10 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Star Ratings Dave Meltzer Got Wrong
4. Sami Zayn Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura - NXT TakeOver: Dallas
Actual Rating: ****1/2, Revised Rating: *****
This rating has been revised as much for what the match symbolised, as much as the content itself.
WWE's treatment of Japanese talent had until that night been mixed, to put it mildly. Though small strides had been with Hideo Itami, the memory of Kaientai and Kenzo Suzuki pervaded in the memory. Even Tajiri, who was depicted seriously at times, was used as comic relief as William Regal's underling.
Nakamura and Zayn wrote a new chapter at TakeOver: Dallas in both the depiction of Japanese talent and the very in-ring language of WWE. Using stiff strikes with a frequency and force hitherto unseen under Vince McMahon's umbrella, they assembled a stirring contest framed by a gripping narrative. Nakamura, the King of Strong Style, was intent on maiming Zayn to usher in his way of fighting. Zayn, ever the plucky underdog, symbolised the NXT he had defined, by overcoming overwhelming odds with an unbelievable degree of fortitude and internationally-honed flair.
In the end, Nakamura emerged victorious. Zayn soaked in the adulation of the crowd before tearfully departing. It was the perfect story of hello and goodbye.