NXT Takeover: Dallas

[Matt D]

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.

I don't think that had anything to do with anything.

[Grimmas]

It was shock

[Vittero]

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.

 

One of the little things I loved was the way he actually scrambled away to bait Nakamura toward the ropes so he could dump him for the big follow up dive.

 

Also I just want to jump on the Joe bandwagon. Even if it was only for one night it really was the best Joe since the Angle cage match and hopefully they've got a follow up ready for him because it'd be a shame for a fired up Joe to go waste.

[Matt D]

 

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.

 

One of the little things I loved was the way he actually scrambled away to bait Nakamura toward the ropes so he could dump him for the big follow up dive.

 

Also I just want to jump on the Joe bandwagon. Even if it was only for one night it really was the best Joe since the Angle cage match and hopefully they've got a follow up ready for him because it'd be a shame for a fired up Joe to go waste.

 

He's done to Joe recently too.

[GOTNW]

 

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.

I would completely agree with this (though I will note I haven't seen Balor-Joe yet as I honestly can't convince myself to watch it. I just. don't care. don't want to.) Corbin looked much better than Aries though I am conflicted about the shoulder claw. Pol made as good of a defence of it as possible on twitter but still I think a Chinlock would've accomplished the same thing and the fans would have also recognized it as a real pro wrestling move.

 

Nakamura-Zayn was great. American Alpha-Revival was really good but hit the glass ceiling of rehersal pro wrestling. A lot of great ideas in it, but the botch came at the worst time possible and instead of improvizing and prolonging the heat section to salvage it they just went according to plan. I really loved the ideas and how the match was laid out but I'm gonna need everyone involved to get a little better and get some more experience before I see the matches as great.

 

I think Asuka looked way better than Bayley out there though Bayley was more over and the emotional connection she has to the fans really was at display when she passed out. And I'll give her credit she did a really great job of selling her lights going out. It was a good match but I'd kinda hoped for more. It did not make me regret voting against Bayley in MM.

[C.S.]

I would completely agree with this (though I will note I haven't seen Balor-Joe yet as I honestly can't convince myself to watch it. I just. don't care. don't want to.)

 

I felt the exact same way, but trust me, watch it.

 

With that said, the match was great, but if I never see Joe again, I'd be okay with that, and the current incarnation of Finn bores me (yes, that includes the Demon and his "epic" entrances). I'm desperate for a heel turn and the Balor Club.

 

On a different note entirely, everyone is expecting Bayley to get called up now, but I just don't see it.

 

Stuff like this tells me she's sticking around in NXT for a while longer.

 

 

True, she could get called up and still remain in NXT for the next Special, like Zayn and many others, but it doesn't feel like that to me. I guess we'll see.

[WingedEagle]

It was shock

 

Shock because it didn't feel like the finish, rather than at the result. It came out of nowhere, and then went on endlessly. Every other match on the show at least built towards a finish. Not sure what it is about Asuka but I thought this was Bayley's worst big match in quite some time. Not bad, by any stretch, but the Nia Jax and Carmella matches were both better. There wasn't a whole lot of meaningful selling. Even after a lights out finish, Bayley was up pretty quickly. Asuka's offense also didn't stand out at all. Nothing looked particularly impactful or on point.

[El Dragon]

 

It was shock

 

Shock because it didn't feel like the finish, rather than at the result.

 

No, that was at the result I feel. That crowd LOVES Bayley. Her losing the title was a pretty big deal.

[WingedEagle]

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.

 

Couldn't agree more. Rewatching both big matches today, Joe-Balor was absolutely incredibly and really stood out. Best Balor performance in NXT and entirely due to them working a more aggressive, brawling style. No question the blood added to things, but Joe's offense was so strong and effective both visually and audibly that even without it this would've been great. I know he's not super tall, but he's more than stocky enough to match up with Brock. Not happening, but man, that would be a collision my ears would literally love. Joe made this, but Balor did a lot of little things like his facials down the stretch and constantly trying to keep up with Joe's intensity that he more then held his end of the bargain. Really unlike anything other than a major Brock match you'll see from the company.

