10 Sami Zayn WWE matches to watch instead of Super ShowDown
By Bassam Kaado
7. Sami Zayn vs Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT Takeover Dallas – April 1, 2016)
After some time since his call up to WWE’s main roster, Zayn made his long awaited homecoming visit to NXT. William Regal, the General Manager of the Black and Gold brand, wanted to thank Sami for all he has done for NXT, which he does by giving him a match against the brand’s newest signing, Shinsuke Nakamura.
In what is considered a passing of the torch match, the two competitors went all out and fiercely competed.
What I truly enjoy about this match is that instead of the traditional Babyface versus Heel storyline, it showcased two great wrestlers, with mutual respect and a desire to be the best.
Nakamura’s cool, charismatic, and cocky style jelled well with Zayn’s passionate and driven attitude in the ring. As the match went on, one upmanship became the need for each competitor, forcing Zayn to keep up with ‘The King of Strong Style’.
Speaking of Strong Style, some of the strikes Nakamura gives are vicious. His pinpoint strikes shouldn’t overshadow the great amount chain wrestling, beautiful sequences the delivered exciting spots. This gives us a fantastic end to the match, where Sami’s exploder suplex is countered by a rapid grouping of elbows, setting up the Kinshasa.
Grade: 4.8
6. Sami Zayn vs AJ Styles (Raw Episode 1194 – April 11, 2016)
Man, when you get a match like this on Raw, you should appreciate it as much as possible.
Zayn was involved with his main roster feud with Owens, and AJ Styles was feuding with the Wildcard ‘Big Dog’, Roman Reigns. Styles had a championship match for Reign’s World Heavyweight title at Payback, and Zayn was offered a chance to get in on the action.
The stakes were simple: If Zayn beats Styles, the Styles-Reigns match becomes a Triple Threat for the title. What followed was a phenomenal match-up (Yes, I used the pun, and it was worth it).
The match starts with a test of strength, and really plays out a wrestling narrative that is comparable to a chess match. Both competitors utilize their skill sets and ring IQ to control the pace of their opponent. This slows the pace down and really highlights the talent of these two incredible professionals.
Because of its strategic nature, any strikes or moves hit were extremely effective. The match also featured an amazing Blue Thunder Bomb by Zayn, followed by Styles kicking out at 2.99999 (it really is insane how close it was to a 3 count).
Though Styles gets the victory, the finishing sequence is a beautiful exchange and was a friendly reminder of why Sami Zayn is so good at what he does.