NXT Takeover: Dallas

Prior to Wrestlemania, an event is now scheduled for a vocally supported, passionately followed "yellow" WWE brand, based in Florida, at Full Sale University called NXT. It offers a particular audience their own group of wrestling talents to cheer or boo, in a smaller venue.  It can be said that the energy and enthusiasm of this smaller venue, and more streamlined stories that go in more clearly defined directions, are being to trump the more bloated product of its main roster.

Overall rating: ****




The Goods
NXT Tag Team Champions: The Revival vs. American Alpha *** 1/2
Austin Aries vs. Baron Corbin ***
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn *****
NXT Women's Champion: Bayley s. Asuka **** 1/2
NXT Heavyweight Champion: Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe ****

Match of the Night
Nakamura vs. Zayn

Sleeper of the Night
The Revival vs. American Alpha

Disappointment of the Night
Aries vs. Corbin (but not really)

I won't use this blog post as a means to dwell on how NXT's Wrestlemania kicked the flagship's ass during the weekend. Or how Nakamura vs. Zayn's masterpiece and 2016 Match of the Year (the fans started a chant of "Please Keep Fighting" during a dueling forearm shot to the face between the two!) wiped the floor of any other match that took place at Wrestlemania. I'll just focus on the event itself and go all "IWC" fanboy for a little bit.

If a flagship event for a particular brand is to capitalize on ongoing stories that have developed to great success, the feeling of a culmination and particularly specific noteworthy results give those watching a feeling that those behind each scripted wrestling match are bestowing good will or addressing a satisfying conclusion (or offering an olive branch to its devoted fanbase). Many feel that the "main brand" failed to do this while NXT offered plenty to celebrate.

Aries is an interesting newcomer to the WWE "Universe". I have no idea if he'll ever make it to the main roster or if he's in a Samoa Joe type of run where he may remain on the NXT roster for some time to come. He is one of those smaller stars with a bulldogish mentality and tolerance to withstand the onslaught. He can just go the distance, too.

 I think after this event, Joe could EASILY go to the main roster and make an immediate impact. That image of his bloody face and cold blooded badass expression, just hammering one power move on Balor after another to great approval from the audience, Joe was grooving on a killer heel "beast mode". He could have some significant rivalries. I think he could get it on with John Cena, even if he lost a majority of their feud's matches. Just him dominating Cena and others with his impressive move set and host of submission moves (and he has that fisticuff-and-kick bruiser type of fighting style that could fit well against babyfaces trying to make comebacks only to be setback by his explosive counters) could be an ideal ingredient...a shot in the arm for the main roster.

But could Aries' size undermine his immense talent? Against Corbin, who just towers over him and offered a brutish, aggressive, and hostile style that caused Aries to endure some serious punishment, but fight back with guts and brains, the former TNA stalwart had the ideal opponent to test him in his debut. I liked this match, quite frankly. Aries' criticized win suited the match, I thought, because he had to resort to a roll up in order to finish off a fierce and gruff competitor who took him to the limit. It didn't necessarily cause Corbin much harm considering he dominated a majority of the match, grounding and pounding Aries, while Aries had to work smartly and use his speed (and agility) to gain advantage when he could.

Speaking of Joe, I totally felt sympathy for both of him and Finn in their main even championship bout due to the blood stoppages. Joe was so frustrated and wanted to fight while Balor was provided plenty of opportunities to gather himself and regain his composure. His cradle off the turnbuckle, reversing a Coquina Clutch, reminiscent of Bret Hart's win over Roddy Piper for the Intercontinental Championship, was a nice outta-nowhere counter. Balor, in his patented demon makeup, was often on the defensive, and this act of desperation is a brilliant reaction to a hold that when locked in, down on the mat, is deadly. That's what world champions do...respond to what appears to be an eventual defeat with a surprise move that leads to the emergence in victory. I think only the blood stoppages interfered with its quality. But that image of bloody face Joe wanting to keep fighting is awesome, and his startled look after Balor got him again was a fitting end (if it is) to their rivalry...it seemed to indicate that he had run out of chances and might never win the belt.

Nakamura came into NXT with a rep for being amazing in his home country of Japan. He had this widely diverse mixture of styles that might be considered "crash poetry" in the ring (and everywhere around it), but he was still rather unknown. Well, that all changed at Dallas. I like the idea that the general dramatic component behind this match is this flashy, flamboyant outsider arriving into Sami's yard wanting to stand as Boss. That's enough fuel I think to motivate Sami into reaching down deep against the caliber of Nakamura.

