WWE NXT: Ranking the Top 10 Women’s Title Matches of All-Time

5. Asuka vs. Ember Moon (NXT TakeOver: Orlando)

Right from the start of her NXT career, Ember Moon felt like a potential Asuka conqueror and at TakeOver: Orlando, that’d almost come to fruition. Though the pre-match build fell somewhat flat, there were few doubts about this pair’s ability to shine in-ring and that confidence was supported here by a brilliantly worked title match. It wasn’t a particularly long match but that allowed the action to come thicker and faster as both women traded slick and explosive offence for near-falls.

The eventual finish was a perfect one too, as Moon seemed set to end the streak before Asuka took a shortcut, launching the referee into Ember just as she looked to hit The Eclipse. She then latched onto the opportunity, retaining her title with a swift head kick. The work here was sublime and from a physicality standpoint, this may be the finest match on this whole list. The story told was neat too as Asuka had finally met an opponent capable of beating her and rightly or wrongly, did what she had to do in order to maintain her grip on the title.

My only gripes with this match really come with what happened both before and after. Though she was eight months into her NXT run, Moon had yet to really connect and seemingly struggled to find a direction whilst she was waiting for this inevitable title match. Don’t get me wrong, this crowd liked her but they didn’t have the same kind of emotional investment that the matches above this did and that hinders it slightly by comparison. I also feel that the storytelling done here was slightly wasted by what followed as Asuka’s overness stopped them from ever fully committing to a heel turn

Nonetheless, the actual work was exceptional and so great in fact that this match demands a spot on the list. Genuinely excellent stuff from both women.