We’re less than a week away from the biggest night in the NXT Divas division so far, but the surprises are still coming for NXT TakeOver: RESPECT.
Apparently, Bayley and Sasha Banks‘s history-making main event Iron Man NXT Women’s Title match isn’t enough, because we now have another Divas match on the card. Which will it be? Read on…
We kicked off this week’s show with Carmella, who managed Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady in their Dusty Rhodes Classic second round match against Finn Balor and Samoa Joe:
Balor and Joe win the match, eliminating Enzo and Cass from the tournament. Sorry, Carmella!
Later, we saw a very cool promo giving us a closer look at NXT’s newest Diva, Asuka:
I love that the WWE included some of her Japanese work, since I’m more familiar with her SHIMMER stuff. It’s still so cool to see the WWE hype a female signing in this way.
Later, we joined Dana Brooke and Emma backstage, where they were invited to join NXT GM William Regal for a special announcement:
Regal recalls the many times Dana’s demanded to be taken seriously. With that in mind, he books her in a match for TakeOver against Asuka. Dana doesn’t look too fazed by this, as she still believes that Asuka ran from them last week. She says Asuka’s menacing smile made her look like a hyena.
Regal then pulls up a particularly brutal Asuka match on his computer and shows it to Dana and Emma, who slowly realize who they’re messing with. Emma tells Dana, “Good luck with that,” and departs.
Shortly after this, it’s time for Dana and Emma to recompose themselves for in-ring action. They’re taking on Billie Kay and Peyton Royce.
Billie and Peyton are already in the ring, waiting as Dana and Emma get individual entrances (yay!). Dana and Peyton start things off, Peyton immediately taking Dana down for a pin attempt. Dana kicks out and springs up, swinging and missing as Peyton leaps up, pulling Dana into a crucifix pin. Dana again kicks out.
Peyton goes for a third pin attempt, getting the same result. She then scoops Dana up for a slam, but Dana slips free, running Peyton into the ropes. Peyton takes that moment to tag in Billie. The two hit kicks on Dana, Billie going for a follow-up pin. Dana kicks out and rolls over to her side of the ring, grabbing the bottom rope and holding it for dear life.
Dana fends off Billie and tags in Emma, who doesn’t have much better luck than Dana. Her first attack is ducked by Billie, who hits her with a headscissors takedown. Billie hits a delayed vertical suplex and goes for another pin, Emma kicking out easily.
Billie pulls Emma to her feet, but her whip into the ropes is reversed. Billie catches herself on the ropes, though, and decks Dana on the apron. This distraction costs her, Emma grabbing her by the hair and slamming her to the mat. She pummels Billie a bit before taking her to her corner, slamming her face-first into the turnbuckle. She tags in Dana.
Dana stomps Billie a bit and tags in Emma, who does the same. Emma quickly tags Dana back in, and the two slam Billie to the mat. Dana covers her for two unsuccessful pin attempts before locking her in a bodyscissors hold. Billie struggles until she rolls Dana onto her back for a pin attempt. Dana kicks out and releases the hold, maintaining control and tagging in Emma. She holds up Billie for Emma’s kick.
Emma takes Billie to the middle rope, where she goes for a blatant choke. She then covers Billie for the pin, but only earns a near fall. She toys with Billie a bit, thwarting her attempt to tag in Peyton. She follows Dana’s lead, locking in a bodyscissors on Billie. This time, Billie manages to fight out of it, decking Emma in the face.
Billie doesn’t get far, though, Emma catching hold of her and hitting a vicious forearm to the face. She goes for the pin, but Billie kicks out. Billie manages to fend off both Emma and Dana with elbows and kicks, making it to her corner to tag in Peyton as Emma tags in Dana.
Both Divas come charging, Dana missing a blow and Peyton landing two subsequent spinning heel kicks and a dropkick. Dana backs into the corner and Peyton follows, hitting another spinning heel kick and a kick to the back through the ropes. She hops up to the second rope but misses her flying attack. Dana takes advantage of this, covering Peyton for the pin. Peyton kicks out.
Dana drags Peyton towards the middle of the ring and tries again, Peyton again kicking out. Dana pulls Peyton to her feet, but is knocked down with a sudden dropkick. Peyton covers her for the pin, but Emma breaks it up. Billie enters the ring to dispose of Emma, but Emma turns the tables and sends her flying out of the ring. Peyton does the same to Emma, dumping her through the ropes.
Dana runs Peyton up into the ropes, Emma appearing in time to sweep her legs out from under her. Dana is quick to set up her finisher, slamming Peyton to the mat and covering her for the three-count.
Lastly, it’s time for the final hype for Bayley and Sasha Banks’s Iron Man match! NXT aired a spectacular video package highlighting their match at TakeOver: Brooklyn, the TakeOver: RESPECT announcement and the preparations both are making for the challenge of a lifetime:
I don’t know what else to say about this match. Everything about it – its hype, its mere existence – is raising the bar for women in NXT. I can only hope that some day this full-hearted interest in making women integral to the show will “trickle up” to the main roster.
Thoughts: The announcement of Asuka and Dana’s match at TakeOver definitely caught me by surprise. Though I’d love to see Asuka square off with a more experienced opponent, I understand the rush to have Asuka make her debut on a big stage, and it further Dana’s push, even when she inevitably loses. I’m wondering how much offense Dana will get in, given how dominant they’ll want Asuka to look. Dana plays a good cowardly heel, though, so I think both sides will benefit from an ass kicking.
As for this week’s tag match, it was interesting to see Dana and Emma be dominated by Billie and Peyton, since those two haven’t exactly been pushed. I’ve complained before about the “blank slate” characters Billie and Peyton have been given, and though they haven’t broken out of that yet, it’s nice to see them display their abilities. It made for an interesting match, too, and gave Dana and Emma a chance to show how resourceful they can be when they’re desperate to get a win.
Needless to say, I’m very excited for TakeOver next week. Two Divas matches – one the debut of a huge WWE signee and another that’s historic in about 20 different ways – give us plenty to be hyped about. The future of the Divas, in NXT and the main roster, may be shaped next Wednesday night. It’s hard to see how things couldn’t go amazingly. The main question in my mind is if those booking the so-called Divas Revolution will be taking notes. Someone make sure they’ve got plenty of pens, please!
