By Ryan Frye
Professional wrestling is an industry built on creating moments. But a moment would be nothing but a distant memory without a camera to capture the energy, emotion, and electricity of that moment forever. Perhaps that's why they've always claimed that a picture is worth a thousand words. And that very notion is the reason for the existence of this series: Picture Perfect.
Professional wrestling is an industry built on creating moments. But a moment would be nothing but a distant memory without a camera to capture the energy, emotion, and electricity of that moment forever. Perhaps that's why they've always claimed that a picture is worth a thousand words. And that very notion is the reason for the existence of this series: Picture Perfect.
SETTING THE SCENE
For ten years, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe had forged a friendship off the back of mutual respect. They each knew that the other was truly their peer, not only as fellow professional wrestlers but as one of the best in the world.
So, when the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic was assembled, Joe was the very first man Balor approached to be his partner. Not just because Joe is a world class competitor but because he trusted him. He considered him a friend, even, in an industry where those are hard to come by.
Balor and Joe proved to be quite the formidable team, too, defeating the Lucha Dragons and Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady to reach the NXT Takeover: Respect event where they additionally defeated Dash & Dawson and Rhyno & Baron Corbin to hoist the trophy honoring the recently passed American Dream.
Following their victory, Samoa Joe would ask Balor for an opportunity at his NXT Championship. Before he could accept, however, General Manager William Regal stepped in to announce a battle royal to crown the new number one contender. A battle royal in which Apollo Crews emerged the victor.
Unfortunately for Crews, his championship match would be interrupted by Baron Corbin and ruled a no contest. Samoa Joe would run down—seemingly to make the save from a man he had a history with. However, once the ring was cleared, Joe savagely assaulted Balor.
Joe didn't attempt to defend his actions. He stated that a competitor of his caliber was entitled to a NXT Championship match as soon as he stepped foot inside the Full Sail Arena. And once that didn't happen, he felt disrespected. He felt no other choice but to take his opportunity himself.
For Finn Balor, he now wasn't just motivated his retain his championship. At NXT Takeover: London, he was motivated by betrayal.
So, when the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic was assembled, Joe was the very first man Balor approached to be his partner. Not just because Joe is a world class competitor but because he trusted him. He considered him a friend, even, in an industry where those are hard to come by.
Balor and Joe proved to be quite the formidable team, too, defeating the Lucha Dragons and Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady to reach the NXT Takeover: Respect event where they additionally defeated Dash & Dawson and Rhyno & Baron Corbin to hoist the trophy honoring the recently passed American Dream.
Following their victory, Samoa Joe would ask Balor for an opportunity at his NXT Championship. Before he could accept, however, General Manager William Regal stepped in to announce a battle royal to crown the new number one contender. A battle royal in which Apollo Crews emerged the victor.
Unfortunately for Crews, his championship match would be interrupted by Baron Corbin and ruled a no contest. Samoa Joe would run down—seemingly to make the save from a man he had a history with. However, once the ring was cleared, Joe savagely assaulted Balor.
Joe didn't attempt to defend his actions. He stated that a competitor of his caliber was entitled to a NXT Championship match as soon as he stepped foot inside the Full Sail Arena. And once that didn't happen, he felt disrespected. He felt no other choice but to take his opportunity himself.
For Finn Balor, he now wasn't just motivated his retain his championship. At NXT Takeover: London, he was motivated by betrayal.
PAINTING THE PICTURE
Samoa Joe waits for no one, he said as much. And quite frankly, as a world traveled sixteen year veteran that's as decorated as they come, he doesn't need to. What he wants, he gets.
Thus, naturally, he entered first for the main event of NXT Takeover: London. He entered an angry, laser-focused 280 pound Samoan beast. He was miserable; he was absolutely obsessed with becoming the NXT Champion. Anything short of that would be an unmitigated failure.
Thus, naturally, he entered first for the main event of NXT Takeover: London. He entered an angry, laser-focused 280 pound Samoan beast. He was miserable; he was absolutely obsessed with becoming the NXT Champion. Anything short of that would be an unmitigated failure.
