10 Best NXT TakeOver Matches Of 2017
8. Asuka Vs Ember Moon (Orlando)
Ahead of her first crack at the unbeaten Asuka's NXT Women's Title, Ember Moon promised to 'take the division back'. It was the type of grand statement required to somehow inject some believability into her chase. As Asuka's reign grew, so too did the unlikeliness of a challenger ever reaching a point at which they could realistically dethrone her.
Asuka had spent months showcasing the countless ways she could destroy just about anybody that came within a fingernail's scrape of her prestigious title since breezing past Bayley a year earlier, but the challenger needed only one. Her 'Eclipse' finisher (a diving corkscrew Stone Cold Stunner) was potent match-winning weapon that seemed to be the one finisher that was actually 'Ready For Asuka'.
Borrowing an artistic crutch from the maiden Kenny Omega/Kazuchika Okada encounter from January's Wrestle Kingdom 11, 'The Empress Of Tomorrow' simply found a way to stop her using it.
Driven to desperation when she couldn't push Ember to the back of the queue with submissions and strikes, the Champion peered into the dark side for the very first time in her NXT career. Pushing the referee onto the ropes as Moon scaled the corner, the challenger slipped before striking the killer blow. With both the official and her opponent rattled, Asuka almost removed the challenger's head off a kick and retained her treasured crown.