Ranking the 5 Greatest NXT Takeover Events in History

NXT has been WWE's best brand for quite some time now, despite the 'developmental' tag that some still label it with, and their Takeover events (equivalent to WWE's PPV system) are constantly the best thing WWE produces. They conclude fantastic, long-term stories and are constantly fantastic from start to finish, and Takeover's often personify the saying 'less is more'.

They routinely only have 5 matches, and although that may seem low, it allows the performers more time to tell stories, and with the superstars that have appeared on Takeover events, it's safe to say that it's worth the price of WWE Network admission alone.

In a few weeks, NXT will air the 25th Takeover in history from Bridgeport, Connecticut, and as we head into that, we've decided to take a look back on the first 24 events in the storied history of Takeover. So with that in mind, sit back and read along as we look back on NXT events past and analyse the 5 best overall Takeover shows in NXT history.

#5 NXT Takeover: Phoenix

Top to bottom, there's an argument to be made that NXT Takeover: Phoenix is indeed the best in history, as we saw great bouts concluding some fantastic stories, and it kicked 2019 off with a bang for NXT. The show was stolen by a classic back and forth encounter between Johnny Gargano & Ricochet, but it also had the rematch between Aleister Black and Tomasso Ciampa, as well as the coming out party for Bianca Belair.

Ultimately, two new champions were crowned on the show, and every match was fantastic, and while it doesn't stack up to the top two shows on our list, it could be anywhere from 3-5.

Once again, NXT overshadowed the main roster (despite Royal Rumble being a somewhat decent show), and that's become a theme in recent years, and with all the talent that was on display on this card, it will likely continue for years to come.

#4 NXT Takeover: War Games I

NXT has been WWE's crowning achievement over the past few years, and if it were RAW or Smackdown Live to revive a classic WCW concept, fans would be concerned, but NXT have done a fantastic job with the revival of War Games. The main event was a triple threat between AOP & Roderick Strong, Sanity, and The Undisputed Era, and all throughout the night, NXT built to this contest, and it delivered in spades.

This was also a coming out party for a rising star named Velveteen Dream, as he made Aleister Black finally say his name, but it's the main event that we'll always remember from these shows. The event a year later in 2018 was just as good, but given the sheer brutality of the first War Games bout in WWE history and the classic between Dream and Black, the first War Games event makes our list.

#3 NXT Takeover: Brooklyn I

While most of the events on this list come from the past 2 years, this one goes way back to 2015, and contains arguably the greatest and most important match in NXT history, when Bayley dethroned The Boss, Sasha Banks. There was also a Ladder Match between Kevin Owens and Finn Balor, as well as the WWE debut of Jushin "Thunder" Liger, and while it's not as deep as others on the list, the big matches on the card have made sure it's gone down in history.

This was the first Takeover held over Summerslam weekend, and it's become an annual classic that fans look forward to, and it was the major success of this one that made sure Takeover was on the map.

This is certainly worth a watch every now and then, because it's a fun look back and what made Takeover what it is today, and the pure emotion between Bayley and Sasha is what still drives NXT to success today.

#2 NXT Takeover: New York

This was the latest event in NXT Takeover history, and while most people will remember it for the incredible final moments with Johnny Takeover becoming Johnny Champion, it was a fast-paced, epic night of professional wrestling. The beauty of wrestling is that fans enjoy different styles, and when we look back on the event that took place days before WrestleMania 35, you could choose any of the 5 bouts as Match of the Night.

All 5 matches were absolutely incredible, from Walter vs. Dunne to the epic tag match that opened the night, and it was an event worthy of the big moments of WrestleMania weekend. In terms of depth, there's no better Takeover event in history, and even though we've got 1 ahead of it on our list (due to the personal nature of some matches on that show), this can be argued as the best in Takeover history.

#1 NXT Takeover: New Orleans

NXT Takeover events seem to get better and better by the event, but from top to bottom, it's going to be hard for one to have a lasting impact like Takeover New Orleans over WrestleMania 34 weekend. The show started with a 6-man ladder match to crown the first NXT North American Champion, and it ended between a brutal Unsanctioned match between fierce rivals Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa, and it was action packed the entire night.

Dave Meltzer rated both of the above matches 5-stars, just the second and third ones to be given to NXT during its tenure, but they weren't the only great moments on the night. Roderick Strong turned on Pete Dunne to join the Undisputed Era, Shayna Baszler tapped out Ember Moon, and Aleister Black finally reached the top of the NXT mountain. It's arguably the greatest event in WWE history.

Edited by Gabby Duran