Next came the champion, Finn Balor. Just as decorated a champion as Joe, by the way. A former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, a two-time Best of the Super Juniors tournament winner. Oh, and the architect of the Bullet Club, of course.
Not only was Balor disguised as The Demon but also as Jack The Ripper—the most notorious serial killer in the history of London.
Perhaps this symbolized the state of mind that Balor had channeled for this match. He wasn't going to actually kill Joe, of course, but this may have been an attempt to match the sheer rage that his challenger entered this match with.
Not only was Balor disguised as The Demon but also as Jack The Ripper—the most notorious serial killer in the history of London.
Perhaps this symbolized the state of mind that Balor had channeled for this match. He wasn't going to actually kill Joe, of course, but this may have been an attempt to match the sheer rage that his challenger entered this match with.
Following the in-ring introductions, champion and challenger stood face-to-face, intensely glaring into each other's eyes as the 10,079 fans packed inside the SSE Arena chanted "This is awesome!"
The good moments they had shared together throughout a decade gone by were now distant memories. Joe had betrayed that friendship for this very moment, when the bell sounded and he finally had the chance to become NXT Champion. No more waiting, no more biding his time, now was his time.
The two felt each other out momentarily, with Balor avoiding a few swings and kicks from Joe, before they engaged in a light lockup. Joe would swiftly sweep Balor off his feet, and Balor just as swiftly jumped back up.
The opponents circled before a deeper lockup, one that the larger Joe unsurprisingly dominated. He backed the defending champion against the ropes and, instead of allowing a rope break, opted to toss Balor to the canvas.
Dueling chants would begin as the two continued this feeling out process. Balor seemed hesitant to engage in a full elbow-and-collar tie up for obvious reasons instead choosing to kick Joe in his chest. Joe would fall back to the ropes, and Balor would pummel him with some right hands until Joe was given a rope break.
Balor would back off, and Joe rushed, rebounding off the ropes on the opposite end of the ring and into a dropkick. Joe would scurry to the floor, recalculating his plan of attack. Balor would hit a baseball slide-style dropkick, however, before hitting a nasty kick to Joe on the apron.
Balor appeared to be in a trance as he tossed Samoa Joe back into the ring. Once he slid in, though, Joe rolled out on the other end. As a result, Balor took the fight to Joe on the outside with a double-fist to the back and a chop to the chest.
Balor then backed up to the barricade and nailed a delayed running dropkick to Joe, knocking the Samoan into the steel steps spine-first.
He moved the top set of steps out of the way to lay Joe on the base. He'd hit him with a series of punches, break the count, before attempting a Coup de Grâce that Joe avoided. When Balor came rushing back, Joe floored him with a side slam.
Joe now was the one breaking the count, outside and slamming Finn's head against the apron. Then, at the count of six, he tossed the champion back inside the ring. You can't win a title by count out, after all.
Balor would eat an elbow to the skull, which backed him up into the corner. Joe would capitalize with a series of right jabs to the face before finishing off with a left to the chest.
Balor would show some fire, recovering with some knife edge chops to the chest and forearms to the temple, but he'd be grounded with yet another right—this one to the jaw.
The dangerous thing about Samoa Joe is he can win a match in any way conceivable. He can brawl, he can out-wrestle you, and he can take to the air like he's cruiser weight. Both his hands and his feet are lethal weapons. It's frightening, really.
He'd scrape Balor off the canvas for knife edge chops of his own. Next, he whipped Balor into the corner and nailed him with a kick to the back of the head.
The capacity crowd chanted "Joe Is Gonna Kill You!" as the two traded forearms mid-ring. Balor would daze Joe, rebound off the ropes and get nailed with back elbow that knocked him to the mat.
Joe would take to his mat game, too, contorting the head of Balor, allowing him to get to a vertical base just so he could slam him back down and silence the crowd in an instant. An unsuccessful cover would follow.
Joe would pick Balor up to apply a headlock takedown then clobber him with roundhouses to the ribs. Two would put Balor on his back for a knee drop into a second two count.
The Demon pulled himself up in the corner, only to fall victim to more rapid fire jabs to the face. And when Joe finished with those, his patented facewashing followed.
