9 Ups And 3 Downs From NXT TakeOver: Dallas

By Scott Carlson /

1. A €˜Methodical€™ Debut

Look, not every debut match can set the world on fire, and not every bout at TakeOver can be a high-octane, 100 mph affair. But for those who were expecting to see Austin Aries wow the crowd Friday night, they were likely a little disappointed. Not all of that can be laid at A-Double€™s feet. And you can€™t entirely fault his opponent, Baron Corbin. The Lone Wolf is a big guy and wrestles as such. That ensured that Aries was going to have to ramp down his offense and fight as the little man throughout the contest. That resulted in a slower match with fewer highspots, a more €œmethodical€ pace.Aries is capable of a lot more, and it€™s quite possible that NXT is holding back a little and setting up a rematch between Baron and Austin where he€™ll cut loose more. Still, after the tag team opener, it definitely was a few notches down on the excitement scale.