Much like many of the matches we witnessed throughout the Cruiserweight Classic, SamiZayn vs. ShinsukeNakamura didn't have any semblance of a story behind it. Zayn had just fallen short of becoming the No. 1 contender to the NXT Championship when it was announced by NXT general manager William Regal that he would face the debuting Nakamura at TakeOver: Dallas.
By that point, Zayn was already an active member of the main roster so it was apparent the match would serve as his swan song from NXT. Meanwhile, Nakamura needed to make as grand an impression as possible if he was going to experience success on the black-and-yellow brand.
Of course, those familiar with Nakamura's work on the Japanese wrestling scene knew he would be a blockbuster addition to their roster, and putting him in the same ring as Zayn was a Match of the Year waiting to happen.
Nakamura's entrance alone gave everyone goosebumps, and the match that followed was unbelievable. As the heart and soul of NXT, Zayn had his best showing since returning from injury while Nakamura virtually remained unchanged from who he was before coming to WWE.
When you watch the bout again, you'll notice there really isn't anything wrong with it, and as Zayn's final outing in NXT he couldn't have left on higher note. As for Nakamura, he became WWE's hottest commodity his first night in the company and is bound for big things once he eventually joins Zayn on the main stage.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a Digital Journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.