Joe dragged Balor's seemingly unconscious body up and hit a chop to each shoulder blade. One forearm from Joe resulted in the two trading blows once more. Balor would rebound off the ropes from a forearm, run into the arms of Joe for an atomic drop and finally eat a big boot.
Joe attempted a senton on his downed opponent, but Balor rolled out of the way. Balor would then thwart more Joe offense and hit a kick to the skull off the apron. He'd get a little too ambitious, though, seeking a springboard until Joe chopped him out of mid-air.
Balor crumpled to the floor. Joe didn't want to relent, either, hitting a suicide dive onto the champion.
"This is awesome" chants again sounded throughout the SSE Arena, as Joe slung Finn Balor back into the ring. He could taste that championship glory that he had been craving so much.
Cover: 1, 2, no.
Joe hit repeated knees to Balor's face, a powerbomb into a near fall and finally locked in a Boston Crab variation in one smooth motion. And just as Balor began to escape, Joe transitioned into a crossface in the middle of the ring.
Balor crawled about half way to the ropes, then desperately tried to counter into a cover, but that didn't work. He'd outstrech his arm, but Joe bent it back towards him. The Samoan Submission Machine was going to break The Demon in half, Corey Graves claimed, before Balor was able to get a foot on the bottom rope.
Joe looked to execute a clothesline, but Balor countered into a DDT. After a double down, Balor thwarted Joe with a boot in the corner and took advantage with forearms to the faces. And chops to the chest. He'd come rebounding off the ropes to nail a clothesline as well.
Balor would send Joe across the ring multiple times, chopping him once before sending him the opposite way. Joe countered a whip, Balor flipped over him only to eat an elbow to the mouth. Joe would ascend to the second rope, but Balor saved himself with a kick to the back of the skull. With his equilibrium comprised, a dizzy Joe eased his way to the floor.
Balor seized the occasion with a suicide dive onto Joe. He'd toss him back into the ring and nail a double stomp to his back. The ensuing cover garnered a two count.
Balor applied a headlock, which Joe fought out of. Balor, though, continued his offensive flurry with some backhands and kicks, finishing off with a roundhouse to the temple.
"That's it, Joe is out on his feet!" professed Corey Graves.
Off that, Balor connected with his signature sling blade. He'd try a delayed running dropkick, but Joe blocked it and instead hit a senton to drive the air out of the defending champion, and possibly break some ribs.
Joe sat Balor on the top rope, looking to capture the NXT Championship with his Muscle Buster. Balor, though, squirmed out and into a roll-up: 1, 2, kickout!
Joe struck Balor with a right hand, Balor responded with a Pele kick.
Both men were down for a nine count. They reached their feet at nine and traded jabs, forearms, chops and uppercuts. To finish the sequence, Joe hit a rolling elbow and blocked a second Pele. He'd nearly lock in the Coquina Clutch, but Balor was able to escape.
Joe would block a Balor apron kick, opting to drag him back in the ring for another attempt at his Coquina Clutch, and this time was successful.
It was a hold that Joe had put Balor to sleep with previously, and now he attempted to do it with the highest of stakes. Balor, however, rolled through and hit a double stomp.
Off one more double down, Balor hit a second sling blade and a pair of delayed running dropkicks. An unaffected Joe roared.
Balor would duck a clothesline and hit one more dropkick, this one to Joe's back.
Now, with Joe flat on his back, Balor climbed to the top rope.
Joe would re-cooperate too quickly and thwart Balor's plans. The two exchanged offense up top, and Balor eventually would get his wish by sending Joe crashing back down to the canvas. Then, and only then, came a hard fought Coup de Grâce.
Cover: 1, 2, 3!
In the end, this match wasn't about wining for Finn Balor: it was simply about survival. It was, however, defined purely by the result for Samoa Joe. And for that reason, Joe would come back even angrier than before.
The good moments they had shared together throughout a decade gone by were now distant memories. Joe had betrayed that friendship for this very moment, when the bell sounded and he finally had the chance to become NXT Champion. No more waiting, no more biding his time, now was his time.
The two felt each other out momentarily, with Balor avoiding a few swings and kicks from Joe, before they engaged in a light lockup. Joe would swiftly sweep Balor off his feet, and Balor just as swiftly jumped back up.
The opponents circled before a deeper lockup, one that the larger Joe unsurprisingly dominated. He backed the defending champion against the ropes and, instead of allowing a rope break, opted to toss Balor to the canvas.
Dueling chants would begin as the two continued this feeling out process. Balor seemed hesitant to engage in a full elbow-and-collar tie up for obvious reasons instead choosing to kick Joe in his chest. Joe would fall back to the ropes, and Balor would pummel him with some right hands until Joe was given a rope break.
Balor would back off, and Joe rushed, rebounding off the ropes on the opposite end of the ring and into a dropkick. Joe would scurry to the floor, recalculating his plan of attack. Balor would hit a baseball slide-style dropkick, however, before hitting a nasty kick to Joe on the apron.
Balor appeared to be in a trance as he tossed Samoa Joe back into the ring. Once he slid in, though, Joe rolled out on the other end. As a result, Balor took the fight to Joe on the outside with a double-fist to the back and a chop to the chest.
Balor then backed up to the barricade and nailed a delayed running dropkick to Joe, knocking the Samoan into the steel steps spine-first.
He moved the top set of steps out of the way to lay Joe on the base. He'd hit him with a series of punches, break the count, before attempting a Coup de Grâce that Joe avoided. When Balor came rushing back, Joe floored him with a side slam.
Joe now was the one breaking the count, outside and slamming Finn's head against the apron. Then, at the count of six, he tossed the champion back inside the ring. You can't win a title by count out, after all.
Balor would eat an elbow to the skull, which backed him up into the corner. Joe would capitalize with a series of right jabs to the face before finishing off with a left to the chest.
Balor would show some fire, recovering with some knife edge chops to the chest and forearms to the temple, but he'd be grounded with yet another right—this one to the jaw.
The dangerous thing about Samoa Joe is he can win a match in any way conceivable. He can brawl, he can out-wrestle you, and he can take to the air like he's cruiser weight. Both his hands and his feet are lethal weapons. It's frightening, really.
He'd scrape Balor off the canvas for knife edge chops of his own. Next, he whipped Balor into the corner and nailed him with a kick to the back of the head.
The capacity crowd chanted "Joe Is Gonna Kill You!" as the two traded forearms mid-ring. Balor would daze Joe, rebound off the ropes and get nailed with back elbow that knocked him to the mat.
Joe would take to his mat game, too, contorting the head of Balor, allowing him to get to a vertical base just so he could slam him back down and silence the crowd in an instant. An unsuccessful cover would follow.
Joe would pick Balor up to apply a headlock takedown then clobber him with roundhouses to the ribs. Two would put Balor on his back for a knee drop into a second two count.
The Demon pulled himself up in the corner, only to fall victim to more rapid fire jabs to the face. And when Joe finished with those, his patented facewashing followed.
Joe dragged Balor's seemingly unconscious body up and hit a chop to each shoulder blade. One forearm from Joe resulted in the two trading blows once more. Balor would rebound off the ropes from a forearm, run into the arms of Joe for an atomic drop and finally eat a big boot.
Joe attempted a senton on his downed opponent, but Balor rolled out of the way. Balor would then thwart more Joe offense and hit a kick to the skull off the apron. He'd get a little too ambitious, though, seeking a springboard until Joe chopped him out of mid-air.
Balor crumpled to the floor. Joe didn't want to relent, either, hitting a suicide dive onto the champion.
"This is awesome" chants again sounded throughout the SSE Arena, as Joe slung Finn Balor back into the ring. He could taste that championship glory that he had been craving so much.
Cover: 1, 2, no.
Joe hit repeated knees to Balor's face, a powerbomb into a near fall and finally locked in a Boston Crab variation in one smooth motion. And just as Balor began to escape, Joe transitioned into a crossface in the middle of the ring.
Balor crawled about half way to the ropes, then desperately tried to counter into a cover, but that didn't work. He'd outstrech his arm, but Joe bent it back towards him. The Samoan Submission Machine was going to break The Demon in half, Corey Graves claimed, before Balor was able to get a foot on the bottom rope.
