5 WWE Matches We Need To See Before WrestleMania 33

With the summer over, we're now just about a half-year away from WrestleMania.

As the fall begins and WWE goes into something of a hibernation period (it usually feels like the company spins its wheels during autumn, as fewer people watch the programming due to football season), hardcore fans typically start looking ahead. Talk turns to the show of shows, and just what the grandest card of the year will look like.

This year, we've already got a couple of matches that seem likely. WWE has already announced that Big Show will take on Shaquille O'Neal in a match that will probably serve as a swan song for Show's already part-time career. Likewise, the John Cena versus Undertaker bout that had to be cancelled due to injury last year seems like a lock if The Deadman agrees to work the show.

Still, we've got a lot of time to kill before WrestleMania rolls around. Saving all of the big matches for next spring is only going to make the months until then even more of a slog (and in turn, send viewership to rock bottom levels). We've seen it before, and WWE can't afford to do it again.

Of course, WrestleMania should represent the biggest and best bouts the company is able to promote - but that doesn't mean there can't be some money matches beforehand. Here are five matches we need to see before WrestleMania.

Shinsuke Nakamura made his WWE debut at TakeOver: Dallas, having what remains his best match with the company yet - an absolutely riveting bout against Sami Zayn. Given that Zayn was already called up to the main roster and Nakamura was getting a huge push, everybody knew that "The King of Strong Style" would be victorious. Still, that didn't make the match any less entertaining.

Six months later, Nakamura is the undefeated NXT Champion, having racked up wins over Austin Aries, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe. He's also one of the most popular performers in the company, meaning that he has nothing left to prove in developmental. The sooner he gets called up to the main roster, the sooner that Raw or Smackdown will have a brand-new superstar.

Nakamura would be better served on Raw, and once there, he can have the rematch we've all been waiting to see - a PPV encounter with Sami Zayn. The two men can once again get a good chunk of time to steal the show, and the match can once again serve to successfully introduce Nakamura to a new audience.

Putting it on before WrestleMania will let "The King of Strong Style" have a marquee match at the show of shows.