10 greatest NXT TakeOver classics of all time

#5 Sasha Banks vs. Bayley for the NXT Women's Championship (NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn)

On August 22, 2015, @SashaBanksWWE & @itsBayleyWWE had, what many consider to be, one of the GREATEST matches in @WWE history.Watch Bayley talk about the historic #NXTTakeOver: Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/bryps0Wc5H

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) August 21, 2020

Women's wrestling was elevated to amazing heights thanks to the hard work of the division in NXT. Paige and Emma had a good, if not great, matches that put attention on the women behind them on the black-and-gold brand. When those two women were called up to the main roster, it paved the way for four ladies to take things to the next level.

Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bayley would affectionately become known as the Four Horsewomen. They put on blistering showcases that made each one of them a star for NXT, eventually, the main roster. The latter two crafted a brilliant story of a cocky upstart champion and a plucky underdog who hadn't won the big one just yet.

This rivalry all came to a head at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn on August 22nd, 2015. It was the first TakeOver to take place outside of Full Sail University, and a major arena at the Barclay Center was the perfect stage. The two women came in with something to prove, and they showed exactly why they would become two of the most renowned stars in the industry.

Today is the three year anniversary of Bayley debuting on Monday Night Raw in 2016, and also the four year anniversary of one of the greatest women's matches of all time.Sasha Banks vs Bayley at NXT Takeover Brooklyn, 8/22/15The Four Horsewomen Curtain Call followed the match pic.twitter.com/NTskWvVr78

— Pika Priest (@PikaPriest) August 22, 2019

Sasha Banks was absolutely superb, displaying her once-in-a-lifetime talent. In one incredible spot, she flew through the air with a plancha to the outside over the referee's back. Banks had expert timing, mannerisms and facial expressions that were ahead of her relative youth. On offense, the level of realism she possessed was better than most men in the business at that time.

That being said, Bayley matched Banks' exemplary performance. She was the prototypical underdog babyface who never gave up and showed incredible determination. Bayley had garnered plenty of sympathy in the leadup, and she overcame a Brooklyn crowd that was in favor of the champion at the beginning of this contest.

The closing stretch was magnificent, with Bayley overcoming Banks' signature offense. She hit a top -rope poisonrana and followed with the Bayley-to-Belly to win the NXT Women's Championship. The Four Horsewomen curtain call was a cherry on top of a magical moment that lives on as one of the most unforgettable scenes in WWE history.