10 Most Important Wrestlers In NXT History
8. Cesaro
Like William Regal, Cesaro only wrestled a handful of matches in NXT, but his impact on the brand’s early fortunes unquestionably helped their development.
His first appearance came in April 2013, when he appeared at an NXT event to successfully defend his WWE United States champion against Neville. A few weeks later, Cesaro would continue appearing on NXT to start a feud with Sami Zayn, and the end result was one of the most significant matches in the brand’s history.
Initially squaring off on a standard edition of NXT TV, Zayn scored a huge upset victory over Cesaro, which the Swiss Superman avenged a month later. The victory saw Cesaro earn an NXT Championship shot against Bo Dallas, and while he ultimately fell short, it was another strong match that helped bring NXT to a bigger audience.
The real money match took place in February 2014, however. Cesaro and Zayn faced-off at NXT Arrival, the brand’s first ever live special, and their 2/3 falls clash blew the roof off. As the night’s opening match, it didn’t just set the tone for the rest of the show, but for all every special event that followed. NXT’s big TakeOver shows are a huge reason for the promotion’s reverence, and it all started with Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn.