5 Best WWE NXT Matches from January 2021

#2 Tommaso Ciampa vs Timothy Thatcher - Fight Pit Match (NXT, January 20)

With a firm grasp on @NXTCiampa's surgically-repaired knee locked in, Timothy Thatcher forces The #Blackheart to tap. #WWENXT #FightPit pic.twitter.com/8ABf6Lr1vz

— WWE (@WWE) January 21, 2021

A match that was set to be one of the big features on NXT heading into the new year, Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher's fight suffered from a delay. Instead of taking place at NXT: New Year's Evil, it instead took place on the January 20 episode of the Black and Gold brand.

In some ways, this helped the match, as New Year's Evil was already packed with fantastic matches. When Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher met in the ring to continue their brutal rivalry, the Fight Pit was the best place that it could happen.

The match was understandably brutal, but it was Timothy Thatcher who won the second-ever Fight Pit match after he made Tommaso Ciampa tap out by putting pressure on his surgically repaired knee. Thatcher now holds a 2-0 record in Fight Pit matches.

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#1 Raquel Gonzalez vs Rhea Ripley - Last Woman's Standing Match (NXT, New Year's Evil - January 6)

Oh. So that was only the tip of the iceberg. Cool. 😧#NXTNYE #LastWomanStanding @RheaRipley_WWE @RaquelWWE pic.twitter.com/HAnhrhiO6S

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 7, 2021

In possibly one of the all-time best matches in the women's division in WWE NXT, Raquel Gonzalez and Rhea Ripley put on a show for fans.

The match itself was extremely brutal and even surpassed the title match between Finn Balor and Kyle O'Reilly that would take place later in the night. With the addition of weapons and handcuffs, both women went all-out putting their bodies on the line as they battered one another with everything from their fists to the ring bell.

What made the match even more fantastic was the fact that it was a star-making performance from Raquel Gonzalez. Both women went crashing through the stage, but only Raquel was able to stand up and win the match. It was possibly Rhea Ripley's last match on WWE NXT, as it appears she has been called up to the main roster.