Austin Aries vs. Baron Corbin: Winner and Reaction from WWE NXT TakeOver: Dallas

In his first big match since joining WWE's NXT brand, Austin Aries defeated Baron Corbin on Friday night at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

For stretches, it appeared to be a one-sided match going in the favor of The Lone Wolf. Corbin took out his frustration over being left out of the No. 1-contender picture for the NXT Championship by using his aggressiveness and power against the smaller Aries.

Corbin nearly had the victory by count-out, but Aries barely made it back into the ring for a 10-count. As he attempted to finish Aries with his End of Days, Corbin was rolled up by Aries for the three-count.

WWE provided a GIF of the ending:

NXT's influx of big-name talent has been nothing short of remarkable in recent years, and the addition of Aries was undoubtedly one of the biggest coups yet. The 37-year-old veteran made a name for himself as a world champion in both ROH and TNA, and he is looking to do the same in NXT.

A disgruntled Corbin spoiled A Double's debut on NXT TV, however, which set the stage for their grudge match at one of the biggest events in NXT history.

Following Corbin's attack, Aries took issue with The Lone Wolf and others he has encountered during his many years in the business, according to WWE.com:

"

I've dealt with guys like Baron Corbin my whole life. Guys who simply think because they're bigger than you in stature, they're stronger than you. Being physically gifted, having nothing they've had to go out and earn [they think] it makes them better than you, that they deserve more than you and should be handed opportunities. A lot of them have. If you're 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, you're handed things in life. I've had to prove myself, because people have doubted and questioned me.

"

The Greatest Man That Ever Lived was at a significant size disadvantage against Corbin, but he made it clear on several occasions that it wouldn't stop him from taking the fight to his 31-year-old opponent.

That included this dig at Corbin on Twitter:

Aries also addressed his issues with Corbin in a sit-down interview during the buildup toward NXT TakeOver: Dallas, and he was confident that he would find a way to come out on top:

While Corbin has yet to win a title in NXT, he has established himself as a dominant competitor with few losses on his record. He even surprised many by coming through with a clean victory over Apollo Crews at NXT TakeOver: London.

Beating a Superstar with a resume as impressive as Aries' at such a big event would have represented another massive feather in Corbin's cap, but The Common Denominator of Greatness overcame the odds, as he often has over the course of his career.

Bleacher Report's Donald Wood thought it was a great match for Aries in his first time in the NXT spotlight:

Although Aries is quickly approaching the age of 40, he seemingly hasn't slowed down in the ring, which suggests he has a lot of good years left in NXT and perhaps even on WWE's main roster.

It wouldn't have been overly surprising if he had put over Corbin, considering Corbin is still something of a developmental project and could have used the credibility boost, but Aries may be a bigger asset to the brand moving forward.

He can do it all, from in-ring work to mic work, and regardless of who wins or loses, those who face off against him are better off for it.

That promises to be the case for Corbin as he continues to work his way toward a main-roster call-up, and it also seems likely that Aries helped himself immensely with his performance Friday as he perhaps makes a run at becoming the NXT champion.

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