A crowd wholly behind him and the drama of Zayn's championship quest make this one even better on re-watch than it was when it initially occurred. All this and much more! With a change on the horizon, however, now seems like the perfect time to look back on what I consider the five greatest matches in NXT history. What followed this incredible outing was one of the most iconic betrayals when Ciampa turned on Gargano and set up one of the greatest rivalries in WWE. In 2014, Zayn was the most beloved wrestler on the brand, the underdog from the underground. Great things were happening across the pond in NXT UK and WALTER and Dunne showed that greatness in all its glory. NXT had been growing a strong womens division for some time and this match was an incredible result. The two went all-out in an NXT Women's Title Match that saw Sasha focus her vicious attack on Becky's arm. They had the unenviable job of following the match between Bayley and Sasha Banks, who tore down the house one match prior. At TakeOver: R Evolution, he was one win away from achieving the greatest feat of his career in winning the NXT Championship. Gargano fought his way back into the match, though, and appeared to have victory in-hand, only for Almas to slam his head into the ring post, delivering his trademark running knees into him and finish him off with the draping DDT. 9 Asuka Vs Ember Moon - NXT TakeOver: Orlando (2017) - Rating: 4.25 Stars At NXT TakeOver: Orlando, Asuka put both the NXT Women's Championship and her undefeated streak on the line against Ember Moon. While it may be under the WWE umbrella, fans appreciated the show because it was unlike Raw or Smackdown, as it focused first on delivering great stories and in-ring action above all else. Such was the case late in the bout, when the bigger, stronger heel put an emphatic end to his opponent's comeback with an uppercut, then finished him with the Neutralizer for the hard-fought victory. Neville was at this frantic best firing lighting fast strikes combined with high-flying offence that had the fans in attendance with mouths agape. Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville faced off in a series of entertaining matches for the NXT Championship throughout 2014, with one of their best contests taking place at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution on December 11, 2014. A match not for the weak of heart as both wrestlers mercilessly beat the hell out of each other in a brutally physical and enthralling battle. Create / Edit Quiz. No stranger to one another, Dunne and Bate trained together, came through ranks together and fought each other multiple times along the way. It was a manic and chaotic spotfest, in which all competitors shined. The match was the culmination of months of excellently told storyline and rivalry. Event: NXT TakeOver: Respect | Rating: 4.25 stars. Both men wrestled a 40-minute clinic, with Walter and Bate playing up the David vs. Goliath angle perfectly. As the referees attempted to drag Kai away, Shayna Baszler maniacally grinned because her team now held the advantage. Women's wrestling took center stage, competitors once thought of as being too small to headline events suddenly had a platform they could star on, and there was a certain reverence to the past, present and future of the industry. NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day featured a tag team match: Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzlez vs Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'iwnerd_com-box-3','ezslot_2',111,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-iwnerd_com-box-3-0');This page will be your hub for the list of best NXT matches of 2021. A really solid match between two talented wrestlers. Among 18-49 year olds, it averaged a .56 . The match's ending, which saw both Ciampa and Gargano force their opponents into submission moves in the middle of the ring, was especially incredible. 3. The four-on-two lead saw Ripley and LeRae fight an incredible uphill battle. Gargano was the heart and soul of NXT for a long time entering Philadelphia for TakeOver 2018. The clash of styles made for an intriguing spectacle but the added factor of the ladder and the high-stakes of a new championship up for grabs adding further excitement. The betrayals, pain, and brutality all led up to this point as their epic tale reached its crescendo of violence. Jerry Markarian is an avid sports fan who has had a passion for writing for as long as he can remember. Both Balor and Owens worked well together and it was an enjoyable match. From the outset, the match had a big-match feel, thanks to a raucous New York crowd. Read about our, WWE Superstars With The Most Wins In 2022. Hometown hero Sami Zayn was pinned and defeated in Montreal at Elimination Chamber, which rules him out of the WWE . The action shocked, amazed and even dumbfounded those viewing this wonderful display of violence. New Click Quiz. Here's NXT's highest-rated matches, according to Dave Meltzer. Raw airs tonight with a live show from the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.This is the first episode of Raw during the six week build towards WrestleMania 39, which takes place on Apr. He feels eternally grateful that he was able to land an opportunity with an organization that is as respected as TheSportster so early in his writing career. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. A truly special match from two special performers on an incredible night in Dallas, Texas. The moments this match created will live forever in the memory of all who watched it. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Here are NXT's ten highest-rated matches of all time. In the main event of NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, Johnny Gargano took on Andrade in the hopes of winning the NXT Championship. Dave Meltzer's rating system is one heralded by wrestling fans. He said "jif" and I am now heartbroken. North American Championship Ladder Match: EC3 vs. Adam Cole vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Velveteen Dream vs. Ricochet @ NXT Takeover New Orleans (April 7, 2018). Everything was perfect leading up to the match. It was Garganos rage that led to Ciampa being crowned champion when his interference backfired. This was the match where Nakamura won the NXT Championship. In the main event of NXT TakeOver: Portland, Tommaso Ciampa sought to win back Goldie and embark on another strong run as champion. Karrion Kross put his title on the line against Samoa Joe when he made his return to the company and the two men put together a very physical encounter. Dragunov proved resilient, though, absorbing everything thrown at him and advancing. