10 Best Ever UK WWE Matches
6. Asuka Vs Emma - NXT TakeOver: London (December 2015)
Many performers have argued that if you can't go on last, go first. The show-opening slot served Asuka and Emma well as they assembled a blistering contest that outperformed nearly everything on a magnificent TakeOver: London card during NXT's hottest ever period.
It had been a challenging 18 months for Emma, with a brutally executed main roster debut sapping the superlative skills she'd honed as a likeable dolt in developmental. She was reduced to a bit-part role within a main roster Divas division still working out the kinks of what the company would later refer to as a 'Revolution'. Meanwhile, Asuka's arrival in NXT (and effectively, WWE), symbolised an enormous philosophical change in the company's attitude towards female performers.
Hired because it was a virtual guarantee she would have excellent matches, the former Kana fit no aesthetic mould the company had previously forced most women (Emma included) into over the prior decade and a half, and was booked simply to bulldoze through all competition on her way to an eventual superfight with Bayley.
Unlike her comrade Dana Brooke, Emma was unwilling to represent a mere speedbump in Asuka's road to the NXT Women's Title. The two had an ultra-competitive 15 minute battle, with the undefeated 'Empress of Tomorrow' coming perilously close to surrendering her perfect record en route to a dramatic victory over the game Australian.
Utilising Brooke when needed, heel Emma's shortcuts lead to some breathtaking nearfalls before Askua rattled her with a sick-looking knockout kick for the victory.