10 Biggest Signings WWE Made In 2016
2. Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura has long been regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers in the world. Thus, it was pretty major news when it was leaked that he was reportedly headed to WWE NXT. As big of a blow as that was to NJPW's loaded roster, it was a major gain for NXT. And that was obvious as soon as he arrived at TakeOver: Dallas.
His epic entrance alone elicited "Holy sh*t!" chants from the crowd, in addition to his subsequent match with Sami Zayn being an absolute masterpiece. The two not only stole the show with their outstanding outing but they arguably contested the greatest match in either WWE or NXT all year. That essentially set the tone for how popular of a fixture The King of Strong Style would be in the promotion.
Within a matter of months, he knocked off the illustrious likes of Austin Aries, Finn Bálor, and finally Samoa Joe to capture the NXT Championship in Brooklyn. Although he lost the belt back to Joe three months later, Nakamura regained the gold at a live event in his native Japan shortly thereafter.
He should be in possession of the prestigious prize for quite some time, but his place is on the main roster. His time to grace the main stage could come as soon as 2017. He was a brilliant pick-up by WWE in 2016, and his charisma alone will solidify him as a star from the get-go.