Super Tuesday Fatal 4 Way – Adding to the NXT Championship Match
This Tuesday, the WWE and NXT are going to put on a match that could not possibly disappoint. A 60 minute Fatal 4 Way Iron Man match between Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Adam Cole, and Finn Balor will determine the new NXT Champion. This match, of course, a result of the untimely injury to Karrion Kross.
Super Tuesday Fatal 4 Way – Adding to the NXT Championship Match
Wrasslin’ fans. Sometimes wrestling is ridiculously hard to write. A lot of times, it is tough for us to consume every night of every week continually. And even when things start to make sense, it is hard to keep human beings from getting injured.
But when things breakdown and pro wrestling (in general) improvises at the drop of a hat, pro wrestling (in general) sometimes uncovers absolute gems. It provides us with some of the more memorable moments we have ever witnessed.
I am (as you probably are) very excited to see this match. Arguably 4 of the best competitors in pro wrestling, easily top 10 in NXT all-time, and arguably in the top 50 of all time in the sport (in my opinion).
What I want to focus on is the top 10 NXT wrestlers of all time. Why? Because this collection of superstars in this match is so impressive. It looks like the type of thing we only get as an exhibition in real sports. Maybe even something we can only witness in an “All-Star Game” type of setting.
The best in the business fighting with or against each other. While in the exhibition setting, you hope that the teams/players put pride on the line (because there’s always that chance they are only there to collect a paycheck), this match puts everything on the line. And may very well crown the absolute best NXT wrestler of all time.
Alright, see you! Your mind is already racing with confused looks or hate. The best NXT wrestler of all time? No way! What about…And I’ll stop right there! Because I want to answer that question. If this match changed from a Fatal 4-Way to a 5 -Way, who would you add to crown the best NXT male wrestler of all-time?
There are some caveats here because we do know the likes of Seth Rollins, Big E, Roman Reigns, and Daniel Bryan have all had a relationship with the brand name of NXT at one point or another. I am strictly talking since this brand started airing on the Network.
And I’m also only talking superstars who are WWE paycheck collectors.
Let’s jump into the five guys, I think, could be added to this match to make this the crowning of the best NXT male wrestler of all-time.
Cesaro
Right off the bat, I am throwing you a curveball. But I do think Cesaro has done a ton for this brand. From a storytelling perspective, it would be awesome to see Cesaro win the NXT Championship, lead the brand, and, after doing so much for the WWE and NXT, earn recognition.
So let’s not forget that Cesaro is one of the best in the business and, as Michael Cole would say, is “pound for pound,” the strongest in the company. Cesaro was also there on episode one of NXT, titled ‘NXT Arrival’ when he went toe-to-toe with Sami Zayn.
While Cesaro was struggling to get a real push on the main roster, there was never any denying Cesaro’s talents. So for the Swiss Cyborg to give the rub to (an already established on the indie scene) Sami Zayn, meant a lot for NXT going forward.
Since then, Cesaro has clashed with Dragunov, Adam Cole, Kassius Ohno, and a promo ‘rub’ to Apollo Crews. There was also a December 2013 clash with the NXT brand’s GM, William Regal.
Cesaro loves this brand, and I think the hardcore wrestling fan knows that Cesaro is due a bit more recognition than he has received thus far in his career. The answer to that? Being put into and possibly winning the Super Tuesday Fatal Four-Way NXT Championship match.
Samoa Joe
Remember how we are in love with Samoa Joe, and he is also due an extended WWE Title run? Me too!
Samoa Joe is working the announcer’s table on Monday Night Raw, and it has been incredible to hear his insight and feel him own that job.
Samoa Joe is also a ring general and hasn’t had a stinker of a match since joining the WWE. And this all comes prepackaged as one of the best Impact Wrestlers of all-time.
Now Joe hasn’t gotten a lot of recognition on the main roster (aside from main title bouts with AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar), but his run in NXT was one of the best we’ve ever seen.
Joe became a true titan in NXT and turned into the superstar we thought could never be toppled. We began to ask things like, “well if so, and so couldn’t do it, how was this new guy gonna be able to?”
Joe comes with the same “he’s due to be recognized somewhere in the WWE” just like Cesaro, but he also comes equipped with one of the best NXT Championship runs that we’ve seen.
