7. Finn Balor & Hideo Itami vs. The Ascension - NXT Takeover: R Evolution
From the moment Hideo Itami debuted in NXT, The Ascension made his life a living hell. Whether they were attacking the Japanese star and his mentor, Funaki, or interrupting his address of the NXT Universe, they constantly tormented the international competitor. That is, until Itami found backup in the form of Finn Balor, himself a major star across the globe. The Irish-born star made an immediate impact, joining forces with Itami to leave Konnor and Viktor lying, sofmething that had never been done before. When a match between the two teams was booked for Takeover: R Evolution, fans expected a hard-hitting affair between the brutish for tag champions and the vicious strikers. It did not disappoint. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr5YcdNPmdo Balor made an epic entrance, complete with the face paint that earned him recognition during his time in Japan. From there, he watched as partner Itami was worked over by the most dominant team in NXT. But he never gave up hope in his partner and eventually exploded into action off of a hot tag. The face-painted Superstar tore through Konnor and Viktor and, eventually, both he and Itami landed double stomps to end the match and pick up a huge tag team victory.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
