NXT TakeOver Chicago 2018 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights

A lot can happen in a year.

Chicago was the setting for a shocking betrayal by Tommaso Ciampa on tag team partner Johnny Gargano. In the year since that assault left DIY shattered, the rivalry between the two has taken on a more intense, more personal edge that led to a five-star classic in New Orleans as part of WrestleMania 34 weekend.

Gargano won that night, but the issues would continue to mount, culminating Saturday night in a Chicago street fight that rightfully headlined the latest NXT TakeOver special.

Live from the same arena, in front of many of the same fans, Gargano and Ciampa waged war on the same card in which Aleister Black defended the NXT Championship against Lars Sullivan, The Undisputed Era defended its tag team titles against Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch, and Shayna Baszler faced her toughest test to date in the form of Nikki Cross.

Who emerged from the physical battle between Gargano and Ciampa victoriously, and which champions retained or lost their gold in the Windy City?

Find out with this recap of the latest WWE Network presentation, NXT TakeOver: Chicago II.

NXT Tag Team Title Match: Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan vs. The Undisputed Era

The Undisputed Era drew an enormous pop to kick off the show, Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly defending the NXT Tag Team Championships against Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. The pop continued well past the opening bell, as chants of "undisputed" rang throughout the arena.

Lorcan and Burch did their best to win over the crowd, even clearing the heel champions out of the ring early, but the fans remained firmly in the corner of Strong and O'Reilly.

Burch found himself on the receiving end of a concentrated effort by the champions to beat him down. A hot tag to Lorcan sparked a babyface comeback and had the champions reeling.

The hard-hitting, furious offense of Lorcan was at the forefront down the proverbial home stretch as the babyfaces rolled.

Lorcan took a scary bump to the arena floor while Burch sparred with O'Reilly and Strong in the center of the ring. O'Reilly applied his cross armbreaker and appeared to have the successful title defense in hand, but Burch made it to the ropes.

The action broke down, the champions delivering a huge Doomsday Device-like double-team maneuver that saw Lorcan launch himself off the top rope with a wicked European Uppercut.

After Adam Cole was ejected from ringside, the challengers attempted their finisher, but Strong pulled Burch to the floor and O'Reilly trapped Lorcan in a guillotine. Lorcan countered out and turned his attention to Strong.

A series of creative and inventive reversals gave way to the champions scoring the victory off a leg whip/clothesline combo.

Result

O'Reilly and Strong defeated Lorcan and Burch

Grade

A+

Analysis

The Chicago crowd could not possibly have cared less about Lorcan and Burch as they made their way to the ring for the opening contest, nor did it care much about them midway through the bout. The double-tough challengers, though, delivered the performances of their careers almost out of spite for the lack of reaction they received, and the result was a phenomenal tag team match to kick off the broadcast.

Lorcan and Burch were made credible challengers and legitimate NXT tag team stars in this match, which featured superb in-ring work from the consistently excellent O'Reilly and Strong.

The Chicago crowd was red-hot for The Undisputed Era, perhaps suggesting that trio should be an even bigger part of the NXT brand than it already is.

Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream

Velveteen Dream entered the historic Allstate Arena in suburban Chicago clad in orange and yellow gear that looked eerily similar to something Hulk Hogan might wear, complete with a tear-away shirt sporting the phrase "Dream STILL Over."

He received a thunderous ovation as he entered the arena, as did his opponent, Ricochet.

The opening exchange ended with Ricochet executing a superhero landing that would make Deadpool mark out, kneeling perfectly in front of Velveteen Dream as if to challenge the eccentric heel to try him.

Dream worked over a prone Ricochet, who had his throat caught up on the top rope, and proceeded to mimic some of his opponent's offense in an attempt to prove he can do whatever his opponent can, just better. Dream opted to slow the pace, attempting to keep him grounded.

A tope from the recovering Ricochet turned the tide, and the aerial assault did not stop there. The self-proclaimed King continued to utilize his high-risk offense to leave Dream reeling. Ricochet scaled the ropes, but Dream crotched him.

