9 Times Wrestling Made You Believe
5. Nakamura Vs. Zayn Makes Us Forget Zayn Literally Has To Lose
NXT Takeover Dallas stands as one of the several NXT shows seemingly made for a breed of jaded, grizzled wrestling fans who wants indyesque quality as an alternative to the razzle-dazzle of the main roster. Perhaps its most striking offering was the debut of Japanese Michael Jackson/Boa Constrictor hybrid Shinsuke Nakamura, taking on beloved babyface Sami Zayn.
There’s a rule here we need to be made aware of to understand why this match was so remarkable. Before a wrestler is bumped up to the main WWE roster from NXT, they always lose, to put over the guy taking the slot they leave behind. Pretty much everyone in the building knew Sami Zayn was heading to the crimson pastures of Raw, and that he was going to succumb to the man from Kyoto.
And yet, for the length of that match, the audience somehow forgot that Zayn had to lose. The alchemy is hard to pin down, but it surely has a lot to do with Zayn’s top-tier battered babyface performance, with a hint of retaliatory aggression against Nakamura. The two battled back and forth, drawing in the audience with every move. The NXT faithful believed this wasn't a traditional farewell loss by the ginger dynamo. They believed either man could win, that either could emerge from the maelstrom victorious. "Fight forever," chanted the crowd - and that was before it became a cliché.