NXT TakeOver: The End (2016): One Era Closes While NXT's Next Wave Takes Over

Almas' TakeOver debut is designed as a showcase, and the five-minute runtime makes that purpose obvious. Dillinger's popularity gives the new arrival an engaged opponent, while Almas uses springboards, quick counters, and the running double knees to establish a more athletic style than the audience has seen from him in NXT television appearances. The crowd does not immediately embrace the presentation, which creates an unusual dynamic where Dillinger receives the warmer reaction despite being positioned to lose. That tension keeps the match from feeling like a routine squash. Almas wins cleanly and looks physically impressive, but the character connection is incomplete. In retrospect, the bout is more useful as a starting point than as a destination, because the later heel transformation will reveal how much better the performer can fit NXT.

American Alpha and The Revival improve on their Dallas match by making every tag and cutoff feel increasingly urgent. Gable's speed creates early openings, Jordan supplies the explosive power, and Dawson and Wilder repeatedly survive by controlling positioning rather than simply absorbing offense. The champions appear ready to retain after several frantic saves, but the Revival keep finding ways to isolate one opponent and prevent the clean hot tag. The finishing stretch is full of believable near falls without becoming chaotic for its own sake. A final Shatter Machine on Jordan gives Dawson and Wilder the titles back in a genuine surprise. The post-match Authors of Pain attack adds another layer without diminishing the wrestling. It is excellent tag-team structure and the clear match of the night.

Nakamura and Aries take time establishing control before turning the second half into the kind of physical exchange their reputations promise. Aries attacks the leg and uses the Last Chancery to force Nakamura into defensive positions, while Nakamura gradually answers with knees, kicks, and increasingly abrupt bursts of offense. The apron Death Valley Driver gives Aries his strongest moment and briefly makes the upset feel possible. His decision to attempt a suicide dive becomes the opening Nakamura needs, as Aries crashes into the guardrail and loses control of the match. Nakamura follows with the middle-rope Kinshasa setup, an inverted powerslam, and the final Kinshasa for the clean win. It is not the instant classic some expected, but it is a strong, patient match that keeps Nakamura's momentum intact.

Asuka and Jax build the match around a simple question: can the champion's striking overcome a challenger who can absorb almost anything? Jax controls long portions with size and power, forcing Asuka to work from underneath more than usual and giving the champion's comeback a different rhythm. Asuka repeatedly attacks the legs and head, but Jax survives enough offense to make the size difference matter. The closing sequence finally accelerates when Asuka abandons extended grappling and lands a series of increasingly hard kicks. Jax stays upright through several shots before the final roundhouse ends the match cleanly. The structure is logical and both women emerge protected, yet nine minutes is not enough to turn the size-versus-speed concept into a truly dramatic championship fight. It is solid rather than memorable.

Joe and Bálor finally receive a stipulation designed to keep their rivalry contained, and the cage gives the match immediate visual importance. Bálor uses speed and repeated escape attempts to force Joe into more urgent offense, while the champion relies on strikes, the Coquina Clutch, and the Muscle Buster to control the center of the ring. The near falls are strong, particularly after Bálor lands the Coup de Grâce and Joe survives. The finish gives the rivalry a decisive ending: Bálor tries to escape after slipping the Clutch, but Joe catches him and delivers a super Muscle Buster from the ropes for the pin. The result is right and the final move is memorable. The match never becomes as violent or claustrophobic as the best cage fights, which keeps it below the top tier.