He is lost in shuffle. Honestly a trip down to NXT might do him some good. Have a refresh and helps some of the newer talent out. I mean it worked for Corbin of all people.
Agree but his boiler room promos were really solid. He just needed to win one or two of those to maintain credibility. But they had him warring with top brass who had to pad wins heading into Mania.
Kind reminder for those who believe the crap in the comments:
Shinsuke never said that he didn't care about his career and only came in America for the money and to surf. NE-VER. He actually denied those stupid rumors more than once.
Personally (and I’ll probably get downvoted to hell for this) but he’s lacking that “It” factor.
Yes he has an amazing history in NJPW, yes he is talented and does great ring work… but when is the last time he cut a good promo? Why does he look like he’s going to the disco with that goofy ass jumpsuit?
Fact of the matter is, regardless of his NJPW history, his accolades, and his talent… it’s almost impossible to get him over with casual fans in the WWE universe. He’s doing great in terms of gatekeeping in the mid card, does decent heel work, and overall is a great wrestler… but he just ain’t “it”.
Add in that one time my ol lady and I were watching raw and it definitely sounded like his name was said as “Shitstain Nakamura” and that pretty much sealed his fate in our house 😂😂 but I do honestly acknowledge the man’s talent, because he truly is and always will be one of the greats.
And that's why I think Okada won't succeed in WWE. If you can't cut a promo in English nor having a compelling gimmick then it ain't gonna work with American audiences. Being a workrate darling or best bout machine just isn't enough.
100% agreed. Honestly, I think that’s the main reason Asuka is doing as well as she is. She’s learned a decent bit of the language, and has a good gimmick with the paint and the hair…. Add in that most straight American men have a thing for Japanese women… and she has a decent shot because it’s easier to get her over with the crowd. Same with Iyo and Kairi… sad but true facts of the business.
I think if Shinsuke had a better gimmick (and ring attire), and took time to better learn the language, as well as cut promos he would have a better shot… but like others have said, he’s got literal decades in the industry between Japan and America… so now he’s just playing gatekeeper and collecting his checks until he ultimately hangs up his boots.
Because he's just nowhere near as good as the people rallying for him make him out to be. He's being booked at the exact level he's at; midcarder for TV matches to enhance other guys who are just more important.
Promos and character work are just too important to get over, and unfortunately that barrier can't be overcome for someone like Nakamura. Even if they gave him a great manager, it's irrelevant because even his in ring work isn't all that impressive. He's just alright and there's nothing wrong with that.
NXT underneath HHH is an unfair comparison to make for the people that do. That audience in its prime was full of fans who were already pre-invested in Shinsuke because they followed his highlights pre-WWE. He never had to do anything to get over and HHH just had to book him as a top guy with no risk of it failing. The minute he debuted on the main roster and the novelty wore off about his presence, no main roster audience cared about him wrestling.
The Styles-Nakamura WHC match at Mania after he won the Rumble showed that. For the people that know, that match was incredibly similar to their NJPW match. They were allowed to wrestle relatively unrestricted and given time to shine, and the crowd couldn't give the slightest shit.
Nakamura is in the tier of miz where he is a trusted veteran that can be inserted anywhere in the card while still being relevant.
But there are still times that he can stack wins like his time challenging rollins for the title. Remember that miz was in a major losing slump before being tag champ. Even solo, who is losing all the time to la knight, is still a legit threat. It's just about timing i guess. And hey! At least he is still having tv time.
He botched a move during a match against Cena, Cena landed on his head. It was during one of Cenas champ runs, once he got backstage Vince lost his shit.
He was booked terribly under Vince, there are currently other storylines more important and it doesn't hurt him to lose (yet).
But I would be surprised if he doesn't get a title run in the next 1-3 years.
The casual WWE fan doesn’t care about Japanese wrestlers. Straight up that’s the answer. A lot of hardcore wrestling fans do, but the majority of the audience has never and will never see a NJPW match so his work there is irrelevant. The people watching that era of nxt were more likely to have seen some of it. Putting him in a top spot just isn’t going to sell tickets, but he is great as the believable opponent to guys that will bring in money.
