. Doubles as a [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments crowning moment of heartwarming]], especially their celebration in the audience afterwards.

* And, of course, Tyler Bate vs. WALTER for the UK title. More than one person has compared it to Hogan vs. Andre and it's not hard to see why. It became only the second ever match in ''WWE history'' - not NXT history, ''WWE history'' - to get a 5.25 rating from Dave Meltzer. Despite being about half the size of WALTER, Bate managed to lift him more than once (for reference: WALTER - 135kg/297lb, Bate - 79kg/175lb), and managed to get back up from several moves that, by all rights, should have wiped him out. Both men brought out the best in each other, and while WALTER retained, he managed to make Bate look unbelievably strong. It also gave us yet another hybrid awesome/heartwarming moment when Bate's British Strong Style stablemates, Trent Seven and Pete Dunne (who had recently announced he was leaving NXT UK for the American NXT), coming out after WALTER and Imperium had left, helping Bate back to his feet and sort of displaying him to the cheering crowd.

* Before the show, Mia Yim was taken out in an attack so Dakota Kai was chosen as her replacement for the first-ever female [=WarGames=] match. It was an incredibly brutal affair building up to Kai being the third member of Rhea Ripley's team to enter...only to [[FaceHeelTurn attack]] Tegan Nox, brutally laying her out and smashing the cage door on her leg. Kai even attacked William Regal before storming off, leaving Ripley and Candice [=LeRae=] at a 4-2 disadvantage.

** Locked in a choke by Shayna Baszler, Ripley powers herself out of it, handcuffs herself to Baszler and hits a Riptide on some chairs to get the pin. That's right, Rhea Riply and Candice [=LeRae=] won in [=WarGames=] outnumbered 4 to 2!

* Despite losing, Matt Riddle showed his stuff in a wild battle with Finn Balor. He cut the former Prince in half with a spear before taunting his ArchEnemy, Wrestling/{{Goldberg}}, by delivering a Jackhammer, which only gets a two count.
** Balor deserves a mention just for reminding everyone why he was the longest reigning NXT Champion and inaugural Universal Champion and it wasn't because of the Demon alone.
* The men's [=WarGames=] match had the Undisputed Era dominating once more, laying out Tommaso Ciampa, Dominick Dijakovic and Keith Lee. The Era celebrates together, preparing to finish it off...
** And the cutting guitar chords of "Fight" rip through and the crowd goes ''INSANE'' as '''KEVIN OWENS''' storms out as the final member of Ciampa's team. In moments, Owens has laid out every member of the Era with power-bombs, suplexes and a Stunner.

*** Adam Cole hits a Panama Sunrise on Owens on the metal plate between the rings.
*** Roderick Strong is sent sailing between the ropes onto his teammates.

* Before ''[=TakeOver=] 3'', Finn Bálor promised the Ascension that he'd bring something to their match that they'd never seen and boy, ''[[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2cdgrr_finn-balor-r-evolution-entrance_sport did he deliver]]''. [[BigEntrance Bálor's entrance]] began with dramatic lighting and a foreboding HeartbeatSoundtrack, leading into his already-impressive hard metal music theme and the reveal on stage of the return of his Prince Devitt body paint tradition. This paint job resembled predatory teeth from his chin to the top of his chest (that made his neck look like the maw of the other half of his namesake, the demon king Balor), and accentuated his theatrical entrance to the point [[{{HSQ}} it drew "holy shit" chants]] ''before he even started down the aisle'' and even had [[DarkIsEvil Konnor and Viktor]] noticeably reeling and contemplating their predicament at ringside. As the match itself went forward, Bálor had the entire crowd behind him and Itami, and they quickly began to overwhelm the Ascension with their speed, agility, and energy. Konnor and Viktor did take control of the action for a while, making sure to single out Itami because ''they knew they wanted nothing to do with Bálor'', but once Hideo was able to get them off his back long enough to tag in Bálor, the flurry returned and pretty much never let up until Itami and Bálor decidedly finished the Ascension with simultaneously double foot stomps and pin covers. When you can thoroughly and convincingly [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame freak out and overwhelm]], first mentally, then physically, the very guys who've been doing exactly that to everyone else for the past year-plus, you are definitely '''the man''' in the yard. The crowd's response to the opening salvo? [[CueTheFlyingPigs MARKING OUT CHANTS!]]