NXT Arrival – Official Show
Triple H opens the show live in the ring with the audience chanting "N-X-T". Hunter does his "are you ready" shtick and calls NXT the next generation and closes with "NXT has arrived".
Cesaro vs Sami Zayn
The match starts off with tie-ups and lots of quick reversals. The live crowd is absolutely hot with lots of chants and slow claps. Very fast-paced with drop kicks, head ties and more reversals. Zayn attempts a hurricanrana, but Cesaro catches him and attempts the Neutralizer, but Zayn quickly gets out. Cesaro goes to the outside an Zayn dropkicks him through the bottom rope.
As Cesaro rolls back into the ring, Zayn goes up to the top rope and attempts a crossbody, but Cesaro catches him and turns it into a backbreaker across his knee. They make their way back outside the ring and Cesaro slams Zayn's head into the ring apron. Zayn tries to get some offense, but Cesaro overcomes and ends up slamming him back into the ring.
With Cesaro on the outside and Zayn laying on the inside, Cesaro tries to rack him on the steel post, but Zayn kicks him off. Zayn then goes outside the ring, he runs and attempts to jump in between the bottom and second-to-bottom rope, but gets caught with a huge Cesaro uppercut out of nowhere. Really cool spot and the first one they've replayed a lot.
Cesaro continues the offense until Zayn gets a little breathing room with a dropkick out of nowhere. That doesn't last long though as Cesaro gets the upperhand again. Match slows down with Cesaro going after Zayn's left knee. Cesaro throws on a single-crap submission, but Zayn crawls and finally makes it to the bottom rope.
Zayn sends Cesaro flying to the outside with a backbreaker. Zayn gets on the ring apron, and attempts a moonsault (AJ Styles-style with the legs, not the feet) off the top rope, but Cesaro catches him again and reverses! Count gets to 9 before Zayn finally rolls back into the ring. As he gets to his feet in the corner, Cesaro charges him, but Zayn stops his momentum and suplexes Cesaro into the corner posts.
Zayn lands a tiltawhirl sit-down powerbomb (announcers called this something, but excuse me as I'm not familiar with some of their specific moves). Zayn then applies a cobra clutch type of submission but Cesaro powers out of it and counters it into a submission of his own, bending Zayn's leg over the back of his head. Zayn again makes it to the ropes to break the hold.
Cesaro goes for the swing, but it gets reversed. He ends up getting it though and spins Zayn around about 10 times. He then uppercuts Zayn in the corner and we get a few back-and-forth nearfalls. This exchange leads to another "This Is Awesome" chant (about the third one so far).
Sami Zayn attempts a hurricanrana off the top, Cesaro reverses and holds him up while on the top rope. Cesaro attempts a huge powerbomb off the top, but Zayne reverses THAT and ends up getting the hurricanrana afterall. He follows up with a big knee to Cesaro's face in the corner, but only gets a two-count.
Pace slows down again and Cesaro delivers a few huge uppercuts in the middle of the ring. He tells Zayn to "stay down", but Zayn keeps crawling back to his feet. They then start trading uppercuts (Cesaro) and punches (Zayn) until Zayn hits a german suplex. Zayn charges Cesaro but gets a boot to his face. More nearfalls. Zayn pulls off the Canadian Destroyer (Petey Williams finisher), but another nearfall. Cesaro then launches Zayn into the air and hits a major uppercut, but still not enough to put him away.
Finally, Cesaro hits The Neutralizer and picks up the win.
WINNER: Cesaro
Following the match, Cesaro comes back into the ring as Zayn is sitting against the rope. Cesaro ends up helping him up and hugging him. He then leaves and the live audience gives a huge show of support to Zayn.
