NXT From The Beginning:- ARRIVAL MATCH 1 - Antonio Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn

ANTONIO CESARO VS. SAMI ZAYN

NXT: ARRIVAL - 27^th February 2014

Sami Zayn is the first NXT Superstar we see come down to the ring and the crowd couldn't be happier. We're greeted by Tom Phillips, William Regal and Byron Saxton who are our commentators tonight. Cesaro was in the middle of his tag team with Jack Swagger, the Real Americans, managed by Zeb Coulter. “We The People” gets a good reaction and everyone's looking forward to this match.

This is the fourth match between these 2 guys on NXT. The last time they faced back in August it was an outstanding match that was called NXT's Match of the Year by a lot of people. So a return match is a perfect way to kick off NXT's first Network Special. Sami Zayn called this the biggest night of his life, he's become obsessed with beating Antonio Cesaro again.

Before it starts properly, in case anyone didn't know, Cesaro worked as Claudio Castignoli on independent circuit, and Sami Zayn had a friend called El Generico that went off to help the orphans before Sami came to WWE.

They lock up as the bell rings and Zayn tries to back Cesaro into the ropes, but Cesaro powers him down. “We the People/Sami Zayn” chants start this match off as they lock up again. This time Zayn quickly gets behind Cesaro, but Cesaro reverses it and takes Zayn down before slapping him across the back of the head. Cesaro has been on a roll as of late beating WWE World Champion Randy Orton and taking John Cena to the limit, but Zayn is far from a pushover. Headlock takedown by Cesaro is countered with a headscissors, but Cesaro kicks out. Zayn tries one of his own, but Cesaro gets the scissors causing Zayn to have to kick out. Standing dropkick by Cesaro sends Sami to the mat. Cesaro drags Zayn away from the corner by his ankle but Zayn shoves him off with his feet. Cesaro goes straight for a single leg takedown but Zayn catches him in a front facelock. Cesaro powers his way to his feet and tries to throw Zayn overhead but Zayn lands on his feet! Zayn has a recently injured left knee coming into this match.

Zayn runs and ducks a clothesline, he tries to come back with a running headscissors but Cesaro tries to counter into a Giant Swing. Zayn stops him from getting a proper grip so Cesaro launches Zayn into the air, again Zayn is able to land on his feet and he sends Cesaro for a breather with an arm drag. Dropkick baseball slide by Zayn connects and he follows up with a running somersault plancha over the top rope! Zayn may have tweaked his knee on the landing though as he begins to favour it, and he gets Cesaro back in the ring at 4. Zayn goes to the top rope, but he's caught on a crossbody as fans chant “this is awesome” and Cesaro hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a nearfall. Zayn rolls out the ring to try to halt the momentum but Cesaro sneaks out behind the ref's back. He sends Zayn into the barricade before rolling Zayn back in the ring. Cesaro throws Zayn out the other side. He slams Zayn's head into the steel steps then beats him down before sending his head into the ring apron. Cesaro holds Zayn's throat against the barricade, shielding it from the referee's view, before eventually sending Zayn back in before they're both counted out.

Cesaro throws Zayn out of the ring for the third time, but Zayn's there with some right hands. Cesaro eggs Zayn on before sending his head crashing into the guard rail. Cesaro bounces Zayn off the outside of the apron before going for a quick cover, but only gets 2. Zayn is sent out of the ring again and Cesaro picks him up before dropping him chest first over the guard rail. Cesaro drives Zayn's kidneys into the apron then places him back in the ring. Cesaro grabs at Zayn's left ankle, but Zayn is able to boot him off before he can do any damage. Cesaro keeps hold of the left leg, but Zayn uses his strong leg to push off the ring post, causing Cesaro to collide headfirst with it. Zayn rolls out of the ring and he's looking for his dive through the turnbuckle DDT, but Cesaro meets him with a European Uppercut! “Holy shit” chants by the fans and I'm not surprised. Cesaro rolls Zayn onto the mat and wraps his injured knee around the ring post before slowly getting back into the ring.

Cesaro's found his bullseye now and he stomps at Zayn's knee before the referee pushes him away. Cesaro drags Zayn to the middle of the ring and puts all his weight on the knee before twisting it and bending it out of shape. The fans start to rally behind Zayn and he kicks at Cesaro with his right leg. Cesaro releases but hits a double stomp to Zayn's knee. Cesaro gets another nearfall, hooking Sami's bad leg. Zayn backs off into the corner but Cesaro stalks him and hits a boot. Zayn again tries to scurry away, swinging wildly to try and keep Cesaro at a safe distance, but Cesaro brings Zayn to his feet in a Muay Thai clinch and hits a couple of knees, before going back to the left knee with a dragon screw. Cesaro doesn't release Zayn from his grasp though and instead hits a standing knee drop before twisting at Zayn's lower leg and ankle again, tearing at Zayn's ligaments. Zayn kicks his way out but Cesaro again keeps Zayn close so he can hit some knee strikes. Cesaro tries to build up some speed but Zayn has enough in him to hit a leg lariat! His left knee buckled on landing though and the referee asks if he wants to continue. Cesaro shakes off the cobwebs and stomps on Zayn's knee before standing on it and applying all his weight to keeping Zayn incapacitated. Cesaro takes a couple of seconds for the “We The People” and Zayn is trying to use the ropes to get back to standing.

