NxT TakeOver Dallas

[Coco]

Are we coming around to my praise for Joe vs Sami or not?

Having only skimmed the last page, I hope the answer is yes.

Anyway, Dawson and {partner} should have won.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

What Sam and I are saying is that the match was good, but the only reason the crowd were wild is because they knew which spots were coming. They were proactive not reactive. Unlike, say, the way they were during three title matches.

The match gave that crowd, familiar with Nakamura, exactly what they wanted. If the point of a wrestling promotion is to preach to the choir, job done. That's to be admired, and it's why ROH is ultimately going to outlast TNA, but I expect more from a brand that has made me give a shit about women's and tag wrestling, for example. Make me, a non puro fan, care about Nakamura whilst also keeping the crowd happy. Asuka has managed to do exactly that working with much inferior workers to Sami Zayn.

Did she in her debut though?

For the circumstances, there was no other way to do this match, and given how over it was, you would be way over thinking it to even try.

 

[Tastycles]

On a more positive note, how good was that tag match? I can't imagine it was over ten minutes - if it was, it breezed by - but it was phenomenal. It makes me sound like the pinnacle of a wrestling nerd, which would be accurate, but it's a pleasure to watch Dash and Dawson actually do heel shit.

Really good. Things like creeping under the ring to stop the hot tag were nice touches. Very, very good match by any standard but in the realm of WWE tag matches I can't remember seeing one that good for a long time.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Man what a show. That was the most fun I have ever had at a wrestling event! Sunday has a very tough act to follow!


Top reactions (Negative):

The ref from Balor VS Joe
Roman Reigns during the video package
Samson


Top reactions (Positive):

Nakamura
Sami
American Alpha

 

[Mighty NorCal]

On a more positive note, how good was that tag match? I can't imagine it was over ten minutes - if it was, it breezed by - but it was phenomenal. It makes me sound like the pinnacle of a wrestling nerd, which would be accurate, but it's a pleasure to watch Dash and Dawson actually do heel shit.

IS it ever. It makes them delightful to watch.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Really good. Things like creeping under the ring to stop the hot tag were nice touches. Very, very good match by any standard but in the realm of WWE tag matches I can't remember seeing one that good for a long time.

Besides like three weeks ago, yea. Rhodes Brothers Vs Shield and New Day Vs Cesaro and Kidd are the only others from about the last decade that I can recall

 

[Uncle Sam]

I was wondering for a minute who "Samson" was.

Anyway, Dawson and {partner} should have won.

If you want to throw hands, say something about my mum - there's no need to say something this undignified.

For the circumstances, there was no other way to do this match, and given how over it was, you would be way over thinking it to even try.

I might differ with Tasty in that I actually agree with this - they were hamstrung by expectations. I think, and certainly hope, that Nakamura's best work is yet to come.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Sooooooooooooooooo

Enzo and Cass on Monday right?

Not sure what is worse.....the fact they were NOWERE near this or the fact it took me til now to realize it

 

[Harthan]

I'll try to stop harping on about this - because God knows I'd like to discuss other things and discussing one thing with four people at once is exhausting - but my problem wasn't so much the lack of consistent logic, though there is that, but the lack of storytelling. With Joe, it was, "Oh, Sami shouldn't fuck with Joe. I hope he fights back." You know what Joe's about, you know what Sami's about. With Nakamura, it was "Oh, Sami's getting a lot of success trading forearms with this bloke." It's like, if you want to sell this guy look like death on legs, why is Sami Zayn of all people on equal terms with him in his specialty? Forget the Joe match - it doesn't make sense in a vacuum. Sami lost the match when he started doing high-flying maneuvers and his trademark slams - a casual observer might think he'd have better luck if he'd just carried on punching.

I don't mean to sound rude, but I don't know how else to put this, I think you're inventing story beats in a match that was just two blokes leathering each other (which is fine, which is fun to watch, just not a classic match).

