WWE NXT Takeover: Top 5 Superstars at the PPV
WWE NXT Takeover: Portland was an amazing pay-per-view that saw a title change hands, a shocking betrayal, and a confirmed WrestleMania match.
Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne defeated The Undisputed Era’s Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions. Keith Lee, Rhea Ripley, and Adam Cole successfully defended their titles while Finn Balor, Johnny Gargano, Dakota Kai, and Tegan Nox impressed us with their respective matches.
The PPV also saw Charlotte Flair challenging Ripley for the NXT Championship and the two are now set to compete for the title at WrestleMania. To top it all, Gargano betrayed Tommaso Ciampa and cost him his NXT title.
It is fair to say that the Takeover delivered as per our expectations once again. In this list, we will take a look at the top 5 performers of the night. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#5 Johnny Gargano
It is almost impossible to compile a list that discusses the top performers at a Takeover event and not include Johnny Takeover in it. The former NXT Champion didn’t disappoint in his match against Finn Balor and continued his legacy of delivering brilliant performances at the Black and Gold brand-exclusive PPV.
Gargano returned to in-ring action after spending three months on the sideline, recovering from an injury that was the direct result of Balor’s shocking heel turn. Both Superstars were expected to square off in a dream match ever since the Prince returned to NXT. Their match at Takeover may have not lived up to the expectations of a few fans because of the high expectations from Superstars of their caliber.
But it is important to understand that they are probably going to engage in a long feud. Their best performance in the ring will leave no room for a better one which will directly affect their storyline. Just like their Takeover battle, Balor and Gargano started a much-awaited narration and will slowly build-up on it.
Even though it wasn’t the best encounter between the two, it was still one of the best matches of the night. Gargano complied with the demands of the Creatives extremely well and despite losing, he is one of our top performers for the night.