Every Asuka NXT TakeOver Match - Ranked From Worst To Best

7. Vs Dana Brooke (Respect, October 7th 2015)

asuka bayley
WWE.com

TakeOver: Respect was partially named in honour of the main event, an historic show-closing Iron Man match between Bayley and Sasha Banks that marked the first time in WWE history that an in-house supercard had been irrefutably headlined by a Women's clash.

Fully deserving of the honour after their incredible Brooklyn clash two months earlier, the pair basked in the spotlight of their incredible achievements, but tucked away earlier on the card, a fearsome new challenger was fighting to gain her own respect.

Wrestling in front of the WWE/NXT crowd for the first time, Asuka was a brand new proposition for fans and her opponent alike, which perhaps explained why Brooke and sidekick Emma were so confident ahead of their battle with the enigmatic new force.

Very early on, the scale of the mismatch was hugely apparent. Dana had little idea what her opponent was capable of, and quickly found herself tied up in knots when attempting to match technical skills with the 'Empress Of Tomorrow'.

Slapping Asuka in sheer frustration, Brooke drew out the first glimpse of what would come to be one of the future champion's trademarks. With a flurry of strikes, 'The Total Diva' was floored physically and mentally. The newcomer took her time from then on, but barely looked troubled before the Asuka Lock took its very first victim.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett