5 WWE stars who received an emotional NXT farewell (and what happened next)

#2 Sami Zayn

When did Sami Zayn leave NXT?

One of the most memorable torch-passing moments in NXT history came at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in April 2016 when Shinsuke Nakamura defeated a legend of the black and yellow brand, Sami Zayn, on his in-ring debut for the company.

Following the spectacular match, Zayn received a standing ovation from the crowd, who sang along to his theme song as he slowly made his way to the backstage area after competing in his final NXT match.

What happened next to Sami Zayn?

Two days after his battle with Shinsuke Nakamura, Sami Zayn participated in a seven-man Intercontinental Championship ladder match at WrestleMania 32.

His ongoing main-roster rivalry with Kevin Owens then continued throughout the summer of 2016, culminating in a victory for Zayn at Battleground in July.

From then on, “The Underdog from the Underground” struggled to make his mark on Raw before he surprisingly defeated Braun Strowman in a 10-Minute Challenge match in December 2016 at Roadblock: End of the Line.