We're getting close to the one-year anniversary of NXT's debut on WWE Network. I don't think it's overstating things to say that this brand has been a revelation for a lot of professional wrestling fans who've been desperate for an alternative to the mainstream WWE product.
The NXT live specials have become the best bet for quality professional wrestling on WWE Network. They've certainly been more consistently entertaining than those hit-or-miss pay per views.
10 matches from those NXT live specials stand out as the best of the best. Here is the Top 10 I put together, with more than a little help from some of my cohorts at the Wrestling Mayhem Show and the Mid-Week War Podcast.
#10
Charlotte vs. Natalya
NXT Takeover
NXT Women’s Championship
No, I don't recognize that young woman on the left either. I'm assuming she's the earlier incarnation of Ric Flair’s daughter that I've since deleted from my memory and replaced with Charlotte. This is the finals of a tournament to crown a new NXT Women's Champion after Paige's sudden jump to the main roster left the title vacated. Charlotte took the throne on this night, with her proud papa in her corner and Bret Hart watching on from Natalya’s.
#9
Finn Balor vs. Adrian Neville
NXT Takeover Rival
#1 Contender’s Match
It's always tough to judge a match like this just days after it happened. Most fans agree it was great, but it lacked the obvious historical implications that came with the two matches that followed it that same night. Was this Neville's swan song in front of the NXT Universe? Was it a major milestone on Balor's rapid ascent to the championship? Stay tuned.
NXT Takeover Rival
#1 Contender’s Match
It's always tough to judge a match like this just days after it happened. Most fans agree it was great, but it lacked the obvious historical implications that came with the two matches that followed it that same night. Was this Neville's swan song in front of the NXT Universe? Was it a major milestone on Balor's rapid ascent to the championship? Stay tuned.
#8
Sami Zayn vs. Tyler Breeze
NXT Takeover
#1 Contender’s Match
This is the night the NXT Universe discovered that Tyler Breeze is more than just a pretty face. Prince Pretty takes all sorts of damage during this match, but finds a way to hang around until Sami Zayn is undone by his own aggressive nature. This outcome set the stage for a lot of what was still to come for Zayn in 2014.
NXT Takeover
#1 Contender’s Match
This is the night the NXT Universe discovered that Tyler Breeze is more than just a pretty face. Prince Pretty takes all sorts of damage during this match, but finds a way to hang around until Sami Zayn is undone by his own aggressive nature. This outcome set the stage for a lot of what was still to come for Zayn in 2014.
#7
Adrian Neville vs.Tyson Kidd
NXT Takeover
NXT Championship
This was a big test for both men. Adrian Neville was still in the early days of his reign as NXT Champion. Tyson Kidd was just beginning to tap into a new direction for his character which he would ride all the way back to the main roster. In the end, they both proved they belong. This match is marked by freakish athleticism. A great showcase for two talents who were on the rise in 2014.
NXT Takeover
NXT Championship
This was a big test for both men. Adrian Neville was still in the early days of his reign as NXT Champion. Tyson Kidd was just beginning to tap into a new direction for his character which he would ride all the way back to the main roster. In the end, they both proved they belong. This match is marked by freakish athleticism. A great showcase for two talents who were on the rise in 2014.
#6
Charlotte vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch
NXT Takeover Rival
NXT Women’s Championship
This is where things get tough, and I'm probably going to get killed by some of you for putting this match at this spot on the list. Honestly, the difference between this match and the two just ahead of it is razor thin. The biggest thing working against it is that it just happened. It's just hard to judge without historical context. That said, this was an amazing match, full of great storytelling and daring athleticism. All four of these great talents took their game to new heights.
NXT Takeover Rival
NXT Women’s Championship
This is where things get tough, and I'm probably going to get killed by some of you for putting this match at this spot on the list. Honestly, the difference between this match and the two just ahead of it is razor thin. The biggest thing working against it is that it just happened. It's just hard to judge without historical context. That said, this was an amazing match, full of great storytelling and daring athleticism. All four of these great talents took their game to new heights.
#5
Adrian Neville vs. Sami Zayn vs. Tyler Breeze vs. Tyson Kidd
NXT Fatal 4-Way
NXT Championship
Before Kevin Owens. Before Finn Balor. Before Hideo Itami. It was these four guys who carried the load at the top of the card on NXT during the majority of 2014. This was the climax of their 4-way feud. It's not just an incredibly athletic match highlighted by frantic bursts of offense. It also has some great storytelling, as the stage is set for the epic Neville vs. Zayn showdown.
