Move over, Samoa Joe. There’s a new champion in town.
Shinsuke Nakamura, currently one of the most over wrestlers in the entire WWE system, defeated Samoa Joe for the NXT championship Saturday night at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II at the Barclays Center.
Joe had been the champion since April, when he ended Finn Balor’s reign at a house show in Lowell, Mass. Nakamura debuted less than five months ago at NXT TakeOver: Dallas, the night before WrestleMania 32, and has built upon his incredible success and beloved fandom from New Japan Pro Wrestling ever since.
Saturday night, the fan love might have reached an all-time high during Nakamura’s incredible entrance for the championship match when Michael Jordan’s violinist, Lee England Jr., began Nakamura’s entrance with a live rendition of his theme music.
Nakamura finished Joe off with two Kinshasas to claim his new championship. He — and the rest of the WWE Universe — celebrated appropriately.
The King of Strong Style is here, and he’s here to stay.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@WWEgames
