The Biggest Winners From NXT TakeOver: Dallas

NXT TakeOver is in the books and it just might be the greatest wrestling show of all time. Okay, that might be a little too strong of a claim but I’d bet it goes down as the best show 2016. That’s a statement that just might hold up.

Two new NXT wrestlers debuted to victories and two out of the three championship matches saw a title change. There were more than a few winners from this night and I fully intend to give my awards that have absolutely no cash value to all that deserve them.

As a reminder, not everyone who actually wins a match is guaranteed recognition in this article and some honorees are actually the losers of the match. It’s all about who had a good night based on my subjective analysis.

Let’s kick off this mostly chronological and unranked list with the new Tag Champs…

The new standard of excellence in the @WWENXT Tag Team division. Congrats #AmericanAlpha, @JasonJordanJJ @WWEGable. pic.twitter.com/gzByqkI3L6

— Triple H (@TripleH) April 2, 2016

American Alpha

It was a smart move to put the NXT Tag Team Title Match on first because American Alpha are one of the most beloved acts on this brand. And it’s notable that just as much as Chad Gable and Jason Jordan were babyfaces, Dallas treated The Revival as despicable heels.

It was a hard-hitting match that showcased just how great Jordan and Gable truly are at what they do. They had to outsmart Dawson and Wilder, who even tried to use a towel for leverage during one point. They are dastardly.

The crowd ate up every bit of their victory and gave them a standing ovation. Jordan & Gable even appeared teary-eyed, cementing that this was a very feel good start of the show. These guys have been putting in the work inside the ring and they’re very talented. Hopefully they have a long run with these belts and the quality they bring carries over one day to the main roster

Baron Corbin

No doubt about it, Baron Corbin has emerged as one of the best heels in NXT. While WWE’s developmental system has become a haven for some of the best talents on the planet, Big Baron just doesn’t care. This was a night of Austin Aries arrival to NXT and while he did win, I’m still fawning over Big Baron and how well he’s embraced the current incarnation of his character.

The match between Baron and Aries was the weakest match of the night, which is a compliment to how excellent this card was because the was an above average contest. Baron might’ve had the size advantage, but the Greatest Man Who Ever Lived simply out-wrestled his opponent on this night. He withstood some impressive power moves like a Deep Six on the floor to eventually pin Baron in the middle of the ring.

Being Austin’s debut, this was a great start to his NXT career. There will likely be a return match and I will look forward to it. The two had great chemistry in the ring and I hope this is a several bout rivalry. Austin gets the credit for victory tonight, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s Baron and his disdain for indie darlings that put a smile on my face.

.@ShinsukeN flips @ILikeSamiZayn into a dangerous armbar attempt! #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/e5eDbY6xuL

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) April 2, 2016

Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke is a bonafide sSuperstar on arrival. The crowd was eating out of the palm of his hand. His music was brilliant and the theatrics of his entrance set the tone for what we were about to see and what we saw was something truly special.

The match between Sammy Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura absolutely lived up to the hype. Moments like the dueling forearms while the crowd chanted “Yes” over and over to Nakamura deflecting Zayn’s dive through the corner tornado DDT were brilliant highlights. The moments that give me chills were non-stop during the final third of this encounter.

Both guys deservedly got standing ovation’s after the match. This was a classic and probably will be on anyone’s list of best WWE matches of the year. As long as Shinsuke continues to be allowed to put on matches like this, his career in WWE will be quite all right.

Sami Zayn

The guy might’ve lost the match but he potential competed in the match of the year so he deserves at least some recognition. Here’s to hoping that these two tangle again at some point in the future. In the meantime, I expect Zayn to have a good showing at WrestleMania as well as a strong 2016.

Proud of myself for having such an incredible match with Bayley. My privilege to meet a great competitor like you!#WWE #WWENXT #AsukaCity

— ASUKA / 明日華 (@WWEAsuka) April 2, 2016

Asuka

Tasked with the very difficult responsibility of having to follow Sammy Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka and Bailey put on one worthy follow-up to that contest.

Asuka caused Bailey to pass out at the end of this match, a fitting way for the now former champ to save face in loss. The new NXT Women’s Champion was aggressive prior to that point and looks like a submission and striking machine who can take out pretty much anybody at any given time.

With the match ending the way it did, the door is left wide open for a round two. I’m hoping that will be Bayley’s last NXT match because she needs to show up on the main roster as early as Monday. As far as the new Champ, Asuka, is concerned, her era of dominance has officially begun.

Apollo Crews

He didn’t have to fight the drifter, so that’s a win for him.

Samoa Joe

Due to being cut open almost immediately at the start of this match, Samoa Joe not only battled NXT Champion Finn Balor but he also battled his own blood loss. Medical personal kept trying to intervene and stop the bleeding but Joe must’ve taken an aspiring earlier because he kept on gushing.

I’m sure it wasn’t intentional but the constant attending to and the looming possibility of a match stoppage was causing Joe to get some strong babyface sympathy from Dallas. They blamed the PG era and had some not so nice things to say about the situation. I don’t blame those in attendance for not wanting the match stopped but it did seem silly that the man’s health was turning into a heel prop.

Joe fought on despite the constant color around his eye and it totally added to the aura of the match. He showcased a fighting spirit that no one could boo and had he won the NXT Championship he would’ve received a massive ovation for his performance. Surprisingly, he did not win on this night. To his advantage, not winning the title might make a main roster jump more likely for him.

Finn Balor

Samoa Joe winning Balor’s title seemed like a pretty safe pick. This throws Finn’s main roster jump into question but it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Owens jumped to the main roster and brought the NXT Title with him, so Finn might follow that formula.

Balor initially came to this match with Demon body paint and a chainsaw because of a Texas Chainsaw Massacre gimmick, I think. He didn’t actually use it but he did compete against one of his toughest challenges yet. I liked this match better than their first encounter in London and I’d say it’s one of his better defenses.

Finn Balor walked out of this NXT TakeOver event in Dallas as the reigning NXT Champion and that makes him the biggest winner of all. Kudos, Finn.

Final Thoughts And Plugs

I’ll reiterate what I wrote in the beginning that this will probably be the best show of 2016. Out of the five matches on the card, four of them were at least 4 stars for me. One of them, the Nakamura one, came awfully close to 5 stars as well. Some might go a full five on it but I’d peg it back 4.5 or 4.75. I’ll rewatch it soon and decide for sure upon a second viewing.

Follow me on Twitter @MitchNickelson to keep up with all that I do.

Give a listen to mine and my wife’s podcast, Wrestling Date Night. We recorded this a couple of days ago and previewed the wrestling weekend, including WrestleMania 32. Give it a listen by clicking on the Play button below…