10 Sami Zayn WWE matches to watch instead of Super ShowDown

1. Sami Zayn vs Adrian Neville (NXT Takeover R-Evolution – December 11, 2014)

It honestly doesn’t get better than this.

Since his NXT debut on May 22, 2013, Sami Zayn fought in every match with tenacious, passion, focus, and heart. He laid his body on the line and made his impact on the Black and Gold brand. He is the first Mr. NXT in my eyes, and this match was the culmination of all his hard work.

After Neville beat him with the fake injury roll-up, Zayn was crushed. If he couldn’t win the title he’s been chasing for over a year, why should he even wrestle anymore? In a move of desperation, he bet his NXT career that he would win the title in a rematch with the champion.

So there it is, all on the line: if Zayn wins, he becomes NXT Champion; if he loses, he leaves NXT for good.

These two put on a Helluva match. The storytelling is unrivaled. Both superstars exhaust their movesets, and they do everything they possibly can to win. But Zayn’s personal journey really is the driving force of this match.

The man is determined, focused, desperate. He is doing everything he can, giving it everything he’s got. Then, the referee gets knocked out.

Neville brings in his belt to attack Zayn, who dodges this and gets the upperhand. Neville, on the floor, is slow to get up. Zayn is all the sudden distracted by the belt. Like Frodo looking at the One Ring, Zayn holds it in his hand.

He looks at Neville, and is tempted to strike the champion with his own belt. The crowd is yelling “No,” praying their babyface will not succumb to temptation and earn this championship he deserves the right way.

After a moment, Zayn collects himself, throws the belt aside, and is able to eventually hit his finisher and pin the champion

1. 2. 3. Zayn has finally done it. The whole locker room comes out to cheer him on. It is a beautiful moment that he shares with the NXT audience, until Kevin Owens turns on him, becoming a heel and starting a two year feud.

Grade: 5