Here is a list of the best NXT matches of all time according to Dave Meltzer’s ratings. Meltzer rates matches on a 5-star scale in his Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscribe here). These matches have received a 4.25-star rating or above. It is important to remember that this is only Meltzer’s opinion. If a match was rated higher for you, there is nothing wrong with that! Note: We have also included matches from NXT UK on this list.
Best NXT Matches Of All Time According To Star Ratings
Cesaro vs Sami Zayn
Event: NXT Arrival | Rating: 4.25 stars
Cesaro and Sami Zayn faced off in the opening match at NXT Arrival back in 2014. They ended up putting on a really fun match, with Cesaro picking up the win.
This was the highest-rated match of the event according to Meltzer. I don’t think that many would disagree that it was the best match of the night.
Finn Balor vs Neville
Event: NXT TakeOver: Rival | Rating: 4.25 stars
Finn Balor and Neville faced off in a match to determine the #1 contender for the NXT Championship. This turned out to be a pretty fun match from two talented performers.
This received the highest star rating from Meltzer at the event.
Finn Balor vs Kevin Owens
Event: NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn| Rating: 4.25 stars
Finn Balor and Neville faced off in a ladder match at Takeover Brooklyn. They had the unenviable job of following the match between Bayley and Sasha Banks, who tore down the house one match prior.
This still turned out to be a really solid match. Both Balor and Owens worked well together and it was an enjoyable match.
Sasha Banks vs Bayley
Event: NXT TakeOver: Respect | Rating: 4.25 stars
Sasha Banks and Bayley faced off in the first-ever Women’s Ironman match in WWE history. It turned out to be another really fun match between these two ladies.
Many would agree that this wasn’t as good as their match at Takeover: Brooklyn but it was still a lot of fun.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Samoa Joe
Event: NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II | Rating: 4.25 stars
The main event of NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II was between Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura. This was the match where Nakamura won the NXT Championship.
A really solid match between two talented wrestlers.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Samoa Joe
Event: NXT TakeOver: Toronto | Rating: 4.25 stars
Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe would face off in the main event of Takeover: Toronto for the NXT Championship. In a surprising result, Joe won the Title back from Nakamura.
Another really solid match between Joe and Nakamura.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Bobby Roode
Event: NXT TakeOver: San Antonio | Rating: 4.25 stars
Bobby Roode won the NXT Championship for the first time in San Antonio. This came after he hit two Glorious DDT’s on Nakamura for the victory.
A pretty solid match that earned the 4.25 rating from Meltzer.
Asuka vs Ember Moon
Event: NXT TakeOver: Orlando | Rating: 4.25 stars
On Wrestlemania 33 weekend, Ember Moon and Asuka ended up putting on a really good match for the NXT Women’s Championship.
It might have been overlooked because of some of the other matches on the card but it was really solid.
Bobby Roode vs Hideo Itami
Event: NXT TakeOver: Chicago 2017 | Rating: 4.25 stars
The match between Bobby Roode and Hideo Itami received a favorable review from Meltzer. These two squared off in Chicago for the NXT Championship.
After injuries plagued Itami for his NXT career, this was a great display of his talent on a big stage. The match was enjoyable and both guys deserve some credit.
The Authors of Pain vs Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa
Event: NXT TakeOver: Chicago 2017 | Rating: 4.25 stars
The main event of Takeover: Chicago was the ladder match for the NXT Tag team Championships. Gargano and Ciampa took on the Authors of Pain in a fun match.
This was a lot of fun and a really great showcase of tag team wrestling. Great swerve after the match too when Ciampa turned on Gargano.
Johnny Gargano vs Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas
Event – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III | Rating – 4.25 stars
Johnny Gargano and Andrade Almas faced off for the first time at NXT Takeover Brooklyn III. It turned out to be a really solid match.
Of course, we now know that it wouldn’t be close to their encounter a few months later in Philadelphia. Still, a good match.
