30 WWE Images That Defined 2016
28. Nakamura And Zayn Deliver A Classic
Shinsuke Nakamura drills Sami Zayn with a kick to the head during his NXT debut, a match of the year candidate at TakeOver: Dallas.
WWE had to wait until WrestleMania weekend for their first genuine MOTY contender, a gruelling singles match between Zayn and Nakamura. Like Styles, 'The King of Strong Style' made a shocking leap from NJPW to WWE at the beginning of the year - but it could be argued that his defection was even more shocking, given his lengthy run as one of the figureheads of the Japanese promotion.
The TakeOver match was Nakamura's debut, and blossomed into a fittingly brutal face vs. face affair, both men exchanging stiff shots throughout. The newcomer picked up the victory after a pair of knees to the head, and a new NXT superstar was instantly born.