3. No. 1 Contender's Match: Sami Zayn vs. Tyler Breeze - NXT Takeover
Sami Zayn's road to the NXT Championship felt very much like an unending one for most of 2014. To say it had its bump and roadblocks would be an understatement. He suffered losses in title bouts and in other instances, failed to even get to the championship contest, as was the case at NXT's first Takeover special. At that show, Zayn battled Tyler Breeze in a match to determine the No. 1 contender to Adrian Neville's NXT Championship. While much of the attention was on Zayn and what was becoming a trend of great performances but losses in high-profile bouts, it was really Breeze's greatest opportunity to prove that he was more than the comedic midcard character would suggest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjda9pO1PfE Prince Pretty broke out, delivering a dazzling performance that not only led to him defeating Zayn and becoming the rightful No. 1 contender but also earning the respect of fans who had long awaited that defining performance from the Zoolander ripoff. For the popular Superstar Zayn, it was yet another missed opportunity, a loss that would haunt him for months but failed to deter him and his obsession with capturing the title that, for so long, had eluded him.
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.
