Match Ratings For NXT Takeover: Phoenix, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp Of Fightful.com

NXT Tag Team Championship
War Raiders defeated Undisputed Era (c) to become champions
8/10

• Rowe slams Hanson onto both members of Undisputed Era off the apron. 
• UE really chop Hanson down. It look like Rowe almost broke the top rope when they hung him up to dry.
• Rowe gut wrench throws Strong into O’Reilly. 
• It’s impressive to see Strong hit an full nelson backbreaker on Rowe. 
• Hanson goes through his agility spot with a rebound senton and a cartwheel that has the crowd behind him. No easy feat against Undisputed Era. 
• Kyle O’Reilly’s leg sweep kick is always great. Each man takes turn taking another one out, and this is great action. Pinball wrestling.
• An assisted powerslam from War Raiders get huge NXT chants as it almost finishes O’Reilly. Strong also breaks up a pin after Rowe’s gutwrench attack and Hanson’s flying splash.
• An amazing visual — Strong superplexes Hanson and Kyle flies off the top with the King Kong Knee Drop but it’s not over. 
• Hanson kicks out of High Low!
• Hanson does a damn back handspring elbow! This sets up Rowe doing a Handicap Powerslam and Fallout for the win!
• Outstanding match. 
• I get the feeling that matches like this are the reason The Revival were outspoken in their frustration. Tag team wrestling can and should be an amazing attraction and a good way to get workhorses to shoulder the load on a show. GOOD SHIT PAL.

Matt Riddle defeated Kassius Ohno
6.75/10

• Riddle does a nice gutwrench suplex on the much bigger Ohno, but gets stomped out.
• Matt’s selling is really good. Ohno is really putting the pain on him.
• Ohno just stomped Riddle’s mouth so goddamn hard. Riddle is cracked open. 
• Ohno stomps on Riddle’s bare feet.
• Riddle gets a dead lift German suplex but OHNO BITES HIS GODDAMN TOES. 
• Ohno gets a moonsault and follows up a with a big senton. On a second attempt, Riddle catches him in a rear naked choke. 
• Kassius tries to fist bump Riddle, but eats a knee and a sleeper suplex. Riddle wins the match when he elbows Ohno into submission. 
• I loved that finish.

NXT North American Championship
Johnny Gargano defeated Ricochet (c) to become
8.5/10

• The action quickly spills outside where Ricochet does a second rope quebrada moonsault! Aka the Tiger Wall Flip Moonsault.
• Gargano drops Ricochet face first across the turnbuckle powerbomb style. 
• Gargano’s hangman-style neckbreaker works so well, and is nice, different offense. 
• You want to talk about great transitions to and from moves — this is it. I always love a good roll through into a dead lift suplex. 
• Gargano goes for a slingshot DDT but gets caught in mid air. His facial expressions here tell the story of “oh shit, what happened was.” Well, what happened was him getting thrown over the top rope and taking a gross apron bump.
• Ricochet lands on his feet on a super Frankensteiner to a huge pop. Again, Gargano’s face tells a great story. 
• The Gargano Escape is……….ESCAPED when Ricochet suplexes him into the corner from that spot. Giant “NXT” chants. 
• Ricochet clears the ring post and tope con hilos over that. Breathtaking. He follows up with a springboard 450 for 2. 
• Ricochet eats knees on a Shooting Star Press. Outside the ring, Gargano gets a reverse spike rana, but can’t put away Ricochet with a slingshot DDT!
• Gargano suplexes Ricochet on the exposed concrete floor. The slingshot DDT finishes it off! Gargano wins!

NXT Women’s Championship
Shayna Baszler (c) defeated Bianca Belair
5.75/10

• Belair goes acrobatic before scoring a shoulder block.
• Baszler pulls Belair by her hair into the ring post. Belair is favoring her arm and has it worked over. 
• Baszler’s elbow stomp is one of the most devastating moves in wrestling,
• Billy Robinson reference on NXT Takeover. He should be a legacy inductee in the WWE HOF.
• Belair seems a half-step behind here and there. Her inexperience shows in a few spots.
• Belair stomps out of an armbar, which is a great spot. Baszler connects with a step up knee.
• You knew the spot was coming — the hair whip. It’s a doozy, and leaves a huge mark on Baszler’s ribs.
• There’s some mistiming on a ref bump spot. Belair gets the KOD, but the ref is down. 
• Marina Shafir comes out and gets speared, then Jessamyn Duke gets chickenwing slammed.
• Baszler takes advantage and applies the Kirifuda Clutch. Belair looks done but gets to her feet and turns it into a suplex. 
• Belair has to kick Duke off the apron again and misses a 450 splash. She gets put in the Kirifuda Clutch again for several minutes. 
• The ref calls the end of the match.
• This one wasn’t quite for me. 

NXT Championship
Tommaso Ciampa (c) defeated Aleister Black to retain the title
6/10

• Black is on a roll early. Tope con hilo outside, leg sweep inside, springboard moonsault inside. 
• Ciampa uses dirty tactics to take control and work Aleister Black’s legs. 
• Ring posts, ropes, even a drop across the announce table. Then Ciampa mocks Black’s pose. 
• This isn’t quite clicking after the pace of the last couple of hours.
• Black fights back with a bunch of nice kicks and a German suplex for two. 
• Black applies a single leg crag, but his own leg gives out. 
• Seems like Black has lost just enough buzz for him to make a Smackdown debut and not do anything for a few months.
• Ciampa does a nice rope hung jawbreaker on the apron. Spot of the match thus far. 
• We are 18 minutes in and there isn’t anything that would make someone come out of their seat. A big contrast for a lot on this show. That changes with a big moonsault to the outside for Black.
• Fairytale Ending doesn’t win it for Ciampa, so two more get it done.
• Ciampa is pulling up the ringside mats but turns around into a flying knee from Black.
• In the ring, Black Mass hits, and Ciampa is able to roll over before the pin!
• Ciampa gets a draping DDT and Fairytale Ending, but Black kicks out. Two more get it done.
• This was ok. 

Rating guide

10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor

Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a “star rating,” which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive “TV match” lands at a 5.The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.