WWE presented six NXT Premium Live Events in 2023. The developmental brand kicked off its PLE action in a major way with Vengeance Day on February 4 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Stand & Deliver followed nearly two months later during the WrestleMania week.
NXT Battleground took place the night after Night of Champions. NXT also hosted its own summer party with The Great American Bash just six days before SummerSlam 2023.
No Mercy became an exclusive part of NXT in October, whereas Deadline capped off the year from Bridgeport, Connecticut. Now that we’ve recapped the names of NXT PLE’s in 2023, let’s look into some of the best matches from the aforementioned events:
Wes Lee vs. Dijak (North American Title Match – NXT Vengeance Day)
Wes Lee’s North American Title reign was filled with many great matches. The former MSK member put on arguably the best opening match of an NXT PLE in 2023 when he took on Dijak at Vengeance 2023.
The size difference between these two opponents only added to the terrific action that took place inside the ring. Wes Lee relied on his superior athleticism, while Dijak used his brute strength to keep the champion at arm’s length.
Even a broken finger didn’t stop the big man from putting on this Match of the Year contender for the North American Championship. Lee retained his title after an extremely physical battle against Dijak.
NXT North American Championship Fatal 5-Way Match (Stand & Deliver)
The North American Championship would once again steal the show at NXT Stand & Deliver. Lee put his title against Dragon Lee, Ilja Dragunov, JD McDonagh, and Axiom. These four challengers had proved their mettle in the build-up to the match.
These five men put on a show for the ages in front of a red-hot crowd at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Each man got plenty of time to shine. From Axiom’s well-time superkick to Dragunov’s brutal forearm strike, this fatal five-way had everything for everyone.
Ilja Dragunov vs. Dijak (Last Man Standing Match – NXT Battleground)
Ilja Dragunov and Dijak had some tense exchanges heading to their Last Man Standing Match at NXT Battleground. May 28 finally arrived and both men unleashed their fury on each other at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.
The Last Man Standing stipulation enabled both men to shed humanity and display their vicious side. The two bitter opponents delivered an excellent match. The outcome saw Dragunov emerge as the Last Man Standing.
Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov (The Great American Bash)
Ilja Dragunov got his opportunity at the NXT Championship at The Great American Bash. The Mad Dragon met Carmelo Hayes for the brand’s top title at the July 30th Premium Live Event in Cedar Park, Texas.
Dragunov and Hayes showed a lot of chemistry from the get-go. The challenger threw everything he had at the champion. The powerbomb counter popped the Texas crowd big time. They would put on another Match of the Year contender just two months later at NXT No Mercy.
Becky Lynch vs. Tiffany Stratton (Extreme Rules Match – No Mercy)
Tiffany Stratton had received high praise for her growth prior to this match, but this bout put her on an entirely new level. NXT’s resident Buff Barbie met Becky Lynch for the women’s title in an Extreme Rules match at No Mercy.
Stratton got busted open during the match, but kept going. Both women made good use of foreign objects. Lynch did her job making a star out of the challenger. The Man would drop the title to Lyra Valkyria the following month at NXT Halloween Havoc.
Honorable Mentions
- Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge (NXT Deadline)
- Johnny Gargano vs. Grayson Waller (Unsanctioned Match – Stand & Deliver)
- Dominik Mysterio vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Wes Lee (NXT The Great American Bash)
- Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov (NXT Championship Match – No Mercy)
: Best NXT PLE Matches Of 2022
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