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. The second UK TakeOver was headlined by Walter and Tyler Bate waging war over the NXT UK Championship. Event: NXT TakeOver: San Antonio | Rating: 4.25 stars. A match so good they named the show after it. Probably a perfect match, accentuated by the return of Ciampa after the match and a brutal crutch shot to the back of Gargano's head to set up that match. Joshi wrestling in the 90s was wild. The match was nearly perfect from beginning to end, and the two competitors would be hard-pressed to experience the same success if granted another opportunity to go head to head Welp, so much for that theory. The fight was full of thunderous chops from the challenger that wore the champion down despite him using joint manipulation to combat the Ring Generals offence. The storytelling captivated audiences around the world, with one false finish after another drawing massive pops from the live audience. Use the buttons below for more of the best NXT matches of all time. Sami Zayn versus Adrian Neville - TakeOver: R . Both men threw everything they had at each other. Expectations were high, and the competitors still managed to blow them away, delivering an instant classic that had fans in Dallas hanging on every near-fall. They faced off for the United Kingdom Championship in one of the most physical matches of the modern era on October 29, 2020. The match saw the end of an era as Banks along with Charlotte and Becky Lynch would not return to NXT leaving Bayley to continue the stellar work they all did to put womens wrestling back on the map in WWE. Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane - NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 + Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane - WWE Evolution + Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane . Zayn had come up short multiple times in his quest for the title and at NXTs third takeover event he got his final opportunity. Everything about this match just fell into place. One of their best matches occurred at NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff, where they went head to head for the WWE United Kingdom Championship. Garganos new cocky heel persona played a vital role as he attempted to get in the head of Black by evading his offence and mocking him as he did it. Becky fought back valiantly, but was yanked off the top rope by her injured arm and put in the Bank Statement, with no choice but to tap out. The callbacks to previous spots in other matches highlighted the attention to details of the performers while the drama of each near-fall had the fans sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting with bated breath to see if Gargano and Ciampa would finally pull off the championship victory. Becky Lynch got involved as friendships and alliances lay fractured as all looked to reach the top of the NXT mountain. Almas outlasted Gargano in the match after hitting him with a shocking Hammerlock DDT from the top rope, and he retained his title in the process. However, not content with just hurting Bayley she targetted the Huggers superfan Izzy in one of the best heel moves ever. Mark Coffey. While some felt the match was overlong, Dave Meltzer was a massive fan, giving the match 5.25 stars, as Walter successfully defended the gold, bringing an end to the greatest match in NXT UK history. Can You Name Every Wrestler That Competed On The First SmackDown? The final sequence was a nail-biting and captivating series of moves that left the crowd well and truly satisfied. Such was the case when Cesaro and Roman Reigns battled for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania Backlash. New Click Map Quiz. Top Rated Wrestling Matches Top Rated of 2021 Current Champions Roman Reigns (WWE Raw) Roman Reigns (WWE SD) Maxwell Jacob Friedman (AEW) Bron Breakker (NXT) Claudio Castagnoli (ROH) Josh Alexander (Impact) Daniel Garcia (PWG) Tyrus (NWA) Yuji Nagata (AJPW) Kazuchika Okada (NJPW) Kaito Kiyomiya (NOAH) El Hijo Del Vikingo (AAA) Gran Guerrero (CMLL) Johnny Gargano and Andrade Almas had incredible in-ring chemistry with one another, and they wrestled in some of the most entertaining matches in recent memory. It was a furious and grinding affair that at times resembled a straight-up shoot fight. The exceptional match received 4.75 stars from Dave Meltzer. OReilly was always portrayed as an MMA influenced fighter but never on this level and with ferocity. Nakamura's first opponent would be a man synonymous with NXT and one of the men responsible for building it into the attraction it had become: Sami Zayn. Cole and Gargano have great chemistry and it was exhibited ten-fold in this match. Becky Lynch is now the highest-rated female in WWE video game history with a a 96 overall. This turned out to be a pretty fun match from two talented performers. On Wrestlemania 33 weekend, Ember Moon and Asuka ended up putting on a really good match for the NXT Womens Championship. Montreal at Elimination Chamber, which rules him out of the best NXT matches of the best matches. Even dumbfounded those viewing this wonderful display of violence a 96 overall stars from Dave Meltzer I am now.... 40-Minute clinic, with one false finish after another drawing massive pops from the live.! Adrian neville - TakeOver: Vengeance Day featured a tag team match: Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzlez vs Moon. The title and at NXTs third TakeOver event he got his final opportunity with just hurting Bayley targetted. Highest-Rated matches, according to Dave Meltzer a 96 overall: Respect | Rating: 4.25.. Am now heartbroken ; jif & quot ; jif & quot ; and am! 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