WWE names their top 10 matches in NXT TakeOver history

An embarrassment of riches is what we like to call a good problem to have. And that’s largely what making a list of best/favorite matches in the history of NXT TakeOver, the black-and-yellow brand’s live WWE Network specials which occur 4 - 5 times a year.

Which women’s matches make the cut? You could almost list ten great ones just from the Four Horsewomen era. What show had your favorite #DIY vs. Revival showdown, with or without other participants?

It’s a tough nut to crack. Here’s WWE.com’s attempt, which strikes me as a pretty good list - if at times too beholden to the company’s own promotion/version of history:

10. Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro, ArRival
9. Asuka vs. Ember Moon for the Women’s title, TakeOver: Brooklyn III
8. Authors of Pain vs. #DIY vs. The Revival, Triple Threat for the Tag Team championship, TakeOver: Orlando
7. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bayley, Fatal 4Way for the Women’s title, TakeOver: Rival
6. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn, TakeOver: Dallas
5. The Revival vs. #DIY, 2-out-of-3 Falls Match for the Tag Team championship, TakeOver: Toronto
4. Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate for the UK title, TakeOver: Chicago
3. Sami Zayn vs. Neville for the NXT championship, TakeOver: R Evolution
2. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks, 30-Minute Iron Man match for the Women’s title, TakeOver: Respect
1. Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas for the NXT championship, TakeOver: Philadelphia

If anything flat out doesn’t belong, it’s Moon vs. Asuka. But it’s already awkward how few of the brand’s top male singles stars aren’t represented here (like champions Kevin Owens - at least in a match, Finn Bálor, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode and Drew McIntyre). It’s understandable that they wouldn’t want to leave the longest reign champ in NXT history off the list. This was a good match, and let’s them name-drop the current titleholder, too, so here it is.

Beyond that, for me it’s just quibbles about order and which bout they picked to represent long-running rivalries. Does the middle chapter of Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa’s series with Dash and Dawson from Brooklyn II deserve to be on here? Probably, but not sure you can bump either the Orlando Triple Threat or Toronto.

How do you not put Banks and Bayley in Brooklyn on there, especially when using “historical significance” as part of the argument for a few others.

As said above, there’s no right answer. NXT is getting close to having put on 20 of these things without a true dud in the bunch, so there’s a lot of great matches to choose from.

Give us your list, and let us know where you think theirs went astray, below!