In the world of professional wrestling, few stories are as captivating and perplexing as the journey of Shinsuke Nakamura. The Japanese superstar, known for his incredible in-ring skills and unique style, has left fans and pundits alike scratching their heads over his WWE booking. And who better to provide insight into this enigma than former WWE star Nic Nemeth, who had the privilege of sharing the ring with Nakamura at Backlash 2017.
Nemeth, a man with a keen eye for wrestling dynamics, reflects on the moment he first laid eyes on Nakamura's main roster debut. "He was big. Everyone was singing his song on the entrance," Nemeth recalls, painting a vivid picture of the atmosphere. "I'm like, 'Holy s***, this is incredible.' Let's do 90 seconds and he knocks me out. I'll pop one of my fake teeth out. I'll spit a piece of gum, do something, like out cold. I think it would have helped, but man, Shinsuke is a killer. He's a sweetheart. That guy is so good. And I think they're redoing something now with him, but I wanted it to happen ten years ago."
What makes this particular moment so intriguing is the contrast between the initial hype and the subsequent trajectory of Nakamura's WWE career. After his Royal Rumble win in 2018, Nakamura's momentum seemed to stall, and his matches often failed to live up to the high expectations set by his entrance. Nemeth, however, sees this as an opportunity for WWE to re-evaluate and reinvent Nakamura's character.
"I went to Vince and said, 'Vince, we're going strong style. We're introducing this guy on pay-per-view tonight. Do we do something MMA wise to where I come out, throw a superkick in, and we throw some stuff? He gets some MMA strikes in, hits me with a knee, I take it as a knockout, and we call a TKO and we stop the fight?' He was intrigued by it, but we didn't go with it," Nemeth reveals, shedding light on the behind-the-scenes discussions. "He goes, 'No, I want an old-school WWE match. I want it like 20 minutes for you guys, ten for you and ten for him.' That's fine, but like, it really could have been something that stood out big time."
The decision to stick to traditional WWE match structures may have been a missed opportunity, as Nemeth believes. "Nakamura and I, then known as Dolph Ziggler, delivered a back-and-forth, 16-minute performance before the Chicago crowd at Backlash, with Nakamura securing the win after blasting me with Kinshasa," Nemeth recounts. "Elsewhere on the PLE, Jinder Mahal famously dethroned 'The Viper' Randy Orton as WWE Champion in the main event."
Despite the initial excitement, Nakamura's WWE journey has been a rollercoaster. He has captured the WWE United States Championship three times and the Intercontinental Title twice, but his impact on the main roster has been somewhat underwhelming. Nemeth, however, remains optimistic, speculating that WWE is finally ready to give Nakamura the push he deserves.
"In my opinion, WWE is finally ready to give Nakamura the push he deserves," Nemeth asserts. "What makes this particularly fascinating is the contrast between the initial hype and the subsequent trajectory of Nakamura's WWE career. It raises a deeper question: what if WWE had taken a different approach with Nakamura from the start?"
One thing that immediately stands out is the potential for Nakamura to become a true icon in the wrestling world. "Nakamura has the skills and the charisma to become a legend," Nemeth notes. "What many people don't realize is that his unique style and background in strong style wrestling could have been a game-changer for WWE."
If you take a step back and think about it, the story of Nakamura's WWE booking is a fascinating study in the balance between tradition and innovation. "From my perspective, WWE has the power to shape the careers of its stars," Nemeth reflects. "What this really suggests is that the company must find the right balance between honoring its history and embracing new ideas."
In conclusion, the journey of Shinsuke Nakamura in WWE is a captivating tale of missed opportunities and potential. Nemeth's insights shed light on the behind-the-scenes discussions and the challenges faced by WWE in booking a superstar with such immense talent and unique style. As fans, we can only speculate on what could have been, but one thing is certain: Nakamura's story is far from over.