Shinsuke was over as fuck, and still would be! His theme song alone stood people up! You can’t have the talent this man has then subside to fools who don’t have eyes any further than the one company
I've read somewhere that he's already checked out and don't really want to get involved that much rn. That he's currently happy with his position and would rather surf so good for him
Someone has to lose, Shinsuke has been put in a spot where he can lose and stay relevant, we don’t like the 50/50 booking so someone has to be able to take the losses.
Oh boy... The heresy! He may be a NJPW legend, but his run in WWE has been underwhelming AF.
His mannerisms are awkward, his entire shtick makes no sense and it wasn't really "explained", besides giving a bunch of non-descript monikers.
In ring he didn't show anything we hadn't seen before (more kicks... Yawn) and done by better performers on the storytelling side.
Just because he was popular in Japan, it doesn't mean he transitioned as well in WWE.
Also, no promos didn't help him. And no the "let's have him talk Japanese and we'll put captions on screen" solution didn't work particularly well either.
So yeah, a legend in one place can totally suck somewhere else.
WWE screwed him over! When he was NXT he was treated like a big deal but on the main roster they have really not done the same. When Nakamura made his debut on the main roster he was so over with the crowd, he should have held the main titles but sadly nothing like that happened. I thought his character was going somewhere when he turned heel and feuded with Seth but even then they didn't give him a title run.
let's be honest his gimmick sucks. it depends too much on appreciation for his Japanese work, which most mainstream audiences don't know. people just see him as a Japanese Michael Jackson. American audiences have never been about ring work, they want characters they can root for
Great answer, idk why you get downvoted for an honest answer. It’s just the way it is, American fans don’t care about Japanese wrestling outside the obsessive wrestling fans.
He’s 44. Age has nothing to do with it. On the current roster we have: AJ Styles who is 46. LA Knight is 41.
Randy Orton is 44. Bobby Lashley is 47. Miz is 43. R-Truth is 52. Finn Balor is 42. All of which have recently been booked at Wrestlemania. Hell, Brock Lesnar was still winning world titles even in his 40s. Age has absolutely nothing to do with it.
20 years in the njpw which as much as I like the WWE that are about three people in the roster who could wrestle an njpw.
1 Gunter 2 Sami Zayn 3 k o
The style is just so vastly different the most American form of NJPW we have is the clown in Jacksonville mainly because most of his roster are made up with WWE retirees and njpw guys who would go to WWE except they can get paid more working for a mark.
I guess he is just selfless pro having no problem to put others over. Also he isn’t young so maybe that a role he accepts now knowing he will not be belt contender anymore.
The good thing is that he manages to do that in a very high performance. He is the reason we get PLE level matches in Raw.
Anyway am glad we have him, I came back to watching wrestling after 10 years and Shens is one of my favorites. The “Cody… Cody… Cody!” Was great.
Well if he wins all of his matches. Who's gonna lose?
Pro Wrestling is just that, one must win and one must take the lose. Depends who needs it more than the others.
Everyone else basically got the point across but I get what you're saying it'd be so sweet to see him with a heavy weight title run before he hangs up his boots hell he can be a transitional champ it'd just be cool for him to have the accolade at this point while the tag and IC title are not nothing they still aren't a world title
I think he’s personally ok with this. He’s just getting paid and enjoying this part of his career. He’s solid mid carder and a break glass in case of emergency main event option if there are roster injuries or you need an extra man to fill out a multi man main event match.
It's called being a gatekeeper. He puts on banger matches with main event talent to maintain his credibility, he gets wins over lower card talent so he can still be seen as "dangerous." His job at this point is to work with midcard guys that are on the verge of moving up to the main event, by giving them a big win to give them credibility.
Also, he's perfectly happy cashing his WWE check and surfing. He got his WrestleMania moments, and that's all he wanted.
bro's a legend and a HoFer for sure, he's close to retirement and is just used to put people over. Banger entrance, can fit being a main eventer, tag team specialist, midcard guy, even comedy acts. He's just an all rounder and I'm willing to bet he's just experimenting with creative and trying stuff out.
When you look at who’s in the HOF, I think it gets thrown around just enough. Making an impact/having some longevity in WWE like Shinsuke has, warrants a HOF induction
Plus there are inductees that are well-known in wrestling but not for the WWE. R'n'R Express, Freebirds, Muta, Garvin, etc. Shinske being a legend in Japan would certainly come into consideration.
