NXT TakeOver Brooklyn 4: Observations from Inside the Barclays Center

Ricochet Wins the Belt & the Crowd

Adam Cole and Ricochet made for an intriguing contest that would pit two of NXT’s most popular superstars in head-to-head combat. Ricochet was the clear face heading into the contest, with Cole the heel.

However, as mentioned earlier, Cole had more cheers than the high-flying Ricochet. “Adam Cole” chants rang throughout the arena at the start of the match, and Ricochet had a look in his eyes that said, “Alright, let’s do this. Let’s win over this crowd.”

And boy, did he do that. He covered every square inch of the ring, as he leapt and flew from coast to coast, performing innovating maneuver over and over again. Cole was the perfect match for Ricochet’s fast-paced offense and it only made The One and Only look stronger.

This all culminated with an insane finish that saw the soon-to-be champion hit a hurricanrana to the outside, before landing the 630 Splash for the win. A crowd that had started the match behind Adam Cole, was won over rather quickly as they applauded the newly crowned NXT North American Champion.

Sane & Baszler Define Storytelling

At first it looked as though Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane  were in a tough spot on the card, in between the NXT North American Championship match and the NXT Championship match. That was quickly thrown out the window, as the two women took a hold of the fans and never let them go.

The NXT TakeOver crowd soon learned that they were in for a treat thanks to brilliant storytelling. Baszler and Sane have a storied history which helped set the table for this contest. Baszler didn’t think Sane was on her level and didn’t believe she had what it took to dethrone her. Baszler looked like a bully throughout the match which only made the audience root for Sane more and more.

The two played their respective parts perfectly as the match wore on. Sane seemed to feed off the crowd’s energy as her facial expressions showed those of determination to not back down. Even when it looked like all hope was lost, the inaugural Mae Young Classic winner overcame the odds and earned the respect of the thousands in attendance.