WWE NXT TakeOver New York Results, Grades, and Review

War Raiders (c) vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet for the NXT Tag Team Championships

Result: War Raiders retain

Grade: A+, this was special

You know it’s about to go down when the War Raiders make their entrances, and this was yet another must-see entrance from the duo of Hanson and Rowe. They will be in for their toughest test yet tonight against Aleister Black and Ricochet, who have made so much noise as a newly-formed tag team that they have not one but two tag title opportunities during WrestleMania weekend. Their SmackDown Tag Team Championship match against The Usos, The Bar, and Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev will surely be great, but this NXT Tag Team Championship match should be even better under the bright lights of WWE NXT TakeOver New York.

The match began with Aleister Black and Rowe squaring off, as the two grappled to feel each other out first. Plus, it’s better for Rowe to avoid getting into a battle of strikes with Black, who is unparalleled in this department.

Both men were equals, countering several moves back and forth, and when both had an opportunity to strike, they stared each other for a good minute before opting go to back to grappling. That is respect.

Ricochet and Hanson tagged in after a strong show of respect between Black and Rowe, and the challengers gained a brief advantage after a lovely display of athleticism from Ricochet. Black dumped Rowe outside the ring to meet Hanson, and both Black and Ricochet did a seated pose, much to the enjoyment of the NXT Universe.

Shortly afterwards, the match broke down, as all four men traded big moves and showed off their quickness. Ricochet had a particularly impressive leapfrog before absorbing some trademark, tandem offense from the War Raiders. Rowe then started to get to work punishing Black after Ricochet was disposed of, using his strength to grind down Black’s left arm.

Hanson and Rowe made tags back and forth to try and isolate Black, but they likely underestimated the former NXT Champion, who countered and gave Ricochet an opportunity to use his rapid-fire offense on Rowe. Ricochet hit a standing shooting star press on Rowe for a nearfall.

Rowe and Black had some more awesome exchanges before Hanson and Ricochet tagged back in, and Hanson went right to work with some huge power moves. He then planted Black and Ricochet in both corners, trucking both men into the turnbuckles with reckless abandon as he screamed.

But Ricochet brought the momentum back on his side with an INSANE fallaway slam on Hanson that had the NXT Universe screaming with joy. Don’t forget how damn strong Ricochet is!

Black hit Rowe with a huge step-up knee strike and followed that up with one of the archiest bridging Germans I’ve seen! And speaking of athleticism, Hanson and Ricochet started trading handsprings and cartwheels, and it was Hanson who hit the Handspring Back Elbow. Yes, NXT Universe, that was awesome!

It seemed like the War Raiders would win with a double-pin on Ricochet, but Black saved his tag partner with a double stomp from the top rope to break up the pin! The creative in this match is absolutely off the charts, because just when it seems like it’s over, the four men in this match find one more way to up the ante.

All kinds of fired up, Black cleaned up the ring and hit a sick moonsault to the outside on Hanson before being hit with a suicide dive by Rowe! And if you thought that was crazy, Ricochet followed that up with the nastiest corkscrew to the outside! And if you thought THAT was crazy, Hanson hit a cannonball off the top rope to the outside!

Ricochet and Rowe were barely able to break the count to keep this instant classic match alive, as Ricochet avoided a second straight loss by count-out after falling to The Revival on Raw earlier this week. Both men had to reach down deep just to stand, and Ricochet was able to tag in Black after hitting Rowe with a kick to the face.

The merciless “Black Mass” followed, and Ricochet ascended the top rope for the finish. However, Hanson broke up the pin by literally driving Black right into the cover, saving the matchup for the NXT Tag Team Champions and the NXT Universe. Like, what a match!

Back to the top rope, Ricochet crashed and burned badly on a 630, and Black went to the well again, too, missing a moonsault to the outside that Hanson followed up on.  It was academic from there, as the War Raiders hit their big moves on Ricochet before winning the match, retaining the championships in yet another absolutely mad TakeOver performance.

Also, the show of respect between both teams at the end of the match was incredible. All the love in the world to Black and Ricochet as they, presumably, head to the main roster. And as for Hanson and Rowe, I will consider all their TakeOver matches “must-see” going forward. They are right there with the best tag teams in the world indeed.