NXT Takeover: Dallas

[Stiva]

In the middle of watching this but I loved Zayn/Nakamura and, in particular, the escalation of violence after Nakamura got his nose bloodied. Him tasting his blood and then just kicking Zayn straight in the head was the kind of shit I love him for. Zayn is such a great babyface, I hope he can somehow get a top run on the main roster.

[Cross Face Chicken Wing]

 

 

Best wrestling ppv ever!!!!!!!!!!!

Spring Stampede '94 says, "Let's not get carried away."

 

Hmmm....

 

 

Zayn-Naka > Nasty Tag

Asuka-Bayley > Flair-Steamboat

Joe-Balor > Vader-Boss

NXT Tag > Buck-Dustin

AA-Balor > Rude-Sting

 

Then SS94 has other matches not as good... how is NXT show not better?

 

 

Last night's show was awesome. I'm in the middle of another round of chemotherapy, which usually means I'm passed out by 8 p.m. Last night's show kept me up until 11:30!

 

But I'm not ready to put it above a PPV I still watch in full more than 20 years later that contains several wrestlers on my GWE list.

 

Plus a lot of the overproduced BS of the modern product drives me crazy (do we need 10 minutes worth of bad acting and melodrama after every match?) so my wrestling-ain't-what-it-used-to-be bias still kicks in, even on a great show like what we saw last night.

[WingedEagle]

Not one to get carried away and say anything I just watched was the greatest thing I've ever seen, but did want to again note that Samoa Joe was incredible last night. His performance should not be lost in the hysteria of Nakamura being Nakamura in front of a rabid US crowd. Probably Joe's best performance since....AJ Styles in TNA? Maybe the Angle cage match if you love that? Either way, very comfortable saying you can count on one hand the number of nights he had in TNA approaching this level. He was an absolute force of nature and should have walked out with the title unless he's going to continue this path on Monday night.

[C.S.]

Awesome, awesome show. The crowd was scorching all night, especially for Zayn vs. Nakamura.

 

- Loved The Revival vs. American Alpha. My favorite part: When Dash or Dawson - can't remember which - crawled under the ring and came back out the other side to prevent a tag. So creative and cool!

 

- Corbin vs. Aries was fun, but nothing about Aries screams babyface to me, except for his size. The sudden rollup wasn't great either.

 

- Holy shit at Zayn vs. Nakamura. Did you see Zayn's facial expressions before the match? Almost like he was a fan and enjoying Nakamura's debut as much as the rest of us. Tremendous match with amazing crowd reactions.

 

- I do fear for Nak on the main roster though. I could see Vince and Kevin Dunn not getting his "weird" mannerisms at at all. Wouldn't surprise me if he ends up wearing pink and blowing hearts out of a glitter gun on Raw. :\

 

- I heard that Izzy was there and cried after Bayley's loss. I felt like crying too. Asuka's smile gives me the creeps, which is the point, I know. I'm sad for Bayley, but Asuka is a great wrestler in her own right. I loved the video package before the match with the faces believing in Bayley but the heels saying she was toast.

 

- I almost fell asleep during the main event, not because it was bad - it was great - but because it was already so damn late!

 

- I'm glad Finn won. The matches have been good, obviously (especially this one), but this feud has done very little for me, and Joe as champ would do even less.

 

Misc.

 

- BTW, was Demon Finn supposed to be Texas Chainsaw Massacre?

 

- Tons of blood all over this show...wow. The refs wearing gloves like Michael Jackson and wiping up blood was a weird sight, but I guess that's safer (although I'm not sure how safe it is to keep on the same gloves you just used to handle blood, then touch the wrestlers' faces later, which is what happened). I have a feeling this stupid policy is more to "erase" the blood from the match and keep things PG. But even that didn't really work, as the blood came back in every instance.

 

- Bobby Roode in the crowd was cool, but I fully expect him to get a new name - and I hope he does, because Bobby Roode is an absolutely terrible name (I don't care that it's his real name).

 

- Did anyone else feel sorry for Funaki? He didn't even get a graphic with his name when he appeared in the crowd. At least the commentators acknowledged him.

 

- I hope J.R.'s presence means he ends up commentating Hell in a Cell on Sunday (preferably with Mauro Ranallo).

 

WrestleMania has a VERY tough act to follow.

[goc]

- Bobby Roode in the crowd was cool, but I fully expect him to get a new name - and I hope he does, because Bobby Roode is an absolutely terrible name (I don't care that it's his real name).

I have never understood why he didn't stick with Robert Roode. Yea it's kind of close to Rick Rude but it's still a way better name.

[DMJ]

I'm not sure whether it deserves to be in the discussion of best PPV/Network Specials Ever because I'm split on it.