Aleister Black vs Hideo Itami
Event: NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III | Rating: 4.25 stars
Aleister Black and Hideo Itami worked a really stiff match against one another in Brooklyn. It was certainly entertaining for fans but they must have been sore the next day!
A great performance from both guys.
Drew McIntyre vs Bobby Roode
Event: NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III | Rating: 4.25 stars
The main event of Takeover: Brooklyn III was Bobby Roode vs Drew McIntyre for the NXT Championship. Drew McIntyre ended up winning the Title after a fun match.
After the match, Adam Cole made his NXT debut. Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish took out McIntyre in a fun moment. Great stuff all around.
Aleister Black vs Adam Cole
Event: NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia | Rating: 4.25 stars
Aleister Black and Adam Cole faced off in an Extreme Rules match in Philadelphia. This turned out to be a great example of how good an extreme rules match can be in today’s ‘PG’ environment.
Both guys took some big bumps and it was enjoyable.
Johnny Gargano vs Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas
Event: NXT TV (Feb. 21, 2018) | Rating: 4.25 stars
The stakes were high on the February 21st, 2018 episode of NXT. Andrade Almas put his NXT Title on the line against the NXT career of Johnny Gargano. We already know Gargano and Almas have chemistry in the ring and they delivered yet again.
After some interference from Tommaso Ciampa, Gargano would end up losing and had to say goodbye to NXT. A great match for a weekly episode of NXT.
Aleister Black vs Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas
Event: NXT TakeOver: New Orleans | Rating: 4.25 stars
Andrade Almas and Aleister Black put on a really good match at Takeover: New Orleans. The problem is that it gets overshadowed by the two 5-star matches that were on the card.
Still, Aleister and Andrade put on a solid match against one another. Very enjoyable from bell-to-bell.
Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream
Event: NXT TakeOver: Chicago 2018 | Rating: 4.25 stars
Ricochet faced off against Velveteen Dream at NXT Takeover: Chicago. This was the second match of the night and they had the tough task of following the excellent Tag Team Title match that kicked off the show. Dream and Ricochet were able to put on a solid match and kept the show rolling.
Ricochet picked up the win in what ended up being a fun match.
Undisputed Era vs Moustache Mountain and Ricochet
Event: NXT (June 26th, 2018) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, and Kyle O’Reilly) faced off against Ricochet and Mustache Mountain (Tyler Bate and Trent Seven). This happened on the June 26th, 2018 episode of NXT.
The Undisputed Era would pick up the win in a fun match.
Pete Dunne, Ricochet, and War Raiders (Hanson and Ray Rowe) vs The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong)
Event: NXT Takeover: War Games II (2018) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
NXT Takeover: War Games II featured a massive 8-man War Games match. The match went for over 45 minutes with plenty of big moments and moves throughout.
Dunne, Ricochet, and the War Raiders went on to win.
Adam Cole vs. Ricochet vs. Aleister Black vs. Matt Riddle vs. Velveteen Dream
Event: NXT (March 20, 2019) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
Adam Cole, Ricochet, Aleister Black, Matt Riddle, and Velveteen Dream faced off in a Fatal 5-Way Match on the March 20th edition of NXT. This was in order to determine Johnny Gargano’s opponent at TakeOver: New York
The match was eventually won by Adam Cole. This was a really fun match though, especially for a weekly episode of NXT.
Io Shirai vs Candice LeRae
Event: NXT Takeover: Toronto (2019) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
Candice LeRae and Io Shirai faced off at NXT Takeover: Toronto. This turned out to be a really fun match, with Shirai picking up the win.
This ended up being the highest-rated match at Takeover: Toronto.
Adam Cole vs Matt Riddle
Event: NXT (October 2nd, 2019) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
Adam Cole and Matt Riddle faced off on the October 2nd, 2019 edition of NXT. This was for Cole’s NXT Championship.
Cole ended up retaining after a really fun battle. This was a high-quality match, especially for a regular edition of NXT (and not a Takeover special).
The Revival vs The Undisputed Era
Event: NXT (November 20th, 2019) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
The Revival came back to NXT for a match against The Undisputed Era. This ended up being a fantastic match.
