NXT TakeOver: Phoenix (2019): Gargano and Ricochet Lead Another Excellent Five-Match NXT Card

War Raiders and The Undisputed ERA open with the kind of tag match that immediately establishes a major-event standard. Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong use quick tags, leg attacks, and tandem offense to isolate Rowe, while Hanson repeatedly changes the geometry of the match with power and surprising agility. The champions' control work matters because every War Raiders comeback feels earned rather than scheduled. The final stretch is excellent: Total Elimination fails, Hanson survives the knee drop, and the challengers answer with increasingly violent combinations until Fallout finally ends the reign. The crowd is fully invested by the closing minutes, and the championship change feels both surprising and deserved. It is an A-level opener with structure underneath the spectacle.

Riddle and Ohno work a compact grudge match built around Ohno trying to bully the smaller fighter out of his comfort zone. Ohno controls the middle with heavy strikes, a leg drop, and attacks around ringside, while Riddle's barefoot presentation becomes part of the violence when Ohno stomps and even bites the foot. The match is physical without needing a long runtime. Riddle's comeback is abrupt but believable because his repeated elbows turn the finish into a stoppage-style submission rather than another conventional pin. The crowd never reaches the level of the opener, and the ending arrives before the match develops another gear. Still, nine minutes is enough to resolve the feud cleanly and give Riddle a credible win.

Gargano and Ricochet produce the night's masterpiece by combining spectacular athletic counters with Gargano's ongoing moral slide. Ricochet lands on his feet from positions that would normally end sequences, forcing Gargano to improvise rather than simply run through familiar offense. The athletic escalation is extraordinary, but the key moment comes when Gargano exposes the concrete and initially hesitates to use it. That choice gives the finishing stretch a character consequence. Once Gargano finally brainbusters Ricochet onto the floor and follows with the slingshot DDT, the title change feels like both a wrestling victory and another step toward Ciampa's worldview. The match flirts with excess through repeated counters and near falls, yet the crowd never loses the thread. It is a genuine A-plus centerpiece.

Baszler and Belair follow the card's most spectacular match by working a very different contest around Belair's shoulder and unbeaten confidence. Baszler attacks the arm early, uses the ring post and joint manipulation to create a clear target, and forces Bianca to sell through every comeback. Belair gradually wins the crowd with her strength, the hair-whip spot, and repeated attempts to escape the Kirifuda Clutch. The outside involvement from Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke is the main weakness because the match already has enough credibility without interference. Even so, Belair never submits; she powers up repeatedly before finally passing out. The finish protects the challenger while preserving Baszler's dominance. It is a strong championship match in a difficult card position.

Ciampa and Black close with a long main event built around one simple idea: damage Black's left leg until Black Mass becomes unreliable. Ciampa repeatedly attacks the knee against the post, steps, and mat, and Black's selling gives later counters a reason to fail. The match improves substantially once the leg begins affecting Black's offense, especially when attempted suplexes and Black Mass collapse underneath him. Ciampa's repeated Fairytale Endings verge on overkill, and the twenty-six-minute runtime could lose several minutes without harming the story. The final sequence still works because Black's last attempt at Black Mass fails when the leg gives out, allowing Ciampa to finish decisively. It is a strong, coherent championship main event just below classic level.