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Since its inception in 2012, NXT has always been more in-ring focused than its main roster counterparts RAW and Smackdown. In 2014, that focus would become even more apparent as Triple H, William Regal and Matt Bloom began bringing in previously-experienced indie talent (who had obviously been afforded the freedom to develop in different, less restrictive places) that helped round out the roster and take it to the next level. Since then, NXT has exploded in popularity, becoming a magnet for much of the global wrestling scene's premier athletes.
The effect of this has led to amazing back to back Takeover specials every 2-3 months where some of the most jaw-dropping, utterly incredible matches in WWE history have taken place - women's in 2015, tag teams in 2016, mid-card guys in 2017, and pretty much everyone in 2018. NXT has shed light on different styles and levels of in-ring prowess, remaining the "hottest brand in sports entertainment" due to its consistent quality in presenting traditional athletic-focused professional wrestling in a modern sports entertainment context.
Although opinions may vary and taste is ultimately subjective, this list can be safely assumed to represent the general consensus among the NXT Universe and Internet wrestling community. These are the top 10 NXT matches of all time (as of January 15, 2019).
#10 6-Man Ladder Match (Takeover: New Orleans)
Rated 5 stars by Dave Meltzer of the legendary Wrestling Observer Newsletter (only the second ladder match to earn the accolade after the first ever ladder match at WrestleMania X), the opening bout of Takeover: New Orleans during WrestleMania 34 weekend featured six hungry upper mid-card members of NXT's roster (Lars Sullivan, Killian Dain, Velveteen Dream, Adam Cole and the debuting Ricochet and EC3) vying for the chance at coveting the brand's new secondary title, the North American Championship, which hung over the ring like bait for a pack of wild animals.
The ensuing match would become an absolute car crash of fantastic, beautiful destruction as six men would simultaneously put their bodies on the line and proceed to create a human demolition derby.
Velveteen Dream's planting of Ricochet onto a ladder with a rolling death valley driver, Killian Dain's Vader bomb onto a ladder with EC3 beneath and Adam Cole on his back, and Lars Sullivan's 'freak accident' slamming of EC3 through a ladder on the outside of the ring were just a few of the stellar moments. Ricochet's moonsault off a falling ladder into several opponents also impressed, but it would be Adam Cole who'd take home the gold in the end, becoming the first ever NXT North American Champion.
#9 Sasha Banks vs. Bayley (Takeover: Brooklyn)
In what would become one of the most celebrated women's matches in the history of WWE, Sasha Banks and Bayley tore the house down during SummerSlam weekend in 2015, as they created an epic 'Mania-like atmosphere in the sold-out Barclays Center that foreshadowed the return of genuine, athletic, non-objectifying, character-based women's wrestling in WWE.
Banks, jeered as "ratchet" by the Brooklyn crowd, played up her role as the arrogant, snotty champion who believed she was better than an undeserving Bayley; until the spunky, child-like Bayley stood up to the challenge and defeated the bully that stood between her and her childhood dream of becoming a wrestling star, clinching the NXT Women's Championship in the process.
Sasha's discus face slap and plancha over the referee's head and Bayley's shocking reverse hurricanrana and final Bayley-to-Belly for the win made for good in-ring action but the match was so much more than an athletic endeavour. Filled with excellent ring entrances (Sasha exiting an SUV inside the arena flanked by personal security guards made for great character work) as well as story, psychology, and crowd reaction, the match became a watershed moment that helped usher in the current "women's evolution" that is still ongoing in WWE three and a half years later.
#8 Asuka vs. Ember Moon (Takeover: Brooklyn III)
Asuka and Ember Moon, in-ring rivals and real-life friends since their independent wrestling days in 2012, brought the NXT women's division to the next level of athleticism five years later in 2017 when they faced off in two matches at Takeover that year would solidify their mutually-shared history and individual legacies in NXT, just as Sasha Banks and Bayley had two years prior. The latter bout between Asuka and Moon, a rematch following Asuka's less-than-honourable win in their first encounter at Takeover: Orlando, started off as a standard brawl but became an epic, heart-wrenching affair by the end.
