For World Wrestling Entertainment in 2014, the future was a year of consistently great in-ring action, thanks in large part to the development and elevation of young talent across the board. Stars such as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose headlined pay-per-views while Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Rusev, the Wyatt Family and the Usos delivered extraordinary matches on the mid-card. At a time when WWE's crack creative staff was anything but uniformly strong throughout the year, the work of the company's top young men and women more than stabilized the product. The introduction of WWE Network also allowed the Superstars and Divas of NXT to break out, to earn the recognition they deserve for some of the phenomenal action they presented fans with in 2014. Adrian Neville reigned as champion throughout most of the year, Sami Zayn embarked on a long and arduous journey to the top of the proverbial mountain and Tyler Breeze proved that he was more than just a pretty face. Natalya, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Paige and Emma raised the stakes for female wrestlers across the country and newcomers such as Finn Balor, Hideo Itami, Kevin Owens and Baron Corbin wasted little time making an immediate impact. Their matches this year have made NXT one of the hottest brands in professional wrestling, culminating with a Takeover: R Evolution special that has been hailed as one of the best shows of the year. As 2014 comes to an end and the new year is on the horizon, enjoy this look back at the best matches NXT has produced over the last 365 days.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
