Ranking Shinsuke Nakamura’s 10 Best WWE Matches So Far
1. Vs Sami Zayn (NXT TakeOver: Dallas)
There appeared little clarity on who Shinsuke Nakamura actually was to the uninitiated when he challenged Sami Zayn over a mobile phone message in his only appearance for the company ahead of their TakeOver: Dallas encounter.
Typical of the tightly constructed NXT booking, it was vague by design. The company carefully packaged Nakamura's presentation and unveiled the collaborative creation in front of the ferocious crowd. Many already knew of his New Japan exploits, but even those that didn't were captivated by his inconceivable movements and hypnotic charisma.
The entrance set the stage for an epic war with Sami Zayn, himself unable to stifle a smile at his opponent's breathtaking arrival. With a wink to the hard camera seconds before the bell, Nakamura effectively welcomed everybody into his world, and then proceeded to show the audience just what that world entailed.
A contender for match of the year (from any promotion), the contest was a beautiful exhibition of energy, effort and sports entertainment determination.
Initially struggling to navigate the theatrics (and thus giving Nakamura newbies the biggest stage to enjoy them on), Zayn brushed aside his puzzled early struggles and elected to gamely take the fight to the former New Japan star.
For periods, it worked, but the message became increasingly clear after the opening third that there was nothing in his arsenal that was going to spoil Shinsuke's big night.
After a titanic battle and WWE's first ever 'Fight Forever' chant, Zayn was polished off with a Kinshasa. It was a contemporary masterpiece that WWE may never be able to recreate.