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NXT has played host to several steel cage matches over the course of its history. Be it the first-ever match that saw Finn Balor face Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship, or any of the masterpieces that followed, the Black and Yellow brand delivered some of the best matches ever inside the steel structure.
Steel cage matches are a staple of WWE programming. They have often been used by the company to highlight the importance of a match, or sometimes, to keep out interfering elements. Sometimes, it has also been used to keep some superstars in the ring, particularly if they have made a run for it.
In the past, NXT has managed to host some of the best matches in their long history inside the steel structure. The following are five of the best steel cage matches in WWE NXT history.
#5 WWE NXT (March 4, 2020) - Dakota Kai vs Tegan Nox
Tegan Nox and Dakota Kai's feud was one of the hottest things in the world in 2020. The two were in a furious rivalry against each other and it felt like one of the best storylines that fans had experienced at the time.
The two women met inside the steel cage and hit each other with some big spots that made the match seem even bigger. Future NXT Women's Champion Raquel Gonzalez was also involved, as she helped Kai win the match. Kai looked like she was in trouble when she accidentally hit Gonzalez with the steel cage door, before being taken out with the Shiniest Wizard.
Nox tried to injure Kai by slamming the door into her leg, but Gonzalez came back to play a major role. She pinned Nox to the door, which allowed Kai to escape the ring and win the match in one of the biggest achievements of Kai's career.
#4 WWE NXT (December 19, 2018): Johnny Gargano vs Aleister Black
Johnny Gargano and Aleister Black faced each other ahead of the latter's shot at Tommaso Ciampa's NXT Championship. Black was set to face Ciampa for the title at TakeOver: Phoenix.
However, there was a lot more on the line before that. Gargano and Black were set to compete in a grudge match on NXT. The two brawled before the match even started, and Black looked good throughout. Gargano seemed to concentrate on making his way out of the cage, trying to escape at every chance he got.
Black was in bad condition towards the end, before he hit Gargano with the Black Mass. Both men then tried to escape the cage before Tommaso Ciampa slammed the door in Black's face. Gargano's rivalry with Ciampa made the moment feel surreal, as the two stared each other down. The two former tag team partners then worked together, hitting their double team finisher on Black, before Gargano covered him to get the pinfall.
Ciampa and Gargano worked together for the first time in this match since starting their rivalry.
#3 WWE NXT (May 18, 2021): Bronson Reed vs Johnny Gargano for the North American Championship
Johnny Gargano is one of the best wrestlers to ever enter an NXT ring. As a veteran superstar, he has done everything possible as a part of the Black and Yellow brand.
For a long while, Johnny Gargano was dominating things in NXT as the leader of The Way, and holding on to the NXT North American Championship. The Way made sure that his title run was successful. Unfortunately, he made too many people angry.
William Regal put him in a steel cage match against Bronson Reed. The Way still got involved, blocking Reed's exit out of the cage as Theory slammed the door across his head.
The challenger only got angrier, hitting Gargano with a powerbomb from the top rope, and then finishing him with the Tsunami Splash to pick up the win.
As a result of the match, Reed became the new North American Champion, taking away Gargano's precious title, and cementing himself as one to watch on the Black and Yellow brand.
#2 NXT TakeOver: The End - Samoa Joe vs Finn Balor for the NXT Championship
When Samoa Joe and Finn Balor faced each other at NXT TakeOver: The End, it was one of the biggest matches in the brand's history. Not only was it the first-ever steel cage match in NXT history. but it was also one of the most exciting matches of the time between two of the best wrestlers in the world.
The match was brutal, to say the least. Both men were determined to defeat the other by any means necessary. Balor hit Joe with a super Sling Blade, only for Joe to hit him with an enormous Muscle Buster in response.
Balor brought out all the stops, hitting his opponent with the Coup de Grace, almost getting his win right there. Balor even escaped the Coquina Clutch and tried to get out of the ring, but it was not to be.
Joe hit him with the super Muscle Buster to pick up a well-deserved win. As a result of the match, Joe retained the title. It was not only a big loss for Balor, it was also the first time he ever lost while wrestling under his "Demon" character. He would wrestle again in WWE NXT, but was soon called up to the main roster after the match.
#1 WWE NXT (December 14, 2016) - Shinsuke Nakamura vs Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship
Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe put on some of the best matches of their careers during their feud in NXT. Nakamura defeated Joe in Osaka to become the NXT Champion.
Joe was furious with the loss and refused to let it go. He demanded, and got a steel cage match against Nakamura soon after. The two faced each other at the NXT show in Melbourne.
The main event saw the two superstars battle it out and give everything that they could inside the cage. Joe was determined to win back the title, but Nakamura was not willing to let go either.
The Samoan Submission Machine countered each of Nakamura's early Kinshasa attempts but was unable to stop him as the match continued. Nakamura hit Joe with a Kinshasa from the top rope and then hit him with another Kinshasa, closing the steel door before he did so.
The message was clear. Nakamura wanted Joe to know that he was not going to escape to win. Joe got up again, only to be hit by a third Kinshasa which enabled Nakamura to retain the title.
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