WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV Review - August 18, 2018

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

NXT Tag Team Champions Undisputed Era def. Moustache Mountain

The last two matches these two teams had against each other were outstanding and this was no exception, though I really loved how they told a completely different this time with Tyler Bate's knee being focused on instead of Trent Seven's. This was all action from start to finish and the pace was perfect with the crowd being into everything they did. As I've said previously with them, this was tag team wrestling at its finest. Everyone assumed Undisputed Era were going over, yet Moustache Mountain managed to keep fans on their toes with the suspenseful nearfalls. I would love to see Moustache Mountain remain regulars in the NXT tag team division going forward because they are that damn good.

Velveteen Dream def. EC3

Although this was easily the "weakest" match on the show, it was still solid. I think what worked against it was how neither guy was fully established as the babyface coming into the event. Dream was definitely more beloved by the fans than EC3, but that isn't to say EC3 was heavily booed, either. From an in-ring standpoint, it was well-wrestled and picked up in the final few minutes. Most importantly, the right guy won because Dream has needed a big TakeOver win for a while now.

Ricochet def. Adam Cole to Win the NXT North American Championship

This was one of my most anticipated matches of the weekend and they certainly did not disappoint. Sure, they wrestle two totally different styles, but that was what made this so magical. The entire outing was excellently executed with Cole constantly trying to ground Ricochet only for "The One and Only" to keep wowing the crowd with his high octane offense and battle back. The second half was especially strong and having been in attendance, I can tell you that the atmosphere was electric. I would have been happy with either man winning, but the title win allows Ricochet to maintain momentum and potentially push Cole toward NXT Championship contention. I'd go so far as to say it was the match of the night. When's the rematch?

Kairi Sane def. Shayna Baszler to Win the NXT Women's Championship

For whatever reason, I didn't have high hopes for this match ahead of the event. I knew it would be entertaining similar to their other encounters, but I had no clue it would end up being the best women's matchup on a TakeOver special since Brooklyn III last year. Baszler has improved immensely in such a short period of time and her recent string of great matches is proof of that. Sane capturing the championship genuinely took me by surprise, but I appreciated how Baszler was protected in defeat with the roll-up loss. Let the rumors begin that she will be main roster bound sooner rather than later.

NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa def. Johnny Gargano in a Last Man Standing Match

While I would put this behind their clashes in New Orleans and in Chicago, this was a fantastic main event nonetheless that played off moments from the last two years of their friendship/feud. It's truly a testament to how talented they are that they've been able to take three matches with essentially the same stipulation and make every one of them masterpieces. My only regret is that Gargano came across like a moron for going too far with his revenge and that ultimately costing him the championship, but that was the point. I do agree with the masses that it was a slightly underwhelming ending, but hey, it's better than them closing out the night on a draw or something silly along those lines (I'm looking at you, main roster). I'm curious where the rivalry goes from here with Gargano now losing twice in a row to Ciampa, though I assume Aleister Black won't be out injured for long, so he could be Ciampa's next challenger at WarGames II in November.

Overall Show

It's funny how there's an interesting streak every year during SummerSlam weekend in Brooklyn where TakeOver outshines SummerSlam every single time. We'll see how SummerSlam is on Sunday, but this event will be tough to top. We were once again treated to four phenomenal matches (EC3 vs. Dream was pretty decent as well) that caused the two and a half hours to fly by. Even being there, I never looked at my watch once. Plus, throw in the two title changes and Matt Riddle officially signing with NXT and you have yourself another top-tier TakeOver.