The Undisputed Era ended up winning but both teams deserve a lot of credit.
Team Rhea (Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox, and Dakota Kai) vs Team Shayna (Shayna Baszler, Io Shirai, Bianca Belair, and Kay Lee Ray)
Event: NXT Takeover: WarGames 2019 | Rating: 4.25 Stars
Takeover: WarGames III featured the first-ever women’s WarGames match in history. Team Rhea Ripley faced off against Team Shayna Baszler.
This was a fun match that proved women can excel in WarGames matches. Rhea Ripley ended up winning the match for her team.
Finn Balor vs Adam Cole
Event: NXT (December 18th, 2019) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
Finn Balor and Adam Cole faced off on the December 18th, 2019 episode of NXT. This was for Cole’s NXT Championship.
Johnny Gargano returned during this match and distracted Balor. This allowed Cole to take advantage and he retained his title.
The Undisputed Era vs Imperium
Event: WWE Worlds Collide 2020 | Rating: 4.25 Stars
The Undisputed Era and Imperium faced off in an 8-man tag team match at WWE Worlds Collide in 2020. This was an event that pitted NXT against NXT UK.
Imperium ended up winning after about 30 minutes.
Keith Lee vs Dominik Dijakovic
Event: NXT Takeover: Portland (2020) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic faced off at NXT Takeover: Portland. This was for the NXT North American Championship.
Lee ended up winning after about 20 minutes in what was a really good match.
Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne vs James Drake and Zack Gibson
Event: WWE NXT (January 29th, 2020) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
The Grizzled Young Veterans and The BroserWeights faced off in the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
This turned out to be a good match, with Riddle and Dunne winning.
Matt Riddle vs Timothy Thatcher
Event: WWE NXT (May 27th, 2020) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher faced off in a ‘cage fight’ on the May 27th, 2020 episode of NXT. Kurt Angle was the special guest referee for the match.
Thatcher ended up winning the match via technical submission.
Charlotte Flair vs Rhea Ripley vs Io Shirai
Event: NXT Takeover: In Your House (2020) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
NXT Takeover: In Your House featured a triple threat match for the NXT Women’s Championship. It was Charlotte Flair vs Rhea Ripley vs Io Shirai.
This turned out to be a really good match. Shirai ended up winning to become the new Women’s Champion.
Adam Cole vs Keith Lee
Event: NXT The Great American Bash: Day 2 (2020) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
Adam Cole and Keith Lee faced off in a ‘Winner Take All’ match on day 2 of The Great American Bash. This was for both Cole’s NXT Championship and Lee’s NXT North American Championship.
Lee ended up winning the match after about 20 minutes to become a double champion.
Io Shirai vs Candice LeRae
Event: NXT Halloween Havoc (October 28th, 2020) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
Io Shirai and Candice LeRae faced off at the special Halloween Havoc event in 2020. This was a “Tables, Ladders & Scares” Match for the NXT Women’s Championship.
This ended up being a lot of fun. Io won the match to retain her belt.
Pete Dunne vs Kyle O’Reilly
Event: WWE NXT (November 25th, 2020) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
Pete Dunne and Kyle O’Reilly faced off on the November 25th, 2020 edition of NXT in a ladder match. This was in order to gain an advantage for their team at WarGames.
Dunne won after a hooded figure showed up and attacked O’Reilly.
Pete Dunne vs Kyle O’Reilly
Event: WWE NXT (December 16th, 2020) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
Pete Dunne and Kyle O’Reilly faced off on the December 16th, 2020 episode of NXT. This was a match to determine the #1 contender for the NXT Championship.
O’Reilly ended up winning the match after a really good match.
Pete Dunne vs Kushida
Event: NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver (2021) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
Night 1 of Takeover: Stand & Deliver featured a match between Pete Dunne and Kushida.
Io Shirai vs Raquel Gonzalez
Event: NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver (2021) | Rating: 4.25 Stars
Night 1 of Takeover: Stand & Deliver included a match between Io Shirai and Raquel Gonzalez. This was for the NXT Women’s Championship.
