10 Best Matches In WWE NXT History
Who are the rookies again?
The internet went into meltdown last week when Wrestling Observer Newsletter chief Dave Meltzer awarded a rare five-star rating to Johnny Gargano's TakeOver: Philadelphia match with Andrade Almas.
Remarkably, it is the first time Meltzer has dished out the elusive honour to a WWE match in more than six years, putting a pair of NXT 'rookies' on a stage previously walked only by the likes of Bret Hart, Steve Austin, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and John Cena.
If you think about it, though, it is perhaps not all that surprising that it should be an NXT match that breaks the WWE duck. The company's developmental arm has been consistently trumping the main roster - in terms of match quality, if not outright drama - ever since they began their own big shows back in 2014.
A couple of factors are behind this, the most obvious of them being production constraints. NXT events are strictly concerned with wrestling, the performers given ample time to produce their best work inside the ring.
But it's also rooted in sensible, old-fashioned decision-making too. The creative team in Orlando have the best interest of their wrestlers at heart, and it's evident almost every time they put on a show.
10. Cesaro Vs. Sami Zayn (Arrival) (2014)
The very first 'pay-per-view' match produced by NXT, way back in February 2014, saw Cesaro face Sami Zayn in a 22-minute masterclass that still stands out from the list of Full Sail University's great matches four years later.
Since Zayn, a relatively recent acquisition from Ring of Honor, had pulled off an unlikely victory over Cesaro on his debut WWE performance in May of the previous year, this one carried significance beyond merely being the night's buffer.
Cesaro - having been a main roster star for two years now - had plenty to lose. The dynamic was that of a rookie upstart looking to score an upset over a much more experienced adversary, which works to such great effect when both men are on their game.
The only downside to this bout is that it helped typecast the Underdog from the Underground in the role of a hard-luck nice guy forever destined to come up just short when it really mattered - a tag he has only recently managed to shake off after finally turning heel.