Rating The 10 Best Rivalries In NXT History

Over the past few years, NXT has become the breeding ground for the very best professional wrestling in the entire world, with NXT Takeovers often featuring 5-star bouts. But you don't get matches like that without a great story.

Since 2012, NXT has had countless classic feuds featuring some of the most entertaining characters in the entire world, and although NXT don't push the boundaries like other wrestling promotions, they push simple, easy to follow stories.

Iconic rivalries are what put wrestling promotions on the map, and NXT is no different to that, so today we are going to look back on the first 7 years of NXT, and rate the 10 greatest rivalries that they've produced.

So what do you guys think? Are there any rivalries we left off the list? Which from this list is your favourite? As always, let us know all your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.

#10 Bo Dallas vs. Neville

NXT is a very traditional, PG program, and as such, they don't have many stipulation matches, and the first Ladder match in NXT history was contested between these two men at NXT Arrival. That was the pre-cursor to Takeover, and these two main evented the first show, proving that a good story, no matter the platform will be watched and enjoyed by many people.

The story was a very simple one, and similar to Zayn and Neville at a later date in NXT, but it was the best pure babyface vs. cocky heel program in the WWE at that point. We all know how good Neville is, but this rivalry showed just how good Dallas was, even if the WWE doesn't want to push him in that way, and this rivalry was a significant contributor to NXT becoming the cult hit that it is today.

#9 American Alpha vs. The Revival

Ever since the first wave of indie stars came to NXT, tag team wrestling has been improving there.

But it was 2 home-grown teams that stole the show on several NXT events for a year. Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson battled Jason Jordan and Chad Gable for months on end, but somehow, they always managed to change and improve on their bouts, making it the best tag team rivalry in NXT history at that point.

Before DIY and The Revival had their classic rivalry, it was the old-school duo of Dawson and Wilder that dethroned the wildly popular American Alpha. Their matches weren't quite as good as DIY and The Revival, but they stole the show on several occasions, and they continued to prove that tag team wrestling is still alive and well, even if RAW and Smackdown Live don't treat it that way.

#8 The Velveteen Dream vs. Aleister Black

Most of the rivalries on this list involved several bouts and deep, long-winded stories, but this one couldn't have been any more different from that. The story was a simple one: The Velveteen Dream was looking for recognition and attention, but Black wouldn't give it to him, so he did everything he could to earn that attention, and ultimately, respect.

Their one and only bout came at NXT Takeover: War Games, and it was fantastic, even though it didn't have the back and forth, technical or high-flying action that we've come to expect from NXT. It was Black who had his hand raised at the end of the bout.

But following that, he uttered the simple words: "enjoy infamy, Velveteen Dream", and it really showed that NXT know that simple is sometimes better, and this one deservedly won NXT's Rivalry of the Year in 2017.

#7 Neville vs. Sami Zayn

This one came very early on in NXT, but it was these two men that arguably got NXT started in the direction they're going now through fantastic matches and great storytelling.

Like the previous entry, this one was rather simple: Sami Zayn was looking to win the NXT Title, something he'd worked his whole life for, and the babyface Neville began turning heel as he would do anything it took to hold onto the belt.

In his chase for gold, Sami time and time again considered turning to the dark side to win what he wanted, but ever the hero in the story, Zayn persevered with good intentions before finally getting to the top of the mountain.

It wasn't a very elaborate or flamboyant storyline, but these two men were so good at what they do, that it was entertaining and engaging for the fans, and the moment that Sami won the NXT Championship was one of the best moments in NXT history.

#6 Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn

NXT Takeover has become arguably the best even in all of professional wrestling, and while NXT Arrival wasn't a Takeover as such, it was NXT's first Live special, and that opened with a classic bout between Cesaro and Sami Zayn.

For 22 minutes, these two traded strikes, submissions and high-flying moves to wow the crowd at Full Sail University, and it's easy to see why the WWE continued with Live specials after this one.

