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1. Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – NXT TakeOver: Dallas
Talk about setting the bar high. Fans unbeknownst to the mastery of Shinsuke Nakamura’s hard-hitting style knew very little about the man when heading into his debut match at NXT TakeOver: Dallas just before WrestleMania.
However, in a time where AJ Styles had just been picked up after a hugely beneficial stint in New Japan Pro Wrestling – not to mention additional recruits in Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows and Austin Aries around the same time – fans knew that the hype surrounding “The King of Strong Style” was not going to be disappointing.
They just didn’t know how big of a treat they had in store.
Throw in one of NXT’s all-time greats in Sami Zayn, who was heavily rumored to be wrestling his last match for the brand, and you’ve got a match-up with heaps of anticipation. It was Sami’s final hoorah and Nakamura’s first impression, and the pressure was on for both men to deliver a match worthy of the weekend.
The bout was back-and-forth with neither man picking up the upper hand, although the power behind Nakamura’s intense kicks was immediately pronounced.
Shinsuke’s aggressive approach was complemented excellently by Sami Zayn’s immense heart, and his drive to stay in the bout against all odds – allowing him to stand punch-for-punch with the Japanese sensation almost every step of the way.
After several high-impact strikes and maneuvers on both sides, not to mention the now infamous “fight forever” chant that the crowd debuted to express their adulation towards the close of the match, it would be Shinsuke’s contest to win with one final knee to the skull – introducing the WWE fans to the savagely violent Kinshasa.
The emotion behind this bout, on top of a ceaseless display of physical prowess on all parts, was enough to rightfully peg this as many a fan’s “Match of the Year”.
The handshake that followed would make for a fitting end to an instant classic, with one star heading on to become the NXT Champion later that year and the other going on to prove himself as a rightful WWE Superstar on the main roster.
Shinsuke Nakamura has a unique consistency to his matches, one that some fans actually use to debunk him as NXT’s most exhilarating performer. But regardless of your impression of the NXT Champion right now, there’s no denying that everyone was blown away when this particular match hit the WWE Network.
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It was a masterpiece – professional wrestling at its very best – and it will go down in history alongside these two men when their careers are over and done.