Every Asuka NXT TakeOver Match - Ranked From Worst To Best

5. Vs Mickie James (Toronto, November 19th 2016)

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WWE.com

A battle of future vs past, Asuka was taken to the limit by a WWE-labelled legend as Mickie James returned to the fold for an NXT Women's Title superfight as TakeOver went north in 2016.

Taking place in Toronto ahead of the following evening's Survivor Series, the whispers were that hometown hero and female league icon Trish Stratus was pencilled in for the about before she announced her real-life pregnancy, but James proved to be far more than just a stand-in as she entered in a polished return display that booked her a place back on the main roster in early 2017.

'Nobody is ready for Asuka' had become a catchphrase and self-fulfilling prophecy within the developmental brand, but in Mickie, the champion was again forced to find another new way to win.

Picking apart the sentimental favourite in an attritional battle, Asuka underestimated the former Women's and Divas Champion early on, but took over as they battled to floor after converting an ankle lock into a german suplex on the concrete.

Willing to take the count-out victory, Asuka tacitly showed concern at the ability of the challenger, and took the contest far more seriously as Mickie rolled back in. The back-and-forth war from there came to a head when the champion tightly locked in the Asuka Lock following a James DDT attempt, surviving numerous efforts to counter to earn one of her biggest scalps to date.

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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