13 Best WWE Matches Of 2016 (So Far)

Shinsuke Nakamura's debut in NXT was hotly anticipated. The fact that he was booked against Sami Zayn for a match at TakeOver: Dallas only intensified the excitement surrounding his arrival. Just 48 hours from WrestleMania 32, the King of Strong Style and The Underdog from the Underground set out to prove their greatness to a worldwide audience watching on the WWE Network and the rabid fans in Dallas for the dream match.

They did not disappoint.

From Nakamura's captivating entrance to the aggressive, stiff match that unfolded before them, the entire match played out like a sweeping epic. There were false finishes and dramatic near-falls galore. Rather than a scripted form of entertainment, the contest came across like a legitimate and credible sporting event in which both men were fighting for superiority.

Chants of "fight forever" filled the arena, fans not anticipating the conclusion of the bout. Yet, when Nakamura exploded across the ring with Kinshasa and pinned Zayn's shoulders to the mat, those same fans were grateful for having witnessed the all-time great match that had just concluded.

There was no overly complex story or manufactured hatred between the competitors. Respect lied at the center of their match and it showed in the way each man approached the bout. On a weekend where every promotion worth anything in the world of professional wrestling congregated in Dallas, it was a match as simplistically built as Nakamura vs. Zayn that stole the proceedings and left the industry abuzz.