5 times WWE Superstars wrestled without rehearsing a match

Modified Sep 03, 2020 04:20 GMT

#2 Sami Zayn vs Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT TakeOver: Dallas)

Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura are currently mainstays on WWE SmackDown, but there was a time a long while ago when they were wowing the WWE Universe in NXT. Back in April 2016, WWE presented NXT TakeOver: Dallas, with the show boasting a jam-packed card from top to bottom. One of the most anticipated matches on the card was Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn in a singles contest. Around a month after delivering this classic, Zayn spoke with Chris Jericho on his podcast and revealed that the duo didn't interact before the match one bit.

We’ve met maybe once. We never touched and I remember Matt Bloom, who’s head of the WWE performance center now was saying, ‘hey, maybe you guys want to get in the pc and spar a little or something like that. I don’t want the first time you guys get in the ring ever, the first time you touch, to be at this big match.’ and unbeknownst to me, Nakamura said the same thing i said, ‘no, no, no. I prefer that,’ which is a dangerous thing, but it’s what i know. Yes, i prefer for the first time to be in the show, instead of a ‘hey, lets feel it out in the ring’ [and] feel how this guy moves and stuff. So we ended up putting something together.

Did you know a top WWE Superstar just wrestled outside the company? More details HERE

It took two devastating Kinshasas for Nakamura to finish off Zayn. The match lasted a little over 20 minutes and was one of the very best on that card. Both men did well for themselves following their NXT exits, and are currently working on the Blue brand. Nakamura and Zayn, along with Cesaro, formed "Artist Collective" and the trio feuded with Drew Gulak and Daniel Bryan on the road to WWE WrestleMania. Zayn and Cesaro won their respective matches against Bryan and Gulak at The Show of Shows.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

Know More

Edited by Anirban Banerjee