10 Hidden Gem WWE NXT TakeOver Matches That Deserve A Rewatch
They may not come to mind straight away, but these incredible NXT TakeOver bouts will live on.
The pandemic era has been difficult for WWE, but luckily for them, NXT has remained the company’s saving grace. Despite suffering from the absence of their loyal and rabid fanbase perhaps more than any wrestling promotion in the world, NXT still manages to produce must-see television.
Since day one, NXT has been the brightest gem in WWE’s crown, and its apex is the TakeOver series. Every TakeOver event since its inception has had at least one Match Of The Year Contender, and no less than five TakeOver matches have been awarded 5-stars from Dave Meltzer. The impact of these events, at its peak, has transformed women’s and tag-team wrestling in the mainstream, along with delivering countless history-defining rivalries and groundbreaking all-time classic matches.
However, the unbelievable pace at which NXT has been able to churn out such epic encounters at TakeOver events has caused some barnstormers to become somewhat forgotten. At the very least, they flow well below the radar as hidden gems. There are just too many amazing contests to keep track of.
Each match on this list has a certain unique charm. Whether they served to unearth a previously overlooked star, highlight the very best of a particular style, or are best remembered as a now misused performer’s shining moment, they all deserve water-cooler conversation status.
Go rewatch these classics as soon as you finish reading this list...
10. The Velveteen Dream Vs Tyler Breeze (NXT TakeOver XXV)
At its core, the purpose of NXT then, now and forever will be a developmental brand that's main goal is primarily dedicated to cultivating home-grown talents.
Two men who undoubtedly fit this mold, are Tough Enough graduate Velveteen Dream and NXT Original Tyler Breeze. As the charismatic and affluent showmen of their respective NXT eras, this was a match-up not thought possible until Prince Pretty’s NXT return during The Dreams North American Championship reign in 2019.
This was a clash of personalities, a battle with a gimmick-centric focus, which is not often seen in NXT such is the emphasis on wrestling. Battling over the brand's work-rate belt, owning the spotlight fueled this rivalry, with both competitors wishing to prove the other was the Wish.com version of themselves.
Velveteen was on a hot run during this period in NXT history, as arguably the brand’s most popular performer for a period. Although, it was fitting that an NXT original like Breeze played a major part in the 25th anniversary of the TakeOver series, facing Dream at TakeOver XXV. Despite losing, there is no doubt that Tyler was the big star here. After years of languishing in comedy or lower card turmoil on the main roster, he made the most of his opportunity to remind the NXT and larger WWE Universe of his credentials as a singles superstar, and the fans in attendance well and truly appreciated his efforts.