Finn Balor vs Karrion Kross
Event: WWE NXT (May 25th, 2021) | Rating: 4.25 stars
The May 25th, 2021 episode of NXT featured a match between Finn Balor and Karrion Kross. This was for the NXT Title.
Adam Cole vs Pete Dunne vs Johnny Gargano vs Karrion Kross vs Kyle O’Reilly
Event: NXT Takeover: In Your House (2021) | Rating: 4.25 stars
The main event of Takeover: In Your House II was the fatal 5-way match for the NXT Title. It was Adam Cole vs Pete Dunne vs Johnny Gargano vs Karrion Kross vs Kyle O’Reilly.
Kross picked up the win to retain his title.
Neville vs Tyson Kidd vs Sami Zayn vs Tyler Breeze
Event: NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way | Rating; 4.5 stars
Back in 2014, fans got to see a really awesome fatal 4-way match. Tyler Breeze, Tyson Kidd, Sami Zayn and Neville all put on a great match for the NXT Championship.
Neville would go on to retain the NXT Championship but this was a lot of fun. Certainly a memorable match and worth a re-watch.
Bayley vs Sasha Banks
Event: NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn | Rating: 4.5 stars
Sasha Banks and Bayley tore down the house in their match at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn for the Women’s Championship. They told a great story and really showcased their in-ring ability. This match was so good that Seth Rollins was spotted shedding a tear at ringside.
The match has received a lot of praise from wrestling fans. It is considered by many as one of the best Women’s matches in the history of WWE.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn
Event: NXT TakeOver: Dallas | Rating: 4.5 stars
Shinsuke Nakamura made his WWE debut at Takeover: Dallas. There was a ton of hype coming into the match and did he ever live up to the hype.
Nakamura and Zayn put on an incredible match against one another. This was a really fun match between both guys and was the perfect debut for Nakamura.
The Revival vs Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa
Event: NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II | Rating: 4.5 stars
The Revival and DIY really showcased how good tag team wrestling can be at Takeover: Brooklyn II. The Revival also really demonstrated how good of heels that they can be in this match.
A great performance from both teams.
The Revival vs Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa
Event: NXT TakeOver: Toronto | Rating: 4.5 stars
The Revival and DIY faced off in a 2 out of 3 falls match in Toronto. This was easily the best match of the night and I thought that both teams told a great story.
Both teams have great chemistry and this was a lot of fun.
The Revival vs Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa vs the Authors of Pain
Event: NXT TakeOver: Orlando | Rating: 4.5 stars
These three teams faced off in a really fun triple threat elimination match at Takeover Orlando. I thought that all 3 teams played their roles well and told a great story,
The Authors of Pain ended up winning.
Bobby Roode vs Shinsuke Nakamura
Event: NXT TakeOver: Orlando | Rating: 4.5 stars
The main event of Takeover Orlando was the NXT Title match between Nakamura and Roode. Roode would go on to win the match to retain his Title.
Another solid match between these two. Meltzer liked it enough to give it 4.5 stars.
Asuka vs Ember Moon
Event: NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III | Rating: 4.5 stars
Asuka and Ember Moon put on a great match at Takeover Brooklyn III. There were a lot of strong matches on this card but the NXT Women’s Title match was probably the best of the night.
Great stuff between Ember and Asuka.
SANITY vs The Authors of Pain and Roderick Strong vs The Undisputed Era
Event: NXT TakeOver: WarGames | Rating: 4.5 stars
WarGames made its debut for the first time under the WWE banner. This turned out to be a lot of fun and brutal like you probably expected.
There is no question that the return of WarGames was a major success. Great stuff from all 3 teams.
Pete Dunne vs Tyler Bate
Event: NXT (Dec. 20, 2017) | Rating: 4.5 stars
Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate faced off for the UK Title on the December 20th, 2017 episode of NXT. Was there any question that Bate and Dunne would tear down the house again?
An impressive match on a weekly episode of NXT.
Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan vs. The Undisputed Era
Event: NXT Takeover: Chicago 2018 | Rating: 4.5 stars
Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan made quite the name for themselves at NXT Takeover: Chicago. They didn’t win the NXT Tag Team Titles but put on an impressive showing on the biggest stage of their careers.
This was a fun match and opened the Takeover: Chicago event with a bang.
Tommaso Ciampa vs Johnny Gargano
Event: NXT Takeover: Chicago 2018 | Rating: 4.5 stars
The main event of Takeover: Chicago was the street fight between Ciampa and Gargano. These two put on a brutal match against one another which ended with Ciampa coming out on top.
This rating may come as a surprise since some fans thought it was on par with their previous clash in New Orleans. Still a really awesome match.
Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era
Event: NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 2018 | Rating:4.5 stars
Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate and Trent Seven) faced off against the Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong) in the opening match of NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 4. These two teams delivered with another fun match between them.
The Undisputed Era retained the Titles. It was a great match to kick off the show.
Adam Cole vs Ricochet
Event: NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 2018 | Rating: 4.5 stars
Adam Cole and Ricochet faced off at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 4 for the North American Championship. The match included some fun moments, including Cole superkicking Ricochet while he was in the middle of a moonsault.
Ricochet picked up the win to become the new North American Champion.
Tommaso Ciampa vs Johnny Gargano
Event: NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 2018 | Rating: 4.5 stars
The main event of Takeover: Brooklyn 4 was the Last Man Standing match between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. This was for the NXT Championship. As expected, these two put on another great match.
Ciampa ended up winning the match to retain the Title.
Pete Dunne (WWE UK Champion) vs Ricochet (NXT North American Champion)
Event: NXT (September 19th, 2018) | Rating: 4.5 stars
Pete Dunne and Ricochet faced off in a Champion vs Champion match on the September 19th, 2018 episode of NXT. Dunne was the WWE UK Champion, while Ricochet was the NXT North American Champion.
The match ended in a no contest after interference from the Undisputed Era.
Moustache Mountain vs James Drake & Zack Gibson
Event: NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool| Rating: 4.5 stars
The first-ever NXT UK Takeover match turned out to be a good one. James Drake and Zack Gibson defeated Tyler Bate and Trent Seven to become the inaugural NXT UK Tag Team Champions.
This was a fun match that went for over 20 minutes.
Undisputed Era vs War Raiders
Event: NXT Takeover: Phoenix | Rating: 4.5 stars
The first match of Takeover: Phoenix was for the NXT Tag Team Championships. The Undisputed Era put their belts on the line against the War Raiders.
The War Raiders won the Titles in a fun match to open the show.
Aleister Black, Ricochet & Velveteen Dream vs. Tommaso Ciampa, Adam Cole & Johnny Gargano
Event: Halftime Heat (February 3, 2019) | Rating: 4.5 stars
WWE decided to bring back Halftime Heat in 2019. Instead of watching Maroon 5 perform during the Super Bowl, fans were able to tune into a fun 6-man tag team match.
Black, Ricochet & Dream picked up the win after about 16 minutes of action.
The War Raiders vs Ricochet and Aleister Black
Event: NXT Takeover: New York| Rating: 4.5 stars
The War Raiders faced off against Ricochet and Aleister Black at Takeover: New York. This was for the NXT Tag Team Championships.
This was a fun match to kick off the event. The War Raiders ended up retaining. Ricochet and Black said goodbye to NXT after the match.
Velveteen Dream vs Matt Riddle
Event: NXT Takeover: New York | Rating: 4.5 stars
Velveteen Dream put his NXT North American Championship on the line against Matt Riddle at Takeover: New York.
This was a fun match that saw Dream retain his Title.
Matt Riddle vs Roderick Strong
Event: NXT Takeover: XXV | Rating: 4.5 stars
Matt Riddle and Roderick Strong faced off in the opening match of NXT Takeover: XXV.
This ended up being a fun match with Riddle winning after about 15 minutes.
