8 Ups & 0 Downs From NXT TakeOver 36

7. Power Makes The Difference

Raquel Gonzalez Dakota Kai
WWE.com

NXT's women were in a fairly tough spot. They were following a hot babyface win, and WWE never pretended that they were one of the biggest bouts on the card going in. Even so, Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez have enough history together that the fans were still invested. That counts for a heck of a lot on this brand.

They told a good story.

Kai targeted Raquel's limbs to try and eliminate her power advantage, then sped in for a kill strike that'd ultimately cost her in the end. Seeing Gonzalez strong-arm Dakota up from her lofty position on the top turnbuckle was cool - kudos to Beth Phoenix for calling that finish with fire and energy too.

Phoenix must be so proud when she sees matches like this. She was a trailblazer for women's wrestling, and workers like Gonzalez, Kai and others have built on her foundations. Also, Raquel's next foe has been confirmed, and she's a doozy...

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.