Takeover: Dallas

[Mighty NorCal]

The next Takeover is scheduled for the Friday of WrestleMania weekend, in a solid ten thousand seat area.

There are near legends regarding the heat and quality of last year's "Friday of WM weekend" NXT show, which was the true birth of the NXT we know today.....

Given that, this could be the crowing achievement so far in the brands existence, and quite possibly the swan song of the two biggest names still carrying the brand, Finn Balor and Bailey.

What do you guys expect from this show?

 

[DorianGray927]

I think it's too soon to predict. Austin Aries already debuted. And I expect Shinsuke Nakamura and the Bullet Club to debut before that show as well. So beyond great Wrestling match-ups (which are a given) - who knows?

 

[Uncle Sam]

Remember when R-Evolution happened and there were reports about how the WWE talent were upset with how well NXT were being received and the creative freedom they were being given? I want to inspire that level of unrest again. I want more fruit baskets sent to Triple H. That or we just have another Brooklyn scenario, in which NXT outdoes the flagship WWE show it's "accompanying."

Without knowing what we have in store in the meantime, it's difficult to know what could be done to accomplish this. But if we could get a card of Bayley versus Asuka, The Mechanics versus American Alpha, and Finn Balor versus Sami Zayn - complete with a mass torch-passing (i.e. Sami Zayn not becoming NXT's first two-time champion), I'd be confident it could outdo anything the WWE has to offer, and what better occasion than in Dallas?

 

[The Samoan Heritage]

- Dash and Dawson(c) vs Gable and Jordan

- Samoa Joe vs Hideo Itami (Nakamura if Itami's injured)

-Eva Marie w/Nia Jax vs Asuka

- Apollo Crews (and Enzo&Cass) vs Elias Samson (and the Vaudvillians) 1v1 or 3v3

- Austin Aries vs Baron Corbin

- Bayley(c) vs Emma

Main Event:
- Sami Zayn vs Balor(c) (either Balor turns heel with the Bullet/Balor club or they attack Zayn and Balor after their match)
There's only one thing you can ever expect with NXT takeover events and that's great matches, which I have no doubt we would see in most of these match ups.. But besides great match, I guess I'm expecting to see the debut of Nakamura and the rest of the bullet club, since AJ's already on the main roster. (and HOPEFULLY a Balor heel turn)

 

[Coco]

I'd like to take a moment to look beyond the main show and wax on about what matches could potentially be taped for the following TV before the live special.

Can whatever's been teased over the last couple TVs between Alexa and Emma possibly be sustain till Dallas? Unlikely. But there'd certainly be amusing potential for Dana to further emasculate Blake and Murphy at ringside during the finish. (Alternatively, Alexa joins Emma and Dana on a semi-permanent basis and they run afoul of Nia, the fools. Get creative from there.)

Is it possible that Ciampa and Gargano are locked into NXT at this point? How about one turns and their big match is on the TV following the Dallas special? That'd have some sizzle.

Anderson and Gallows vs Enzo and Cass? Why not? There's your TV main event.

Special Attraction straight out of the Nonsense in Coco's Brain: The Vaudvillains vs Ross and Marshall Von Erich (w/Kevin). Pure fantasy? If the Freebirds are getting inducted this year, no reason why there won't be hype packages and .com features putting the Von Erichs back on everyone's mind for a little while. Or is this too TNA? Then again, maybe NXT's too stacked at this point to bother with such tomfoolery.

Before London, I had the Mechanics penciled in for that spot under the assumption Enzo/Cass vs American Alpha was the obvious tag title match. Whoops.

I assume a squash involving Ty Dillinger or Nia Jax would round this out. And I still feel like I'm leaving people out, not having obvious spots for Carmella, Eva, the Hype Bros, Bull, and the world of other people who would fit right in on a show like this (and could use the experience).

Maybe potentially take my special attraction and throw it on an official pre-show to make room for something else on the TV taping?

The bench is deep. No reason not to have another hot TV taping to compliment the grand baby of the grand daddy of 'em all.

*Edit* Got it. Ty eats the fall in Nak's debut on the live special. I'm a genius.

 

[Piss Bucket]

Meh, NXT Takeover events are always on Wednesdays, and they're doing this one on a Friday? Smh.

 

[JoeMallard]

Meh, NXT Takeover events are always on Wednesdays, and they're doing this one on a Friday? Smh.

Who cares what day it is when it's going to be in front of over 10,000 fans?

 

[Uncle Sam]

This is on a Friday? Such bullshit! I love having to stay up until three in the morning on a weeknight and then try desperately to stay awake at work the next day. Am I supposed to watch wrestling on a Friday night and then have a nice lie-in the following morning like some sort of cunt?

Cancelling my Network subscription.

 

[Piss Bucket]

This is on a Friday? Such bullshit! I love having to stay up until three in the morning on a weeknight and then try desperately to stay awake at work the next day. Am I supposed to watch wrestling on a Friday night and then have a nice lie-in the following morning like some sort of cunt?

Cancelling my Network subscription.

Meh, it's not all that long since Raw was shown on Friday nights on Sky Sports in UK instead of live at silly o'clock on Tuesday mornings.

And even though Smackdown is on Thursdays in the US, we still get it in the 10-11 PM time slot on Sky Sports on Fridays.

Before we got Sky, I used to get someone Mum knew at work to tape wrestling for me, this was in the days when all the PPV events, even the "Big 4", were free on Sky Sports, now they're all on Box Office or the Network.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

It'd be great if it was Nakamura Vs Cesaro and they were given a little time.

