NXTTakeover: Dallas Review

NXTTakeover: Dallas aired a 3am here in the United Kingdom which made it very difficult for some fans to stay awake for the event. Those of us who did manage the feat however, were not dissapointed as we were treated to one of the best nights of Wrestling we have seen in the WWE in a long time, potentially even ever. Shinsuke Nakamura made his much hyped debut, American Alpha took on The Revival for the Tag Team Titles, Austin Aries was out for revenge against Corbin and of course Bayley faced Asuka and Joe took on Balor for the two singles Titles. So what exactly were the matches like?

American Alpha vs The Revival

American Alpha hold their new NXT Tag Team Championships

This match was how Tag Team Wrestling should be happening in the WWE. Both teams have great chemistry with their partners and with each other in the ring and last night they put on one of the best Tag Team matches we've ever seen in a WWE ring. Yes, there were a few botched spots here and there but overall the fluidity of the match was not ruined and the show started off with an explosion more than a bang. Most of the credit will surely go to American Alpha after this match but as the saying goes, you are only as going as your opponent, and Dash and Dawson were really good. Yet again their Heel tactics in the ring were a welcome sight, causing the crowd to rally behind Gable and Jordan even more (If that were even possible) The highlight of that was Dawson crawling under the ring to deny the hot tag to Jason Jordan. In the end the right team won and this set the tone for the entire night.

****1/2 out of 5

Austin Aries vs Baron Corbin

Austin Aries attempts to get Baron Corbin off his feet

You have to feel a little for Austin Aries because on any other night his debut would feel like one of the biggest things on the card, but with Nakamura turning up later and the other matches, this wasn't as big as it should've been. It didn't really help that the crowd were completely gassed after watching that unbelievable Tag match beforehand. The match itself was pretty slow but in more of a methodical way. Corbin got in a lot of offense and the little offense that Aries was able to get in he tried to focus on the leg of Baron Corbin. In the end Aries won with a roll up which was a bit of a weird finish. Baron Corbin yet again portrayed his Heel character to perfection and if he is not going for the NXT Title then a main roster call up is surely imminent. I'm sure in the future we'll see a lot of great stuff from Austin Aries but this wasn't a mind blowing debut.

*** out of 5

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn

Shinsuke Nakamura shows respect to Sami Zayn after their match

I can't remember the last time people were so hyped for a debut. Nakamura finally arrived in WWE and he arrived to a rapturous reception. We all knew that this match was going to be good, we didn't know it was going to be this good. The greatest part was that they let Nakamura be himself and they didn't change anything apart from the name of his finisher. They didn't water down his style in any way and he still looked as Stiff as he always has. The sight of Nakamura and Zayn just slugging it out for minutes with their forearms will be a sight that is remembered for a long time. Ask anybody about this match and they will most likely say one thing, it's a match of the year contender and it's hard to argue with that statement. What made this match even better was the show of respect by the two men at the end of the match. Anyone who wasn't familiar with the King of Strong Style before now will be. Also if there was anybody who deserved this match, it was Sami Zayn. The man embodies what NXT is all about and being given the honor of facing Nakamura in his debut match is nothing less than what Sami Zayn deserved. It will be hard for any match to top that this year, let alone this weekend.

***** out of 5

Bayley vs Asuka

Asuka celebreates becoming new NXT Women's Champion

I think deep down we all knew that this was going to happen, but it didn't make it any more bearable for fans of The Hugger. Personally I'm a huge Asuka fan so this was a great result for me but seeing Bayley at the end of that match was a heartbreaking sight. Asuka eventually put Bayley out with the Asuka lock which can be considered an overused spot but if anyone deserves that finish instead of being forced to tap then it's Bayley. This match was a different type of match than we've seen from Bayley before. Against Sasha Banks she put on excellent and exciting affairs while against Nia Jax she portrayed the perfect underdog, but this was different. This was different because it was such a technical affair between two gifted Wrestlers. There were plenty of counters with holds and Submissions and it was delightful to watch. Bayley and Asuka yet again proved why Women's wrestling is getting the attention that it does in NXT.

**** out of 5

Finn Balor vs Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe attempts to execute the Muscle Buster on Finn Balor

If Samoa Joe vs Finn Balor at NXT Takeover: London was a battle then this was an all out war. Right from the get go these men were right at each other and Joe was severely busted open. This both added and took away from the match as there were 4 stoppages to wipe away the blood. We all understand the importance of the the safety of the competitors in the ring but the continued stopping and starting really slowed this match down. The finish was a little strange for two reasons. Firstly because most people probably expect Joe to win and Finn Balor to debut on Monday at RAW, although that could still happen. The second reason is the underwhelming finish. It was the second roll up of the night and it really felt like it didn't do the match justice. Either way, Samoa Joe yet again looked strong and the demon is still undefeated, which I think should be the case for a long time.

***1/2 out of 5