Moon, the earnest babyface cloaked in the attire of a war goddess, was considered Asuka's sole equal in an NXT women's division that had otherwise been obliterated by the Empress of Tomorrow. Asuka, who was in the crowd at the first Takeover: Brooklyn, debuted thereafter as a quirky but fierce good girl before gradually evolving into a pompous, self-absorbed character who basked in her own light, standing undefeated since her arrival in NXT and holding the Women's Champion for more than 500 days in the process.
The crowd and audience at home eagerly anticipated whether Moon would hit her devastating Eclipse finisher and finally end Asuka's historic undefeated streak (the longest ever in WWE history) in front a live crowd at the jam-packed Barclay's Center. While Moon was able to nail the manoeuvre on Asuka, the Japanese sensation would quickly shake off the cob webs and kick out. Following a series of successive heart-stopping false-finishes, Moon was unfortunately locked into Asuka's tentacles and finally tapped out to the Asuka Lock, allowing the Empress to ascend to the main roster with her record firmly intact.
#7 Authors of Pain vs. DIY vs. The Revival (Takeover: Orlando)
DIY and The Revival's standard tag team feud contrasted a new generation of top tier indie names coupled together against a traditional, old-school tag team that eschewed flips and dives for conventional brawling and heel ring psychology. This formula worked well and the two teams endured an intense rivalry that was enjoyable enough in and of itself. But then, the Authors of Pain, two brutally destructive monsters managed by wrestling veteran "Precious" Paul Ellering, entered the picture and suddenly DIY and the Revival found themselves with a mutual enemy.
This dynamic would play out in the most spectacular way as DIY and The Revival, bitter rivals, would be forced to team up together in the middle of their triple threat tag team match with AOP and nail their respective finishers using members of the opposite team, forging a brief alliance with their sworn enemies to fend off an even bigger threat in Ellering's team. Although the entire match was an enjoyably brutal affair, it was this small moment of brilliant storytelling that created the biggest crowd response of the night and solidified the match as one of the greatest in the history of NXT.
#6 Adrian Neville vs. Sami Zayn (Takeover: R-Evolution)
At Takeover: Fatal 4 -Way, Sami Zayn, the heart and soul of Full Sail University in 2014, nearly became NXT Champion in a four corner main even between himself, Tyson Kidd, Tyler Breeze and Adrian Neville, until the very last split second when Neville, desperate to retain his title at all costs, pulled the referee out the ring just before the 3 count, later winning the match with his Red Arrow finisher when Zayn couldn't make the save. Although the two had been friends up to this point, tension began to naturally build between them.
Although Zayn went on to honourably earn another title shot following a 3-match winning streak, he would fail to win the big one again as Neville played possum during their first singles encounter, pretending to be injured to get Zayn to lower his defenses so Neville could hit a quick rollup for the win. Zayn, responding to accusations that he was "too nice", finally challenged Neville to one last match in which he agreed to leave NXT if he lost again.
The match was an incredible display of athletic skill as Zayn and Neville, both indie veterans who frequented promotions like PWG before coming to WWE, put on an absolute clinic featuring amazing sequences, counters, and high-flying moves. By the end, a babyface Zayn, NXT title in hand with an inadvertently knocked out referee down, decided to do the honorable thing and defeat Neville the honest way, securing praise from the crowd as he finally won the NXT Championship fair and square.
An embrace from Neville himself and an outpouring of love from the locker room (including from Zayn's old indie pal Kevin Owens, who debuted earlier in the night) followed, but the feel-good moment would lead to an epic cliffhanger when Owens attacked Zayn out of jealous spite, setting up Zayn's first title defense against his very best friend.
#5 Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Unsanctioned Match) (Takeover: New Orleans)
After again losing to Almas, Gargano was attacked by a returning Ciampa during TO: Philly's end credits, only to set up a title vs. career re-match with Almas shortly after on NXT TV out of desperation. Ciampa would interfere in the match itself this time, attacking Gargano again and costing him his NXT career until Gargano was granted one last shot at restoring his status on the NXT roster in an Unsanctioned Match with Ciampa at Takeover: New Orleans.
