Every title in NXT was up for grabs Friday as the hottest brand under the WWE umbrella rolled into Barclays Center in Brooklyn for TakeOver: New York.

Johnny Gargano sought to become the first Triple Crown Champion in NXT history by winning the brand's vacant world title. To do so, he would have to defeat The Undisputed Era's Adam Cole in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls match.

Just 48 hours before taking to the WrestleMania stage to challenge for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, Ricochet and Aleister Black challenged The War Raiders for the NXT Tag Team Championships.

Pete Dunne put his historic reign as NXT UK champion on the line against the unstoppable Walter; Matt Riddle challenged The Velveteen Dream for the North American title; and Shayna Baszler defended her women's title against Bianca Belair, Kairi Sane and Io Shirai to round out one of the most impressive cards in TakeOver history.

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. The War Raiders

The NXT Tag Team Championships were up for grabs to kick off Friday's show, with the 2019 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic winners Ricochet and Aleister Black battling The War Raiders' Hanson and Rowe for the gold.

An early flurry of action came to a sudden halt as Black and Ricochet springboarded into a sitting position, almost as if to taunt the champions, who watched from the floor. The challengers' momentum was short-lived, though, as Hanson and Rowe utilized their unorthodox offense and undeniable power advantage to ground Black.

Black would try, on more than on occasion, to fight back into the match, but the champions were able to thwart everything he threw at them. Ricochet entered and was powered down, too, as War Raiders continued to set the pace and unload their fury on the competition.

In the most memorable moment of the match, Ricochet showed off his own incredible strength, delivering an awe-inspiring fallaway slam to the much heavier Hanson.

For the second time in the match, Black and Rowe paired off, each man unloading on each other with strikes despite exhaustion setting in.

Ricochet and Hanson paired off now, each showcasing their raw athleticism, including a crowd-pleasing handspring back elbow for a near-fall. Chants of "this is awesome" spilled from the stands.

The War Raiders teamed up on Ricochet, Hanson delivering a springboard clothesline to The One and Only as Rowe held him. That near-fall was interrupted by Black, who delivered a double stomp from out of nowhere.

At ringside, former NXT champion Black wiped Hanson out with a moonsault. Rowe followed up with a suicide dive, to which Ricochet responded with a corkscrew space flying tiger drop. Hanson scaled the ropes and delivered a flipping senton from the top rope that wiped out all three of the other competitors in the match.

Building on the challengers' match with The Revival earlier in the week, there was a tease of a double count-out finish, but Ricochet and Rowe made it back to the squared circle in time.

In another great near-fall, Black blasted Rowe with Black Mass and Ricochet delivered a Shooting Star Press. Hanson powered Black into his partner, breaking up the pin. Moments later, Ricochet tried for the 630 splash, but he missed.

At ringside, Hanson wiped out Black with a clothesline. Back in the ring, the champions finished Ricochet off with Fallout to secure the win and their title reign.

After the match, Ricochet and Black embraced the champions in a sign of respect and soaked in the warm reception of the NXT faithful, all of whom recognized this was likely the last time they would see those two stars under the black-and-gold banner.

Result

The War Raiders defeated Black and Ricochet

Grade

A

Analysis

What started slowly built and built, culminating in an electric display of physicality.

Black and Ricochet did everything they possibly could and threw everything in their arsenals at the champions, but War Raiders established their dominance over the NXT Tag Team division with a convincing win.

The fact that Black and Ricochet are main roster talents, preparing to compete at WrestleMania, only serves to elevate Hanson and Rowe's star power within NXT and earn them status as, arguably, the best-booked tag champions on any roster in WWE.

Black and Ricochet taking their final bows to chants of "you deserve it" was a nice moment that demonstrated just how much the faithful fans of NXT appreciate their contributions to the brand.

A babyface vs. babyface match can oftentimes be difficult to book, but this was executed to perfection and set what may prove to be an impossible bar for the rest of the show to eclipse.