 Zayn is the consummate professional who has been asked to do the job way too many times. He has lost probably 85% of his matches if not more during his time with NXT yet his heart and gutsy never-say-die-until-you-incapacitate-me attitude won over those in the audience fortunate enough to watch him. I watched his match against AJ Styles on Monday Night Raw on 4/11/2016, and while he once again lost (no surprise, really), the ups and downs and dramatic highs and near-falls of that match let us know he will be a WWE workhouse for some time to come. But his match against Nakamura, a fresh matchup with no real rivalry to utilize for dramatic effect (perhaps the lone criticism the match might receive), produced fireworks immediately. Fan support obviously helps substantially. Nakamura's ring entrance alone, his incredible charisma (he had the fans eating out of the palm of his hand; not an easy feat considering how much they adored Sami), the way he could incorporate such a variety of styles and moves during a hotly contested match, and just his show-off theatrics that seemed to thrill the audience all gave Sami plenty to work opposite. All Sami had to be was Sami.

What I did find to be a key piece of good business is how Sami attempted specific moves from his expected move set that were unsuccessful like his exploder suplex and DDT after spearing through the middle ropes from one side of the ring (getting a full head of steam and superman flying underneath the middle turnbuckle) on the outside proving that Nakamura could react in a hurry, combating his foe tooth and nail by challenging every single decision. Sami's Blue Thunder bomb got a near fall, Nakamura unveiled his fierce knee punches (to the face and torso) in quick and painful succession, Sami exchanged feet kicks to the face that his opponent had previously attempted to embarrass him with, and clotheslines send opponents flipping and flying. Moves are contested on the top turnbuckle almost every time. Nakamura shows that he can kick you with the unexpected foot, and blood from the nose does little to persuade him to slow down. Sami takes a licking and keeps on ticking. This was twenty minutes of sheer wrestling pleasure, and the enthusiastic audience, following every cover and near fall, made this match epic. Pure heaven for those of us who like seeing two warriors giving every ounce they have for the wrestling fan.

American Alpha has two passionate young men known for wrestling in school, this background getting some airtime by NXT to give us insight into their backgrounds. They worked and worked to not only achieve success in tag team circles but to win the hearts of the NXT fans. That effort is rewarded in the opening contest as the fans were hot for their every move while The Revival just continued to do the Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard heel work that has defined their success for months. To still be champs by April considering how amazing the fanfare for Enzo/Cass continues to show, The Revival had the support of those booking these tag team NXT matches. But their time was coming, and AA was the right team to end their reign. I don't think this will undermine the growth of The Revival...their ceiling doesn't appear to be limited to the rings of NXT. However, the tag division on the main roster is starting to get crowded so AA might benefit from having The Revival as rivals for some time to come. Cutting off the ring, taking short cuts, and trying every cheating tactic in the book when the ref was distracted, the Revival pretty much reached out of the heel handbook in every way possible. But this night was not theirs...AA were able to capitalize when the teammates of The Revival had been split up, something that rarely happens when the two are at their very level best.

Bayley has nothing else to prove in the NXT. She's grown leaps and bounds in his ring work before the eyes of the passionate and vocal NXT audience who loves her wholeheartedly. If you look at her without the ring work and charismatic appeal to the audience, there may be pause. Then she gets in that ring, carries her fans on a journey, and had been on the winning side, with jubilation a result. But I have to say this: it is Asuka's time. I am a HUGE Asuka fan. Yes, part of it is I think she is incredibly sexy and wild, with the white mask she wears to the ring bleeding green, the stripe of face paint across her eyes, the stringy and blotched color costume which carries this freakish and crazed artistic style which symbolizes her throw-caution-to-the-wind move set. She throws her butt at a person coming off the rope, causing her opponent to be winded and in a whiplash! I love it! She has deadly kicks. I mean, these will take your fucking head off.

 Asuka's work with Emma was so underrated, I tell you. Emma against Asuka at Takeover: London, for an example, was a real gem that damn near stole the show because it had a clear face/heel dynamic and the two women wrestlers worked their asses off. Asuka has this aura of danger and spontaneity that is qyite palpable, and the right opponent reveals all the many tools in Asuka's shed.

 Bayley was phenomenal here, I thought, though. She went to the air, to the mat, and got in a lot of offense. Her being on the offensive, and less on the defensive, was a story in itself. She wasn't intimidated, and until the end held her own against what many considered to be a superior opponent. Look, I didn't expect her to work Asuka as she did Sasha Banks, nor would I want that. Asuka is an entirely different kind of opponent. She's explosive, unpredictable, exhausting, often unhinged, and intuitive. Just when you think you have Asuka on the ropes, she'll turn you into an ankle lock or arm bar. But her choke hold which passed out Bayley is a nasty thing of beauty...Bayley, with so much effort, simply could not come up with a counter for it, and the decision to put the belt on Asuka derived not from a tap out or pinned shoulders but simply because she was unable to outlast an opponent with the right hold at the right time. I felt bad for the ladies because their match immediately followed Zayn/Nakamura. Before the audience could catch a breath, the barnburner started right after. I think the Bayley loss further let down the hot audience but there was no one else on the NXT roster more deserved (or as talented and charismatic) than Asuka. Sure part of my adulation is pure lust, but I love her act. She could no doubt alternate into the heel role, too. I think it is time to move Bayley on to join her friends on the main roster...no one has earned a spot more than her.