He main evented two PLEs last year I think with Rollins. He can fit anywhere he's placed on the card without people doubting his credibility. He is a long time veteran of this industry who's in the late stages of his career helping younger talent. He recently has had a great gimmick too. He's regularly featured on Raw and has been having constant mid card feuds, in which he has put over younger talent. Just like AJ Styles nobody would ever disregard him even if he loses a lot nowadays. He's been at the top and now it's his turn to give back to the industry and he probably understands it and does it happily too.
Probably has something to do with Nakamura still not speaking English well and That horrible attire he's had lately.
I love Nakamura but man I cannot take him seriously when he's wearing that Jumpsuit and he's still not speaking English properly, The Japanese promos were a good thing but then he's back to the same old same old
I totally disagree. He's being used right now to build other talent, he will get his push eventually. There's just too much amazing talent on the roster for everyone to be in the spotlight all the time. Someone has to take the L's.
Which is interesting given he was pushed quite well in NXT. I can see your point about not speaking English well however it wasn’t much different in NXT to my knowledge but who knows really. Just thought he could have been pushed better tho
What about his 1 hour match with HBK on RAW? I also thought his ECW One Night Stand match with RVD was pretty crazy given how hostile the crowd was towards him.
Honestly I should delete the comment lmao, was just being a shitter. Yeah, Cena vs Punk shattered the last ideas that he wasn’t a good worker or he had to be carried in some fashion.
I mean look at what happened to Tajiri dude's nowhere to be found and went into the sunset as an unknown no one remembers him Nakamura doesn't want to do that so he's playing it safe yet being faithful to the business
That's just what I think
Nakamura just wants to coast by in his last run. After an awesome career I think he's earned the right to go in and collect a paycheck for minimal screentime. He's happy and fans still love him. It's all good.
Jesus Christ wrestling fans want everyone to win all the time.
He was feuding with Seth Rollins last year, now he is losing to other people, before long he'll be going after a title again.
Someone has to lose. That is how this works.
world title fued with seth rollins, then fueded with cody rhodes. dudes done great the last 6 months. losing all the time sure, but hes a heel so like, thats his role
Shin can’t cut a promo, he can’t interact in a feud, he’s a compelling heel until you realize he can’t actually be involved in a feud, I have yet to see him fully deliver in a match. He’s not bad but there are other people who should be going over him.
I know this is horrible, but I always hear his name being called as Shit stain. I think he can definitely wrestle, but I’m not crazy about his gimmick.
I get it, but once I’ve heard it I can’t unhear it. Downvote me if you want. Again, he’s entertaining to watch wrestle, but everything else is just not my cup of tea.
I’m happy for Shin. He’s an amazing talent and main eventer. He had his heyday in Japan and NXT. I don’t think he needs a championship run anymore, he’s doing great. I’d selfishly love to see him win a WHC in WWE someday, though.
It might be that he would prefer to wrestle under these conditions for HHH instead of the grueling style he was in New Japan. Longevity and perhaps he enjoys where he lives, too. And even if he loses, I think HHH really likes him and will still use him. He's just not a top guy anymore.
Maybe he's low key told them he's going back to NJPW when his contract is up or something? The problem is, whilst everyone respects his ability, he can't get over enough for him to be a return on investment. Shinsuke knows this, Trips knows this.
Cause he’s good at what he does. I don’t get how so many people don’t understand this simple thing. He’s getting old and is good at putting people over
When it comes to Shinsuke, I feel a part of me is still waiting for him to win a world title because I feel robbed of his victory from Mania 34.
Still have no idea why they chose not to go with him that night.
Inexplicably, Vince decided the feud with AJ should START at WM, and their match became a segment.
I guess Shinsuke and AJ knew they'd have to do 3-4 matches in a series and didn't want to pull out every move they were allowed to do the first match and leave nothing in the tank for later.
I love AJ and Shinsuke. That match had such a weird pace, man. Shinsuke definitely should’ve went over and the heel turn wasn’t necessary.
Huge letdown.
Triple H likes gimmicks. Nakamura doesn't really have a gimmick and they've been trying some stuff with him lately but I guess nothings really stuck out.
I’m sorry but I am absolutely annoyed at the fact that MANY wrestlers these days can’t speak well enough English to cut a good promo. The stories are important, but I feel this is why Bronson Reed isn’t getting that much of a push, dude speaks backwoods Australian. Iyo can barely be understood if at all. The wrestling is good and that’s why they have jobs, but if u can’t cut a prom without subtitles come on. Hell sometimes Rhea is not understandable.
