10 Dream Wrestling Matches That Only Happened Once
7. Cesaro vs. Ilja Dragunov
NXT TakeOver: Cardiff is an all-time great event, with a rabid Welsh crowd providing a unique atmosphere and a card with no duds. One particularly enjoyable element is seeing oft-wasted talent Cesaro being treated like the star he is in a blinder of a match against Ilja Dragunov.
The younger man is one of modern wrestling’s great babyfaces, able to convincingly sell both the beating he’s taking and the idea that he could summon the grit to overcome it better than almost anyone. And he certainly takes a beating here, with Cesaro muscling the Russian around the ring and pulling off one of the longest giant swings to date.
Ilya never takes it lying down, though, and fires back with the stiff chops and athleticism that’s made him one of the division’s best stars. From the off, they forgo the technical stuff. This is two prime athletes looking to dominate one another in crisp, stiff fashion.
Cesaro finally gets the win, but it’s a hard fought one that does wonders to elevate Dragunov - and remind anyone watching just how great the Swiss superstar is.