NXT TakeOver Dallas 2016: Date, Start Time, Matches, Live Stream Info

NXT TakeOver: Dallas will be the diehard fans' WrestleMania.

A supercard brimming with indy favorites promises to deliver at least one Match of the Year candidate. Where WrestleMania will be built around spectacle on swerves, TakeOver: Dallas' foundation will be first-rate wrestling. On Friday, April 1 at 10 p.m. ET, Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, Austin Aries and Asuka will look to tear the house down at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas.

WrestleMania weekend will kick off with NXT's first TakeOver special of 2016.

Every championship will be on the line. A number of fresh faces will make their mark. And the NXT roster will make it hard for their main-roster counterparts to top them.

Live Stream Info

Renee Young, Lita and Mauro Ranallo comprise the expert panel ready to prep fans for TakeOver. They will host a 30-minute pre-show that begins at 9:30 p.m ET. The crew will offer breakdowns and predictions for all the night's big bouts.

"

THIS FRIDAY: @WWENXT TakeOver: Dallas Pre-Show with @ReneeYoungWWE @AmyDumas (Lita) and the lucky @mauroranallo https://t.co/2gauSVanRs

— Joey Styles (@JoeyStyles) March 29, 2016"

The pre-show will stream for free on WWE Network, WWE.com, the WWE App, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and Pinterest.

For the TakeOver special itself, the WWE Network (subscription required) is the only way to watch. Fans can live stream the action via Roku, Apple TV and PlayStation or Xbox consoles. WWE.com's help section features a full list of compatible devices.

The WWE Network is now up and running just about anywhere. Check availability around the world on WWE.com.

While WWE often incorrectly boasts that all of its live specials are found only on the WWE Network, it's true in the case of NXT. TakeOver: Dallas won't be available on pay-per-view or through cable companies. 

Match Card

• Apollo Crews vs. Elias Samson
• Austin Aries vs. Baron Corbin
• Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
• The Revival vs. American Alpha (NXT Tag Team Championship)
• Bayley vs. Asuka (NXT Women's Championship)
• Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe (NXT Championship)

Crews vs. The Drifter

It's time to finally truly see who Samson is. Fans have seen very little of him outside of squash matches and vignettes where he plays the guitar in a mysterious setting.

Crews' athletic gifts are well-known. He is a dynamic, out-of-this-world performer who hasn't quite made the move to NXT's top tier.

Facing The Drifter isn't exactly a ticket to the top, but should he get a good match out of him, it will be a nice notch on his belt. Whether this bout is designed to introduce Samson or showcase Crews, though, remains to be seen.

WWE has been higher on Samson thus far.

Aries vs. Corbin

Overshadowed by Nakamura's arrival, Aries is a fresh part of the NXT landscape, too. The former TNA world champ is likely too old in WWE's eyes to make a splash on the main roster, but he will most certainly be a valuable piece at NXT.

He is Corbin's ideal opponent at TakeOver: Dallas.

Positioned as the anti-indy heel, The Lone Wolf has belittled guys like Aries, telling them to go back to wrestling in gyms and rec centers. That gives this showdown an added layer; in addition to being David versus Goliath, it's also WWE prototype versus indy darling.

This will be a huge test for Corbin. In the ring with such a skilled veteran, he should deliver one of the best bouts of his career.

The match is likely a means to put Corbin over and advance his career. He needs stepping stones as he continues to climb the NXT ladder.

Zayn vs. Nakamura

In what will most certainly be a surreal moment, New Japan Pro Wrestling megastar Nakamura will make his NXT debut.

The King of Strong Style has been one of the world's best in-ring performers over the past few years. His blend of rock-star charisma and smashmouth offense is simply thrilling. Now that package is headed to a new home.

William Regal booked this match by telling Zayn he deserved a top-notch opponent. As for Nakamura, this bout will serve as his welcoming party.

It's not clear if he will be a part of NXT for long or promptly head to the main roster. If a rivalry develops from this clash, count on the latter. Zayn has already made the move to Raw and SmackDown.

Those unfamiliar with Nakamura's work will get quite the introduction. Pairing him with a talented storyteller such as Zayn will assure that The King of Strong Style's first WWE/NXT act is a memorable one.

Tag Team Championship

The red-hot duo of Jason Jordan and Chad Gable are moments away from reaching the tag team mountaintop. The former amateur wrestlers have stirred up crowds with great chemistry between them, a full-throttle approach to mat wrestling and buzzing energy.

American Alpha earned its first crack at the championship by defeating The Ascension, Blake and Murphy and, most recently, The Vaudevillains. A hard-nosed, fist-throwing pair now stands in Gable and Jordan's way.

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder have been stellar as champions. While there remain questions about whether they have the requisite charisma to move up to the main roster, their ring acumen has helped them lead a strong tag team division.

There isn't a wealth of storyline here other than the babyface challengers are ready to take on the heel titleholders. That's not likely to matter, though. This promises to be a compelling display of tag team wrestling at its finest. 

Asuka vs. Bayley

Fans knew this battle was coming as soon as Asuka arrived. The kick-happy predator makes a dream opponent for the champion.

Bayley has played the part of the fighting champ, fending off challenges from the likes of Nia Jax, Alexa Bliss and Carmella. In those contests, she brought out the best in her foes, leading those women to the best matches of their careers.

Now up against someone on her level, she's bound to compose something truly special.

About facing Asuka, Bayley told Sporting News' Brian Fritz, "She's one of the best that I've ever seen and I'm excited to try and prove to myself that I can take on someone as good as her."

The buildup to this title match has been a subtle one. Asuka has made her championship aspirations known by way of glaring at Bayley and once stroking the women's title. It's a simple story of two competitors looking to prove who is best. 

WWE has portrayed Asuka as an unstoppable force, a whirlwind in the ring. Bayley, meanwhile, is the gutsy babyface who has risen to every challenge thus far. Their first meeting has all the makings of a show-stealer.

Balor vs. Joe II

NXT's cornerstones clash once more.

Last year, their partnership burned to the ground when Joe became enraged that Balor wouldn't give him a shot at the NXT title. Since then, The Samoan Submission Machine has been on a tear, choking out those unfortunate enough to step in the ring with him.

The seething, bloodthirsty version of Joe has been a joy to watch.

He faces Balor after losing to him at TakeOver: London. Zack Zimmerman of ProWrestling.net wrote of that first encounter, "This match was super believable; a fun, hard-hitting, back-and-forth fight." Expectations will be high for the rematch.

The unspoken backdrop of the bout is that the loser may well end up moving to the main roster afterward. Both men are clearly capable of being major players on Raw and SmackDown. It's hard to imagine that WWE keeps them both at NXT after the curtains close on WrestleMania season.