Gallus vs The Grizzled Young Veterans vs Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews
Event: NXT Takeover: Cardiff 2019 | Rating: 4.5 Stars
Takeover: Cardiff featured a triple threat match for the NXT Tag Team Championships.
Webster and Andrews ended up winning the belts in a fun match.
The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong) vs Team Ciampa (Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic, and Kevin Owens)
Event: NXT Takeover: WarGames 2019 | Rating: 4.5 Stars
The Undisputed Era faced off against Team Tommaso Ciampa in a WarGames match. Kevin Owens ended up being the mystery partner for Ciampa’s team.
This match was a lot of fun. Ciampa picked up the win for his team after dropping Adam Cole from the top of the cell.
Tyler Bate vs Jordan Devlin
Event: NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool II (2020) | Rating: 4.5 Stars
Tyler Bate and Jordan Devlin faced off at NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool II. They ended up stealing the show and having the best match of the night.
Bate ended up winning after a really fun match.
Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne vs Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster
Event: WWE NXT (January 15th, 2020) | Rating: 4.5 Stars
The 2020 Dusty Rhodes Classic featured Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne vs Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster. This turned out to be a really fun match that was full of action.
Dunne and Riddle ended up winning to advance in the tournament.
Finn Balor vs Johnny Gargano
Event: NXT Takeover: Portland (2020) | Rating: 4.5 Stars
Finn Balor and Johnny Gargano faced off at Takeover: Portland. They ended up going for about 27 minutes in what was a really technical match.
Balor ended up winning after hitting the ‘1916’ on Gargano.
Finn Balor vs Kyle O’Reilly
Event: NXT Takeover: 31 (2020)| Rating: 4.5 Stars
NXT Takeover: 31 featured a match between Finn Balor and Kyle O’Reilly. This was for the NXT Championship.
This turned out to be a really good match. Balor won to retain his title.
The Grizzled Young Vets vs MSK
Event: NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day (2021) | Rating: 4.5 Stars
Takeover Vengeance Day featured the finals of the men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. The final match was The Grizzled Young Vets vs MSK.
MSK ended up winning after a really fun match.
Finn Balor vs Pete Dunne
Event: NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day (2021) | Rating: 4.5 Stars
Finn Balor and Pete Dunne faced off in the main event of Takeover: Vengeance Day. This was for the NXT Championship.
This was a really good match, with Balor winning. After it was over, The Undisputed Era split up.
WALTER vs Tommaso Ciampa
Event: NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver (2021) | Rating: 4.5 Stars
The first night of Takeover: Stand & Deliver featured a match between WALTER and Tommaso Ciampa. This was for the NXT UK Championship.
Wes Lee & Nash Carter vs Zack Gibson & James Drake vs Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde
Event: NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver (2021) | Rating: 4.5 Stars
The first night of Takeover: Stand & Deliver featured a triple threat match: MSK vs Grizzled Young Veterans vs Legado del Fantasma. This was for the vacant NXT Tag Team Titles.
Adam Cole vs Kyle O’Reilly
Event: NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver (2021) | Rating: 4.5 Stars
Night 2 of Takeover: Stand & Deliver featured a match between Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly. This was an unsanctioned match.
Adam Cole vs Kyle O’Reilly
Event: NXT The Great American Bash (2021) | Rating: 4.5 Stars
Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly faced off at The Great American Bash.
Adam Cole vs Kyle O’Reilly
Event: NXT Takeover: 36 | Rating: 4.5 stars
Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly faced off at NXT Takeover: 36. This was in a 3 stages of hell match.
Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel vs Kyle O’Reilly and Von Wagner
Event: NXT WarGames (2021) | Rating: 4.5 stars
The 2021 edition of Takeover: WarGames featured a match for the NXT Tag Team belts. It was Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel vs Kyle O’Reilly and Von Wagner.
Sami Zayn vs Adrian Neville
Event: NXT TakeOver: R Evolution | Rating: 4.75 stars
Sami Zayn and Neville put on one heck of a match at NXT Takeover R Evolution back in 2014. This was really enjoyable from bell-to-bell.
