The 25 best WWE NXT matches of all time

23. Finn Bálor vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

It’s rare to get a gem of a match on a regular edition of weekly programming. But in NXT that’s usually the norm. When Finn Balor took on Shinsuke Namamura on a night of NXT programming it had that big-event feel. An exemplary video package preceded the match and got the crowd hyped.

Nakamura took the early advantage but Balor came back with a dropkick to the knee and continued to work the injury with a number of submission holds which grounded Nakamura. For most of the match, Balor displayed a ruthless and aggressive side to him rarely seen without being accompanied by his Demon paint.

Later in the match, Nakamura was to overcome his knee pain to mount a comeback. At one point, Nakamura was able to hit his Kinshasa finisher but to the surprise of many, Balor kicked out. The two would battle for over 20 nonstop minutes, throwing everything they could at each other. As Balor went for his Coup de Grace, Nakamura was able to avoid the impact and hit another Kinshasa for the win. The two showed respect to each other afterward an epic match that certainly lived up to its hype.