Dream delivered a rolling Death Valley Bomb from the middle rope for a strong near-fall. He continued his assault, hoisting Ricochet up and suplexing him from the ring apron to the arena floor. They teased a double count-out, but both made it back into the squared circle before the ref counted 10.

The Superstars exchanged strikes, including a big superkick from Dream and a nasty clothesline from Ricochet.

Ricochet delivered an elbow reminiscent of Dream's finisher and tried for a shooting star press, but Dream got the knees up. A very close near-fall popped the crowd.

Dream tried a Purple Rainmaker across the ring but missed, allowing Ricochet to deliver the 630 splash for the win.

Result

Ricochet defeated Dream

Grade

A

Analysis

Not quite as good as the opener, but this was a spectacular singles bout, with strong performances by both men involved.

The storyline featured each competitor attempting to one-up the other and left an impact on the viewing audience.

There will be some who question Dream's losing record in these high-profile bouts, but he is so damn good that it is impossible not to be absolutely convinced that the enigmatic and eccentric heel will one day hoist gold in NXT.

Ricochet, on the other hand, is a star. He is the surest thing on the NXT roster despite his size. His high-flying abilities make him a huge marketable member of any WWE roster and a star management will lean on heavily when his run with the developmental brand is over.

NXT Women's Championship Match: Nikki Cross vs. Shayna Baszler

Credit: WWE.com

The greatest threat to Shayna Baszler's NXT Women's Championship presented itself Saturday night, as the unpredictable Nikki Cross sought to dethrone The Queen of Spades.

Cross clearly affected the champion to start the match, using mind games to catch Baszler off guard.

Baszler halted Cross' momentum, slamming her onto the steel ring ramp. The champion unloaded with a series of sickening knees that Cross simply shook off and answered with forearms of her own.

Baszler tried for the clutch, but Cross delivered a side suplex that left the champion reeling.

Cross delivered a reverse DDT on the ring apron, leaving her opponent limp in the center of the ring. A twisting neckbreaker followed, and Baszler was simply lucky to be close enough to the ropes that she could drape her foot over it to save her title.

Baszler, playing possum, grabbed Cross in her choke out. She had the challenger just moments from tapping, but Cross attempted to feed off the energy and fight out of the hold.

No longer able to fight, Cross passed out and the match was awarded to Baszler.

Result

Baszler defeated Cross

Grade

B-

Analysis

This felt like the first chapter in a story rather than the conclusion of a brief program.

The match lacked the type of intensity you would expect from these two and the finish, which protected Cross while still making Baszler look like a total badass.

Somewhat disappointing just because of the lofty standards of the first two matches, this did a fine enough job of propelling the story forward.

The closeup of Cross smiling after the match suggests she will continue to be a thorn in Baszler's side.

NXT Championship Match: Aleister Black vs. Lars Sullivan

Credit: WWE.com

The enigmatic NXT champion Aleister Black was faced with the unenviable task of retaining his title Saturday night by defeating the unstoppable monster of a man, Lars Sullivan. Their battle, one of two main events, kicked off with an intensity unmatched since the opener.

Black countered a Freak Accident, while the challenger countered a Black Mass kick. Black, though, unloaded with a series of strikes and a double-knee from the ring apron onto Sullivan, who was on the floor.

Black tried one too many high-risk maneuvers, though, and Sullivan caught him soaring through the air and dropped him face-first on the ring apron. Sullivan worked a side headlock, utilizing his size and strength advantage to keep the champion grounded.

Sullivan popped Black up into the air and caught him coming down with a powerslam. He continued his onslaught until an ill-advised high-risk maneuver sparked a babyface comeback from the champion.

The challenger's renewed focus on the injured left knee of Black allowed him to regain control of the bout.

Everything Black attempted, Sullivan cut off.

A single powerslam from Sullivan on the ring apron cut off a series of big boots by the champion. A diving headbutt netted him a two-count.

The champion fought his way back into the match and delivered two Black Mass kicks to secure the win and successful title defense despite an extraordinary performance from Sullivan.

Result

Black defeated Sullivan

Grade

B+

Analysis

Much like Burch and Lorcan earlier in the show, Sullivan had his coming-out performance here, strong-arming his way out of obscurity and right into what should be a permanent spot in the main event scene.

