10 Best Matches From WWE NXT Takeover History
2. Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Sami Zayn NXT TakeOver: Dallas
Nothing could have prepared America for the explosion of red leather awesomeness that is Shinsuke Nakamura. To merely describe him doesn't do him justice. Going into his first match ever in NXT, anticipation couldn't be higher.
Where there are beginnings though, there are also endings. Sami Zayn had become the anchor of NXT, carrying the brand in the wake of several major call-ups. Sami's time had finally come, and he was set to do battle for the Intercontinental Championship the very next night on WrestleMania. Everyone knew it was the last time he would set foot in an NXT ring, so emotions were high.
Shinsuke and Sami started off slow, feeling each other out. The match quickly turned into one of the best matches in TakeOver history and one of the matches of the year in any promotion. Near the end of the match, the two men stood toe to toe and traded endless forearms with each other until it appeared that they both were about to fall over in exhaustion. The match was so amazing that the crowd started to chant "fight forever", a heretofore unheard chant in NXT.
Nakamura managed to win in the end, but after the battle the two men put on it hardly seemed to matter. In Sami's NXT swan song, he put on the performance of his life, telling a beautiful in ring story, and perfectly set the stage for the incredible Shinsuke Nakamura to take over the wrestling world.