100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
80. Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT TakeOver: Dallas)
Shinsuke Nakamura arrived in WWE with a bang in early-2016. Sami Zayn made sure of it. He was programmed against the Japanese star for Nakamura's first match at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in April, and Sami made sure he was on top of his game. This was an important match for Shin, because he'd only get one chance to make a first impression and justify the hype surrounding his signing.
20 minutes later, fans in Texas were on their feet applauding both men for one hell of a match. Nakamura's strikes sounded like shotgun blasts going off, but Zayn gave as good as he was getting by laying it in too. Crucially, this was a stiff match without being reckless or over the top. Meanwhile, the live crowd in Dallas greeted Shin like he was one of the biggest stars on the planet.
It's often fascinating to look back on this period of NXT history pre-AEW. WWE satisfied hardcore wrestling fans by stacking these TakeOver specials with matches that'd make Tony Khan foam at the mouth, then they presented something else entirely on episodes of Raw and SmackDown to cater towards a more casual audience. It truly was the best of both worlds under the one roof back then.
Shinsuke's twin Kinshasa attacks finished the bout and gave him his very first win as a WWE star. Main roster success would follow, including a Royal Rumble win. Zayn might not have been the focal point throughout this one, but he proved how valuable he was to the company's cause.
Stunning work.