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4:03 pm | April 5, 2019 | Go to Source | Author:

7:53 PM ET

BROOKLYN — NXT TakeOver specials have had a habit of setting a tremendously high bar for WrestleMania weekend over the last few year and, on paper, NXT TakeOver: New York appears likely to keep that trend rolling.Five titles will be defended Friday night at the Barclays Center — headlined by a 2-out-of-3 falls match between Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano for the vacant NXT championship.

Tim Fiorvanti is live in Brooklyn for the event, with Sean Coyle adding additional insights throughout the night.This story will be updated in real time.

NXT North American championship: Velveteen Dream (c) vs. Matt Riddle

Match in progress.

NXT tag team championship: War Raiders (c) def. Aleister Black & Ricochet

Aleister Black and Ricochet have clicked as a team. They won the 2019 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic to earn their opportunity at the NXT tag titles at TakeOver and have also racked up wins on both RAW and SmackDown Live and, as a result, find themselves pulling double-duty this weekend..

The bout, a clash of strength and power, began with Rowe and Black countering each other multiple times to set the tone. The crowd was into it from the start..

Black and Ricochet got the better of the War Raiders early on by way of their athleticism, but this one went back and forth more times than you can count. Each team used their attributes to their advantage, including a picture perfect springboard clothesline by Ricochet to Rowe, followed up by a standing shooting star press.

Both teams, however, also exhibited the strengths of the other team’s frequently throughout the match. Hanson showed off his cardio when he nailed Black and Ricochet with consecutive body avalanches in their respective corners at least 10 times. Seconds later, Ricochet caught the massive Hanson in mid-air and executed a fallaway slam. The trend continued further when Hanson hit Ricochet with a springboard clothesline while Rowe held Ricochet in the air. Those sequences were enough to warrant “fight forever” chants from the Brooklyn crowd.

The aerial attacks continued, highlighted by a beautiful corkscrew moonsault by Ricochet to the outside of the ring onto Rowe. Not to be outdone, Hanson proceeded to leap off the top rope and deliver a somersault senton onto all combatants.

Once back inside the ring, Black abruptly caught Rowe with his Black Mass spinning heel kick followed by a Ricochet shooting star press. However, Hanson broke up the three count.

The high risks caught up to Ricochet and Black, though. Ricochet missed a 630 splash and Black missed a moonsault to the outside of the ring, providing the opening for the War Raiders to connect with their Fallout double-team finisher onto Ricochet for the win.

Post-match, both teams embraced in a showing of respect towards one another while the crowd serenaded Black and Ricochet with “NXT” chants and laud applause.

If this was the end of Ricochet and Black as part of the NXT brand, and it certainly seems that way, it was one amazing way to go out. Next up for the duo: another tag team championship opportunity at WrestleMania on Sunday.

Still to come:

NXT Championship, two-out-of-three falls: Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole

NXT Women’s championship: Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Bianca Belair vs. Io Shirai vs. Kairi Sane

WWE United Kingdom championship: Pete Dunne vs. WALTER