Ranking Every 2-Out-Of-3 Falls Match In NXT Ever
1. Sami Zayn Vs. Cesaro: August 21, 2013
There are quite a few fans who didn't watch (let alone were aware of) NXT until it arrived on the WWE Network in February 2014. It was almost an underground promotion where fans ventured to the deepest depths of the internet every week to watch the show. But there was a bout that had everyone buzzing at the time it happened in August 2013, and is still regarded to this day as one of NXT's greatest clashes ever.
Sami Zayn accomplished the unfathomable when he beat Antonio Cesaro in his NXT debut, and although Cesaro won the rematch weeks later, their bad blood was far from over. They continued to feud over the course of the summer, culminating in a classic 2-out-3 Falls match on the August 21 episode.
NXT had never done such a stipulation prior to that point, so Zayn and Cesaro were in uncharted territory. Zayn quickly stole the first fall via a roll-up with Cesaro forcing Zayn to tap out to a chinlock (yes, you read that correctly) in the subsequent fall. They incorporated plenty of old school logic into their match with the momentum constantly shifting between the two in addition to the extremely exciting in-ring action.
The fantastic finishing sequence was truly something to behold with Cesaro reversing Zayn's DDT attempt into an uppercut in mid-air before nailing the Neutralizer for the hard-fought victory.
How long before these two meet in a similar match on the main roster?