NXT Fatal 4-Way
NXT Championship
Before Kevin Owens. Before Finn Balor. Before Hideo Itami. It was these four guys who carried the load at the top of the card on NXT during the majority of 2014. This was the climax of their 4-way feud. It's not just an incredibly athletic match highlighted by frantic bursts of offense. It also has some great storytelling, as the stage is set for the epic Neville vs. Zayn showdown.
#4
Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks
NXT Takeover R Evolution
NXT Women’s Championship
Again, take me to task for making this the top choice among the women's matches if you must. I prefer a singles contest to those with multiple performers. When the two talents are this good, how can you argue? Charlotte brings the athleticism and pedigree. Banks brings the attitude and storytelling. This is a match that goes to places few matches featuring men are brave enough to tread.
NXT Takeover R Evolution
NXT Women’s Championship
Again, take me to task for making this the top choice among the women's matches if you must. I prefer a singles contest to those with multiple performers. When the two talents are this good, how can you argue? Charlotte brings the athleticism and pedigree. Banks brings the attitude and storytelling. This is a match that goes to places few matches featuring men are brave enough to tread.
#3
Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn
NXT Arrival
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to NXT! For many fans, this was the first taste of the action at Full Sail University. For some others, it was the first time seeing Sami Zayn in action. What a statement this match made, as Cesaro and Zayn emptied their entire playbook. This is one helluva way to make a first impression.
NXT Arrival
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to NXT! For many fans, this was the first taste of the action at Full Sail University. For some others, it was the first time seeing Sami Zayn in action. What a statement this match made, as Cesaro and Zayn emptied their entire playbook. This is one helluva way to make a first impression.
#2
Sami Zayn vs.Kevin Owens
NXT Takeover Rival
NXT Championship
Two months to the day after Kevin Owens stepped into an NXT ring for the first time, he violently seizes its championship. Sami Zayn left that night without the title, but he may have earned something even more valuable - a reputation as perhaps WWE’s most gifted and talented in-ring storyteller.
NXT Takeover Rival
NXT Championship
Two months to the day after Kevin Owens stepped into an NXT ring for the first time, he violently seizes its championship. Sami Zayn left that night without the title, but he may have earned something even more valuable - a reputation as perhaps WWE’s most gifted and talented in-ring storyteller.
#1
Adrian Neville vs. Sami Zayn
NXT Takeover R Evolution
NXT Championship
Everything was on the line for Sami Zayn in this one. The level of storytelling during the match, and afterward, is so high it’s hard to put into words. When you take the time to build a match for months and you get fans to invest in a character's journey for the more than a year, you can create this kind of magic. One thing I love about this match is that it never betrays the story that came before it. It's one of the great payoffs to a storyline in recent memory.
NXT Takeover R Evolution
NXT Championship
Everything was on the line for Sami Zayn in this one. The level of storytelling during the match, and afterward, is so high it’s hard to put into words. When you take the time to build a match for months and you get fans to invest in a character's journey for the more than a year, you can create this kind of magic. One thing I love about this match is that it never betrays the story that came before it. It's one of the great payoffs to a storyline in recent memory.
As more than a few people pointed out before I even published this post, Sami Zayn dominates this list. And honestly, why shouldn't he? The story of NXT since it arrived on the WWE Network has essentially been the story of Sami Zayn. He helped introduce countless fans to the NXT brand when he faced Cesaro at Arrival, and Zayn's pursuit of the NXT Championship was the defining storyline during the brand's first year on WWE Network.
When I was in Orlando, Florida last summer, I had a chance to attend an NXT taping at Full Sail University. Halfway through the night, it was obvious Sami Zayn is the star of the show. I'm not sure what the future holds for him in WWE. I don't dare to predict what will happen if/when he's called up to the main roster, but I'm certain he is one of the best talents on WWE's payroll right now.
But he's only the beginning. There's so much more to love about NXT during its first year on WWE Network. Neville. Breeze. Charlotte. Sasha. Finn. Hideo. Bayley. Owens. And that's just for starters. This is a special time. Treasure every moment of what's become the Golden Age of NXT because no one knows how long it will last.
But he's only the beginning. There's so much more to love about NXT during its first year on WWE Network. Neville. Breeze. Charlotte. Sasha. Finn. Hideo. Bayley. Owens. And that's just for starters. This is a special time. Treasure every moment of what's become the Golden Age of NXT because no one knows how long it will last.
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