NXT TakeOver: New Orleans Results - HOLY SHIT THIS WAS INCREDIBLE

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NXT TakeOver: New Orleans was not only the best show at this Wrestlemania but the best NXT Takeover ever and the best show WWE has done in a very long time.

NXT North American Championship (Ladder Match) – Adam Cole vs EC3 vs Lars Sullivan vs Velveteen Dream vs Killian Dane vs Ricochet

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This was the first of many general surprises of the night with the North American Championship ladder match opening the show.

It shouldn’t have done because this is the perfect match to get the audience hyped as fuck and it did just that. From Ricochet high-flying at any chance possible, Sullivan and Dane were the big monsters, EC3 took some mighty bumps, Cole was the glue of the match and this was Dreams best performance yet and is a future star and champion.

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Dreams’ elbow drop was a thing of beauty and reminded me of Shawn Michael’s elbow drop against Triple H at Summerslam 2002.

However, Cole winning is perfect and he’ll be an unbearable heel champion but the potential one-on-one matches he could have is incredibly exciting!

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Result – Adam Cole wins and becomes the NXT North American Champion Bay Bay!

NXT Women’s Championship – Ember Moon (c) vs Shayna Baszler

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It wasn’t as good as their first meeting but this a great progression of the story with Baszler becoming a dominant champion that’s going to be hard to beat.

Moon may have been too cocky after their previous match but the champ did take control of the bout after her challenge controlled the pace at the beginning and even bringing fear to the powerhouse after Moon stomped on her elbow.

Seeing Baszler popping her shoulder back into place using the ring post was impressive and after escaping the Eclipse she trapped the champ in a choke. With Moon getting close to the ropes, Baszler rolled back into the middle and choked out Moon to become champion.

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Result – Shayna Baszler wins and becomes the new NXT Women’s Champion

NXT Tag Team Championship – Undisputed Era (c) vs Authors Of Pain vs Rodrick Strong & 
Pete Dunne

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After competing in the ladder match earlier in the night Adam Cole was back out with Kyle O’Reilly but clearly suffering from injuries and it got worst for the North American champ going through the announce table by AoP.

If Undisputed Era was going to hold onto those belts, O’Reilly will need to do it solo.

AoP took control of the match taking out everyone and it was thanks to Strong that broke the pin to save the match.

As the action continued Dunne delivered The Bitter End to O’Reilly, but Strong shocked the whole NXT universe by breaking the pinfull and delivered a backbreaker to the Bruiserweight and helping Undisputed Era retain their titles.

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After the bell, Strong put on Cole’s Undisputed Era armband and joined the faction and posed with the belts and the Dusty Rhodes trophy.

This heel turn was executed perfectly and was something that popped the NXT audience was didn’t expect it coming.

This now sets up a Dunne-Strong feud for the United Kingdom belt, but likely the Bruiserweight has some British Strong Style behind him in the form of former UK champ Tyler Bate and Trent Seven.

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Result – Undisputed Era retains as NXT Tag Team Champions

NXT Championship – Andrade “Cien” Almas (c) vs Aleister Black

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What could be said about Aleister Black? His journey to the NXT title has been wonderful and has made him the superstar fans already knew and will now carry the brand forward.

Additionally, this was another great showcase for Almas.

This was a brilliantly told story about a heel manager doing everything possible to keep the belt her clients waist with Zelina Vega continually interfering to stop Black getting any momentum in the match and Cien keeping control.

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Almas repeated getting the near fall throughout the match and after Black counted the hammerlock DDT and delivered Black Mass for only Vega was there to save the day to put Almas’ foot on the bottom rope.

After missing a couple of times throughout the match Almas finally delivered the double knees to Black leaving him prone but again it wasn’t enough.

Vega went to the well too many times for her client and dived from the top rope straight into Cien’s arms for only Black to hit Black Mass and the rest is history.

This could be a very exciting main event picture with Black as champion and challenges from EC3, a stronger Undisputed Era and maybe a challenger in Almas, if he doesn’t move up to Smackdown’s main roster.

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Result – Aleister Black wins and becomes new NXT Champion

Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa (Unsanctioned Match)

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This match has been building for a year (or maybe longer if you include the Cruiserweight classic) as friends-turned-better-enemies Johnny Gargano took on Tommaso Ciampa.

Ciampa proved what a fantastic heel he’s become coming out to a chorus of boos and fuck you’s to replace the theme music, but they all went once Gargano’s music hit as the ultimate babyface entered the arena.

The fight was beautifully brutal with both competitors knocking the living shit out one another. Ciampa suplexed Gargano on the exposed concrete of the arena floor, Gargano replied by tossing Ciampa into and over the commentary table.

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After delivering a suplex off the announce table on the floor, Ciampa took control of the bout once inside the ring and taking great joy stomping on his opponent.

After a number of false finishes to give fans and NXT audience heart attacks, Gargano smashed his former friend's knee with his own brace and then broke off a crutch and stopped himself hitting Ciampa after having doubts.

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Gargano sucked in Ciampa into his trap and applied an STF using the knee brace with Ciampa tapping out to the overall joy of every NXT fan watching at home and in the arena and Johnny Wrestling gets his job back.

This was the match of the year, the best match in WWE for a long time and the best story to be told by WWE since Daniel Bryan’s journey to the WWE and Heavyweight titles at Wrestlemania XXX.

It’s going to be a long time until WWE tell a story this good a while.

The wrestlers cared more about beating the crap out of each other than they did winning.

Ciampa is a delightful villain and Gargano is the ultimate underdog.

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Result – Johnny Gargano wins