When the news broke in 2016 that Shinsuke Nakamura was leaving Japan to sign with WWE, the reaction was mixed. Most fans were excited—imagining their Japanese wrestling hero tangling with some of the WWE’s best. But others weren’t.
They had a mixed reaction to the news because they were fearful that WWE would not use the talent of Nakamura properly.
While his run on NXT was fun, providing some great moments & memorable matches, his run on the main roster hasn’t panned out the way his fans would have liked.
This is why WWE must utilize their annual Royal Rumble match to save Shinsuke Nakamura from further falling down the ladder of mediocrity. Nakamura must win the 2018 WWE Royal Rumble Match.
After a string of loses to Jinder Mahal, Nakamura’s chances of becoming WWE Champion took a major turn for the worse. If he couldn’t get past Jinder Mahal to win the title in Brooklyn at SummerSlam, then who will he be able to defeat?
Right now, AJ Styles is the WWE Champion. Shortly before Nakamura & Styles came to WWE, they had an epic match against each other in Japan at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom. Wrestling diehards have been clamoring for a rematch ever since.
Now, if you don’t know, the winner of the WWE Royal Rumble gets a championship match at WrestleMania. This is the perfect opportunity to book the rematch that everyone wants to see. Styles vs. Nakamura 2 could save Shinsuke Nakamura from leveling out in the midcard. A win over Styles at WrestleMania for the WWE Championship would send his stock to the moon!
Also, Nakamura would become the first ever Japanese WWE Champion! With wrestling’s history in Japan, it’s surprising that we haven’t seen a legit Japanese competitor reach this level since Hakushi was wrestling Bret Hart consistently in 1995!
To top it off, WWE last visited Philadelphia in 2015 for the Royal Rumble. During that show, the live audience was clamoring for a Daniel Bryan win; only to be given the opposite of what they wanted...a Roman Reigns win. If Nakamura pulls of a victory, it could make up for that 2015 blunder & thank the great Philadelphia fans for coming to the event.
To save Nakamura’s 2018 from floundering, he needs to win the Royal Rumble & start his 2018 strong!