 

Don't get me wrong -- I loved Nakamura vs. Zayn but I'm curious how those raving about it would rate it versus a similar great match from New Japan? It felt like any of a number of great Nak matches from recent years, with the differences being a black ring, in America, with English announcers and a crowd beyond hyped to see his major US debut. Surprised no one has thrown shade at it for the forearm trading, as that seems to be a major contention when it pops up on every big New Japan show. Is it being overlooked here because its not a regular spot in WWE?

[Grimmas]

 

 

 

 

It was shock

Shock because it didn't feel like the finish, rather than at the result.

No, that was at the result I feel. That crowd LOVES Bayley. Her losing the title was a pretty big deal.

Exactly. It was because they cared

[Grimmas]

 

 

I cant believe it, but I still think Joe-Balor was MOTN. Joes 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 Joes performance the second time: theres been nothing like this in WWE since Reigns-Lesnar. Amazing that they got to do Diaz-McGregor in reverse after the Holm-Tate revamp wed seen earlier. Joe gets Performance of the Night easily.

Couldn't agree more. Rewatching both big matches today, Joe-Balor was absolutely incredibly and really stood out. Best Balor performance in NXT and entirely due to them working a more aggressive, brawling style. No question the blood added to things, but Joe's offense was so strong and effective both visually and audibly that even without it this would've been great. I know he's not super tall, but he's more than stocky enough to match up with Brock. Not happening, but man, that would be a collision my ears would literally love. Joe made this, but Balor did a lot of little things like his facials down the stretch and constantly trying to keep up with Joe's intensity that he more then held his end of the bargain. Really unlike anything other than a major Brock match you'll see from the company.

 

Don't get me wrong -- I loved Nakamura vs. Zayn but I'm curious how those raving about it would rate it versus a similar great match from New Japan? It felt like any of a number of great Nak matches from recent years, with the differences being a black ring, in America, with English announcers and a crowd beyond hyped to see his major US debut. Surprised no one has thrown shade at it for the forearm trading, as that seems to be a major contention when it pops up on every big New Japan show. Is it being overlooked here because its not a regular spot in WWE?

On par with Ibushi match. Better than most NJ. Great match.

 

Forearms worked here because of selling and being unique. In NJ you get that all the time.

[DMJ]

Don't understand the criticism towards Bayley here. She's never been the smoothest worker. I feel like that's kind of one of the talking points when people call her the "Female John Cena." Her appeal is really character-based: Perseverance, hard work, amazing connection with crowd, really good at telling an emotional story in the ring and willing to try things outside of her comfort zone and feed into opponent's strengths. If you've only now discovered Bayley can be sloppy and has bad strikes, I don't know what to tell you but "Female John Cena."

 

On a more important note regarding Bayley/Asuka, can anyone think of another straight-up wrestling match, not featuring a 20-foot cage or a bunch of ladders and chairs, that could've followed Zayn/Nakamura as well as Bayley/Asuka did? I hope that doesn't go unnoticed as it's a real testament to the strength of the characters/performers. Imagine Jericho/AJ in that spot (or worse - Kalisto/Ryback) and you can literally hear the crickets chirping after the initial pop for entrances. Bayley/Asuka was the opposite as Bayley might have had her quietest reception in ages, but, by the end, the crowd was into it as they had been for anything else on the show, including the stellar match that preceded it. Can't praise that aspect of their match enough.

 

Aries is definitely better as a heel and I think everyone knows it. The problem is, he's undersized and he's got indie cred, so the NXT crowd is going to pop him for awhile (expect the same for Roode when he debuts). I expect they'll turn him as soon as the Corbin feud runs its course, which is wise. I'd keep things simple - Corbin wins the feud and advances to a title shot or to the main roster while Aries, now needing to prove himself, starts cutting corners and cheating to reassert himself. I'm not worried about Aries, but it's a crowded field right now and there needs to be some movement at the top to allow him to seem like a bigger deal.

[WingedEagle]

 

 

 

It was shock

Shock because it didn't feel like the finish, rather than at the result.

No, that was at the result I feel. That crowd LOVES Bayley. Her losing the title was a pretty big deal.

Exactly. It was because they cared

 

 

Could not possibly disagree more. Don't think anyone bought it as a finish, and this wasn't a flash pin like a Fujinami.

