This weekend, wrestling fans were treated to an exciting double bill, with NXT presenting NXT Takeover: Chicago on Saturday night, and the main roster delivering Money in the Bank on Sunday night.
Over the two nights, fans were treated to a total of 15 wrestling matches, with five coming from the NXT event, and a total of ten matches taking place at Money in the Bank, including the pre-show.
The WWE has struggled to deliver good pay-per-views since The Royal Rumble this year but it redeemed itself on Sunday, delivering a solid show, despite a few poor bouts, while NXT has grown from strength to strength with each Takeover event.
Let’s take a look back at the five best matches from the two shows this weekend.
5: AJ Styles Vs Shinsuke Nakamura- Last Man Standing Match for the WWE title – Money in the Bank
The feud between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura finally came to an end this weekend, when AJ Styles managed to keep Nakamura down for the 10 count in a great last-man-standing match at Money in the Bank.
The two men never managed to deliver on much of the hype generated by fans, but their bouts arguably got better as they went on, and their match at Money in the Bank was their best yet.
The last-man-standing gimmick may have stunted the match in the early going, with the referee annoyingly counting every single move that either AJ or Shinsuke hit, but once the match starting hitting the big spots, things got really good, really quick.
There were several near count-outs throughout the bout, and the WWE even managed to use low-blows effectively, adding them as part of the story, as opposed to a part of the finish.
AJ won the match with a phenomenal forearm through the announce table on Shinsuke, and while this may not have been the classic we all hoped for, it was still a great bout.
4: The Undisputed Era Vs Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch- NXT Takeover: Chicago
This was the first match we were treated to this weekend, and the four men involved managed to set a high standard for the 14 matches that were to follow.
This was the very definition of a hot opener. Lorcan and Burch are two of the most underrated workers in the WWE today, and their hard-hitting style evoked memories of the matches between The Revival and DIY from last year.
The Undisputed Era are one of the hottest properties in all of wrestling right now, and they delivered once again last night, with both Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly looking very impressive.
The Undisputed Era picked up the victory here, and despite the predictability of the result, this was still a thrilling encounter.
The champions will likely move on to a feud with British Strong Style over the Summer, and here’s hoping the company can find something interesting for Lorcan and Burch to do as well.
3: The Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match- Money in the Bank
From the first match of the weekend to the last, the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match was a fast-tempo, thrilling encounter which didn’t let up for its near 20-minute run-time.
Straight from the opening bell, it was clear this was going to be a chaotic outing, and the action was non-stop from the word go.
Highlights of the match included Kevin Owen’s being thrown through a table from a ridiculously tall ladder by Braun Strowman, and Finn Balor hitting a coup de grace from a similar height towards the end of the match.
Braun Strowman picking up the victory was a pleasant surprise, with many fans predicting that The Miz would go on to the win his second Money in the Bank briefcase. This was a thrilling end to a solid show, and it was exactly what a Money in the Bank match should be.
2: Velveteen Dream Vs Ricochet- NXT Takeover: Chicago
Velveteen Dream and Ricochet are two of the hottest performers in the WWE today, and they didn’t dissapoint on Saturday night.
After a highly entertaining build, the two men got underway on Saturday night, and Velveteen Dream, in particular, was very amusing to watch.
His Hulk-Hogan themed attire was an inspired decision and his character work throughout the match was excellent. His desire to one-up Ricochet was exactly the thing that brought him down in the end, and the closing moments of this match were exhilarating.
Ricochet may have picked up the win here, but both men came out looking a million bucks. The Dream has developed a habit of making others look strong while also looking excellent in defeat, and that is probably one of the main reasons why he has been touted as a future star of the industry by John Cena.
1: Johnny Gargano Vs Tommaso Ciampa
Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa tore the house down when they last met at NXT Takeover: New Orleans and the feud between the two former tag team partners has been one of the best things on WWE television so far in 2018.
They met once again in the main event of NXT Takeover: Chicago on Saturday night and they stole the show for the second straight Takeover.
While their first match was a masterclass in wrestling and story-telling, their second encounter was a brutal, devastating affair that featured some incredible spots and some a gripping narrative.
The two men went after each other from the opening bell, and they brutalised each other with a series of different foreign objects. Ciampa then proceeded to tear up the ring padding, in what was an innovative spot, and then, towards the end of the match, Gargano put Ciampa through a stage at ringside.
Gargano’s quest for vengeance is what ultimately cost him, as he beat down an already destroyed Ciampa, tying his hands behind his back and forcing the officials to come out and stop him.
Amid all the confusion, Ciampa managed to regain his standing and hit Gargano with a brutal DDT on the exposed ring.
The show closed with Ciampa waving goodbye to Gargano, and he will no doubt be at his heelish best in the coming weeks, as he brags about beating Gargano with his hands tied behind his back.
This was another incredible encounter between Ciampa and Gargano, and the two men are unrivalled as the best performers in the WWE right now.
