By Darren Gutteridge
NXT Takeover: Dallas Hits
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn: Match of the night, likely to be match of the weekend, and an early yet strong contender for match of the year. The hype was real – both men meshed excellently, and combined styles to put on a match that would excite anywhere on the planet. Nakamura instantly looked at home, and if he is sticking around on NXT, we may be in for something special. And it makes sense that Zayn’s presumed last match as part of the NXT roster was just as statement making as his first against Cesaro. A dream come true.
Bayley vs. Asuka for the NXT Women’s Title: They had the almost impossible task of following Nakamura vs. Zayn, and that’s a slight disappointment. A buffer match would have helped the crowd I think. But they still had a really stellar outing here, with both ladies looking fantastic coming out of it. Bayley went down the only way she could – not giving up, but passing out after giving it her all. And Asuka was the only woman capable of replacing her at the top of the NXT tree. Not interacting with Bayley post-match wasn’t out of character for Asuka, but may be pointing towards a heel turn. That could be a great idea, as this dominant character only has so much steam as a babyface champion, and killer heel Asuka sounds awesome.
Finn Bálor vs. Samoa Joe for the NXT Title: That damn cut. I’m not mad at the medical staff for taking care of Joe. Far from it. I’m just disappointed that we didn’t get to see this match in all its glory. Thankfully, the visuals and the commentary during the medical check helped smooth out the unfortunate situation, and once it was over, Bálor and Joe gave us a great finish. Bálor winning is interesting. Is he being kept strong due to something happening Sunday/Monday? Or is he truly sticking with NXT?
American Alpha vs. The Revival for the NXT Tag Team Titles: As I predicted, this match opened the show, and opened the show hot. The one ugly mistake on the powerbomb/clothesline spot aside, the pace was excellent, and both teams were given plenty of opportunity to do their thing. The right team won too – American Alpha are champions to be built around.
Austin Aries vs. Baron Corbin: A sentence I never thought I’d type – Corbin was pitch perfect here. Following on from his smash hit promo on the go-home edition of NXT TV, he hit another home run with his presentation, moveset and above all vocals during this match. He finally became the indie darling hunter he’s threatened to become for a while. Austin was fantastic as his foil, and though I thought Baron should have won (and still do), I am intrigued to see where the loss sends Corbin. Will he now go on a dominant tear? Could he and Austin find a mutual respect and team up? It wouldn’t be out of character for the “Greatest Man That Ever Lived” to see the arrogance of the athlete Corbin and see mutual benefits in teaming up. Just a thought.
NXT Takeover: Dallas Misses
Nothing: As expected, NXT Takeover: Dallas was fantastic top to bottom, and it was made even sweeter still by not having Elias Samson on the broadcast! I want WrestleMania 32 to be better, because why wouldn’t I want more excellent wrestling, but I don’t know if it can match a card this stacked and this well executed.
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