 

On one hand, its been a long, long time since a single "pay-per-view" had three matches that should and will probably make everyone's Best of WWE 2016 list come December. On the other hand, it benefitted from a running time of just 2 hours (which makes it unlike most other PPVs), from only featuring 5 matches, from not having to be "everything to everyone," etc. Easily the best Takeover show, though.

 

I'll post my full review on my blog sometime today, but that was just as good a 2-hour show as I've ever seen. So much to love.

 

Quick thoughts:

- It's time for Revival to get called up and take the straps from New Day to bring some seriousness back to the main roster's tag division. If it doesn't happen Monday night, it's the wrong call.

 

- That was my first time seeing Nakamura aside from highlight clips on YouTube. He lived up to the hype. That has to be one of the top 5 best debut matches I've ever seen. Goosebumps at the beginning, goosebumps at the end.

[NotJayTabb]

Awesome, awesome show.

I loved the video package before the match with the faces believing in Bayley but the heels saying she was toast.

Not just that, it felt like the Horsewomen thought Bayley would win because they'd fought her, and knew how hard she worked, but they'd never faced Asuka. Dana and Emma had both been on the receiving end of an Asuka beating and knew what she would do to Bayley. Made it feel like Becky, Charlotte and Sasha had managed to leave NXT at just the right time to avoid getting Asuka-d

[Cap]

Yeah, this was an incredible show.

 

I thought the tag match was well on its way to great before losing a little momentum in obvious spots. They did really well to work around stuff, but the flow and pace of the match dropped off. That said, I was thinking of the Southern Boys vs Midnights about half way through this match with the pace they were going, the stages they were moving through and what they were getting done in terms of setting the pace for the night.

 

Aries vs Baron was deceptively good to me. It wasn't great, but it was fun. Baron is a fantastic character and his jawing helped. Aries worked really well as the little guy. I loved the way he worked that into the match with his offense. He is great at that. The end was fine for a first match in a feud.

 

Nakamura vs Sami was lights out. I have to watch it again before I give it my stars, but this felt elite. Between the forearms and two spots in the ropes where they seemed to go off script just a touch and up the brutality, it felt pretty unique among NXT/WWE matches at the time. It just felt like the plan went well and in the moment they both decided push their boundaries. I loved it. The ending seemed off, but at that point it almost didn't matter.

 

Asuka vs Bayley was also really good. It was just about everything I thought it was going to be and maybe a little more with the finish. I really liked what they did. I imagine this one might actually improve to me as I rewatch it. It really had a great build of a clash of titans and it paid that off. It wasn't as good as the Sasha stuff and i am actually really high on the Bayley/Jax match, but this was pretty good stuff.

 

The Joe vs Finn match is such a strange bird to me. It is, as others have mentioned, an elite performance from Joe. He was 100% on. Finn was really good too and was feeding off Joe. The stoppages killed me. I know they are fine with some people. I know some people might even think they added to the drama, but I hate it. I hate them stopping a match for blood and I hated how many times they did it here. If they had let this go it might have threatened the Nak vs Sami as best match of the night, but all the momentum killers, making sure the match was clean... it just took so much away from this match for me. This might be the worst case of this too because they were putting on such a great match too.

 

I have to rewatch the last three matches today or tomorrow for sure. they were just so lights out good.

[Parties]

I rarely watch matches twice and never in such short order, but I wanted to see the top 3 here again in the morning light. In Nakamura-Zayn, what stood out the second time was that Zayn was really working hard. His stuff is at times a bit telegraphed for my tastes and I wish his flying offense hit harder, but he’s a different type of worker and he excels at his own game. In particular his footwork in this match was so good, as you have moments where he’s running backwards to outfox Shinsuke, times where he has to move quickly to get into the right position, times where he has to launch himself into a kick, etc.

His big plancha here also shows you how camera angles change everything. When I saw the live version I thought he kinda missed Nakamura. But seen from the replay angle, you get his wild facial expression as he goes over the rope, the textbook air he gets, and the landing from a different direction that made it look much more impactful. Zayn’s selling of the second-half beatdown, his comeback lariat, and his head stomping to escape the Triangle Choke were also badass. I’ve never seen a match quite like that, which is a rare feat of late.

Bayley-Asuka: better on 2nd viewing, but still had some structural problems. To give Bayley her shine, she had to control the early part of the match, which felt off as the crowd just wasn’t there and Bayley’s execution wasn’t as strong as you’d like it to be. It got better once she started Dragon Screwing the legs of Asuka and we got the big counter into an armbar, though we’d just seen that spot w/ Nakamura minutes earlier. I don't think that crowd was expecting that finish at all and weren't really conditioned to it.

