Dan The Wrestling Fan.

#126: The Revival vs. American Alpha, NXT TakeOver: Dallas (4/1/2016).

Hello, readers!

This week, I'm going to self indulge and showcase WrestleMania 32 weekend - a weekend I was fortunate enough to be a small part of! Through sheer will, a lot of funds, and a girlfriend at the time who lied about the ticket prices to make me feel bad for going, I was able to attend WrestleMania 32 in Dallas, Texas at AT&T Stadium.

It was one of the worst WrestleMania events I've ever seen, but hey, I was there, and it was a fucking blast!

That weekend didn't just feature a shitty WrestleMania - it also featured one of the best top to bottom NXT shows of all time in NXT TakeOver: Dallas. I didn't attend that show, and I will forever be sad about that. But, I was in the same state as it, so that sort of counts!

Up first is the opening match of that event, for the NXT Tag Team Championships, as The Revival - also known more recently as FTR - defended against American Alpha - current great heel Chad Gable, and future long lost son of Kurt Angle Jason Jordan. This was their first meeting together, and the anticipation for it was through the roof.

The Revival got the usual heel reaction from the fans, but American Alpha got an almost nuclear reaction. They were super over here, and I'm sad they got broken up as quickly as they did a year from this.

Gable and Dawson start things out. They lock up, and Dawson gets Gable in the corner. They trash talk, and Dawson slaps Gable a few times. Another lock up, and Gable pops off a head scissors and a side headlock takedown. Quick 2 count by Gable, and Dawson isn't happy.

Gable with some light slaps, and now both teams are in the Ring, trash talking. Dawson hammerlocks the arm of Gable, and follows with a snap mare. Big shoulder tackle by Dawson, and a hip toss.

Nice arm drags by Gable, and Jordan tags in with a nice dropkick. Dawson rakes the eyes, then tags Wilder in. Jordan attacks both men, and Gable comes in to help him. Double back body drops by American Alpha.

Gable tags in, and he drops his weight on Wilder's arm. He stretches it around the side. Dawson tags in, and he sends Gable head first into the turnbuckle. He places Gable on the top rope, and Gable elbows him down. Gable with a roll up and Dawson kicks out. Gable hits a crossbody for another 2 count.

Arm drags and a dropkick to Dawson, and Wilder comes in to double Suplex Gable, but he escapes and American Alpha with a double dropkick and double German Suplex to The Revival.

Both teams exchange fisticuffs on the floor, and Gable brings Dawson back inside. Wilder sneaks a Tag in, and Gable knocks him down. Gable chases Dawson on the floor, and Wilder explodes with a lariat.

Back in the Ring, Wilder with hard forearms to the back, and Dawson tags back in. Another tag to Wilder, and The Revival double team Gable in the corner. Nice Cobra Clutch to Gable, as Wilder looks to slow things down.

Dawson tags in, and he hits a low dropkick to Gable's face for a 2 count. Dawson with the Gory Special next. Gable escapes and hits a Double DDT to Dawson and Wilder, and then finally makes it to his corner - only for Wilder to pull Jordan off the apron.

The Revival with some kind of Double stomp Doomsday Device to Gable that doesn't connect fully. Nice "you fucked up" chant from this WrestleMania weekend crowd. "Botchamania" chant next. Nice.

Gable avoids a turnbuckle attack from Wilder. Dawson tags in and keeps Gable from tagging out. Gable crawls through his legs and finally tags Jordan in. Dropkicks to both Revival members, and a T Bone Suplex to Dawson.

Turnbuckle spear to Wilder, and a Suplex to Dawson for a 2 count. Jordan looks to bring Dawson off the top rope, but Wilder holds his foot. Dawson, using the ropes, gets a roll up for a close 2 count.

Roll up by Jordan, and Dawson kicks out. Uppercut by Wilder, and Dawson makes the cover. Gable breaks it up. Dropkick to Wilder, and a roll up by Jordan gets a nearfall, as Dawson stays in it.

Belly to Belly suplex by Jordan. He misses a spear. Gable tags in, and Dawson rolls him up for 2. Another roll up gets 2, and one for Gable as well. Small package by Gable, and Dawson kicks out.

More nearfalls from Dawson and Gable. Jordan tags in, and Dawson didn't see it! Turnbuckle spear by Jordan! American Alpha hit Grand Amplitude on Dawson to win the match and take the NXT Tag Team Titles!

This was a super hot opening match with great back and forth action between two great teams. It was obvious this early on that The Revival were a great team, and to see what they've done in the years since, it's kind of crazy to come back to matches like this when they were so young. I see a match like this, and I am reminded that American Alpha could've been at the same level as a modern day FTR had Vince McMahon not broken them up.

This was full of great tag team work from both teams. Lots of awesome sequences, great heel work from Dawson and Wilder, and really underrated babyface fire from Jordan and Gable. With Jordan's retirement around 2018 due to a neck injury, we sadly won't see these two teams go at it in the future. But I'm just glad that they had the series of matches that they did. That's better than nothing at all.