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What's the story?
If you are reading this and you haven't already watched NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia then stop reading immediately, firstly because this is going to spoil the main event for you, but secondly and more importantly, because it's one of the best wrestling shows the WWE has put out with the last two matches being possible Match of the Year candidates.
In fact, prominent wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer recently discussed the main event NXT Title match between Johnny Gargano and Andrade "Cien" Almas and labelled it the 'best NXT match of all time.' It really is that good!
In case you didn't know...
Almas and Gargano put on a phenomenal thirty minute, breakneck speed technical wrestling masterclass, all whilst garnering unprecedented amounts of audience emotional investment and telling an incredible story. The match featured awe-inspiring brutal spots, insane near-falls and superb emotional beats like Gargano's wife Candice LeRae chasing off Zelina Vega.
The story was Johnny Gargano's path to redemption and proving everyone he belongs at the top following his former DIY partner Tomasso Ciampa turning on him and knocking his confidence. Alas, it wasn't Gargano's night with Almas retaining the title. Then, to add insult to injury, Ciampa returned and attacked Gargano from behind.
The heart of the matter
I'll be honest, I thought the Adam Cole Vs. Aleister Black Extreme Rules match was incredible, but the main event blew it out of the water. My first reaction was that we'd possibly just seen the best match in NXT history.
This was the subject of debate on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio with Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez discussing whether or not Almas Vs. Gargano number three was the best match ever in the brand's history. They concluded that it was.
They said that the match was better than Pete Dunne Vs. Tyler Bate, Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Sami Zayn and Neville Vs. Zayn at TakeOver: R Evolution.
Meltzer and Alvarez even went as far as to suggest that this match was better than any of the AJ Styles Vs. John Cena matches on the main roster and was the best match WWE had produced in a long, long time.
What's next?
If there's one thing you should never underestimate NXT for doing, it's the ability to outdo and improve upon the show that came before it. Every TakeOver I think to myself 'how can they possibly top that' and every time they do. So I'd fully expect that the next TakeOver, due WrestleMania weekend will be even better than this one.
Author's take
I should my feelings on this match are clear, given the obvious lack of objectivity in this article. The main event of NXT TakeOver Philadelphia was one of the best wrestling matches in the history of the business, period.
