10 Amazing (But Forgotten) WWE Pre-Show Matches You Need To See

6. Tyson Kidd & Cesaro Vs The New Day (Royal Rumble 2015)

sasha banks becky lynch tlc 2015
WWE.com

After an exciting turn at WrestleMania 30 (more on that later) failed to materialise into a singles run for Cesaro yet again, 'The Swiss Superman' rejoined the tag ranks alongside Tyson Kidd to form one of the most underrated doubles acts of the past decade.

Kidd had rebuilt himself in NXT as a deluded millennial douchebag, all giant headphones and ignorance, but exhibited the sort of in-ring skill that had repeatedly set him apart from the chasing pack during prior failed runs.

Their big man/little man chemistry represented a Shawn Michaels/Diesel pairing for the modern age, with Kidd a cruiserweight risk-taking equivalent of the 'HBK' and Cesaro a technically superior 'Big Daddy Cool'.

Though The New Day had yet to find their true voice or characteristics as struggling cheerleader babyfaces, the mechanics of the match were finely tuned, especally in a closing stretch when Kofi escaped the Champions' spectacular double team assaults.

The boisterous live crowd went ballistic for the teased finishes, especially those that put The New Day in peril, and were rapturous in their support when an illegal Cesaro uppercut to Kingston left him prone for a match-winning Kidd brainbuster.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett