NXT Greatest Matches Volume 1

The original NXT that aired from 2010-2012 was a laughingstock of a ‘reality competition’ show filled with goofy challenges and awful gags. NXT’s re-launch as the new developmental territory for WWE in 2012 eviscerated all those bad early NXT memories. Since then, especially once the WWE Network debuted in 2014 and NXT introduced its PPV-esque, TakeOver specials, NXT has evolved into a unique third brand of the WWE. Triple H has been behind it since 2012, and he formed NXT today into something that feels like WWE’s take on a premiere indie promotion like Ring of Honor where the product is treated more sports-like and there is less of the mind-boggling ‘sports entertainment’ hijinx that sneaks onto core WWE programming each week.

I feel it is necessary to clue those in who may be unfamiliar with the buzz about NXT among ardent wrestling fans. NXT has a consistently fresh roster because the average NXT star is only on the roster for 1-2 years before getting ‘the call’ to move up to the main WWE roster or let go from the company all together. The talent regularly steps up to deliver big matches and moments on countless occasions that stand out in a special way because NXT is taped in front of a studio audience that has a more intimate feel than the big, showpiece sports arenas the average RAW and Smackdown emanates from. Best of all, the weekly NXT show on WWE Network is a swift one hour, and not the two-to-three hour slogs that the main roster programs can be toil to persevere through sometimes. In 2016 WWE released a DVD/BluRay collecting the best of the first four years of the new NXT through 2015, so let us take a look at NXT Greatest Matches: Volume 1 (trailer).

Volume 1 collects 18 matches, with five more upping the tally to 23 on the BluRay release. There is no feature-length documentary, but instead after every couple of matches there are 2-3 minute clips of new interviews from NXT stars and Triple H talking about pivotal moments in NXT history. These add up to a little under a half hour and cover the major moments such as how Triple H shaped the new NXT, debuting the first TakeOver on the WWE Network, NXT bringing a new focus on women’s wrestling, moving TakeOver to a big arena like the Barclays Center and lots of love for Dusty Rhodes when it came time to discuss the passing of ‘the oak’ of NXT. These are the essential bullet points I would like covered of NXT history, but a big part of me feels a little short-changed because I could easily see how WWE could have interviewed many more past and present NXT talent and made a far more comprehensive documentary.

I like most of the 18 core matches of the collection. Other than a handful of matches as extra features on other WWE home videos I have never seen much of the first two years of the new NXT, and there are eight matches from that era in Volume 1. It kicks off with a pre-3MB Jinder Mahal taking on a pre-Shield Seth Rollins to crown the first NXT champion in an electric moment that capped off with Dusty Rhodes presenting Rollins with the NXT Championship. From this era we also saw Paige winning the first NXT Women’s title in a tournament final against Emma. There is a reason why Emma was constantly mentioning her and Paige were the real beginning of the Women’s Evolution of WWE, and this match proves her point.

There are a couple awesome Cesaro matches from this era on here too from back when he had a first name! There is an absolutely tremendous 2-out-of-3 falls match with Cesaro and Sami Zayn that will likely be the first and only time I see someone tap out to….a basic headlock…seriously, and it looked damn convincing too! That Sami Zayn is a master salesman! Cesaro also has a superb technical/strong style showcase match with William Regal in what is essentially his retirement match where Regal gets his own Flair/Michaels Wrestlemania XXIV moment in a emotional sendoff for the Brit!

There is a solid 2013 match on here with Chris Jericho making a guest appearance on NXT taking on Bray Wyatt, but it is ruined with obnoxious commentary from Brad Maddox. Speaking of commentary, it is rare to have the same pairing of announcers in two matches straight as there is a revolving door of announcers throughout. Pre-Network era announcers are primarily William Regal and Jim Ross, but others like Brad Maddox occasionally join in. Throughout this collection NXT announcers are shuffled in and out such as Alex Riley, Renee Young, Rich Brennan, Byron Saxton, Jason Albert and Corey Graves.

