5 Top WWE Superstars and their greatest NXT TakeOver performances

#2 Sami Zayn defeats Adrian Neville to win the NXT title (NXT TakeOver: R Evolution)

Sami Zayn is one of the top Superstars on WWE SmackDown currently, and is holding the Intercontinental title. Zayn has managed to secure a spot for himself in WWE following his move from NXT, despite not getting as many opportunities as he did in NXT. Back in 2014, Zayn was one of the biggest Superstars in NXT and was involved in a series of classic encounters with the NXT title on the line.

The stipulation of the above match made it all the more intriguing. Zayn believed that he didn't deserve to be in NXT if he couldn't win the top belt of the brand, and thus put his career on the line against NXT Champion Adrian Neville. Zayn and Neville had an excellent match, with both men hitting each other with devastating moves one after the other. In the end, a second Helluva Kick finished Neville, and Zayn became the new NXT Champion. Following the match, Kevin Owens attacked Zayn to end the show on a sour note.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Kaushik Das