I won't harp on it any longer, but all I will say about the last point is maybe that's something I've inherited from being a long time puro fan, considering you've got to fill in a lot of blanks unless you understand Japanese commentary (and I don't). Maybe that's part of the larger of what you're saying that it appeals to puro fans. But I don't know any other way to look at it than with the story it told to me as it played out, and that's what I came away with.

I feel like this is an inevitable problem in trying to argue for a match or a wrestler or something. There's no objectivity. Ah well.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Sooooooooooooooooo

Enzo and Cass on Monday right?

Not sure what is worse.....the fact they were NOWERE near this or the fact it took me til now to realize it

They have to at this point, right?

Reports were saying that Joe is likely to be heading to the main roster soon if he didn't win tonight. Not so sure about that now after the finish tonight.

 

[Tastycles]

Did she in her debut though?

For the circumstances, there was no other way to do this match, and given how over it was, you would be way over thinking it to even try.

She did the moment she walked into the arena, probably because she wasn't dancing like Boy George out of time to her entrance music.

I know what you're saying, and I'm glad that they were able to get one new fan in Nate today, and please the crowd but people saying its match of the year are just dead wrong. For me it was the 4th best of the evening. The objective truth is somewhere in between, I'm sure.

 

[Coco]

If you want to throw hands, say something about my mum - there's no need to say something this undignified.

I eventually talked myself down from craziness as the title change was coming and why not during Mania weekend?

Still, Dawson cracks me up and I want more for him. As was the case with Blake and Murphey, this act isn't going far. Definitely doesn't have main roster staying power. After the (hopefully 2/3 falls) rematch, where do my boys go?

That's my heartbreak tonight.

Disclaimer: I don't like Blake and Murphey.

 

[Tastycles]

So who's sad we didn't get to see the drifter?

 

[Uncle Sam]

Not sure what is worse.....the fact they were NOWERE near this or the fact it took me til now to realize it

Not on the pre-show? I mean, they are the guys that you send out to get the crowd hot.

I need to rewatch this show. I need to sleep. A conundrum.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

She did the moment she walked into the arena, probably because she wasn't dancing like Boy George out of time to her entrance music.

I know what you're saying, and I'm glad that they were able to get one new fan in Nate today, and please the crowd but people saying its match of the year are just dead wrong. For me it was the 4th best of the evening. The objective truth is somewhere in between, I'm sure.

They got way more than one new fan. I know a ton of people who saw him for the first time tonight and think he is Japanese HULK HOGAN now.

It's not MOTY but still awesome. I have a good comparison in mind but I don't think anyone would know what the fuck I was talking about.

 

[Coco]

Lost in all this: We now have multiple cases which prove that Corbin's Full Sail entrance can be vastly improved upon.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

So who's sad we didn't get to see the drifter?

*one single solitary hand raises*

 

[Tastycles]

I like the character, not sure about the guy himself.

 

[Dagger Dias]

So who's sad we didn't get to see the drifter?

The live crowd hated him lol

 

[Uncle Sam]

Before I go to make toast, I'll give myself a belated pat on the back for recognising the Piper/Hart finish. But I have become the world's biggest Bret Hart fanboy in the last twelve months. I guess you could say I'm a Hitman-aholic.

 

[Tastycles]

Before I go to make toast, I'll give myself a belated pat on the back for recognising the Piper/Hart finish. But I have become the world's biggest Bret Hart fanboy in the last twelve months. I guess you could say I'm a Hitman-aholic.

Most underrated mic worker in history. (And not bad in the ring)

 

[Coco]

Hitman-Piper is a good match. I'll also take my gold star. Can I have bonus points for calling it the Austin-Hitman Survivor Series finish?

Please, nerds?

 

[Uncle Sam]

Hitman-Piper is a good match. I'll also take my gold star. Can I have bonus points for calling it the Austin-Hitman Survivor Series finish?

Please, nerds?

You get more points the further back something happened. You know this.

 

[Coco]

You get more points the further back something happened. You know this.

You're not Echelon!

 

[Nate DaMac]

I was feeling Corbin more than Aries when their match ended.

Now I really want to see Corbin vs. Nakamura.