After the match, Kevin Owens celebrated with his long-time friend Sami. Owens turned on Zayn with a vicious powerbomb onto the ring apron. A great piece of storytelling and a great match. Easily one of the best NXT matches from the early days of the developmental brand.
Pete Dunne vs Tyler Bate
Event: NXT TakeOver: Chicago | Rating: 4.75 stars
If you didn’t know Pete Dunne or Tyler Bate before Takeover Chicago, they likely made quite the impression on you. These two stole the show in their match for the United Kingdom Championship.
It also really showcased the potential of both guys as future WWE Superstars. Both were under the age of 24 years old when this match happened. An incredible match and both of their stocks in WWE skyrocketed. This was voted as the NXT match of the year for 2017.
Johnny Gargano vs Aleister Black
Event: NXT TakeOver: War Games II | Rating: 4.75 stars
Johnny Gargano and Aleister Black faced off at NXT Takeover: War Games II. This match was made after it was revealed that Gargano was Black’s mystery attacker from months prior.
Black and Gargano put on a really good match. Black ended up winning after about 18 minutes.
Tommaso Ciampa vs Velveteen Dream
Event: NXT TakeOver: War Games II | Rating: 4.75 stars
The NXT Championship match at Takeover: War Games II was between Tommaso Ciampa and Velveteen Dream.
This ended up being a really good match with Ciampa retaining in the end.
Ricochet vs Johnny Gargano
Event: NXT TakeOver: Phoenix | Rating: 4.75 stars
Ricochet and Johnny Gargano faced off for the NXT North American Championship at Takeover: Phoenix in 2019.
They ended up delivering a really fun match. Gargano would win the match to become the new Champion.
WALTER vs Pete Dunne
Event: NXT TakeOver: New York | Rating: 4.75 stars
WALTER and Pete Dunne faced off at NXT Takeover: New York. This was for Dunne’s WWE UK Championship.
WALTER won a fun and physical match, ending Dunne’s Title reign at over 600 days.
The BroserWeights (Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne) vs The Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly)
Event: NXT Takeover: Portland (2020) | Rating: 4.75 Stars
Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne faced off against Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly at Takeover: Portland. This was for the NXT Tag Team Titles.
The BroserWeights won the belts in what was a really good match.
Adam Cole vs Tommaso Ciampa
Event: NXT Takeover: Portland (2020) | Rating: 4.75 Stars
The main event of Takeover: Portland was Adam Cole vs Tommaso Ciampa for the NXT Championship. This turned out to be a really good match.
Cole ended up winning the match to retain his title. This came after Johnny Gargano turned on Ciampa.
The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly) vs The Kings Of NXT (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch)
Event: NXT Takeover: WarGames (2020) | Rating: 4.75 Stars
The 2020 edition of the WarGames event featured a WarGames match between The Undisputed Era and The Kings Of NXT.
This turned out to be an amazing match, with The Undisputed Era eventually winning. It was also another great performance from Pat McAfee in his second-ever match.
Johnny Gargano vs Kushida
Event: NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day (2021) | Rating: 4.75 Stars
Johnny Gargano and KUSHIDA faced off at the NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day event. This was for the NXT North American Championship.
This turned out to be a really good match, with Gargano winning.
Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller, and Tony D’Angelo vs Johnny Gargano, LA Knight, Pete Dunne, and Tommaso Ciampa
Event: NXT WarGames (2021) | Rating: 4.75 Stars
The 2021 edition of Takeover: WarGames featured a men’s WarGames match. It was Team 2.0 (Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller, and Tony D’Angelo) vs Team Black & Gold (Johnny Gargano, LA Knight, Pete Dunne, and Tommaso Ciampa).
Here is the list of all NXT 5 star matches. These are the best NXT matches of all time according to Dave Meltzer.