I can’t believe it, but I still think Joe-Balor was MOTN. Joe’s performance was too good and it had the feeling of genuine chaos. Where Nak-Zayn was the dream match showcase, this was a war. Balor was largely along for the ride, but this is still the match of his career by default. I was even more in awe of Joe’s performance the second time: there’s been nothing like this in WWE since Reigns-Lesnar. Amazing that they got to do Diaz-McGregor in reverse after the Holm-Tate revamp we’d seen earlier. Joe gets Performance of the Night easily.

[Fando]

Liked Bayley and Asuka more on rewatch, not as exciting and dramatic as Bayley's matches vs Sasha but was cool. Watching right after Nak/Zayn though made it harder to buy into Bayley's offense sometimes and the telegraphing stood out more. Thought the crowd also didn't do this any favors. Early in the match Asuka SMASHES Bayley with a forearm that basically no one reacts to because chanting. The stuff with her after the match was great.

 

Sami hasn't looked that strong since the Takeover when he won the belt. Some of the punches he gave Nak were brutal. The way he sold enzuigiri was one of the best spots of the night.

[Blehschmidt]

The Joe vs Finn match is such a strange bird to me. It is, as others have mentioned, an elite performance from Joe. He was 100% on. Finn was really good too and was feeding off Joe. The stoppages killed me. I know they are fine with some people. I know some people might even think they added to the drama, but I hate it. I hate them stopping a match for blood and I hated how many times they did it here. If they had let this go it might have threatened the Nak vs Sami as best match of the night, but all the momentum killers, making sure the match was clean... it just took so much away from this match for me. This might be the worst case of this too because they were putting on such a great match too.

 

This is something that has been bothering me for the last several years in this PG Post-Benoit era of wrestling. To me a good referee is one who is only noticed when he is supposed to be (a ref bump, a shoving match with Flair, threatening a DQ, checking if someone is submitting, etc), these days we have the referee constantly in the middle of the action, down on the mat checking on both guys after nearly every move they take, derailing the momentum of the match to wipe away a trickle of blood.

 

It is, at least to me, a major distraction and tends to pull me out of the story being told. Don't get me wrong, I don't want the guys and girls getting hurt, but over the last several years I've just found it jarring how often I am noticing "there is the referee again, making sure someone is okay after they took a backdrop." Then last night I couldn't help but smile at the "Let Joe Bleed" chant, because that was at least in my opinion, overkill. It's a contact sport, he wasn't in any danger, shit happens.

[RCS1988]

Will there be one huge reaction show from Will & the crew for Takeover, HOF, & Mania after everything happens?

[Jimmy Redman]

That killed me. I'm dead.

[The Chief]

Lol, is Funaki the all purpose ambassador for Japanese people?

[sek69]

I wonder what happened to cause Apollo Crews to get cooled off so much. You'd think he's the WWE ideal, looks and ability wise, yet he ended up getting pre-showed.

[Grimmas]

I wonder what happened to cause Apollo Crews to get cooled off so much. You'd think he's the WWE ideal, looks and ability wise, yet he ended up getting pre-showed.

He's not as good as the other people they feature

[Scarlet-Left]

Asuka rules! I loved that match, I love her, the crowd was awful.

 

The "you fucked up" and "botchamania" chants were a disrespectful and cringe-worthy addition to an, otherwise, awesome match. Jason Jordan is someone I'm sincerely worried about when they get called up, because Chad Gable doesn't need good booking to get him over, whereas Jordan is someone who I could easily see being pushed too hard and too fast (cue obnoxious backlash from smart fans, cue people cheering for semi-active holdovers, cue hot-and-cold booking, cue American Alpha reunion). I'm really keen on the Revival but I think their size will really hurt them on the main roster.

 

Shinsuke Nakamura is great, though I don't really see the need for him to go through developmental. Stealing the show in your debut match is the kind of thing that should turn heads in management but I doubt it will. Sami Zayn is in a tough spot, and I felt really bad for him, knowing that (unlike Owens' own debut programme) he can see his irrelevant future on the clustered mid-card scene laid out in front of him. What's the purpose of a seven-man match for the title? Who does it benefit?

[Cap]

 

I wonder what happened to cause Apollo Crews to get cooled off so much. You'd think he's the WWE ideal, looks and ability wise, yet he ended up getting pre-showed.

He's not as good as the other people they feature

 

This... Also, its a crowded room right now. I expect some call ups might make some room for him, but who knows. I also wont be surprised if he gets called up without getting his big NXT run.