[WingedEagle]

Don't understand the criticism towards Bayley here. She's never been the smoothest worker. I feel like that's kind of one of the talking points when people call her the "Female John Cena." Her appeal is really character-based: Perseverance, hard work, amazing connection with crowd, really good at telling an emotional story in the ring and willing to try things outside of her comfort zone and feed into opponent's strengths. If you've only now discovered Bayley can be sloppy and has bad strikes, I don't know what to tell you but "Female John Cena."

 

On a more important note regarding Bayley/Asuka, can anyone think of another straight-up wrestling match, not featuring a 20-foot cage or a bunch of ladders and chairs, that could've followed Zayn/Nakamura as well as Bayley/Asuka did? I hope that doesn't go unnoticed as it's a real testament to the strength of the characters/performers. Imagine Jericho/AJ in that spot (or worse - Kalisto/Ryback) and you can literally hear the crickets chirping after the initial pop for entrances. Bayley/Asuka was the opposite as Bayley might have had her quietest reception in ages, but, by the end, the crowd was into it as they had been for anything else on the show, including the stellar match that preceded it. Can't praise that aspect of their match enough.

 

Aries is definitely better as a heel and I think everyone knows it. The problem is, he's undersized and he's got indie cred, so the NXT crowd is going to pop him for awhile (expect the same for Roode when he debuts). I expect they'll turn him as soon as the Corbin feud runs its course, which is wise. I'd keep things simple - Corbin wins the feud and advances to a title shot or to the main roster while Aries, now needing to prove himself, starts cutting corners and cheating to reassert himself. I'm not worried about Aries, but it's a crowded field right now and there needs to be some movement at the top to allow him to seem like a bigger deal.

 

This definitely isn't about Bayley's strikes or lack of polish, if you will. Her character and act are phenomenal and it usually translates to a really good match. In this case, I don't think Asuka came to play ball in a fashion that accounted for Bayley's talents, which is all the more puzzling given her success over the last year.

[GOTNW]

 

Don't understand the criticism towards Bayley here. She's never been the smoothest worker. I feel like that's kind of one of the talking points when people call her the "Female John Cena." Her appeal is really character-based: Perseverance, hard work, amazing connection with crowd, really good at telling an emotional story in the ring and willing to try things outside of her comfort zone and feed into opponent's strengths. If you've only now discovered Bayley can be sloppy and has bad strikes, I don't know what to tell you but "Female John Cena."

I have no idea how good Bayley is at much stuff other than execution because we haven't seen her do anything other than rehersal pro wrestling and even then I was about as low on her stuff as anyone (mind you, I still thought a lot of it was good and didn't think much was bad).

[Matt D]

 

 

It was shock

 

Shock because it didn't feel like the finish, rather than at the result.

 

No, that was at the result I feel. That crowd LOVES Bayley. Her losing the title was a pretty big deal.

 

They were just starting to clap for her to get up. That was just picking up. I think they thought there was going to be one more wave of fighting at least.

[GOTNW]

Really the comparison with Cena feels like undermining what Cena has achieved. Bayley debuted 8 years ago. Cena was 8 years into his career in 2007. I'd say she has a long way to go.

[Loss]

Shinsuke Nakamura is great, though I don't really see the need for him to go through developmental.

 

I tend to agree with those who have said it's a good thing for everyone's sake he's going through NXT. If he were to start on the main roster without first learning all of the idiosyncracies of the WWE style, he'd get a label as not being as good as everyone thinks, which he doesn't deserve. He may still get that label, but he's at least getting the opportunity to learn WWE's religion. I actually thought he did a little less than he does in a usual New Japan match (and I mean that as a positive), so he's probably going to be a quick study.

 

What's tough to imagine is him doing the weekly two commercial break matches, or even doing the 3-5 minute specials or going 50-50 with guys like Kevin Owens, and still reaching his potential as a star. He's helped in that he can speak English (although I have no idea how fluent he is), and he's also helped that they want to use him to break into a new market. Then again, they also wanted to use Adam Rose to draw in the UK.

[WingedEagle]

 

 

 

It was shock

 

Shock because it didn't feel like the finish, rather than at the result.

 

No, that was at the result I feel. That crowd LOVES Bayley. Her losing the title was a pretty big deal.

 

They were just starting to clap for her to get up. That was just picking up. I think they thought there was going to be one more wave of fighting at least.