And it would be different if Joe held the title forever, we got bored of him, and he was so-so in the ring. But Joe is never dull, and he’s one of the best we’ve ever seen. Joe could take this match to a whole other level!
Tyler Bate
God damn you, COVID-19!
But if flying weren’t an issue, Tyler Bate would be all over this match.
Bate transcends the indie darling persona because of his ‘McMahon-eye-catching’ strength. I wouldn’t have been surprised if that mustachioed ball of charisma was about to get a significant push in NXT or WWE’s main roster, but again…’ F-You COVID.’
The Big Strong Boi has clashed and partnered with Pete Dunne, provided the NXT UK Brand Defining bout with Walter, and the NXT Tag Championship’s defining fight as Mustache Mountain feuded with Undisputed Era.
Bate, at 23, is nowhere near done, making his mark on NXT and the WWE. Tyler winning this match would begin to define this new decade, and I have no qualms about that statement. That is an alternate reality I am subscribing to now.
Shinsuke Nakamura
Another pro wrestler who is due more than the WWE has awarded. Nakamura got an entire country to realize that wrestling was for real in Japan (I know, you love NJPW, but Nakamura got more casual fans to take notice than any other superstar before him.)
Nakamura was the man who toppled the titan mentioned above, Samoa Joe. But we felt the energy and presence of what Nakamura was when he debuted in a head-to-head fight with Sami Zayn at NXT TakeOver Dallas.
We, as American WWE fans, witnessed something we had never seen before. And because Nakamura is so unique, we may never see it again.
Nakamura, like Tyler Bate, oozes charisma, but it’s his style that will endear Nakamura to the NXT fans forever. That style is why it was important for Nakamura to defeat Samoa Joe, but also why it was so crucial for him to get called up to the main roster so quickly. The call-up did include an early Royal Rumble victory, but not a lot of main event gold.
Let’s take Nakamura back to the good ol days and put some main event gold back around his waist. Or lets at least make this a five-way iron man match and give Naks a fighting chance.
Sami Zayn
I love what Sami is doing right now, and I support his mission 100%. But if everything was 1000% fine and Zayn was available to wrestle, I’d want him in Florida on Tuesday.
The Fatal-Four-Way includes the names of guys who will forever be synonymous with NXT. So when three of them lose this Tuesday, none of them will have to sweat dropping down anyone’s radar or losing the respect of the fans. These four guys are pure Teflon and can spring right back into main event status if need be.
What the Fatal Five Way could be, then, is a chance to crown someone who built this brand up in battles that had nothing to do with NXT gold.
Instead, a guy who used his wrestling talent to get himself and the brand over. Sami, who battled Cesaro in the inaugural episode of NXT, helped introduce the world to Shinsuke Nakamura, eventually held NXT Gold despite numerous defeats, and who even found similar success on the main roster, would be a perfect addition to this match.
Regardless of the variables, Zayn is dynamite on the mic, has always put on a great wrestling match, and never forgets that wrestling is nothing without pomp and circumstance on top of good storytelling.
Sami doesn’t have a long WWE Championship run, and it doesn’t look like one is one the way, but there is no denying he has had a significant effect on the WWE fanbase and will be earned high regard by the NXT hardcore.
So inserting Sami Zayn here would be the opportunity for Vince McMahon and Triple H to praise the man who has done so much with so little given. He’s a guy we will look back on, decades from now, and talk about with confusing feelings: “How could this guy only have a few IC Title runs and no WWE Championships?”.
A win in this match would at least take the conversation to a digestible state of “Man, but remember that perfect NXT Championship match.”
Now I’m a big believer that not everyone can be champion, but Sami does have all of the pieces of a true champion (I’m looking at you Chad Gable truthers). Sami spits on the mic as well as anyone. And he always has the fans tied to a string during his heel promos.
Making him an “All-Time” anything is more than deserving, and I think Sami would agree that inserting ‘NXT’ into that title would be more fitting for the type of guy he is (compared to anything based on WWE’s version of pro wrestling).
Give Sami the match. Give him the Championship. And honor another one of the best in the biz!
Let me know what you think in the comments. We all love that this match exists, but what if you could add a fifth person to this match. Who would you add?
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