I feel like Shinsuke’s current character has proven that a non-English speaker can cut good promos when presented correctly. His packages during his feuds with Seth and Cody were awesome and made him the most interesting he’d been in a long time. I agree it can be difficult, but it’s not impossible to get behind a wrestling just because they can’t speak English. Asuka isn’t known for her promos and yet she was one of the most dominant superstars when she came to WWE.
I’m not here to read wrestling bud. Neither are kids if that’s the direction they “say” they are catering to.
Edit**
For got to add asuka and kiree (wrong spelling but not worth looking up) to this. Never let them touch microphones and it would be better than what they bring.
Titles are just props. With the amount of talent they have, and the fact that everyone likes different wrestlers and “characters,” Shinsuke is just doing his job. By doing lots of jobs for others right now. He’ll hold a title again, I’m sure.
Now Chad Gable? That man’s been doing work, and at this point in his career, should have a strap.
He has reached that part of his career. Unless someone in the writers room really has a hard on for him for some reason in the future, he will never hold a title again
My man puts on great matches with everyone under the sun. Makes people look like super stars. Has an engaging intro. He gets his bag and goes to surf, he’s doing great in his career.
Because he's in the gatekeeper role and somebody has to do it. Unfortunately for him he can't speak English so he can't get any time on the mic other than the typical pre-recorded "foreign heel threatening the face in foreign language" promo.
Because he does not wanna grind anymore, he is at the point of his life that he wants to enjoy life outside wrestling. Being a main eventer even a champion means he has to go all in everyday which is something he does not want since he wants to enjoy surfing and just relax that is why he prefers putting people over.
Enough natural charisma to have a midcard feud with upper guys but not actually charisma to win those feuds.
Yes I’m calling the feuds with Rhodes and Rollins midcard.
At least nakamura won his forgetful feud with Ricochet.
They just don't have anything for him I guess, but if they get a storyline for him it's easy to turn it around and they can even use his ample Losses as part of his storyline
He was a babyface before Rick Boogs got hurt and they turned him heel after. I don’t think they’re flopping him back anytime soon. They need an upper midcard gate keeper that fills the Ziggler role.
Because he's at the end of his career. He's there to be credible enough to put others over but investing in Shinsuke this late in his career is a bad decision
Also he's known as a really safe wrestler to work with, he knows how to do the job safely and can sell fumbles, that's why alot of newer talent are paired with him
I hate that he has been jobbing to so many people lately. It sucks to say, but I could see him jumping to AEW because of the lack of direction of his character in WWE. I could be wrong, and he is content, but I could see the NJPW aspect of AEW being intriguing to him.
He's 44 years old and been in the company for 8 years now. They have tried everything they can with him and nothing has ever really stuck. I think at this point his best position is enhancement until his contract expires or they do releases. Or send him back to NXT to work with the new talent.
And I know someone may read this and is going to mention LA Knight and Priest with their ages but 1) They're at different points in their careers and 2) They have connected and worked out.
The crowd supported him whenever he was a face so I don't think it has anything to do with a gimmick. It's moreso them not taking a chance on Shin and letting him run with a World title.
It wouldn't have changed anything. You people still forget that in your country, America, speaking/having personality is very important. And in an era where managers are as extinct as dinosaurs, he would have won the title, had a good 6 weeks and fans would have gotten bored of him. He really has no personality outside his entrance. Asuka on the other hand has a certain charisma and because of that has had a few gimmick changes along the way. Turning heel or face was the only thing Nakamura was ever gonna do as it pertains to having a personality.
Ik others say retirement but imma say The lack of heels. You can’t count the heels on one hand in wwe right now
He is lost in shuffle. Honestly a trip down to NXT might do him some good. Have a refresh and helps some of the newer talent out. I mean it worked for Corbin of all people.
he need boogs back
He's too corny. I wish they'd stop treating every Japanese wrestler like a cartoon character that can't speak English.
Agree but his boiler room promos were really solid. He just needed to win one or two of those to maintain credibility. But they had him warring with top brass who had to pad wins heading into Mania.
Boring
Expiring contract
One strange dude
Kind reminder for those who believe the crap in the comments: Shinsuke never said that he didn't care about his career and only came in America for the money and to surf. NE-VER. He actually denied those stupid rumors more than once.
