WWE NXT TakeOver New York Results: Star Ratings for Gargano vs. Cole, Each Match

For the fifth time, NXT has taken over Brooklyn and made Barclays Center the home for the next generation of WWE Superstars with TakeOver: New York.

The NXT roster has an impressive track record of putting on amazing events during WrestleMania weekend, and this year, the card for TakeOver certainly had more than enough potential to match or even top that.

With all four titles on the line, as well as the United Kingdom Championship from NXT UK, the lineup on paper seemed guaranteed for success.

Now that it's over and the dust has settled, how did everything turn out? Did everything fulfill its promise, or did some parts of the night fall short of the hype?

As with any scale or system that is meant to judge something based entirely on opinion, everything is subjective.

Star ratings can have a wide variety of approaches. Some hold strict that a five-star rating should only be used in the absolute rarest of cases that is nearly impossible to obtain. Others throw the term "Match of the Year" around like it's nothing.

Ratings are also a product of their time. What was a classic decades ago might be boring to some now.

It's important to keep in mind that everything in this review will be based on personal preferences with as much of a mix of public opinion as possible, but if you happen to disagree and think a match should be rated higher or lower, you have the power to give your ratings in the comments below.

For this particular review, here is an explanation of what this scale equates to in terms of its representation and purpose:

• ***** = 10/10. A classic that will be remembered forever.
• ****½ = 9/10. Amazing. Just shy of perfect. A potential match of the year.
• **** = 8/10. Very good.
• ***½ = 7/10. Good.
• *** = 6/10. Above average.
• **½ = 5/10. Average; just OK.
• ** = 4/10. Below average.
• *½ = 3/10. Bad.
• * = 2/10. Very bad.
• ½* = 1/10. Terrible. Effectively worthless.
• 0 = 0/10. This is reserved for rare worst-case scenarios.

The main roster constantly struggles with the relevance, purpose and quality of the tag team divisions, but in NXT, there is always something special about tag team title matches on TakeOver events.

To no surprise, War Raiders, Aleister Black and Ricochet absolutely tore the house down in the opening contest, putting on what could well be a Match of the Year candidate. There was no point in this match that wasn't entertaining, and if you missed it, you certainly missed out on something amazing.

Some particular highlights were Hanson charging in the corner multiple times, Ricochet throwing Hanson with a fallaway slam and Black's double-stomp on to Hanson and Rowe to break a pinfall.

More than anything, though, Ricochet's flying corkscrew tiger drop and Hanson's cannonball off the top rope were astonishing enough to have Mauro Ranallo gasp, "What is life?!"

A really nice touch here was how much respect was shown between the two teams both at the onset when testing each other and after it was all said and done.

Laying the titles on the mat and bowing to Black and Ricochet before giving them time to say goodbye to the NXT crowd was a rare moment of admiration that was the perfect way to cap off this great segment.

Rating: ****½

The tag team title match was a hard act to follow, so Velveteen Dream and Matt Riddle had an uphill battle they just couldn't conquer.

Everything started great with Velveteen Dream's Statue of Liberty inspired entrance, but after the bell rang, it never quite ascended to greatness until the closing few minutes.

That wasn't to say that this was bad, as it certainly wasn't. We're not in a world of extremes where if something isn't the best thing ever, it has to be considered awful.

But instead of being amazing, this was just good.

The crowd seemed to progressively become more anti-Riddle and pro-Dream as the fight went on, so the biggest pop of the match was seeing the title not change hands.

It will be interesting to see where both Dream and Riddle go from here, but they are talented enough that it's a safe bet good things are in store for both.

Rating: ***½

This was a different style match than the rest of the card. Some fans might see that as a negative deviation, while others would consider it a positive change of pace.

One thing these two managed to do well was bridge the gap between their size difference. Instead of this being simply Walter winning a squash, Dunne was scrappy enough to fight back and refuse to lose without giving it his all.

When Walter would overpower him, Dunne would exploit his expertise in joint manipulation to wear down the bigger man's offensive tools.

Each chop and slap echoed so loudly that they must have been excruciating, so we should applaud both Superstars for their endurance and pain threshold.

This was as good of a final match for Dunne's title reign as one could have hoped for and a great means for him to drop the belt while looking strong in his loss.

Likewise, this has now given Walter a proper start for his run where everyone knows he has what it takes to be the new champion.

Rating: ***¾

All four Superstars in the Fatal 4-Way for the NXT Women's Championship have an excess of talent, but this match wasn't able to fully capitalize on its potential.

Shayna Baszler was never able to fully play up her more heelish tendencies; every time Io Shirai and Kairi Sane got momentum on their side, it was cut off; and Bianca Belair didn't have much room to shine on her own, either.

Since Baszler's previous title defenses have been very good, particularly against Sane, perhaps her strength is more in singles bouts. Here, too many cooks may have spoiled the broth.

There were still some great moments, such as Bianca Belair hitting a KOD on both of the Sky Pirates and both Sane and Io Shirai's high-flying on display, but the audience's energy didn't match what it was earlier in the night.

By the end, which saw Belair tap out to Baszler, the crowd seemed underwhelmed, rather than pumped.

Rating: ***¼

While it wasn't the main event WWE had originally planned, putting Johnny Gargano with Adam Cole was an obvious recipe for success. Adding the 2-out-of-3 falls stipulation further increased this match's value by giving fans more of what was sure to be a spectacle.

Thankfully, they didn't disappoint, and it was an amazing finish to the pay-per-view.

The NXT audience always has favorites, but while some fans were cheering more for Cole or Gargano, a chant of "both these guys" still happened, proving how both Superstars are firmly in the top echelon of talent.

Their skills were put on display from start to finish and more than worthy of the "this is awesome" chant they received.

Near-fall after near-fall, this was such a nail-biter that every shot of the crowd featured people on their feet, mouths wide open and beyond astonished at what went down. This was intensified even more after the second decision, when the situation became dire.

This match is exactly why NXT has been the best thing going in WWE the past few years. With Gargano at the top of the food chain, it may be even stronger than before.

To make it all that more special, seeing Tommaso Ciampa endorse and embrace Gargano as the new champion was even more of a reason to end the night smiling, and that is what sports entertainment is all about—passion, athleticism and fun.

Rating: ****½

How many stars would you give the matches from NXT TakeOver: New York? Tell us your ratings in the comments below!

Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.