 

 

Exactly. Didn't feel like anyone was ready for any kind of finish.

[JerryvonKramer]

American Alpha vs. The Revival

 

Some very solid old-school pro wrestling here. Everything has a sense of heft and purpose. Let down a bit by some overly cutesy stereo spots. But I thought they did really well to play this up as technical prowess vs. brawling. Also nice to see a spot in which the ref enforces the rules and the heels react. Felt it lost its way a bit down the finishing stretch, but this is good solid action. Hot crowd.

 

***1/2

 

I love Regal as a kind of modern Jack Tunney figure here. How can the basic storytelling be so much better in the angles on NXT than it is on the main show? I don't get it. But awesome little hype package going into this one ...

 

Baron Corbin vs. Austin Aires

 

Clear face and heel dynamics make me happy. The phrase "NXT Universe" does not. Corbin stamps on the wrist at one point and I was expecting him to follow up on that, but he didn't. No real offensive strategy. I do like the idea of his character though, hating the indie darlings? I've always been a heel fan and I'm supporting him here, ha ha!

 

Wild Samoan style nerve holds? Thought this was Baron Corbin, not Baron Scicluna! I don't care though, I love how much this has killed the crowd. They are a proper wrestling crowd. And this is proper crowd control. I can't tell you how refreshing this is to see in 2016. His jawing, his methodical pace, his refusal just to do high spots. Bringing them up and down. This is good stuff in my opinion and if his whole deal is anti-indie, it's basically perfect that he works like this too. Perfect heel for this promotion at this time. I think I'm a natural fan. This match right here has authenticity in my view, a terribly elusive quality in a wrestling match for the last decade.

 

I was hoping so badly for a count out win for Corbin here, I'd have popped so much if that happened. But I do appreciate how much they put over the mere idea of the count out being a real possibility.

 

This match wasn't anything special really, I mean in the long view of wrestling history, it is just a match. But I absolutely loved the principles behind the match and what they were able to do here. It's just proof that those people who say you can't put the clock back are wrong. Fundamentals are fundamentals no matter what the age. And the crowds can be retrained. One of my favourite matches of the 2010s just for that. Don't just look at the rating for this one, I cannot stress how much I loved this match.

 

***1/2 (but for the concept and what it stands for in this context *****)

 

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn

 

Nakamura's entrance is one of the most mind-blowing things I've ever seen. Has anyone ever had a "holy shit" chant just for walking down the aisle before? The atmosphere is just off the hook for this. Wow. It's something. It really is. I can only imagine what it was like in that crowd. Has to go down in history as one of the great moments, just amazing.

 

I did think "fight forever" and "we want strong style" were two sycophantic chants too far from this crowd. Come on now, get a grip. But in general they were as hot for this as any crowd I can remember seeing.

 

I did not really think that much of this match itself in terms of the body of the match. It was worked in that epic style and some of the near falls were effective, but this match wasn't about how good it is, it was about the crowd. And that moment of Nakamura'a entrance. Feels like one of the most special things I've ever seen as a fan. The match was there too. Nakamura'a aura and charisma on this show is up there with anyone I've ever seen.

 

***3/4

 

Quick break to make a tea, but this is a v. hot show so far. Not comfortable with "Thank you Sami" chants, but it is what it is.

[sek69]

 

Shinsuke Nakamura is great, though I don't really see the need for him to go through developmental.

 

I tend to agree with those who have said it's a good thing for everyone's sake he's going through NXT. If he were to start on the main roster without first learning all of the idiosyncracies of the WWE style, he'd get a label as not being as good as everyone thinks, which he doesn't deserve. He may still get that label, but he's at least getting the opportunity to learn WWE's religion. I actually thought he did a little less than he does in a usual New Japan match (and I mean that as a positive), so he's probably going to be a quick study.

 

What's tough to imagine is him doing the weekly two commercial break matches, or even doing the 3-5 minute specials or going 50-50 with guys like Kevin Owens, and still reaching his potential as a star. He's helped in that he can speak English (although I have no idea how fluent he is), and he's also helped that they want to use him to break into a new market. Then again, they also wanted to use Adam Rose to draw in the UK.

 

 

 

He's at least conversational in English and Spanish (he mentioned talking with Sombra at the PC in Spanish), so he should be valuable to them in that aspect.

