WWE: Ole in the land of NXT

Antonio Cesaro

I’ve read time and again by the so called “experts” about how independent wrestling is glorified and over rated. I’ve heard the “big time” guys shrugging off the same independent wrestlers, who wrestle in front of crowds ranging from 25 people to just above 3,000.

Although guys like Daniel Bryan and CM Punk were the products of independent wrestling, there are people who even now vilify the very existence of independent wrestling. Take a moment and think about this; CM Punk and Daniel Bryan are the top two faces in the biggest “sports entertainment” organization in the world!

I’ll let that sink in; if you’ve read my article about the importance of independent wrestling, you’d know that I’ve been, and I will be an ardent supporter of the system which produces guys like Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Chris Hero. Anyway, the reason I brought that up is because of a certain bout that has fired up the IWC and wrestling fans all over the world in the past couple of days!

A couple of days ago, a friend of mine posted a message online asking if anyone could send him a video of a match that took place on NXT, and he said that the bout was receiving some rave reviews. Although NXT wasn’t even aired in many countries at that point, the internet exploded with all the wrestling fans praising the match. When I heard the names of the two performers involved in the bout, I wasn’t surprised. Those two performers were also the product of the same independent wrestling circuit, and they absolutely tore the house down on NXT. They were none other than Antonio Cesaro and Sami Zayn (Or El Generico for the passionate fans).

I love it when a match has psychology, and when there is some importance to the bout. Unlike the 2 – 3 minute matches we get on RAW, good matches always tell a story. Whether it is a long drawn feud or as simple as animosity between two individuals who can’t stand each other, every match has to tell a story to keep the fans involved.

Unfortunately, “match psychology” and “storytelling” in a match are the terms the performers in the WWE aren’t familiar with. Who can blame them? Guys like The Miz, who only want to become a “star” through WWE can never truly understand the nuances and the beauty of professional wrestling. But when there is a match which actually tells a story on its own, that’s when it turns into a classic. Old school wrestlers developed the art, but the art faded away with them.

Getting back to the match on NXT, it was a 2 out of 3 falls match between Cesaro and Zayn, as it was the culmination of their feud. Cesaro and Zayn faced each other a few times before, and although the announcers put their rivalry over as something that developed on NXT, they have been feuding since ’07 when they first met each other in singles competition.

Their first match dates back to their time in Ring of Honour, when Cesaro defeated the then El Generico during the ‘Race to the Top’ tournament. For all the true wrestling fans who enjoy “rasslin” rather than the two –bit shtick WWE provides as “entertainment”, I urge you to check out NXT, as one of my other favourites and the soon to be Divas champion, Paige is also setting things on fire.

Cesaro and Zayn had yet another amazing bout that left the NXT crowd salivating for more, and the ending of the bout was just as phenomenal as the entire bout itself. Cesaro and Zayn are the future of the business, and even though Cesaro is resigned to losing matches to the likes of Usos on the main roster, his true abilities came out this past week on NXT.

I for one look forward to the times when these guys will be the faces of the WWE, and will lead the company into a brighter future. For those who are interested in watching the amazing match, the link is provided below.