Andrade “Cien” Almas vs Johnny Gargano
Event: NXT Takeover: Philadelphia | Rating: 5 Stars
This was the first NXT match to ever receive a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer. Not only that, it was the first WWE match to receive 5 stars since John Cena vs CM Punk in 2011.
Gargano and Almas tore down the house in Philadelphia. An incredible match between two very skilled wrestlers. Almas won the match but both men earned our respect. After the match, Gargano was attacked by his longtime friend and rival Tommaso Ciampa. A cherry on top to a great match. There is no doubt that this will go down as one of the best NXT matches ever.
Adam Cole vs EC3 vs Killian Dain vs Lars Sullivan vs Ricochet vs The Velveteen Dream
Event: NXT Takeover: New Orleans | Rating: 5 Stars
This was a ladder match for the inaugural NXT North American Championship. All 6 guys played their roles very well and we ended up with a really fun match.
This kicked off NXT Takeover: New Orleans with a bang as it was the opening match. Adam Cole would go on to climb the ladder and become the first North American Champ. This will certainly go down as one of the greatest NXT matches ever.
Tommaso Ciampa vs Johnny Gargano
Event: NXT Takeover: New Orleans | Rating: 5 Stars
One of the best storylines in the history of NXT. Fans finally got to see Gargano and Ciampa face off after a year full of betrayal and injuries. This had a lot of hype coming in and boy did it ever deliver.
This match was special. You could feel the hate between Ciampa and Gargano throughout the match. They told an awesome story and it will go down as one of the best NXT matches in history.
Tyler Bate and Trent Seven vs Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly
Event: NXT (July 11, 2018) | Rating: 5 Stars
Moustache Mountain vs the Undisputed Era took place on the July 11th, 2018 episode and was a lot of fun. The match ended after Tyler Bate had to throw the towel in for his partner.
This is the first and only 5-star match that came from a weekly episode of NXT. It also is the first tag team match to ever receive the rating in WWE. This also marked the first WWE 5 star match that didn’t happen on a WWE PPV or at a Takeover special.
WALTER vs Ilja Dragunov
Event: NXT UK (October 29, 2020) | Rating: 5 Stars
WALTER and Ilja Dragunov faced off on the October 29th episode of NXT UK. This was for the NXT United Kingdom Championship.
WALTER ended up winning to retain his belt after what was a really hard-hitting match.
Adam Cole vs Johnny Gargano
Event: NXT Takeover: XXV 2019 | Rating: 5.25 Stars
Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano faced off for the NXT Title at Takeover: XXV.
This match went for over 32 minutes, with Adam Cole winning the NXT Title for the first time. Meltzer gave it more than 5 stars at 5.25.
Tyler Bate vs WALTER
Event: NXT Takeover: Cardiff 2019 | Rating: 5.25 Stars
Tyler Bate and WALTER faced off at NXT Takeover: Cardiff. This was for the WWE UK Championship.
This match went for over 42 minutes and was really good. WALTER eventually won to retain his belt. Meltzer gave it more than 5 stars at 5.25.
WALTER vs Ilja Dragunov
Event: NXT Takeover: 36 (2021) | Rating: 5.25 Stars
WALTER and Ilja Dragunov faced off at Takeover: 36 in 2021. This was for the NXT United Kingdom Championship.
Adam Cole vs Johnny Gargano
Event: NXT Takeover: New York 2019 | Rating: 5.5 Stars
Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano faced off at NXT Takeover: New York for the vacant NXT Championship. This was a 2-out-of-3 falls match.
Johnny Gargano won the match 2 falls to 1 to become the new NXT Champion.
This is the first WWE match to ever receive more than 5 stars from Meltzer.
Here are some more Meltzer star ratings:
- List Of All The 5 Star Matches In WWE History
- List Of Every 5 Star Rating Given Out By Meltzer (All Promotions)
- The Worst WWE Matches Of All Time According To Meltzer Ratings
What do you think of the best NXT Matches of all time list according to Meltzer? Do you disagree with him on some? Let us know in the comment section. We will always be adding to the list of the highest rated NXT matches, so make sure to check back after big shows.
