Former United States Marine Steve Cutler tries to make his mark on NXT when he goes one on one with NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. Video courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.

Steve Cutler impressed last week with a victory over Kenneth Crawford, but asking for a match against NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura may have been a case of Cutler getting ahead of himself. The fiery Cutler managed to inflict a brief attack on the titleholder, but The King of Strong Style ultimately prevailed with ease after hitting the Kinshasa for the pinfall.

The dominant showing from the NXT Champion not only started off the “Era of Strong Style” triumphantly, but did so in front of the former titleholder, Samoa Joe, who sat in on commentary during the match. A solemn-sounding Joe seemed almost humbled as he witnessed Nakamura’s match, later walking away as the Japanese Superstar celebrated his victory in the ring.