10 Greatest NXT TakeOver events of all time

#5 NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia

Spotted at #NXTTakeOver: Philadelphia, @therealec3! https://t.co/lKBBisLmRH pic.twitter.com/oJhVdYampf

— WWE UK (@WWEUK) January 28, 2018

NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia was an event that did not have lofty expectations going in. Taking place before the Royal Rumble 2018, the fans filled the Fargo Center with excitement for what NXT would offer. The WWE Universe would be blessed with one of the greatest matches in NXT history.

In a true classic NXT Championship Match, Andrade Cien Almas defended the title against Johnny Gargano in the main event of NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia. In another Wrestling Observer Newsletter five star rated match, Almas and Gargano put on one of the greatest matches in NXT TakeOver history. The incredible and compelling contest exceeded all expectations in the main event.

Andrade gained the victory to walk out of NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia with his NXT Championship, but the loss was not even the worst part of Johnny Wrestling's night. As the fans showered him with admiration in Philadelphia's Fargo Center, Johnny's former best friend, Tommaso Ciampa, returned to nail him in the back with his signature crutch.

.@JohnnyGargano and @AndradeCienWWE met in a CLASSIC 2️⃣ years ago today at #NXTTakeOver: Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/x86PhcX4rC

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) January 27, 2020

Other than this fantastic main event for NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, the night also featured a grueling Extreme Rules match between Undisputed Era's Adam Cole and Aleister Black. In a worthy successor to the famous Extreme Rules clashes that took place in Philly for ECW, Cole and Black brought down the house in a contest that featured kendo sticks, steel chairs, and many broken tables. This was not the only match for members of the UE though. The Undisputed Era defended the NXT Tag Team Titles against former champions, The Authors of Pain in a fine opener.

The third title match on this NXT TakeOver card was Ember Moon defending her NXT Women's Championship against the formidable challenge of "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler. After Baszler tormented the champion in the buildup and her dominant performance in the match, Ember was able to outlast her challenger getting a rollup win.

The only match that didn't quite live up to the rest on NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia was Velveteen Dream versus Kassius Ohno. Dream came out in Rocky attire to match the Philadelphia setting. In what was a surprisingly short match, Dream defeated Ohno to gain more momentum in his young career. Overall, this kicked off a fantastic year of 2018 when it came to legendary NXT TakeOvers.