They would then go on to have a 2 out of 3 falls match that would top their Arrival match, and it's the rivalry that really put The Underdog from The Underground on the map. They've since wrestled multiple times on the main roster, and the quality of their matches have always stayed consistent, but it goes to show that you don't need a flashy storyline to get two of the best wrestlers in the world over.

#5 Finn Bàlor vs. Samoa Joe

Finn Balor is the best NXT Champion in history, carrying the brand for almost 2 years, and over that time he had many opponents, but none better than The Samoan Submission Machine, Samoa Joe. They competed together in multiple matches, including Samoa Joe dethroning Finn at an NXT house show, but each and every one of their matches were high quality, main event style bouts.

The fans were very familiar with both men's body of work throughout their career, so they were very attached to the rivalry, and it became one of the best. By the time Joe finally put Balor down in a cage match at NXT Takeover: The End, the fans were more than ready to put this rivalry to bed.

But given how many interesting, high-profile bouts the two had together, it has to be considered one of the best in NXT history.

#4 Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn

This rivalry kicked off with a bang, and their stories remained intertwined throughout their time on the main roster, so it's safe to say that this is one of the best rivalries currently going in the WWE. The night Sami Zayn finally defeated Neville for the NXT title was a huge one, and one of the biggest pops in NXT history, but unfortunately for Sami, it was ruined by his best friend Kevin Owens.

They would go on to have several matches down in NXT, and even though they all ended the same, with KO getting his hand raised, the promos and segments are still some of the best we've seen. Sure, it didn't go on as long as most people would have liked, and that's cost it a higher ranking on this list, but given their overall quality and great storytelling, it's safe to say that this is one of the best in NXT history.

#3 Sasha Banks vs. Bayley

Sasha and Bayley have long been stealing the show

Women's wrestling is currently the best it's ever been, and that's due to the work of the fantastic ladies down in NXT, and of all the matches and rivalries, the one that stands head and shoulders above the rest is Bayley vs. Sasha Banks.

The two had 2 singles bouts, a classic in Brooklyn that stole the show, and the first ever Takeover main event in a memorable 30-minute IronWoman match, the first of its kind. Despite being best friends behind the scenes, their characters are the polar opposites of each other, and when in character, they played off each other perfectly.

They now form The Boss and Hug Connection on Monday Night RAW, but down in NXT, they formed the perfect rivalry, and given the connection they have with Becky Lynch and Charlotte, it's safe to say that these two will go down in history as pioneers in the wrestling business.

#2 DIY vs. The Revival

Tag team wrestling has been a staple of NXT's product ever since the likes of The Wyatt Family and Corey Graves & Neville in the beginning, but no two teams did it better than DIY and The Revival.

Both teams were at their peak for this rivalry, and after the story, they'd be telling for months, the culmination came at NXT Takeover: Toronto, in a 2 out of 3 Falls bout that won NXT Match of The Year.

The Revival are now on top of the RAW Tag Team division, and DIY are involved in an epic rivalry (spoiler alert: it's #1 on this list), and together they made absolute magic. They only had 2 Takeover matches together, but were involved in an epic Triple Threat in Orlando, and one day down the line, it would be great to see all 4 men in the ring together agia

#1 Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa

This is arguably the best rivalry in all of wrestling right now, up there with Omega vs. Okada, and after their 3 classic 2018 bouts, it will go down as one of the best wrestling rivalries of the era. Ciampa turned on his best friend and #DIY partner, Johnny Gargano in Chicago before going away for 7 months, and when he returned, the rivalry kicked into overdrive immediately.

Both men have been at their best the entire feud, and after main eventing 3 straight Takeover's with this match, it's clear that it's one of the best in WWE and wrestling history. Their first bout in New Orleans was the best, and while the other 2 didn't have that quality, they were very well, and given how their story has progressed, it's not over yet. The future is uncertain for this rivalry, as both men are now on the dark side, but if NXT can wrap this up in a satisfactory manner, it will be rated as one of the best in WWE history as a whole.

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Edited by Anirban Banerjee