Take a look inside #NXTNewcastle and the reception @iLikeSamiZayn received as he returned to the ring #NXTNewcastle pic.twitter.com/q53VNB7jlp

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) December 10, 2015

Sami Zayn returned to the ring on Thursday night on the first show of the NXT UK tour in Newcastle, England. Zayn got a huge ovation from the crowd and looked to be in great ring shape, according to correspondents in attendance.

In his first match back since undergoing shoulder surgery back around May-June, Zayn wrestled NXT Champion Finn Balor in the main event. In their first-ever match, Finn Balor was victorious.

In addition to the above video that WWE posted on the official NXT Twitter page of Zayn’s electric ring entrance in Newcastle on Thursday night, the former NXT Champion had a surprise up his sleeve. Zayn borrowed a page out of UFC Fight Night 80 headliner Rose Namajunas’ page by surprising fans with a new shaved head look at the official weigh-ins for her fight against Paige VanZant in Las Vegas, which also takes place tonight.

During Triple H’s NXT TakeOver: London conference call on Thursday morning, it was revealed that Zayn will be working a match at the NXT TakeOver: London event at the SSE Arena, Wembley on Wednesday, December 16th. His match will be taped for next week’s NXT TV episode on the WWE Network, as opposed to being included on the live WWE Network special.