Naturally, with a near one-year build, Gargano and Ciampa's inevitable faceoff not only ended up as an enjoyable exercise in sheer venomous brutally, but a satisfying 5-star rated pro-wrestling narrative as the match became filled with allusions and callbacks. Most memorable among these was at the end when Gargano held off from attacking Ciampa with a knee brace and briefly attempted to sit next to him the ring, as he had following their stellar Cruiserweight Classic match when the two, then friends, bonded in the ring together like two exhausted soldiers that just ended a war.
#4 Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne (Takeover: Chicago)
The two British cruiserweights, who had recently emerged from the UK's fledging independent wrestling scene into WWE as part of their United Kingdom tournament in January 2017, would make history as the blonde babyface Bate became the first WWE UK champion and youngest champion in the company's history at age 19 following a win over Dunne in the finals of the title tournament.
Dunne, playing the role of rebellious but ambitious heel, would secure a rematch about five months later at Takeover: Chicago and in front of thousands in attendance at the jam-packed Allstate Arena, Bate and Dunne floored NXT fans with an amazing performance that stole the show. Bate, the smaller of the two, lifted Dunne above his head and spinned him around at rapid pace, generating a roaring crowd pop from Chicago fans in attendance.
Dunne, ever the vicious "Brusierweight", tried everything from fingerbreaking and joint manipulation to his patented X-Plex and Bitter End pump handle slam, but Bate refused to stay down and countered everything Dunne threw at him, even countering Dunne's triangle choke attempt into a deadlift powerbomb and a Bitter End attempt into an incredible spiked DDT.
Nevertheless, Dunne refused to be denied and in the end, after all the mat wrestling, chain grappling, strong style strikes and kicks, high flying maneuvers and false finishes, Dunne nailed one last Bitter End and became the second WWE United Kingdom Champion, which he still holds 18 months later in Early 2019..
#3 The Revival vs. DIY (2/3 Falls Match) (Takeover: Toronto)
In the Summer of 2016, Dash and Dawson of The Revival, then NXT Tag Team Champions, concluded an excellent feud with the team of American Alpha (Chad Gable and Jason Jordan) which ended in a 2/3 falls main event match on weekly NXT TV where The Revival won and sent Gable and Jordan packing for the main roster. The team of ex-indie veterans Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa then became the logical choice to replace American Alpha as the top babyface team in NXT, and their feud with The Revival went on to intensify NXT's 2016 tag team renaissance, with the 22-minute showdown between the teams easily stealing the show at Takeover: Brooklyn II.
Therefore, it only made sense to extend the feud by having the babyfaces lose in the first round and get a second chance at the following big show where the 2/3 falls match concept could be redone on a bigger stage. Enter Takeover: Toronto. Gargano and Ciampa, now christened "DIY", mustered the courage to challenge The Revival to a rematch where they would create magic and perform one of the greatest tag team matches in WWE history. In the sold-out Air Canada Center, in front of 12,000 paying fans, the psychology and in-ring storytelling these two teams put on display was nothing short of phenomenal. T
he Revival's Hart Foundation allusions of pink and black tights and use of the Hart Attack tag team manoeuvre whilst in Canada was clever, the callback moment of Gargano being stuck in a submission but reaching the ropes at the last second and refusing to tap out (as he had in Brooklyn) was brilliant, the surprise move-stealing Shatter Machine from DIY for a 2.9 count near-fall was jaw-dropping, and the finish of Dash and Dawson holding each other's hands while in a mutual submission to avoid tapping out only to give up anyway seconds later when they couldn't escape was an absolutely fantastic touch that sent the raucous Canadian crowd and fans at home into a frenzy of excitement. DIY's hard work paid off. They were finally NXT Tag Team Champions.
