NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III not only best Brooklyn show, it may have been brand’s best

NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III was easily the best show NXT has ever done in Brooklyn over this journey to prominence. It wasn’t just the best Brooklyn-based show, though. Saturday might have been the best TakeOver show NXT has ever produced.

From the part when Johnny Gargano’s theme music hit the Barclays Center speakers to the debut of Adam Cole (BAYBAY!) with the reunited reDRagon during their attack of new NXT Champion Drew McIntyre, NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III had fans all over the world on the edge of their seats, beds and couches.

NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III was roughly two-and-a-half hours of nonstop action, twists, turns, chaos, debuts, heartbreak, triumph and nobody could really get enough of what was taking place on Saturday night. The bar was raised and that bar continues to get higher and higher in NXT under Triple H. This show raised it to another level; a level that a six-hour broadcast the next night in the same building couldn’t even get near.

Asuka kicked out of the Eclipse. The Authors of Pain and SAnitY had the best tag team match since #DIY and The Revival in Toronto back in November. Andrade “Cien” Almas won (!) arguably the best match of the night against Gargano thanks to his new consultant: the lovely Zelina Vega.

Oh, and Aleister Black kicked Hideo Itami’s head clean off his shoulders.

Even before the show got going, the NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III Kickoff Show was a really good production. Charly Caruso hosted the panel, but it was the elements of NXT’s past that made the hour before showtime. Corey Graves spent some time on set with former tag team partner Neville and it was pleasantly awkward between them both.

Former NXT Champion Big E arrived on the scene to provide the humor only he can provide. Renee Young interviewed Shinsuke Nakamura backstage. Half of the Four Horsewomen — Bayley and Becky Lynch — did a backstage interview also. They were later shown on camera during the show itself with Sasha Banks, along with former NXT Champions Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens was even thrown on screen as subtle foreshadowing for what was to come just a bit later on. It was billed as a homecoming of sorts for NXT and that’s exactly what it looked like.

There’s more that goes into a good show than just a good title match or two. This show had a card full of them with well-placed elements throughout. Vega throwing Gargano a #DIY shirt to give Almas the distraction he needed was a perfect play to keep things going until Tommaso Ciampa returns from a knee injury.

Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly not only reunited as reDRagon, they took out AoP and the newly-crowned SAnitY, and looked as fierce as anybody on the NXT roster. Like Owens appearing in the crowd, that run-in told you what was coming later.

Aleister Black certified himself as a big-league player with his victory later in the show over Hideo Itami. It’s unfortunate Itami had to eat another pinfall loss on a grand stage like TakeOver after losing in May to Bobby Roode in Chicago, but they both looked strong in the matchup. Black is a legitimate piece to the puzzle for NXT. He hasn’t said a word on television and he’s more over than many performers have ever been in Orlando. It’s a good sign when you’re getting a live performance for an entrance, also.

The two main events — yes, there was two main events because that’s how good Asuka vs. Ember Moon was — brought substantial changes to the future of NXT in the short and long-term.

Asuka won a wonderful encounter against Ember Moon in a rematch from their April meeting at NXT TakeOver: Orlando before WrestleMania 33. The only negative to this feud has been the injuries. Moon was injured in a spot with Asuka prior to their scheduled rematch at NXT TakeOver: Chicago, so the rematch was delayed until Saturday night.

And, it was worth the wait.

This may come as a surprise to many, but Asuka and Ember Moon not only outdid their first match, but they outdid Brooklyn’s most famous NXT match ever: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. Asuka and Ember Moon worked five less minutes than Bayley and Banks did two years ago and had a better match. Ember had Asuka on the ropes more than she had ever been during her unbeaten run in NXT, and when she hit the Eclipse, it felt like #TheStreak was really over.

The moment was coming. Until it didn’t. Asuka survived, but it came with a price.

Unfortunately, this successful title defense led to Asuka breaking her right collarbone in the process, which is a dagger right to the heart of NXT for the time being. Thankfully, she won’t miss too much time if the recovery process goes accordingly, but Asuka is NXT’s biggest star in the women’s division. It’s a huge loss. She may have went over on Saturday, but Ember got over. If you’re getting over with fans in a losing effort, you’re doing your job pretty damn well.

Then, of course, everyone knows you’re good at your job and you walk right into the company as the most over person on the roster.

After Drew McIntyre won a solid match against Bobby Roode to win the NXT Championship, he was greeted with cheers … and reDRagon. McIntyre, confused and befuddled, looked to address the newly-reunited duo, but an attack came from behind in the form of Adam Cole (BAYBAY!) to announce his arrival in WWE and NXT.

Cole drilled a superkick, grabbed the NXT title, spoke briefly to McIntyre who was flat on his back and then stood tall with two other former stars in Ring of Honor as the show went off the air. Cole also gave fans what they wanted with his famous “ADAM COLE BAYBAY!” taunt after the cameras went off for the evening as the cherry on top of the best sundae Saturday in NXT history.

Most guys get a shot on screen for a second for the fans to go bonkers over at TakeOver these days. Drew McIntrye at NXT TakeOver: Orlando is one. Bobby Roode at NXT TakeOver: Dallas last year is another. Adam Cole got a whole run-in with two performers from his past and the place went ballistic for him. Cole is a going to be a major factor in NXT’s success moving into 2018. It wasn’t just a big-time moment for Saturday — it was a huge moment, period.

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You name it, this show had it. Hard-hitting action, fantastic close calls, a high-caliber debut (or two technically), title changes, a raucous crowd from bell-to-bell and the makings of yet another fresh and fun start in NXT moving toward November for the final TakeOver of the calendar year.