ASUKA VS. DANA BROOKE

DANA BROOKE VS. ASUKA

NXT TakeOver: Respect (7th October 2015)

The fans chant “Asuka's gonna kill you” as the bell rings. Dana Brooke declines a handshake and avoids a spinning kick attempt. They lock up and Asuka grabs the arm, trading wristlocks as the fans chant for Asuka. Asuka transitions it into a hammerlock and Dana Brooke tries to roll out of it but Asuka holds on. Another attempt to roll out fails so Dana Brooke frees herself with an elbow to the face. She sarcastically taps Asuka on the head. Asuka slaps Dana Brooke and gets one back, but she smiles as the fans tell Dana Brooke exactly what she did. Asuka fires away with a flurry of strikes but the irish whip is reversed but Dana Brooke is knocked down with a hip attack. Asuka mocks Dana Brooke as Dana gets to her feet, letting Asuka know she (Dana) will break Asuka. Asuka hits her with a forearm, Dana Brooke hits three in succession but runs into an armbar as Asuka takes her down. Dana Brooke struggles to the ropes and Asuka breaks the hold, getting to her feet and kicking Dana Brooke in the back. Dana Brooke bails to the floor wanting some advice from Emma but Asuka follows, kicking at Dana Brooke's hamstrings. Asuka rolls Dana Brooke back in the ring and waits on the apron patiently for Emma to distract her behind the referee's back so Dana Brooke can take advantage. A handstand into an elbow drop gets Dana Brooke a nearfall, so she sends Asuka into the corner and rams her in the midsection with the shoulder. Dana Brooke tells the referee she knows the rules as he backs her from the corner and chokes Asuka with her boot in the corner from a handstand. I made that sound complicated but I found it impressive. Dana Brooke applies the bodyscissors on the mat but Asuka breaks out of it, countering into a kneebar, Asuka gets to her feet, keeping Dana Brooke in a standing ankle lock and a german suplex sends Dana across the ring. Corey Graves says Asuka is enjoying every minute of this as she runs into a back elbow in the corner. Dana Brooke runs into a jumping armbar, she rolls onto her front but can't get the ropes. She tries to get to her feet but Asuka transitions to a crossface chickenwing. Asuka can't get it on, so she turns Dana Brooke around into a kick to the skull. Emma gets on the apron but eats a spinning backfist. Asuka hits some weird running move to a seated Dana Brooke but it just set her up for the Asuka lock (Crossface Chickenwing with bodyscissors) and her first NXT victory.

This match packed a lot into the time it was given. Dana Brooke only really got an advantage when Emma helped her out. Asuka looked like a strong get for the division in this match and Dana Brooke played her role better than I expected. **1/2 but personally a 5/10 match

Dana Brooke tries to confront Asuka after the match but a kick to the skull stops that. Asuka intimidates Emma on her way to the back.