10 WWE Stars Who Had Their Best Match EVER This Year

3. Sami Zayn

Drew McIntyre WWE Best Ever
WWE.com

When: WrestleMania 40

Opponent: GUNTHER

Sami Zayn is the kind of worker who shines no matter who he's sharing the ring with. He's just...great for WWE, and he has been since first ditching the El Generico mask for a spot on NXT's roster. Think of some Sami classics vs. Cesaro, Kevin Owens, John Cena, The Usos, Roman Reigns and more. They're all amazing, right?

Absolutely, and yet none come close to WrestleMania 40's genius.

Everyone and their dog desperately wanted to see Zayn upend seemingly unstoppable Intercontinental Champ and Imperium powerhouse GUNTHER in Philadelphia. Never one to disappoint, Triple H made it happen. He booked the bones of an underdog story, then let natural talent take over from there.

Sami and GUNTHER only went 15 minutes on night one in April, but the match still felt like an epic 45-minute battle. That speaks to their skills. Some combos gel instantly, and this is one of them. Put it this way, there's a reason why Hunter came back to Zayn vs. GUNTHER for the World belt recently.

The fact this topped Sami's efforts vs. Roman is staggering.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.