Ranking every NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event from worst to best

#1 Takeover: Brooklyn 2015

Bayley vs Sasha Banks

Honestly, it would take a superhuman effort from all fronts to top the first and original edition of what became NXT's annual WrestleMania. The excitement was high, but so was the pressure. This would be the first time that most of these wrestlers would be performing in front of 15,000-plus fans in attendance. It was big and predictably, beautiful.

The original Takeover Brooklyn got off to a thunderous start as Jushin "Thunder" Liger made his first and only appearance in a WWE ring against Tyler Breeze, in a match that did not disappoint. We then saw a heartwarming NXT Tag Team Championship victory for The Vaudevillians as they beat Blake and Murphy, with some help from Blue Pants.

Fans were also treated to the debut of Apollo Crews, formerly known as Uhaa Nation, who showed off incredible strength and athleticism against Tye Dillinger. Also, Samoa Joe showed Brooklyn what he is capable of, as he put Baron Corbin to sleep. Admittedly, these four matches would not exactly scream 'Best Takeover' in a million years. But they played a perfect supplementary role, as the crowd was enormously excited throughout the entire night. Ultimately, that is what makes this show so special, along with the two biggest matches.

The main event of the evening was a hard-hitting Ladder Match for the NXT Championship, as Finn Balor conducted his first title defense against former champion Kevin Owens. It was an unbelievable match, one which was filled with carnage and spots for around 20 minutes before the Demon hit the Coup De Grace off the ladder and retrieved his title for the big win. However, they did have an overly difficult job to follow one of the biggest masterpieces in recent WWE history.

Prior to the actual main event, Sasha Banks fought Bayley for her NXT Women's Championship. This match was high on subtle storytelling, high drama, big moments, and pulsating action. After 18 minutes of war, Bayley put The Boss away with a swift Bayley-to-Belly Suplex and just like that, the greatest women's match in WWE history was brought to an emotional end. It was the perfect match which showcased the best of Bayley, and the best of Sasha. After the match, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch entered the ring to celebrate this monumental happening, as all of the Four Horsewomen hugged it out.

This match is the main reason why the first Takeover event at the Barclay's is also the best one. The overall atmosphere and feel to the event was incredible, and it's overwhelming success sent NXT into a much more positive direction. Gone were the days of Takeovers being held at Full Sail, it was time for NXT to take over every city they touch. It is now a tradition to have an NXT Takeover event on the night before a Big Five event, and we have the original NXT Takeover: Brooklyn to thank for that.