5 Best NXT TakeOver Matches

#1 Andrade "Cien" Almas vs Johnny Gargano (NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia (2018))

Probably the best NXT title match out there

This was the best NXT match ever, which I can't believe I'm saying as I've been crazy about every TakeOver. Both men were absolutely tremendous in this match. They pulled out all the stops to create a modern classic. Gargano made the most of his impressive work rate and affinity for small details to pull off a performance that was at once frantic and dynamic, while also understated and shrewd.

Though people's praise for this match is skewed more toward the challenger than the champion, Almas was no slouch, laying thick the cocky heel antics we've come to appreciate from the champion and showing off the in-ring ability that made him a star in Mexico.

What makes these two work together so well is the adaptability of their move-sets. Both of them have something for every position in the ring, minimizing time spent repositioning each other for spots. No position was too awkward for Almas and Gargano to pull off a visually stunning spot or sequence, giving the match a real sense of moment-to-moment progression.

Zelina Vega added an extra wrinkle to the match as a constant source of distraction for Gargano and anxiety for the fans, until her expulsion by Candice LeRae generated one of the match's best pops. While the finish has been described as jarring for its sudden change in pace, I believe the effect is intentional.

Here Gargano wasn't out-wrestled, but fell victim to something as crude as a shove into the ringpost, a fatal error that will no doubt factor into later storylines. His dead-eyed selling suggestive of a concussion perfectly set the stage for Almas to calmly set up the killing blow, spoiling Gargano's storybook ending.

The story between these two men may not have been the most developed, but it certainly adds more fuel to the fire of Gargano's ongoing character development and rivalry with Tomasso Ciampa. In the end, it's incredible before even making it to the main roster, Johnny Gargano and Andrade Almas can make a strong case for having wrestled one of the best WWE matches in history.

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