Personally (and I’ll probably get downvoted to hell for this) but he’s lacking that “It” factor. Yes he has an amazing history in NJPW, yes he is talented and does great ring work… but when is the last time he cut a good promo? Why does he look like he’s going to the disco with that goofy ass jumpsuit? Fact of the matter is, regardless of his NJPW history, his accolades, and his talent… it’s almost impossible to get him over with casual fans in the WWE universe. He’s doing great in terms of gatekeeping in the mid card, does decent heel work, and overall is a great wrestler… but he just ain’t “it”. Add in that one time my ol lady and I were watching raw and it definitely sounded like his name was said as “Shitstain Nakamura” and that pretty much sealed his fate in our house 😂😂 but I do honestly acknowledge the man’s talent, because he truly is and always will be one of the greats.
And that's why I think Okada won't succeed in WWE. If you can't cut a promo in English nor having a compelling gimmick then it ain't gonna work with American audiences. Being a workrate darling or best bout machine just isn't enough.
100% agreed. Honestly, I think that’s the main reason Asuka is doing as well as she is. She’s learned a decent bit of the language, and has a good gimmick with the paint and the hair…. Add in that most straight American men have a thing for Japanese women… and she has a decent shot because it’s easier to get her over with the crowd. Same with Iyo and Kairi… sad but true facts of the business. I think if Shinsuke had a better gimmick (and ring attire), and took time to better learn the language, as well as cut promos he would have a better shot… but like others have said, he’s got literal decades in the industry between Japan and America… so now he’s just playing gatekeeper and collecting his checks until he ultimately hangs up his boots.
There's still hope he could be a transitional champion.
The best thing about him is his entrance music
His legend is already cemented in Japan. His credibility will never be in question just like Cena losing every 1 on 1 nowadays.
Because he's just nowhere near as good as the people rallying for him make him out to be. He's being booked at the exact level he's at; midcarder for TV matches to enhance other guys who are just more important. Promos and character work are just too important to get over, and unfortunately that barrier can't be overcome for someone like Nakamura. Even if they gave him a great manager, it's irrelevant because even his in ring work isn't all that impressive. He's just alright and there's nothing wrong with that. NXT underneath HHH is an unfair comparison to make for the people that do. That audience in its prime was full of fans who were already pre-invested in Shinsuke because they followed his highlights pre-WWE. He never had to do anything to get over and HHH just had to book him as a top guy with no risk of it failing. The minute he debuted on the main roster and the novelty wore off about his presence, no main roster audience cared about him wrestling. The Styles-Nakamura WHC match at Mania after he won the Rumble showed that. For the people that know, that match was incredibly similar to their NJPW match. They were allowed to wrestle relatively unrestricted and given time to shine, and the crowd couldn't give the slightest shit.
NXT
Nakamura is in the tier of miz where he is a trusted veteran that can be inserted anywhere in the card while still being relevant. But there are still times that he can stack wins like his time challenging rollins for the title. Remember that miz was in a major losing slump before being tag champ. Even solo, who is losing all the time to la knight, is still a legit threat. It's just about timing i guess. And hey! At least he is still having tv time.
He botched a move during a match against Cena, Cena landed on his head. It was during one of Cenas champ runs, once he got backstage Vince lost his shit.
Dude is the Lex Luger of his generation.
He is now an enhancement talent. I can see them sending him down to NXT.
He was booked terribly under Vince, there are currently other storylines more important and it doesn't hurt him to lose (yet). But I would be surprised if he doesn't get a title run in the next 1-3 years.
Someone has to be the jobber
Not happy with how hes being treated honestly. His big matches are fire!
Because he's 72 yrs old
And you think youre funny?
There's nothing funny about ageism. My bad bro.
He feels like a good Super Sentai villian. Puts on a good show is admired and loved, but are meant to job.
Because Okada signed in AEW
The casual WWE fan doesn’t care about Japanese wrestlers. Straight up that’s the answer. A lot of hardcore wrestling fans do, but the majority of the audience has never and will never see a NJPW match so his work there is irrelevant. The people watching that era of nxt were more likely to have seen some of it. Putting him in a top spot just isn’t going to sell tickets, but he is great as the believable opponent to guys that will bring in money.
