Sami Zayn highlights his classic NXT match against Cesaro.
Zayn, one of the top stars on the independent scene, signed with WWE in 2013. He made his TV debut on NXT in May, and he subsequently started feuding with Cesaro. The rivalry concluded with an unforgettable two-out-of-three falls match on the August 21 episode of NXT, where Cesaro emerged victorious.
Zayn responded to a post about the match on his tenth anniversary. He stated that it changed the industry, as the match marked the day NXT became a "thing." Zayn emphasized that the bout was one of his proudest matches with one of his all-time best opponents.
At this risk of sounding dramatic or arrogant, this one match changed the industry. This was the day NXT became ‘a thing.’
— Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) August 21, 2023
Hard to explain the significance/context/landscape at that time, but suffice to say it’s one of my proudest matches, with one of my all-time best opponents. https://t.co/URDVQfg3zQ
Cesaro, now known as Claudio Castagnoli, left WWE in 2022, and he signed with AEW. He currently holds the ROH World Championship. Meanwhile, Zayn has become one of the top stars on WWE's main roster. He is currently one-half of the reigning Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions with Kevin Owens.
Zayn recently reflected on his time in NXT. Click here to see what he had to say.
Check out Zayn's comments about his feud with Roman Reigns here.
Click here to check out the card for the August 21 episode of WWE Raw. Fightful will have live coverage of the show as it airs.