#2 Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn (Takeover: Dallas)
In 2016, Sami Zayn was ready to end his incredible run in NXT and go to the main roster following the festivities at WrestleMania 32 weekend. Although his tenure in developmental wasn't without agony, being turned on by his ex-friend Kevin Owens whom he would also lose his NXT Championship to, and also suffering a real-life concussion that put him on the shelf for months before finally returning to action in a dark match before Takeover: London, Zayn had nevertheless won over the hearts and minds of NXT fans during his time there, becoming the most popular star in the black and yellow brand up to that point.
Naturally then, he deserved a great sendoff and fresh in WWE off the shores of Japan following an excellent semi-main event match with AJ Styles at WrestleKingdom 10, the legendary King of Strong Style Shinsuke Nakamura was the perfect candidate for the job. Nakamura and Zayn, two well-respected wrestlers that had both spent years travelling the world putting on excellent performances, had never actually wrestled a match together anywhere so when Mr. Regal announced Nakamura as Zayn's opponent for NXT TakeOver: Dallas, the fan response at Full Sail and across the Internet was an appropriate "Holy S$#!%".
Entering the ring to brand new, excellent theme music, Nakamura was dripping with charisma. The red leather-drenched Japanese striker had an odd appearance (eccentric body language and the attire of an extra from Michael Jackson's "Beat It" video) but this unique presentation made him all the more interesting to watch, especially when coupled with seeing how talented he is in the ring. The elbow strike-fest between him and Zayn, the tope suicida from Zayn, the knee strike countered into the blue thunder bomb, and the clothesline from Zayn countered into an armbar from Nakamura were just a few of the epic moments, along with the atmospheric crowd response of "fight forever". This match alone undeniably took NXT to the next level in popularity, and as announcer Tom Philips said the time, it had all the hype, attention and star power, then it delivered.
#1 Andrade Cien Almas vs. Johnny Gargano (Takeover: Philadelphia)
The greatest match in the history of NXT took place on January 27, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. NXT Champion Andrade Cien Almas, a Mexican lucha libre star who spent time under a mask in CMLL and NJPW before joining WWE, defended his strap against the spitfire Johnny Gargano, who at the time was just starting to rebound from a losing streak caused by mental affliction generated by his ex-tag team partner Tommaso Ciampa. With Ciampa out of the picture due to injury and Gargano having mustered the fortitude to overcome his anguish and secure the number one contendership, Gargano's chances of reaching the top of NXT by winning its greatest accolade seemed like a strong likelihood.
Almas entered the arena flanked by a Mariachi band and his "business partner", the beautiful but conniving Zelina Vega, who had a habit of interfering in Almas' matches despite her clients incredible talent. Vega was convinced that since Almas had already beaten Gargano at Takeover: Brooklyn III that there was no chance Johnny Wrestling could overcome the momentum she and Almas had amassed as a unit. Gargano nevertheless put on the fight of his life, and for more than 30 minutes he and Almas engaged in an ridiculously outstanding, utterly insane match that surpassed every other that NXT had ever produced.
There was storytelling including callbacks and to the Brooklyn III match (Zelina Vega throwing a DIY t-shirt at Gargano to distract him worked in New York, not so much in Philly), amazing athleticism including a double moonsault from Almas and a reverse hurricanrana from Gargano, good striking including a stiff-looking elbow from Almas and swift kicks from Gargano, and excellent ring psychology from both wrestlers such as the selling of desperation and Vega's outside interference, which led to the suspense of a Gargano near-fall and ultimately, a beatdown from Gargano's real-life wife Candice LeRae, who was sitting in the first row.
Gargano vs. Almas pit an ex-indie blue chipper with a heart of gold (think Sami Zayn and Daniel Bryan) against a lucha libre star who had been groomed for wrestling success since he was a teenager and the results spoke for themselves. Though Almas went on to win the match clean (and fan favourite Gargano was subsequently attacked by a returning Tommaso Ciampa), both stars more than proved themselves capable of elevating NXT into the stratosphere of in-ring excellence, with 5 stars from Dave Meltzer as a bonus.