Joe looked to execute a clothesline, but Balor countered into a DDT. After a double down, Balor thwarted Joe with a boot in the corner and took advantage with forearms to the faces. And chops to the chest. He'd come rebounding off the ropes to nail a clothesline as well.
Balor would send Joe across the ring multiple times, chopping him once before sending him the opposite way. Joe countered a whip, Balor flipped over him only to eat an elbow to the mouth. Joe would ascend to the second rope, but Balor saved himself with a kick to the back of the skull. With his equilibrium comprised, a dizzy Joe eased his way to the floor.
Balor seized the occasion with a suicide dive onto Joe. He'd toss him back into the ring and nail a double stomp to his back. The ensuing cover garnered a two count.
Balor applied a headlock, which Joe fought out of. Balor, though, continued his offensive flurry with some backhands and kicks, finishing off with a roundhouse to the temple.
"That's it, Joe is out on his feet!" professed Corey Graves.
Off that, Balor connected with his signature sling blade. He'd try a delayed running dropkick, but Joe blocked it and instead hit a senton to drive the air out of the defending champion, and possibly break some ribs.
Joe sat Balor on the top rope, looking to capture the NXT Championship with his Muscle Buster. Balor, though, squirmed out and into a roll-up: 1, 2, kickout!
Joe struck Balor with a right hand, Balor responded with a Pele kick.
Both men were down for a nine count. They reached their feet at nine and traded jabs, forearms, chops and uppercuts. To finish the sequence, Joe hit a rolling elbow and blocked a second Pele. He'd nearly lock in the Coquina Clutch, but Balor was able to escape.
Joe would block a Balor apron kick, opting to drag him back in the ring for another attempt at his Coquina Clutch, and this time was successful.
It was a hold that Joe had put Balor to sleep with previously, and now he attempted to do it with the highest of stakes. Balor, however, rolled through and hit a double stomp.
Off one more double down, Balor hit a second sling blade and a pair of delayed running dropkicks. An unaffected Joe roared.
Balor would duck a clothesline and hit one more dropkick, this one to Joe's back.
Now, with Joe flat on his back, Balor climbed to the top rope.
Joe would re-cooperate too quickly and thwart Balor's plans. The two exchanged offense up top, and Balor eventually would get his wish by sending Joe crashing back down to the canvas. Then, and only then, came a hard fought Coup de Grâce.
Cover: 1, 2, 3!
In the end, this match wasn't about wining for Finn Balor: it was simply about survival. It was, however, defined purely by the result for Samoa Joe. And for that reason, Joe would come back even angrier than before.
SPINNING IT FORWARD
For weeks, Samoa Joe battled in matches to become the number one contender to Finn Balor's NXT Championship once more.
First, he competed against Sami Zayn and Baron Corbin. When Zayn and Joe both submitted Corbin simultaneously, though, William Regal made a singles match between Zayn and Joe to determine Balor's next opponent.
Even that match managed to end with controversy, when both men's shoulders were on the mat for a three count. Therefore, to finally put this to rest, Regal put the two in a two-out-of-three falls match.
In a match that last over 40 minutes, Samoa Joe ultimately prevailed. So, for the second consecutive NXT Takeover, it will be Samoa Joe versus Finn Balor for the NXT Championship.
Balor will surely bring The Demon, but, this time, that might not even be enough to defeat Samoa Joe.
First, he competed against Sami Zayn and Baron Corbin. When Zayn and Joe both submitted Corbin simultaneously, though, William Regal made a singles match between Zayn and Joe to determine Balor's next opponent.
Even that match managed to end with controversy, when both men's shoulders were on the mat for a three count. Therefore, to finally put this to rest, Regal put the two in a two-out-of-three falls match.
In a match that last over 40 minutes, Samoa Joe ultimately prevailed. So, for the second consecutive NXT Takeover, it will be Samoa Joe versus Finn Balor for the NXT Championship.
Balor will surely bring The Demon, but, this time, that might not even be enough to defeat Samoa Joe.