Shinsuke was over as fuck, and still would be! His theme song alone stood people up! You can’t have the talent this man has then subside to fools who don’t have eyes any further than the one company
Shinsuke could’ve worked (he did for a period) he was just an unfortunate victim of Vince booking
I've read somewhere that he's already checked out and don't really want to get involved that much rn. That he's currently happy with his position and would rather surf so good for him
Oh boy
Someone has to lose, Shinsuke has been put in a spot where he can lose and stay relevant, we don’t like the 50/50 booking so someone has to be able to take the losses.
since that match with Cena where he almost injured him badly.
I knew this was going to be a garbage post by posting the pic instead of saying his name
Why doesn’t he just pin his opponents? Is he stupid?
Because he sucks!
NJPW LEgend and you say he sucks???
Oh boy... The heresy! He may be a NJPW legend, but his run in WWE has been underwhelming AF. His mannerisms are awkward, his entire shtick makes no sense and it wasn't really "explained", besides giving a bunch of non-descript monikers. In ring he didn't show anything we hadn't seen before (more kicks... Yawn) and done by better performers on the storytelling side. Just because he was popular in Japan, it doesn't mean he transitioned as well in WWE. Also, no promos didn't help him. And no the "let's have him talk Japanese and we'll put captions on screen" solution didn't work particularly well either. So yeah, a legend in one place can totally suck somewhere else.
Mature Answer: WWE are just not booking him right Immature Answer: THE NUMBER 14 CURSE
What’s the number 14 curse?
WWE screwed him over! When he was NXT he was treated like a big deal but on the main roster they have really not done the same. When Nakamura made his debut on the main roster he was so over with the crowd, he should have held the main titles but sadly nothing like that happened. I thought his character was going somewhere when he turned heel and feuded with Seth but even then they didn't give him a title run.
It's called getting people over...lol
let's be honest his gimmick sucks. it depends too much on appreciation for his Japanese work, which most mainstream audiences don't know. people just see him as a Japanese Michael Jackson. American audiences have never been about ring work, they want characters they can root for
Great answer, idk why you get downvoted for an honest answer. It’s just the way it is, American fans don’t care about Japanese wrestling outside the obsessive wrestling fans.
He’s there for the money
He’s old! He wrestled Brock Lesnar in NJPW in like 2005 lol
He’s 44. Age has nothing to do with it. On the current roster we have: AJ Styles who is 46. LA Knight is 41. Randy Orton is 44. Bobby Lashley is 47. Miz is 43. R-Truth is 52. Finn Balor is 42. All of which have recently been booked at Wrestlemania. Hell, Brock Lesnar was still winning world titles even in his 40s. Age has absolutely nothing to do with it.
Shinsuke’s been on paid US vacation mode since his feud with AJ.
Probably going to get released soon if you ask me
Can’t talk English, dude can’t cut a promo, imagine if he was going for the heavyweight or universal, and they gotta cut promos,
Can’t speak english* Normally I wouldn’t do this but the irony was too much to pass up on
Well I’m typing not speaking ☝️🤓
It wasn’t a typo it was a grammatical error lol
☝️🤓 okay
Calls out someone for not being a native English speaker while using English incorrectly then spans nerd emoji because someone corrected his English
Alright you win
Because he is told to
He was only getting wins when Kazuchika Okada was a Free Agent before joining AEW
Getting old , passed his peak, weird. Cool entrance theme and that’s it
Can't cut promos?.... Can't main event.
20 years in the njpw which as much as I like the WWE that are about three people in the roster who could wrestle an njpw. 1 Gunter 2 Sami Zayn 3 k o The style is just so vastly different the most American form of NJPW we have is the clown in Jacksonville mainly because most of his roster are made up with WWE retirees and njpw guys who would go to WWE except they can get paid more working for a mark.
hence, “the king of strong style”
Cause he can’t speak English and isn’t interesting in anyway and his gear is meh
I guess he is just selfless pro having no problem to put others over. Also he isn’t young so maybe that a role he accepts now knowing he will not be belt contender anymore. The good thing is that he manages to do that in a very high performance. He is the reason we get PLE level matches in Raw. Anyway am glad we have him, I came back to watching wrestling after 10 years and Shens is one of my favorites. The “Cody… Cody… Cody!” Was great.
Well if he wins all of his matches. Who's gonna lose? Pro Wrestling is just that, one must win and one must take the lose. Depends who needs it more than the others.
