NXT TakeOver: Dallas results - Finn Bálor outmaneuvers a bloody Samoa Joe to retain his title

The main event had a monumental task ahead of it.

What little energy was left after Nakamura and Zayn should have been sucked up by Bayley's shocking loss to Asuka. But Dallas was also delirious, so they only needed a little something to set them back off.

Samoa Joe bleeding profusely two seconds into his NXT title match with Finn Bálor did the trick.

The two men, who had considerable history as friends and enemies headed into this one, couldn't be separated. Eventually, after several dives and the champ being thrown into a security guard, officials split them up long enough to try and close Joe's cut (on his right eye).

Then it was right back to forearms. And a ST-Joe. And elbows. And an enziguri. It looked like Joe was really gonna kill Finn.

But the cut was still bleeding, so there was another ref stoppage. As Corey Graves pointed out, however, every time a trainer touched him, he seemed to get angrier. The Samoan Submission Machine stayed in control, until a dropkick created some space for the champ.

In all seriousness, the numerous attempts to check the cut both added to the drama and impeded the flow of the bout. But it didn't stop Finn and Joe from laying into each other (although Bálor did try to avoid the right side of his opponent's face).

Back and forth they went, until the challenger nailed his finisher, clean in the middle of the ring. But the champ kicked out at two, and Joe was visibly shaken in a way nothing else had throughout the bout. More trading of strikes ended when Finn nailed a Pele kick, leading to a double count from the official.

The Demon rose up, and fought back. He managed to connect with his old finisher, and went for his new one, but Joe turned it into a Coquina Clutch.

It looked like the Irishman would pass out, as he had before in the hold, but Finn came back to live again, rolling back and pinning Joe once again.

The Demon reigns.