Shinsuke Nakamura was a huge star in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He signed with WWE in January 2016. Fans were excited. He was one of NJPW’s top stars for seven years.
Fans were also worried. WWE had a bad history with Asian wrestlers. They often relied on stereotypes. Nakamura avoided these issues in NXT. He had a great match with Sami Zayn and won the NXT Championship. But things changed when he moved to the main roster.
Nakamura debuted on SmackDown in April 2017. He interrupted The Miz and Maryse. The introduction felt like a big deal. Fans were excited. But his first feud was with Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler was a good wrestler but had been pushed and dropped many times. Fans were not excited. Their match at Backlash 2017 was okay but not special.
This set the tone for Nakamura’s run. He had good matches but nothing special. He felt like just another wrestler. WWE teased a match between Nakamura and AJ Styles. Fans wanted this. Nakamura beat John Cena to earn a title shot. But the champion was Jinder Mahal.
Mahal had been a jobber before becoming champion. WWE pushed him to grow the company’s market in India. The feud was built around racist comments from Mahal about Nakamura. It was a cheap attempt for heat.
Despite this, Nakamura lost to Mahal at SummerSlam and again at Hell in a Cell. The matches were not good. Nakamura won the Royal Rumble in January 2018. He chose to face AJ Styles for the WWE Title. Fans were excited. It was a dream match.
The match at WrestleMania 34 was good but not great. It did not meet the high expectations. Nakamura lost. He turned heel afterward. He got a few more shots at Styles but lost again. He then settled into the midcard. He won the US, Intercontinental, and tag team titles. But it was a far cry from where he started.
It was not one big mistake. WWE made many small errors that chipped away at his momentum. The feud with Ziggler was underwhelming. The feud with Mahal was poorly handled. The WrestleMania match fell short. By the time he had better booking under Triple H, fans had lost faith.
How WWE Ruined Shinsuke Nakamura’s Momentum in 2018
Shinsuke Nakamura was a proven star before joining WWE. He was a mainstay of New Japan Pro Wrestling. He had three IWGP Heavyweight Championship reigns and five Intercontinental title reigns. He main-evented Wrestle Kingdom 8. When he came to WWE, he found success in NXT, winning the NXT Championship twice.
When he moved to the main roster, he remained undefeated except for two losses to Jinder Mahal. He also beat Randy Orton and John Cena. In early 2018, Nakamura was ready for his breakout year. It started with a huge win.
Nakamura won the Royal Rumble in his first try. This set up a match with AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34. The Royal Rumble win usually guarantees a world title victory. Nakamura’s rise felt guaranteed. Styles was already a main eventer, so losing to Nakamura would not hurt him.
Instead of a clean win for Nakamura, WWE threw a curveball.
Nakamura lost clean to Styles at WrestleMania. Then he turned heel and attacked Styles. This felt forced. Nakamura was popular as a babyface. The heel turn came too soon.
Nakamura continued his feud with Styles. He challenged for the WWE Championship three times after WrestleMania. He lost all three matches. The final match was a Last Man Standing match. This ended his feud with Styles.
Nakamura spent the rest of 2018 in the mid-card. He won the United States Championship twice. But his aura was destroyed. He lost four title matches to Styles and two to Mahal. This hurt his credibility with fans. His heel turn made fans boo him, which further damaged his connection with them.
Nakamura started 2018 as a rising main event star. He won the Royal Rumble. He ended the year as a mid-card heel. It was a huge waste of potential. Many believe he deserved a world title run.
FAQs
Q. When did Shinsuke Nakamura join WWE?
A. Nakamura signed with WWE in January 2016.
Q. Why were fans excited about Nakamura?
A. Nakamura was already a major star in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Q. What happened after Nakamura won the Royal Rumble?
A. Nakamura challenged AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34.
Q. Did Nakamura beat AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34?
A. No. Styles defeated Nakamura in the match.
Q. Which wrestler beat Nakamura repeatedly in 2017?
A. Jinder Mahal defeated Nakamura twice during their feud.
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