Friday night’s NXT TakeOver New York proved to be one of the greatest events in the history of the NXT brand.
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All five matches turned in tremendous performances, and one of them that had people talking the most was the NXT North American Championship match between Velveteen Dream and Matt Riddle. Everything from Dream’s surreal entrance prior to the match, to everything that happened between the ropes after the bell, exceeded expectations.
Coming off what was probably his best performance since joining WWE NXT last summer, Matt Riddle spoke to Cathy Kelley backstage.
“You know, initially I was heartbroken, I’m upset,” Riddle said. “I got here, I made my appearance here, I came back here, I had the title shot. I was literally this close from beating The Dream. The guy’s crafty, there’s a reason why he has the title and he is where he is, and he got me tonight. Do I think he will get me next time? No, but I don’t know when my next opportunity will be. So, right now I’m a little down but we’re also in New York, so I’m probably gonna get some sweet pizza, maybe a couple beverages, and I think The Bro will nurse his wounds and come back stronger and smarter.”
Riddle had long been considered one of the top names on the independent circuit prior to joining WWE. Last year during WrestleMania weekend in New Orleans, he worked several matches for multiple independent companies.
However, since joining WWE, he hadn’t had the breakout performance that would make fans turn their head and realize he is a big part of the future of the WWE. For all the naysayers, NXT TakeOver New York should put that debate to rest.
Riddle was outstanding, as was Velveteen Dream, and it won’t be long until you see both of these men taking on big roles on the WWE main roster.
