Aleister Black: Top 10 NXT Moments 

#2 A New Champion

Black reaches the pinnacle of NXT

At Takeover: New Orleans over WrestleMania 34 weekend, Aleister Black's trials and tribulations at last paid off, as he finally ascended to the top of NXT as its main champion.

Facing off against Andrade 'Cien' Almas in a rematch from exactly one year earlier, the European martial artist and Tranquilo luchador put on a high-quality 18-minute match in the semi-main event, just before Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa's epic war.

Almas, who in the year since his loss to Black at Takeover: Orlando had employed Zelina Vega to help re-launch his then-struggling career, was on a winning streak having defeated Drew McIntyre for the NXT championship at Takeover: War Games and Johnny Gargano in several incredible matches, starting at Takeover: Brooklyn III.

Black, having plowed through Hideo Itami, Velveteen Dream, and Adam Cole at back to back Takeover specials, then defeated Killian Dain on the weekly program for the NXT Title's number one contendership, setting the stage for a rematch with Almas exactly one year in the making.

Although Almas would put on the fight of his life with his patented double moonsault, meteora knee strike, and hammerlock DDT, as well as several instances of outside interference by Vega, Black overcame the odds and demolished Almas with a stunning Black Mass to win the NXT Title. In victory, Black joyfully smiled on camera for the one and only time, as he reached the very top of NXT.