[Cap]

 

The Joe vs Finn match is such a strange bird to me. It is, as others have mentioned, an elite performance from Joe. He was 100% on. Finn was really good too and was feeding off Joe. The stoppages killed me. I know they are fine with some people. I know some people might even think they added to the drama, but I hate it. I hate them stopping a match for blood and I hated how many times they did it here. If they had let this go it might have threatened the Nak vs Sami as best match of the night, but all the momentum killers, making sure the match was clean... it just took so much away from this match for me. This might be the worst case of this too because they were putting on such a great match too.

 

This is something that has been bothering me for the last several years in this PG Post-Benoit era of wrestling. To me a good referee is one who is only noticed when he is supposed to be (a ref bump, a shoving match with Flair, threatening a DQ, checking if someone is submitting, etc), these days we have the referee constantly in the middle of the action, down on the mat checking on both guys after nearly every move they take, derailing the momentum of the match to wipe away a trickle of blood.

 

It is, at least to me, a major distraction and tends to pull me out of the story being told. Don't get me wrong, I don't want the guys and girls getting hurt, but over the last several years I've just found it jarring how often I am noticing "there is the referee again, making sure someone is okay after they took a backdrop." Then last night I couldn't help but smile at the "Let Joe Bleed" chant, because that was at least in my opinion, overkill. It's a contact sport, he wasn't in any danger, shit happens.

 

Yeah, I am such a mark for blood in a match, especially when it just sort of happens. I don't want blood in every match, but when an intense feud is being blown off or someone really wants to tell a story of a fight going to the next level, blood can be a powerful way to tell that story. I think that with the intense performance joe was putting on would have really set this match apart and with them stopping the match every few seconds to clean it up, it just lost a lot of momentum to me. I was so into it and so pumped when Joe pushed the ref away and even thought it was pretty cool when he wiped it away himself. After like the second or third stop I was just rolling my eyes. I just wanted to see them wrestle.

 

Also, cheers to a fellow WVian

[The Chief]

Rewatching, and as a guy who's been watching a shitload of Memphis these past few months, I need to stress how good that Corbin vs Aries Match was. Every strike meant something. Every high spot was based around a strike. These two guys hated each other. This was not an Aries flashy debut showcase nor should it have been. These two should hate each other and they worked accordingly . God I wish those strikes would have played into the finish more because for as hard as those two were working they deserved a better finish. This match had actual heel heat. Corbin worked the countout spot like a bully should. Fantastic. If Aries won after a flurry I may have this at the 4-5 star mark.

[Goodear]

I will try to have more thoughts once I stop dying from an attack rampaging idiocy from every human being I know.

 

Considering the conversation happening elsewhere on the board regarding match structure, I think this show did an outstanding job of having 5 matches having different bones while all of them managed to be good (Corbin-Aries being the lowest man on the totem pole). We went from late 80's tag structure with a modern twist to Corbin working monster control heat segments to strong style strike exchanges to extensive submission work to hate brawl. I think that is what allowed the card to go from good match to good match without completely burning out the crowd because it was not PWG-style 3 hours of the same stuff structure.

 

That such a well built and constructed piece of business came out of the same house that will produce WrestleMania tomorrow is simply stunning.

[Goodear]

Rewatching, and as a guy who's been watching a shitload of Memphis these past few months, I need to stress how good that Corbin vs Aries Match was. Every strike meant something. Every high spot was based around a strike. These two guys hated each other. This was not an Aries flashy debut showcase nor should it have been. These two should hate each other and they worked accordingly . God I wish those strikes would have played into the finish more because for as hard as those two were working they deserved a better finish. This match had actual heel heat. Corbin worked the countout spot like a bully should. Fantastic. If Aries won after a flurry I may have this at the 4-5 star mark.

 

If he could have worked those mounted rabbit punch elbows into a finish, I think we would be able to put the match on a higher tier. As it was, I think Austin came off as the worst performer on the card (which, stop to think about that, holy shit) because he isn't particularly sympathetic and if he would have been able to turn up into that gear from a slower start than we have had a better narrative. His come on face after beating the countout was one of the best uses of facials on the show but Corbin's frustration that he didn't win there was also palpable.

[C.S.]

Corbin did a good job of carrying Aries. Yeah, I just said that!

 

Aries is one of the worst babyfaces I've ever seen, and has the single most punchable face in all of professional wrestling.

 

Everything about him is designed to be a heel, including his ridiculous nickname, "The Greatest Person Who Ever Lived."

[Cap]

Yeah, Aries has more or less always been a born heel. With the exception of his return to face the rest of Generation Next, I have never gotten really excited about his face work.

 

I am not sure it was a carry job, but Baron was very impressive here. I am kind of excited to rewatch this match too.

[MoS]

This show was awesome. A bit bummed about the rather underwhelming reaction Asuka received for her victory, as well as the finish, although it went a bit too long for my taste. But I guess not a lot of the fans follow MMA.