Setting the Bar High: Ranking Every Match from the NXT TakeOvers before WrestleMania

#7 Asuka vs. Bayley (NXT TakeOver: Dallas)

Bayley tries the same approach that felled the last unstoppable newcomer in her path

Asuka had debuted for NXT the previous fall at its first overseas TakeOver event, and had been on a path of destruction ever since (one which was only temporarily paused due to injury but which has yet to truly stop).

The match tells a story similar to Rocky III, where the plucky underdog who has risen to the ranks of champion squares off against an unorthodox challenger with a take-no-prisoners approach to the sport.

With Bayley superfan Izzy watching through a veil of tears from her ringside seat, Bayley (the character, in a choice expertly played by the performer) struggled to overcome her opponent's power and hard-hitting approach; the champ tried hard to keep up with and return her opponent's forceful offense, but tried too hard to hang on in the end.

It's an image the NXT Universe would have more than enough time to get used to

Trapped in a deadly submission, Bayley refused to quit, and tried to show that she could hang with the Empress of Tomorrow; in the end, the referee thought better of Bayley's choices and called the match, giving Asuka her first WWE gold via technical submission.