10 Times NXT Black & Gold Was Better Than Literally EVERYTHING
1. NXT TakeOver Dallas
When it comes to the best singles wrestling match of 2016, there is a very easy answer. Nakamura's jump from NJPW to NXT was a hell of a thing to witness, and he kicked it off in style with an unforgettable bout against Sami Zayn. But whilst this was the show-stealer of the entire year, never mind that evening; NXT TakeOver Dallas was a card that showcased everything fresh and exciting about WWE's developmental brand.
The emotions of Nakamura's arrival and Zayn's fitting departure landed in the middle of a card that kept the crowd on their feet all evening. The show opened with super over American Alpha securing the NXT Tag Team Titles to huge elation. Elsewhere, Asuka submitted Bayley to be crowned NXT Women's Champion. Times were changing, but the future was no less thrilling. NXT felt like essential viewing in a vacuum that night, but this was only elevated by what was to come that weekend.
WrestleMania 32 is commonly believed to be one of the worst in the history of the Show of Shows. It was an over-long mess, with stale booking and WWE at the height of their total delusion about Reigns as a babyface.
Meanwhile, NXT had put on a match between Zayn and Nakamura that people still talk about with reverence eight years later.