NXT North American Championship Match: The Velveteen Dream vs. Matt Riddle

The NXT North American Championship was up for grabs in the second match of the night, with a bout between two of the most eccentric Superstars on the roster. "The Original Bro" Matt Riddle battled The Velveteen Dream in a match most had yet to witness under the NXT umbrella. 

The crowd was split as Riddle and Dream came face-to-face for their championship clash.

The challenger offered Dream a fist bump, but the champion had none of it. When he finally did, it proved a ploy, one that did not work out as Riddle blocked a double-leg takedown attempt and counted into an arm submission. Moments later, he escaped a monkey flip and transitioned into an armbar.

Riddle wrested control of the match from the champion, outclassing Dream in search of his first title in NXT. Everything he did only further frustrated Dream and left him in awe of the attack he found himself on the receiving end of. Riddle looked for the arm submission more than once, even going for the hanging armbar at one point.

A Go-To-Sleep and German suplex combo only scored him a two count as Mauro Ranallo talked up the resilience of the champion. Dream, on his knees, endured a series of kicks about the body before taking a page out of a Hall of Famer's book and hulking up. He dropped Riddle with a big boot and clotheslined him to the floor, mounting his comeback. 

He delivered a Codebreaker that would make Chris Jericho proud, but he was only able to keep the OG Bro down for two. Riddle, channeling another icon of the industry, applied a Kurt Angle-esque ankle lock as he continued to seek that submission victory. 

Dream fought out, escaped a powerbomb and delivered a superkick. A Dream DDT followed, and the Dream Valley Driver left Riddle prone.

The Purple Rainmaker was countered into the Bromission, but Riddle was unable to fully apply it. 

A deadlift German suplex from the outside middle rope and back into the squared circle brought the NXT faithful to their feet. The Floating Bro followed for another quality near-fall. Riddle followed up with a powerbomb, then he applied the Bromission.

Desperate, Dream shifted his weight into a rollup and scored the pinfall victory.

After the match, Dream finally engaged Riddle in a fist bump as the signs of respect continued.

Result

Dream defeated Riddle

Grade

A+

Analysis

Riddle was the superior wrestler, dominating the match and appearing well on his way to victory. Dream, though, was resourceful enough to shift his weight and ensure his title reign continued. It was strong storytelling from a master of the art in Dream and a breakout performance from Riddle in the NXT ring.

Dream has star potential the likes of which we have not seen since the ol' blue-chipper Rocky Maivia hit the ring in 1996. His charisma and aura are unmatched by anyone on the roster, and one day, he will star on the main roster against the giants of the industry.

Riddle is clearly the face of NXT's future, a Superstar who will ascend to the mantle once held by Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre and Bobby Roode. He may have suffered his first loss here, but his future is as bright as any on the black-and-gold roster.

NXT United Kingdom Championship Match: Pete Dunne vs. Walter

For the first time since winning the NXT United Kingdom Championship on May 20, 2017, Pete Dunne entered a title defense that was not a sure thing.

Friday night in Brooklyn, The Bruiserweight battled The Ring General, Walter, in one of the most anticipated bouts of the entire WrestleMania weekend.

A reign totaling 685 days and utter domination of the NXT UK roster was at stake for Dunne. A future as the most destructive champion in the upstart brand awaited Walter.

Walter staved off an early attempt at joint manipulation by the champion to overwhelm Dunne, much to the champion's surprise. The onslaught came to an end, at least momentarily, as Dunne applied a heel hook that got the big man off his feet.

The challenger fought off Dunne, though, and continued to mercilessly punish The Bruiserweight. Dunne, though, took to the air in his attempt to retain his title, delivering a particularly nasty double stomp from the top rope to the ribs of a prone Walter on the arena floor.

A dropkick from Walter, from out of nowhere, stunned the champion. A brutal back chop to Dunne fueled a nasty, strike-filled onslaught by the challenger that repeatedly dropped the champion. Another attempt at a powerbomb, though, saw Dunne slip out and deliver an enzuigiri that allowed him to create a bit of separation.

Dunne continued to target the hands of Walter, taking away his grasp and, as a result, his strength. A few near-falls followed more joint manipulation, but the champion was unable to keep his oppressive challenger down.

