10 Best Matches In NXT TakeOver History
8. Neville Vs. Finn Balor (Takeover: Rival, 2015)
Finn Balor’s ascent through the main roster ranks has been swift, but his early rise through NXT was just as impressive. Debuting alongside Hideo Itami in late 2014, Balor found himself involved in a number one contender’s tournament in January 2015. Defeating Curtis Axel in the first round and Itami in the second, Balor met (Adrian) Neville in TakeOver: Rival’s tournament final, and what a match it was.
Balor couldn’t have faced tougher opposition. Neville was a former NXT Champion, and his spell at Full Sail University had marked him as one of the world’s finest professional wrestlers. They hit the ring to produce a smooth back-and-forth affair that wasn’t particularly long, but left the fans delighted.
One of the match’s key highlights was Neville harking back to the low-key heel role he’d played during his feud with Sami Zayn. Neville spent large chunks of the match almost running away from Balor’s offensive, but won the crowd back with his typically stunning high-flying offense and stiff striking. It’s a shame Neville hasn’t been afforded such opportunities on the main roster, because he remains one of WWE’s most exhilarating performers.
The match saw Neville’s offensive domination build down the stretch, only for Balor to kick-out of everything that was thrown at him. In the end, Balor got his knees-up on Neville's Red Arrow, before working towards his own top rope finisher, the Coup de Grace, and securing contendership.