Recapping an Exciting WWE NXT Takeover: Dallas

As we are nearing end of Wrestlemania week and the main event itself, Wrestlemania 32 at AT&T Stadium, WWE's developmental brand NXT held another live event.  NXT Takeover: Dallas took place on Friday, April 1, 2016, live at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.  After an exhilirating two plus hours, it is safe to the main roster has a lot of work to make Wrestlemania just as good.  With that let's recap what took place.

American Alpha vs The Revival (C)- NXT Tag Team Championship

The event kicked off with a championship on the line as The Revival team of Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson defended their titles against team American Alpha of Chad Gable and Jason Jordan.  Throughout the fast-paced tag team battle, Gable and Jordan seemed to have an answer and counter for every attack Wilder and Dawson attempted.  After the early advantage went to American Alpha, the Revival was able to take control of the match and isolate Gable away from his partner.  Gable then hit a sudden double DDT and seemed poised to tag his partner when Wilder crawled under the ring and popped behind Jordan, pulling Jordan off the ring apron.  Dawson and Wilder took Gable down, Wilder covered Gable for the pin, but the referee didn't count because Wilder wasn't the legal man.  This opened the door for Gable to make the hot tag and Jordan quickly took care of Wilder and Dawson, leading to Gable making a blind tag and American Alpha hitting their finisher, Grand Platitude, for the victory and new NXT Tag Team champions.

Austin Aries vs Baron Corbin

Austin Aries made his in-ring NXT debut against the always brutal and violent Baron Corbin.  Corbin, the former NFL player, got a hold of Aries early and neutralized Aries' speed by pounding and slamming Aries in the ground.  Aries, the former Ring of Honor and TNA Heavyweight champion, came with a dropkick and a suicide dive.  Corbin wrested control back and looked poised to finish the match with End of Days, when Aries shocked Corbin with a rollup pin for the win.

Sami Zayn vs Shinsuke Nakamura

There aren't any proper words for the greatness that was personified when Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura met up at NXT Takeover: Dallas.  The King of Strong Style was making debut in what could possibly have been the final match for the one star that has been considered the Heart and Soul of NXT.  From the moment he made his entrance to the ring, Nakamura exuded charisma.  Both Zayn and Nakamura kept the crowd on the edge of their seats, if any were sitting at all.  They each traded arm bars, splashes outside the ring, and, at one point, traded a series punches that gave Nakamura a bloody nose.  Nakamura hit Zayn with a series of knee shots to the face, and Zayn countered with a vicious clothesline.  Zayn put the Koji Clutch on Nakamura trying force the NXT newcomer to submit, but Nakamura fought his way out.  The crowd began chanting, "Fight Forever!" as Zayn had a near pin-fall victory after hitting Nakamura with a Blue Thunder Bomb.  After blocking an Exploder Suplex, Nakamura finished off Zayn with a Running Knee.  Appropriately, the crowd gave both competitors a standing ovation and the men shook hands and raised each other's arms in a sign of respect.  After Nakamura left the ring, the crowd chanted, "Thank you, Sami!" as the match was most likely the last time Zayn will be in a NXT ring and join the main WWE roster.

Asuka vs Bayley (C)- NXT Women's Championship

As has been the case since both Bayley and Asuka began their respective NXT careers, both female competitors gave an exciting match that even some of the men couldn't live up to.  Both traded a series of submission holds. Bayley put Asuka in a Guillotine Chokehold, Asuka then had Bayley in an Ankle Lock.  After trading hard strikes on each other, Bayley put her opponent in a knee bar only to reversed into Asuka putting Bayley in an Arm Bar.  Bayley came close to victory by getting Asuka in the submission hold that gave Bayley the victory for the final fall against Sasha Banks in their Ironman Match.  Asuka fought her way out and caught Bayley with her Asuka Lock in the center of the ring.  Bayley refused to tap out and kept trying to fight her way out until she passed out, ending her run as Women's champion.

Samoa Joe vs Finn Balor (C)- NXT Championship

This feud has proven to be quite violent; more than most in wrestling and sports entertainment.  Early in the match as both men traded blows, Balor's and Joe's heads collided that opened up a cut  above Joe's eye.  Both men made their way outside the ring, and Joe countered a Balor attack by tossing him over the barrier into the crowd that wiped out a security guard.  The men traded shots that made all the shots traded in all the earlier matches seem like tickles.  Joe hit a Powerbomb and put the Demon in the Crossface.  Balor fought out of the hold and hit Joe with a Double Stomp.  Joe countered with the Muscle Buster, Balor hit the Coupe de Grace.  Balor attempted to end things with Bloody Sunday but Joe countered and put Balor in the Coquina Clutch.  In a move reminiscent of Bret "Hitman" Hart vs "Rowdy" Roddy Piper at Wrestlemania 8, Balor pushed off the ropes and rolled up Joe for pinfall victory to retain his NXT Title.

You can relive all of the action on the WWE Network.