Trapped in a painful submission, with his fingers pulled, separated and snapped in various directions by Dunne, Walter made it to the bottom rope and preserved his championship dreams. 

With Dunne grounded, Walter tried for a splash but found himself trapped in a triangle. Dunne again went for the fingers, but the champion chopped his way out. He stomped at Dunne, who attacked the fingers like Becky Lynch attacks Ronda Rousey on Twitter.

Dunne delivered the Bitter End, but Walter shot his shoulders off the mat at two, and a successful title defense was in greater doubt than ever before.

Each Superstar unloaded an arsenal of unforgiving strikes before Dunne met Walter up top and applied a triangle chop. Again, Walter chopped out, and this time, he delivered a release powerbomb from the top rope.

With Dunne grounded, Walter returned to the top and delivered a splash. Three seconds later, the third NXT United Kingdom champion in WWE history was crowned.

Result

Walter defeated Dunne to win the NXT UK Championship

Grade

A+

Analysis

This was an extraordinary match and even better fight between two of the most physical wrestlers on the planet.

Dunne was every bit as great a champion as he ever had been. Against anyone else, he would have retained his title. Not tonight. Not against Walter.

The Ring General was an unstoppable force that no broken fingers or welted chest could halt. He was destined to win that match, acquire that title and go about making NXT UK his show.

What that means for Dunne and his future with the brand, or maybe a transition to NXT, remains to be seen.

For now, fans can take solace in knowing they just witnessed a legitimate Match of the Year candidate that, somehow, improved upon the first two matches of the evening.

Fatal 4-Way Match for the NXT Women's Championship

"The Queen of Spades" had steamrolled the competition in NXT to this point in her career, but Friday night, women's champion Shayna Baszler defended her title against Bianca Belair, Kairi Sane and Io Shirai in a Fatal 4-Way match.

Back and forth action dominated the competition early before Baszler slowed the pace and stomped on the arm of Belair, looking to take away some of the freakish strength of The EST. At ringside, Shirai favored her knee, while Belair used her ponytail to pull the champion face-first into the steel post.

Shirai shook off the pain, though, and delivered a springboard dropkick to Belair back in the ring. On the floor, Sane and Baszler rekindled their rivalry.

Moments later, Baszler grabbed Belair in a gut wrench on the top rope while Sane and Shirai joined in for a crowd-pleasing Tower of Doom spot.

Belair, in a show of strength, sent Shirai over the top rope and on to Baszler and Sane at ringside. Back in the ring, the ponytailed challenger lifted the champion in the air with a double chicken wing. The ever-alert Baszler countered out and into her chokeout, which threatened Belair's championship aspirations.

The Queen of Spades was unable to score the win and nearly fell in defeat to Shirai, who delivered a big moonsault. Sane, though, broke up the pin and brought the partners to blows. The Pirate Princess seized control and delivered the In-Sane Elbow, but Shirai broke up the pin in a receipt of sorts.

A nasty DDT by Sane had her rolling, but Belair interjected herself back in the match and delivered a double reverse DDT to The Sky Pirates. Baszler, an opportunist, trapped Belair in the chokeout. The EST fought as best she could but ultimately tapped out to retain her title.

Result

Baszler defeated Belair, Shirai and Sane

Grade

A

Analysis

There were three different stories at play here.

First was Belair's quest for redemption after losing for the first time in Phoenix. She was great, improved even more than she was a mere two months ago. Working with world-class wrestlers like Shirai and Sane will do that for a young, evolving worker.

Speaking of Sane and Shirai, their friendship was tested by their desire to hoist championship gold. Each cost the other the match and laid into their friend as they sought victory. While it did not manifest in some big blow out, it should be interesting to see if that is a story NXT management explores following Friday's show.

The third story was Baszler's ability to capitalize on openings.

Not once did it look like she was the best wrestler in the match. Instead, she was the most alert and most attentive. She recognized an opportunity, seized it and retained her title. Most importantly, she did it on the back of Belair's amazing feat of strength, taking advantage of a challenger still recovering from slamming two women at once.

That will likely play into the story and, ultimately, culminate in one last showdown with The EST.

This continued the trend of superb wrestling this incarnation of TakeOver.

Best 2-out-of-3 Falls Match for the Vacant NXT Championship

The vacant NXT Championship was at stake, as was supremacy in the black-and-gold brand, as Adam Cole battled Johnny Gargano in front of a split audience Friday night in Brooklyn.

Johnny Wrestling had his opponent reeling early, sending him to the floor and following up with a baseball slide. Cole slowed things down with a headlock, but Gargano fought out and scored a near-fall off a rollup. A slingshot spear followed for another two count.

The Superstars exchanged counters and reversals, each looking to steal that first fall. Cole did, pinning Gargano with the Last Shot.

Cole won the first fall. 1-0.

The aggressor sought an immediate followup victory, delivering a second Last Shot. Gargano kicked out, though, and followed up moments later with a big spear on the ring apron. His flurry was short-lived as Cole reassumed control of the bout.

Gargano, though, showed the same unwavering will that fueled him to the top of NXT, fighting back and delivering a slingshot DDT on to the ring apron. His unwillingness to win the fall via countout, though, earned him a faceful of ring post as Cole recovered.

A sudden Garga-No Escape earned Johnny Wrestling a tapout victory and took the match to a third fall. 

Gargano won the second fall. 1-1.

As the match entered the third fall, the fight intensified. Strikes were traded and blood flowed from a laceration on Gargano's eyebrow. Dueling chants ensued as the warriors continued their quest for championship immortality.

Gargano answered Cole's backdrop driver with a reverse rana that drove his opponent's head into the mat. A superkick, though, sent Cole to the arena floor, robbing Gargano of a pinfall attempt. On the floor, Cole popped up and delivered a wheelbarrow suplex into the ring apron.

The babyface recovered, though, and delivered a big DDT.

An attempt at a slingshot spear saw Gargano eat a big superkick from Cole. The former Ring of Honor champion followed with a rare Panama Sunrise for a two count as the crowd erupted.

As the match neared its crescendo, Cole joined Gargano on the floor to talk trash. Gargano answered, wiping Cole out by sending him over the announce table. In a super-smart callback, Cole delivered Tommaso Ciampa's finisher on to the table, which failed to break.

A dramatic count-out tease gave way to a big superkick from Cole, who could only hold his opponent down for a count of two. He followed up with a second try at the Panama Sunrise, but Gargano countered into the Garga-No Escape. The Undisputed Era's Roderick Strong, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish hit the ring, laying Gargano out but not keeping him down for the count.

Gargano wiped out the interferers but fell prey to two superkicks and the Last Shot...but he still kicked out as the fans jam-packed into Barclays Center came unglued.

A frustrated Cole yelled, "it's my time," opening him up to one last Garga-No Escape. After fighting through the pain, Cole finally tapped, giving Gargano the long-awaited title victory.

After an emotion celebration with his family at ringside, Gargano and wife Candice LeRae were joined on stage by Tommaso Ciampa, who embraced his friend-turned-foe, bringing an end to their legendary rivalry.

Result

Gargano defeated Cole to win the NXT Championship

Grade

A+

Analysis

As great as Dunne vs. Walter was earlier in the night was, Gargano finally overcoming the odds and capturing the title that has eluded him for the last year was an epic, all-time great NXT moment.

The match that proceeded it was equally as great, as Gargano was the resilient babyface, forced to overcome the extraordinary Cole and interference from his Undisputed Era teammates.

It was a wild roller-coaster ride of a match that embodied everything that makes wrestling great. There was athleticism, drama, storytelling, a battle of good vs. evil, an underdog story and a heroic triumph reminiscent of comic book flicks.

After a year of playing runner-up to Ciampa, Andrade, Aleister Black and Velveteen Dream, this was Gargano's night. Cole was the perfect antagonist, his Undisputed Era teammates three more hurdles for him to overcome.

He did, the championship is his, and the embrace of Ciampa to close out the show was the perfect ending to this chapter of his career. Now, he assumes the role of the face of NXT, a feud with Cole and Co. guaranteed to keep him busy for the foreseeable future.