10 WWE Matches That Changed EVERYTHING

2014 wasn’t a bad year for WWE, all told. Daniel Bryan had fans enthralled, The Shield were on the rise, along with cool characters like Bray Wyatt that Vince et al surely couldn’t ruin. The best work, however, was taking place in a Florida university for a revamped brand that was about to go on one of the best runs in professional wrestling.

NXT: Arrival was a game-changer foremostly because of its distribution method. The first WWE show ever broadcast live on the network, this was a huge step into a far more wallet-friendly and convenient world for WWE fans across the globe.

While there were some technical hitches, the finest match on the card - Sami Zayn vs Cesaro - played without a hitch. The entirety of Arrival shifted things for the company, but this bout made NXT’s message clear: we’re not a developmental system anymore, we’re a division on our own merit, and we’re about to put on the best wrestling in the USA.

While the match didn’t change things enough for the two men in it, both of whom have been terribly underserved by the main roster, it kicked down the door for NXT’s hopefuls to stroll through.