NXT Takeover Dallas Rematch Booked For WWE No Mercy Kickoff Show

Well, it took a while, but the rematch between two storied rivals is finally on.

This Sunday, on the WWE No Mercy Kickoff show, it's Apollo Crews versus "The Drifter" Elias Samson.

As you can see at the top of the page, these two men met on the pre-show of NXT Takeover Dallas back in April of 2016 and the bad blood has been boiling up between them for a year and a half.

Elias may have lost three-quarters of the words in his billed name since then, but he's really improved since coming to the main roster after WrestleMania 33, first in little cameos where he'd walk through the background of a scene backstage, and then with his "concerts" mocking the scent of whatever city he happened to be in, and finally through his in-ring work–including victories over Finn Balor and former US Champion Kalisto.

Apollo Crews, meanwhile was called up to the main roster right after that Takeover Dallas match vs Elias, but he just wasn't ready. Creative didn't seem to have anything for him, and he couldn't get over through just his freakish athleticism alone. He did have a shot at The Miz's Intercontinental Title at SummerSlam 2016, but lost uneventfully and languished in relative obscurity ever since. That is until he joined Titus O'Neil as part of Titus Worldwide, and has been able to show off more of his personality along side O'Neil and his real life best friend Akira Tozawa.

So who will win on Sunday? The athlete or the drifter who's no longer "The Drifter"? Fightful will have full live coverage of No Mercy, with the Kickoff Show beginning at 7/6c, as well as a post-show podcast.