10 Live Observations From NXT TakeOver: Dallas

5. Nakamura's Match Was Structured Perfectly

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WWE.com

One of the top selling points for TakeOver: Dallas (maybe THE top selling point) was the WWE debut of Shinsuke Nakamura. "The King of Strong Style's" match against former NXT Champion Sami Zayn was expected to be a classic, and it didn't disappoint.

For those not familiar with Nakamura, WWE changed absolutely nothing about him (short of his music). Even more importantly, he hit all of his signature spots, introducing them to a new audience (though many fans were familiar with them). He hit the vibrating foot choke, the reverse powerslam, the cross arm-breaker, and the Boma Ye for the eventual win.

Also critical to the quality of the bout was the fact that Sami Zayn put up one hell of a fight. It was a forgone conclusion that Nakamura was going over, but Zayn was talented enough to plant the seed of doubt in fans' minds - especially when he scored a long two count off of a Blue Thunder Bomb. All in all, the match was a home run.

Contributor
Contributor

Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried. *Best Crowd of the Year, 2013