Top 10 NXT Matches of All Time

Two of the best wrestlers in the world squaring off for half an hour. The action and emotion carried this match and made it so memorable, especially with Zelina Vega and Candice LeRae getting involved and Tommaso Ciampa attacking Johnny Gargano after the match.

Result: Andrade "Cien" Almas defeats Johnny Gargano via pinfall.

My Star Rating: 5*/5*

Absolutely incredible. Deserving of a five-star rating or higher. The action, selling, and athleticism are all on point, and the crowd's enthusiasm made this match even better. There are so many memorable spots from this match. Just go and watch it.

Result: Pete Dunne defeats Tyler Bate via pinfall.

My Star Rating: 5.5*/5*

This match was the best. No questions asked. This match is why Tyler Bate is my favorite wrestler.

This is storytelling at its finest. Both Gargano and Ciampa threw everything at each other. It was a fight, and I feel this isn't just one of the best matches in NXT but one of the best matches of all time.

Carnage, carnage, and more carnage. If you love matches like TLC 2, you're going to love this even more. Everyone had a part to play here. EC3 was the cocky, sneaky heel. Sullivan and Dain were two giants out to kill everyone (and each other). Adam Cole was the badass looking to make Undisputed Era even more dominant. Velveteen Dream was the cocky underdog looking to make a statement. And Ricochet, the undisputed MVP of the match, wanted to make a name for himself by doing the craziest moves and winning the big one in his Takeover debut. The spots here were incredible.

Ricochet's springboard shooting star press to the outside.
Velveteen Dream's elbow from the top of one of the biggest ladders I've ever seen in my life.
Ricochet's moonsault off a ladder to the outside.
Killian Dain's splash onto a ladder (which, by the way, had EC3 underneath it) with Adam Cole on his back.

Everything was amazing here.

Result: Adam Cole defeats Velveteen Dream, Lars Sullivan, Killian Dain, Ricochet, and EC3 by retrieving the NXT North American Championship.

My Star Rating: 5*/5*

"One match is great, three is superb." Emotion seems to be a huge factor in pretty much every great Johnny Gargano match, but everyone's performance here was brilliant. This match could've genuinely ended about ten times, but D.I.Y clawed back from a one fall to zero scoreline to come back and win two more falls, becoming the NXT Tag Team Champions. That finish with Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder tapping out at the same time to submissions from D.I.Y was bliss, and the eruption from the crowd after D.I.Y won proves why this was such a great match.

Result: D.I.Y defeats The Revival via submission.

My Star Rating: 4.75*/5*

"Fight Forever!" *clap *clap *clap *clap *clap* "Fight Forever!" *clap *clap *clap *clap *clap*. Jesus Christ, was this amazing. Nakamura came into NXT with all the hype in the world, and they put him up against NXT fan favorite, Sami Zayn. The next 20 minutes of wrestling that followed was brilliant, making the crowd yell so much that I wouldn't be surprised if 10% of them just had a nap due to pure exhaustion. Just go and watch this because it's something that every wrestling fan has to see.

Result: Shinsuke Nakamura defeats Sami Zayn via pinfall.

My Star Rating: 4.75*/5*

Some people prefer their two out of three falls match, and I'm not saying that match wasn't good, but for me, this match had the three main components that make a great wrestling match.

1. Emotion
All Sami Zayn wanted to do was gain Cesaro's respect and beat him in a match, and the lengths he went to were outstanding. A match that makes you feel emotion is perfect, and this match did that for me. It was made even better that they were opening the first special live NXT event on the WWE Network.

2. Energy
This can be put into a match in several ways, whether it's the crowd, the wrestlers in the ring, or others at ringside. Many spots were full of energy, and the crowd didn't let up, showing the two how much they were enjoying their match. The spot where the two keep punching each other until Sami Zayn ducks and hits a snap German suplex was one of my favorites from the match.

3. Memorable/Shocking Moments
This match took the cake with how many of these there were. Zayn's hurricanrana from the top rope, Cesaro catching Sami Zayn on the outside mid-way through a springboard moonsault and slamming him on the ramp, and Cesaro kicking out of the Helluva Kick were all amazing moments.

Result: Cesaro defeats Sami Zayn via pinfall.

My Star Rating: 4.5*/5*

Not only is the action here great, but the story is brilliant. After putting on two of the best matches in NXT history at two previous Takeover events, D.I.Y and The Revival put aside their differences for one night to take down their much larger and more powerful opponents, The Authors of Pain. Yes, they did fight each other at some points, but eventually, they realized that wasn't going to help either of them. They helped each other hit their finishing moves on the two big men, but their efforts, although valiant, weren't enough to secure a victory for either of them, as AOP eliminated both of them.

Result: Authors of Pain defeat D.I.Y and The Revival via pinfall.

My Star Rating: 4.5*/5*