10 Best WWE NXT Moments Since Moving To USA Network
2. Damian Priest And Timothy Thatcher's Modern Classic
Damian Priest is fantastic, currently having the run of his career as the North American Champion. The Archer of Infamy is so good at portraying a babyface champion and manages to get audiences invested in his success or failure. Despite being a giant in the land of the cruiserweights, Priest is a passionate and convincing underdog and with his recent NXT classic with Timothy Thatcher, he showcased just how useful he could be as a top hero.
Thatcher went at him with relentless aggression, trying to dissect the champion with strikes and limb work, inflicting massive amounts of pain throughout the contest. Priest fought back with equal fire, surviving genuinely unpredictable submission sequences and showcasing his incredible strength. It was reminiscent of Thatcher's MLW war with Low Ki in the perfect blend of narrative and style.
Within the final few minutes, the two attacked each other with sheer urgency and animal instincts, clawing at each other with the little energy they had left. When Priest hit the Reckoning, it was clear we’d witnessed a war. This underrated classic is an example of the benefits that NXT’s new format brings; this felt like a classic TV main event.