 

[ShinChan]

Generally there are 5-6 matches at each TakeOver with total time being 2 hours. Lets see how many can i get on my card
Here are my predicted matches along with description:

1》 Finn Balor VS Samoa Joe VS Sami Zayn for the NxT Championship​

Balor VS Joe was awesome in London and addition of Zayn would be an icing on the cake. Zayn doesnot need to be the winner. Between the other two, it depends on who is going to debut at main roster first. If Joe is gonna debut first, then make Balor retain. Or Vice-Versa!

2》 Bayley VS Asuka VS Nia Jaxx for the NxT Women Championship​

Asuka needs to win the title from Bayley thus giving us a future feud for title between Asuka & Nia.

3》 American Alpha VS The Mechanics for the NxT Tag Championship​

Double A need to win it from Dash/Dawson.

These were the matches involving titles. Other matches can be:

4》 Austin Aries VS Baron Corbin

5》 Shinsuke Nakamura's Debut

6》 Emma VS Alexa Bliss OR Enzo-Cass VS The Vaudevillains/Blake-Murphy

​

 

[BringThePain834]

I hope at one of these Takeovers, Joe claims "This is my last match here in NXT, I'm moving to the main roster and issues an open challenge" Brock Lesnar accepts the challenge to a huge pop, they have a match and Joe gets loads of offense in. Even though Brock will obviously win, I think that would put Joe over big time for the main roster.

I think Brock would be willing to do anything if he thinks the money's right.

 

[MCMG]

Some of the appeal of NXT is definitely the shorter show but I do wonder if it is worth making this three hours. I'm guessing it will be a two hour live special + an hour tapings but given the roster depth, I think three hours would be both plausible and entertaining.

Balor, Sayn, Joe, Nakamura, Crews and Corbin all require matches. Even Riley and Aries too. The tag division has Dash and Dawson/AA/Enzo and Big Cass plus Vaudevillians/Blake and Murphy/Hype Bros. The women: Bayley, Asuka, Jax, Brooke, Emma, Marie and Carmella. It's a stacked roster and arguably the biggest show of the year.

I'm not, yet, going to contemplate Balor being out of action that long and I haven't read any spoilers so I'm not sure what to think. I reckon it is time for Balor and Zayn to get a call up, so I can imagine both losing on their way out. I'd like to see Corbin with the belt but I'm guessing they give it to Joe and he holds it for a few months to steady the ship following the post-Mania call-ups.

Something like:

Joe v Balor
Zayn v Nakamura
Corbin v Aries
AA v Enzo and Big Cass v Dash and Dawson
Asuka v Bayley

That would be a fantastic card. Then on the hour that they probably tape for the next week, Nia Jax and Eva Marie maybe face Emma and Brooke. That isn't too much of a stretch for it to work. Or even a fatal-4-way. Then Crews v Riley and a match with Sampson or something.

No matter what they do, given the talent, NXT is guaranteed to put on a great show and I'm looking forward to it. Furthermore, this could be the final show for a few of the people that have really shaped NXT (Bayely, Zayn, Balor) so it will have a special feel.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I think the card will be kept along the same lines as we've normally seen, which will be 5 or 6 matches.

I think the final card will look something like this:

1. NXT Championship: Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe/Sami Zayn - They could always go with a multi man title match here, but NXT doesn't like to use them all that often. Considering Zayn's popularity, however, I could see them going that route. As of right now, I think the better story would be to go with Balor vs. Joe; I think there'd be too much of the "friendly competition" between Balor and Zayn if Zayn was in the match and that could detract from the overall story. Besides, Zayn has done all he can in NXT so if they're gonna move him to the main roster, I think they'll be getting to it.

2. NXT Tag Team Championship: Dash & Dawson vs. American Alpha - I've enjoyed Dash & Dawson as a team, they just strike me as a couple of old school guys who know how to take opponents apart in the tradition of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. American Alphas, AKA Gable & Jordan, are a couple of young, fresh faced guys who just have a ton of momentum and positive buzz right now. I could see them putting Enzo and Big Cass in this match as well but, at the same time, I think AA could use the exposure more. Enzo & Big Cass are already extremely popular with NXT fans and viewers with or without titles, but they've been around for a little while and I just have a guess they'll go with the fresher team.

3. NXT Women's Championship: Bayley vs. Asuka vs. Nia Jax - If they're looking for a way to get the title off Bayley without having to worry about someone coming even remotely looking "weak" then a triple threat match could be the way to go. Nia Jax isn't ready for the title, so she could be put into this match for the primary purposes of looking like the big, bad monster and to ultimately be the one that's pinned or made to tap. They could also simply so with Bayley vs. Asuka as I'd say it's the match fans want to see most; WWE could save that match for another, however, there's not going to be an more opportune time than WrestleMania weekend so Bayley vs. Asuka one on one isn't at all far fetched.

4. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe/Sami Zayn - Various reports have suggested that Nakamura could make his NXT debut at the Dallas event, so it make sense to put him against a high profile opponent. I'm of the opinion the NXT Championship bout will be one on one, so I think either Joe or Zayn, whichever won ultimately doesn't come out #1 contender, could be an ideal guy to put up against Nakamura for his debut. I mean, both guys are well known and very well over with fans, so having someone that fans are already so heavily invested in be Nakamura's opponent could be an ideal scenario.

5. Apollo Crews vs. Baron Corbin - I don't know why, but I just see this bout coming about in order to give Crews an even set with Corbin. To be honest, I thought Crews was going to win at the last Takeover event, so I was surprised to see Corbin not only go over, but go over clean. It was still an entertaining bout and I could see them going this route again as a means of Crews gaining a bit of revenge.