Ranking NXT Takeover: Chicago's top 5 performers

With all NXT performers vying for an eventual main roster spot, any act on the roster is in constant competition with each of its peers.

Each week these Superstars compete to earn the right to be the one to make the jump to the main roster, move up on the NXT card or simply keep their dreams alive on the brand. This Saturday, a special NXT Takeover event in Chicago saw a number of the brand's top feuds come to an end and also saw a number of title changes.

The show itself was spectacular, as the majority of Takeover shows have been recently, whilst producing a number of amazing moments in-between. While I have ranked each of NXT's episodic TV shows recently, this is my first time ranking an NXT Takeover.

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This is who I felt shone the brightest on this very special installment of the black and yellow brand:

Honorable mentions

Will Ricochet now pursue gold in NXT?

Ricochet

Ricochet and Velveteen Dream put on a fantastic bout, as many predicted they would. The two freak athletes kept outdoing each other with Ricochet eventually coming out on top. While Ricochet won the match, I felt he was a little overshadowed by Dream's off-the-charts charisma in this one, which is why he doesn't make the top five.

Roderick Strong

Strong had a breakout moment at NXT Takeover: New Orleans and followed it up with another very strong performance this Saturday. Strong was more arrogant than usual, smirking at his opponents throughout the early goings of the match. His trash talk was also better than normal and he appears to be growing into his role in the undisputed era.

Lars Sullivan

Few were too pleased when Sullivan was announced as number one contender for the NXT Championship. While the match itself wasn't highly anticipated beforehand, the pair put on a solid showing and Sullivan, in particular, showcased some of his best work. Here, he came across as a dominant monster and despite defeat, should not have lost too much momentum in his attempts to reach the dizzying heights that come with success.

#5 Kyle O'Reilly

Is O'Reilly outshining Adam Cole in the Undisputed Era?

O'Reilly was fantastic as usual and was only prevented from climbing higher in these rankings by his somewhat limited role during the event itself. The tag-team match between the Undisputed era and the team of Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan was one of the best tag matches NXT have seen in some time and all men involved deserve credit for putting it together.

Some of O'Reilly's selling, in particular during this match was sensational as his legs looked on the verge of buckling at any point. Adam Cole really needs some more NXT action under his belt or the creative team will risk him being overshadowed by O'Reilly.

#4 Velveteen Dream

When will Dream capture gold in NXT?

If it wasn't already blatantly obvious that Dream was the future of the WWE, it should be abundantly clear after this match. If any other performer had come out in Hulk Hogan-based attire, it would have been confusing and needed some form of explanation.

However with Dream, it made complete sense. His charisma was at its absolute best in this match as he had the crowd in the palm of his hand right from the moment his entrance music hit. Although seeing him lose again in a big match is a little disappointing, his show-stealing performance minimise any potential dents to his overall stock within the brand.

#3 Oney Lorcan

Is Lorcan the most underrated member of the NXT roster?

Lorcan wrestled like a man possessed on Saturday and won over a difficult crowd through shear will. Some of the bumps Lorcan took in this match were terrifying as he throw himself to the outside, with seemingly little regard for his own health.

This was a sensational display by a man who has been given very little in the ways of storylines in NXT, but showed once more how he's capable of maximising every opportunity granted to him. He gave absolutely everything he had during this match and proved why he also deserves more in a creative sense going forward.

#2 Johnny Gargano

Should we be made to wait for Gargano-Ciampa 3?

You would be forgiven for thinking that Gargano had legitimately lost his mind on Saturday. Gargano was unhinged, doing everything in his power to destroy his former partner Tomasso Ciampa in a chaotic Chicago Street Fight.

This is potentially the NXT's best ever rivalry and only continued to get better at this event. Gargano can seemingly do no wrong and while this may spell the end of his feud with Ciampa at least for the moment, I doubt anyone will complain if we are thrown into a third bout between the pair right away.

#1 Tommaso Ciampa

Is he the biggest heel in wrestling today?

Some have described Ciampa as wrestling's biggest heel at the moment and after watching his most-recent bout, it's difficult to disagree. The fans legitimately hate him and he revels in their disapproval of his actions. His despicable antics here included spitting on Gargano's wedding ring, before proceeding to launch it across the stage.

He also displayed his sadistic cunning nature, when exposing the bare ring beneath the canvas - a move which would ultimately lead to his victory. This match was amazing and while some fans will worry that the pair's next match will struggle to live up this one proved that what they did in New Orleans was no fluke.

NXT Prospect rankings - Top 10 (double points awarded for Takeover):

Tomasso Ciampa leads the way with 15 points. Johnny Gargano, Kyle O'Reilly and Ricochet are joint-second with 12 points each. Oney Lorcan finishes the top-five with 10 points.

Then, there are a whole host of superstars that are tied or fairly close to one another in terms of points. Pete Dunne, Shayne Baszler and EC3 each have four points, while Lacey Evans, Kairi Sane, Christopher Dijak and Bianca Belair are all on three points to finish the top ten.