As expected, a lot of classic TakeOver matches are on here. The main event of the first TakeOver with Neville winning the NXT Title from Bo Dallas in a ladder match is on here. Charlotte Flair winning the Women’s title in a tournament final against Natalya that featured both Ric Flair and Bret Hart at ringside to add extra notoriety is also a must-see. Volume 1 goes out of its way to show the story of Sami Zayn’s chase for NXT gold throughout and it pays off big with his title match in a Takeover special against Neville in a monumental match in this collection, which also has an equally monumental angle playing out afterwards with a debuting Kevin Owens.

As much as I loved the Paige/Emma and Charlotte/Natalya title matches, the standout women’s match in this collection is the TakeOver match between Sasha Banks and Bayley. It was a great crowning moment of Bayley’s multi-year growth over NXT history and her chase for NXT gold nearly ran parallel to Sami Zayn’s, and I recall that match living up to the hype. I was surprised their TakeOver Iron Man rematch somehow surpassed it and am dismayed that it did not make the cut for Volume 1, but I guess that is what…wait a sec, I just did some research and am flabbergasted that match is not in Volume 2 either. Screw it, here is a link to it, now make haste and check out the greatest women’s match in NXT history!

The collection winds down with two Kevin Owens TakeOver matches, where he wins the title from Zayn in a bout with a brutal finish and defending it against Finn Balor at the unique WWE Network-exclusive Beast in the East event in Japan. The final match features the finals of the first Dusty Rhodes tag team tournament which features a lot of solid old-school tag team wrestling fundamentals that were not that common in the tag team scene in recent decades until The Revival brought it back a couple years ago.

Most of Volume 1’s five BluRay exclusive matches are worth watching. It starts off with CM Punk teaming up with Seth Rollins to take on Cesaro and Kassius Ohno it what will likely be the only time we see the Kings of Wrestling team up on WWE television. We have a reminder that current RAW & SmackDown announcer Corey Graves was once a wrestler on here with his grudge match against former partner Neville. Charlotte and Sasha have a highly competitive match on here from when Charlotte cashed in her rematch clause for the Women’s title. Finally, Apollo Crews and Tyler Breeze have a surprisingly good match on here from a TakeOver special I have long forgotten about. There were a lot of intense sequences in here the duo pulled off flawlessly and this match is easily better than anything we have seen from both Breeze and Crews on the main roster.

Wrestling fans that are use to sticking to the main roster programming have been missing out big time if they have not been keeping up with NXT. NXT Greatest Matches Volume 1 is the perfect way to catch up to see how far their favorites have come. I got a lot out of this too from the eight matches that I did not see from before NXT was on the WWE Network, with the addition of a couple of bonus dark matches that were never before televised. My only main gripe is the lack of a fully featured documentary, but the interspersed interview clips are a sufficient compromise. I did pick up the follow up NXT home video WWE released last year, so be on the lookout for an entry for that too later this year!

Past Wrestling Blogs

Best of WCW Clash of Champions
Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 2
Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 3
Biggest Knuckleheads
Bobby The Brain Heenan
Daniel Bryan: Just Say Yes Yes Yes
DDP: Positively Living
Dusty Rhodes WWE Network Specials
ECW Unreleased: Vol 1
ECW Unreleased: Vol 2
ECW Unreleased: Vol 3
For All Mankind
Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection
Its Good to Be the King: The Jerry Lawler Story
The Kliq Rules
Ladies and Gentlemen My Name is Paul Heyman
Legends of Mid South Wrestling
Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story
Memphis Heat
OMG Vol 2: Top 50 Incidents in WCW History
OMG Vol 3: Top 50 Incidents in ECW History
Owen: Hart of Gold
RoH Supercard of Honor 2010-Present
ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery
Sting: Into the Light
Straight to the Top: Money in the Bank Anthology
Superstar Collection: Zach Ryder
TNA Lockdown 2005-Present
Top 50 Superstars of All Time
Tough Enough: Million Dollar Season
True Giants
Ultimate Fan Pack: Roman Reigns
Ultimate Warrior: Always Believe
War Games: WCWs Most Notorious Matches
Warrior Week on WWE Network
Wrestlemania 3: Championship Edition
Wrestlemania 28-Present
The Wrestler (2008)
Wrestling Road Diaries Too
Wrestling Road Diaries Three: Funny Equals Money
Wrestlings Greatest Factions
WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2015
WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2015
WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2016
WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2016
WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2017