[Loss]

My rundown:

 

I thought the opener was terrific and was really developing into a great match until they overshot a few times. I noticed -- at least here -- that Scott Dawson really carries the team, and that the moments that didn't quite connect where the ones when Dash Wilder had to do something. I love the idea behind The Revival and think they could eventually become a great team. They're already very good. Chad Gable is fantastic. I hope his long-term fate is better than that of someone like Neville.

 

Corbin-Aries didn't strike me as a particularly good match, but it had a purpose and made it work well. I liked how they got over Aries' strikes as the ultimate equalizer, and Corbin using a nerve hold in front of an NXT crowd is some high-quality trolling. I realized watching this that Baron Corbin will get an infinite number of chances to get over on the main roster.

 

Zayn-Nakamura was outstanding. I'd put it at ****1/2. I haven't watched much wrestling from 2016, but I think I enjoyed it more than the high-end matches on the Tokyo Dome show, and more than anything else I've watched this year. When I look at what they did in the match, while they certainly busted out a lot of cool stuff, it was a more minimalist effort than some may expect. I'm hoping that crowd reactions to Sami Zayn last night, tomorrow night and Monday night will be strong enough to bleed over to Raw on a weekly basis, where he hasn't seemed very over.

 

Bayley-Asuka I don't want to comment on. I was too stuck in afterglow mode to really focus like I wanted to, so I will watch it again later today and comment then. Bayley's entrance in a big arena definitely works.

 

Samoa Joe gave the performance of the night in the main event. I thought the match was a shade below great because Finn seemed kind of unremarkable. Joe was phenomenal. I think he realized that what they were dealt was probably way more compelling than whatever they had planned out. He seemed to realize he could milk shoving the refs away for drama pretty quickly. Whether Finn realized the uniqueness of the moment or not I don't know. I didn't see any evidence that he did.

[Loss]

Also, credit where it's due: HHH didn't take his usual victory lap on a weekend where he's slotted as the top heel passing the torch to the new face of the company.

[JerryvonKramer]

Asuka vs. Bayley

 

When I say I'm a heel fan, I'm not joking. I honestly am going into this match wanting Asuka to break Bayley's fucking nose and make Steven Graham literally cry tears into his Canadian blanket. A heel fan is born a heel fan, he isn't made, it's in his blood. I batted for Skeletor against He Man too. And Bayley as like the ultimate happy clappy gaylord fucking babyface is probably one I've wanted to get decked the most. In a way I've not really experienced properly since childhood when I rooted strongly against the likes of Duggan and Beefcake. There's just so much more at stake when the babyfaces are loved and heels are hated.

 

Some pretty sound psychology here with Bayley trying to take out the kicking leg. This was a really submissions-orientated match for two women on a WWE product in 2016. They were actually more grounded than Zayn and Nakamura.

 

Thought this was some fearless booking. Not quite Ivan in 1971 or Taker losing the streak, but pretty amazing that it's within that sort of vicinity. I just love that they can return to the fundamentals of booking because of the crowd dynamic. Unusually technical bout I thought, but some compelling work.

 

***3/4

 

And now Bayley is actually in tears, am I happy? You bet I am, ha ha. Heels 4 life.

 

Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe

 

This was a strong main event helped along by the blood and which created interesting things for Joe to play off. It was a very good match I thought, without being a great one at any time. Balor seemed a little wooden to me throughout this match, and doesn't seem like a very organic worker. He brought this down some for me because all he seemed interested in doing is getting to his planned spots. Joe was Joe, and even though I don't love him like some here, he knew what to do to make it as good as it was.

 

***3/4

 

This was a really strong card with almost no fat on it. Every match had significance and nothing was below 3.5 stars. I didn't have anything above 4 stars either, but it's pretty rare to get a card this solid from top to bottom. Talk of all-time card is obviously way overblown and I'd still take Mania X, GAB 89, Beach Blast 92 etc over it in a heartbeat, and probably from recent memory also NXT Brooklyn which felt like it had higher highs. But let's not detract from it because of overhyping: this was really good. I can't think of many cards that would have three matches at 3.75 and two at 3.5.

[JerryvonKramer]

Also just want to put over again how much I loved Corbin vs. Aires, in some ways that match was the highlight of this card for me.