Management and Black heavily spotlighted the big, making it very clear the fans would respect him at a championship level.

Black bumped around to put Sullivan over, and it worked. It meant more when he fired off his two finishers too, the desperate champion having unloaded his vaunted finisher twice.

Black himself gained a ton from this. He proved he could face seemingly insurmountable odds and overcome them through sheer toughness and guts. It was a great performance and one that further proved he belongs in the position he is in as the face of the brand.

Chicago Street Fight: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Credit: WWE.com

The longest-running storyline in all of WWE, and the best, culminated Saturday night in a Chicago street fight that threatened the well-being of both Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. Armed with a crutch given to him by his wife Candice LeRae, Gargano entered the Allstate Arena to a huge ovation.

The action spilled outside the ring. It moved to the stands, where Gargano unleashed a stop sign on the back of his opponent.

Gargano uncorked a crossbody block onto Ciampa that left both men reeling, and chants of Johnny Wrestling filled the arena.

Back in the ring, Ciampa unloaded a trio of German suplexes that left Gargano favoring his neck. Ciampa, like a shark smelling blood, targeted that same neck he once left in a brace just weeks earlier. Rearranging the steps, he trapped Gargano's head and neck in a steel chair and sent him crashing into the steps, further damaging his one-time best friend and tag team partner.

Fueled by hatred and a desire to win, Ciampa pulled a pair of handcuffs from under the ring. A series of kicks and a slingshot spear put Ciampa down, though, as adrenaline sparked a Gargano comeback.

Gargano unloaded on Ciampa's back with his leather belt as chants of "you deserve it" poured from the stands.

Frustrated that he could not keep Gargano down, Ciampa deconstructed the ring, exposing the boards. He attempted a superplex, but Gargano countered out and delivered a superkick to the knee that left Ciampa prone.

As Gargano launched himself over the top rope, he was met in the face with a trash can lid by his former friend. Ciampa looked to follow up but ran his knee into the steel steps and was forced to loosen up his knee brace.

Gargano targeted the weakness, unloading with a series of chair shots to the previously injured knee.

Ciampa sent Gargano into a trash can and applied his opponent's own Garga-No Escape on him. He followed up, using the edge of a crutch to ram Gargano in the neck.

Ciampa walked Gargano up the ramp, telling their story before throwing him face-first into the entrance stage in a spot ripped right from last year's event in the same building. Standing on a piece of rigging, Ciampa ripped Gargano's wedding ring off and spit on it. The momentary distraction allowed Gargano to grab hold of Ciampa and send him crashing through two tables.

The referee called for help as both men were left in tremendous pain.

Medics and officials put Ciampa on a gurney and placed a neck brace on him while Gargano watched from above. Gargano grabbed the stretcher, rolled Ciampa to the ring and trapped him in the Garga-No Escape. He tapped, but there was no bell.

Gargano obliterated the company officials, handcuffed Ciampa's hands behind his back and unloaded with several kicks to the head. He reapplied his submission finisher and the officials again appeared, pulling him away from the squared circle.

As Gargano returned to the squared circle, an alert Ciampa grabbed him, dropped him with a DDT on the exposed boards in the ring and scored the victory.

Ciampa, beaten and battered, had his arm raised in victory while medics checked on Gargano.

Result

Ciampa defeated Gargano

Grade

A+

Analysis

Ciampa is the best heel in wrestling.

Everything he does is so detestable one cannot help but hate his on-screen persona, no matter how much they appreciate the wrestler's abilities between the ropes. That the writing team was able to devise such a brilliant conclusion, which saw him use Gargano's emotions against him, is a credit to a creative team that has hit every note to perfection throughout this program.

Gargano was brilliant, finally setting aside his good-guy persona to unleash hell on the man who has made his life miserable for the last year. Unfortunately, the intense hatred he felt for Ciampa proved his downfall, his emotions clouding his judgment.

The violence, the hatred and the storytelling came together to create a masterpiece of a match that, though lacking the raw emotion from the audience that the first match had, was still a Match of the Year contender.