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#8 NXT TakeOver Chicago II (2018)
The first NXT TakeOver: Chicago in 2017 featured a Match of the Year candidate for the WWE United Kingdom Championship between Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne, as well as Tommaso Ciampa's shocking betrayal of Johnny Gargano. One year later at NXT TakeOver: Chicago II, the former #DIY teammates fought it out in a Chicago Street Fight.
The two men battled in a grueling contest that went all over the Allstate Arena. This was a brutal match that took a lot out of both men. It also had an unforgettable callback to the events that occurred a year earlier. Gargano put Ciampa through the announce table with a massive Air Raid Crash, paying him back with the same move that ended their partnership.
When the former friends made it back to the ring, the exposed wood underneath the mat ultimately became Johnny Gargano's undoing. "The Rebel Heart" was more obsessed with revenge than the win. His thirst for vengeance against his #DIY partner allowed Ciampa to take advantage. "The Black Heart" hit the Willow's Bell on the exposed ring mat to leave NXT TakeOver: Chicago II victorious.
The first match on NXT TakeOver: Chicago II was the NXT Tag Team Championship Match where Undisputed Era defended the title against Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan. In an exciting opener, Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly outlasted Burch and Lorcan. The Velveteen Dream vs. Ricochet was another awesome match. In a breakout performance for both performers, the two men furthered their rivalry centered around one-upmanship that they established in the lead up to NXT TakeOver: Chicago II. In the end, Ricochet defeated Dream in a memorable contest.
Those three matches held up the quality of another great NXT TakeOver event in a year full of them in 2018. The two main singles title matches were both serviceable. Shayna Baszler defended the NXT Women's Championship against Nikki Cross. Also, Aleister Black defeated Lars Sullivan to successfully defend the NXT Championship in an unusually short match due to the other big matches on this night.
