The Complete A-Z Of Wrestling In 2017
22. E - Ember Moon
The current NXT Women's Champion's stock skyrocketed in 2017, after transitioning from the rest of what was left to the very best of the best in a revived developmental division.
After debuting the prior summer with an intriguing persona and wicked Eclipse finisher, she'd long looked the likely replacement for Asuka, but 'The Empress Of Tomorrow's continued dominance broadened the space between the Champion and the entire division. Moon's first shot at the Championship at TakeOver: Orlando completely reframed that perception.
In failing to nail the Eclipse but exposing Asuka's fragility towards it, Ember instilled a new hope for the entire crop of fighting females on the NXT roster. The Champion had resorted to pushing the referee into the ropes just to derail Moon's last attempt at hitting her deadly decider, and was for the first time, fallible.
She'd kick out of it during their TakeOver: Brooklyn 3 rematch, but that wasn't the headline. The match itself stole an exceptional show, with Ember's epic efforts rewarded with victory in November's TakeOver: WarGames clash for the then-vacant strap. Always considered a successor, 'The War Goddess' is now also a profound success.