Cesaro picks Zayn up by his ear and grabs his left leg. Zayn hits a forearm but doesn't quite get it enough as Cesaro hits another dragon screw. Cesaro brings Zayn back up to his feet and hits a second. He goes for the hat-trick but Zayn fights back with a series of forearms. Enziguri attempt by Zayn is ducked and Cesaro locks in a single leg boston crab in the middle of the ring. Cesaro applies more pressure by sitting back and wrenching on Zayn's knee, but Zayn finally makes it to the ropes. Fans still firmly behind Sami Zayn as Cesaro charges, but he's met with a back elbow. Zayn still using the ropes for balance as Cesaro charges a second time, this time Zayn gets a boot up. Keeping his weight on his left leg hurt him too, but it bought him some time. Cesaro again tries to run at Zayn but this time Zayn dumps him over the top rope before his knee gives way. Zayn using everything he has to get himself out of the ring onto the apron. He boots Cesaro away and Cesaro catches the springboard sitdown moonsault, slamming Zayn into the ramp!

Cesaro gets back in the ring at 4, happy to take the count out victory. Zayn slowly makes it back to his feet by 8 but his knee doesn't hold up, he drags himself up using the ring and breaks the count at 9 ½. Zayn uses the corner to get up, and Cesaro is caught in an Xploder suplex into the turnbuckles! Zayn gets a cover but he's only able to get a nearfall. Zayn goes back to his knee, trying to get some feeling back into it, just to finish the match. He barely beats Cesaro to his feet and tries a Blue Thunder Bomb but Cesaro elbows his way out. Zayn keeps hold of Cesaro's trunks and hits it on the second attempt but gets another quick nearfall. Cesaro rolls to the corner and gets back to his feet. He kicks Zayn in the knee but Zayn is able to apply a Koji clutch! Fans chant for Cesaro to tap, but he tries to pry Sami Zayn's grip off him. He's able to do that and he reverses it into a stretch muffler! Zayn is writhing in pain but he tries to crawl to the ropes. Cesaro not letting his hold loosen whilst Zayn inches his way to the bottom rope and breaks the hold. Zayn again having to use the ring as a tag partner just to get to his feet. Cesaro charges, Sami gets the boot up but Cesaro catches it! He grabs Zayn's other leg too and goes for the Giant Swing, but Zayn rolls him up! 1, 2, 2.9, no! Again Cesaro looks for the Cesaro Swing, and this time he hurls Zayn around for 10 rotations before dropping him to the mat.

Zayn is still somehow able to get to his feet in the corner but Cesaro gets there with a running European Uppercut, Cesaro covers, but Zayn rolls through into a crucifix for a 2 count of his own. Cesaro is quick to his feet and he hits a hybrid of a double stomp and a dropkick to Zayn's head for another nearfall. Cesaro wondering what he has to do to put Sami away, whilst Sami needs to hit something big to get back into the match. Zayn rolls out to the apron but Cesaro catches up to him and gets him to his feet by the ear again. Cesaro brings Zayn to the corner and climbs to the middle rope, but Zayn fires off some right hands. Big boot by Zayn clocks Cesaro but Zayn is slow to capitalise as he climbs the ropes on one leg. Zayn looking for a super hurricanrana but Zayn is caught. Cesaro wants a superbomb but Zayn is able to get his hurricanrana after all. Helluva Kick connects! 1, 2, 2.999, no! Zayn is first to his feet but gets knocked down by Cesaro. Cesaro shakes his head at the fans chanting “Ole” at him and he hits Zayn with another hard European Uppercut. Zayn is slower to get to his feet with each moment, but he keeps getting up. Cesaro hits another European Uppercut sending Sami crumbling to the mat. Cesaro tells Zayn to stay down but Zayn doesn't listen. Cesaro hits a third uppercut in a row, and Zayn tries to use Cesaro to stay vertical but he can't. Zayn is up as the ref counts 6 and Cesaro hits another European Uppercut, this time Zayn answers with a right hand. Forearm by Cesaro and it starts a striking battle. Zayn puts a stop to that with a release German suplex! Cesaro makes it to the corner, and hits Zayn with a big boot before Zayn can get another Helluva Kick! Neutralizer by Cesaro is reversed as Zayn throws Cesaro overhead. Sami Zayn hooks the leg but only gets another nearfall!

Cesaro goes for a powerbomb but Zayn rolls through with a sunset flip for a close nearfall! The fans are on their feet for this match. Zayn brings Cesaro back to his feet, but Cesaro sends Zayn into the air and catches him with a freefall European Uppercut! Cesaro covers but Zayn KICKS OUT AT ONE!!! Cesaro's in shock, checking with the referee, but he hits Sami Zayn with a discus uppercut, followed by a neutralizer to put an end to this fantastic match.

THIS. This is NXT. Sami Zayn was fighting for the respect of Cesaro for the whole match, not giving in, fighting for 99% of the match on a bad knee, hitting everything he had and withstanding Cesaro's offence. On this night though Cesaro was the better man. It took everything in Cesaro's arsenal to put Sami Zayn away for the final time, and I hope we get a main roster feud between these 2 before long. – Rating: 7.9/10

Cesaro exits the ring as Zayn looks distraught with his loss. Cesaro doubles back as fans chant “Hug it out” Zayn doesn't care anymore, he just looks at Cesaro like “what now? What can you do now?” Cesaro brings Zayn back to his feet for one last time tonight and he hugs Zayn to the fans' delight. Cesaro leaves as Zayne soaks in the “Ole” chants and general respect from the crowd.

We get a video showing Rojo Mawley, who's whole gimmick is about staying hyped. OK then. After which WWE thanks the mayor of Orange County in Florida and the president of Full Sail University for making tonight possible, leading us into our next match,