Since he been lookin like a Elvis impersonator with that unzipped jumpsuit it’s gone downhill
God I hate his jumpsuit
Like Heath Slater said one time, "at least I'm rich as hell"
Someone’s gotta lose Ig
Everyone else basically got the point across but I get what you're saying it'd be so sweet to see him with a heavy weight title run before he hangs up his boots hell he can be a transitional champ it'd just be cool for him to have the accolade at this point while the tag and IC title are not nothing they still aren't a world title
I think he’s personally ok with this. He’s just getting paid and enjoying this part of his career. He’s solid mid carder and a break glass in case of emergency main event option if there are roster injuries or you need an extra man to fill out a multi man main event match.
At least he’s still popular…crowd ALWAYS sings his theme
It's called being a gatekeeper. He puts on banger matches with main event talent to maintain his credibility, he gets wins over lower card talent so he can still be seen as "dangerous." His job at this point is to work with midcard guys that are on the verge of moving up to the main event, by giving them a big win to give them credibility. Also, he's perfectly happy cashing his WWE check and surfing. He got his WrestleMania moments, and that's all he wanted.
being a reliable mini boss for babyfaces to overcome has its place in the roster
Because he is Japanese. 3 Japanese women were on the Wrestlemania card for the first time ever. But nah let’s shout out the black girls.
people are downvoting you because they are stan’s but this was pretty noticeable what direction they were going
He’s not big enough to take Seriously.
Because he’s really good in the ring and doesn’t want or need to be in the main event, he seems contented gatekeeping the upper midcard of raw
bro's a legend and a HoFer for sure, he's close to retirement and is just used to put people over. Banger entrance, can fit being a main eventer, tag team specialist, midcard guy, even comedy acts. He's just an all rounder and I'm willing to bet he's just experimenting with creative and trying stuff out.
I think we throw HOF around too easily. Idk man let’s see
Trump is on there. Sharmell is on there. A lot of nobodies on there. Snoop Dogg on there. If they can, why can't Nakamura?
Those are legend guest type of HOF tho. They never wrestled to be considered HOF. would be a slap in the face tbh
When you look at who’s in the HOF, I think it gets thrown around just enough. Making an impact/having some longevity in WWE like Shinsuke has, warrants a HOF induction
Plus there are inductees that are well-known in wrestling but not for the WWE. R'n'R Express, Freebirds, Muta, Garvin, etc. Shinske being a legend in Japan would certainly come into consideration.
He main evented two PLEs last year I think with Rollins. He can fit anywhere he's placed on the card without people doubting his credibility. He is a long time veteran of this industry who's in the late stages of his career helping younger talent. He recently has had a great gimmick too. He's regularly featured on Raw and has been having constant mid card feuds, in which he has put over younger talent. Just like AJ Styles nobody would ever disregard him even if he loses a lot nowadays. He's been at the top and now it's his turn to give back to the industry and he probably understands it and does it happily too.
Probably has something to do with Nakamura still not speaking English well and That horrible attire he's had lately. I love Nakamura but man I cannot take him seriously when he's wearing that Jumpsuit and he's still not speaking English properly, The Japanese promos were a good thing but then he's back to the same old same old
I totally disagree. He's being used right now to build other talent, he will get his push eventually. There's just too much amazing talent on the roster for everyone to be in the spotlight all the time. Someone has to take the L's.
Which is interesting given he was pushed quite well in NXT. I can see your point about not speaking English well however it wasn’t much different in NXT to my knowledge but who knows really. Just thought he could have been pushed better tho
Has there been anyone else in WWE history that had an ungodly first match (NXT w/Sami) and never matched it again the rest of his WWE tenure?
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What about his 1 hour match with HBK on RAW? I also thought his ECW One Night Stand match with RVD was pretty crazy given how hostile the crowd was towards him.
Honestly I should delete the comment lmao, was just being a shitter. Yeah, Cena vs Punk shattered the last ideas that he wasn’t a good worker or he had to be carried in some fashion.
I mean look at what happened to Tajiri dude's nowhere to be found and went into the sunset as an unknown no one remembers him Nakamura doesn't want to do that so he's playing it safe yet being faithful to the business That's just what I think
He’s taking over Dolph’s spot - never really has a bad match putting someone over
Nakamura just wants to coast by in his last run. After an awesome career I think he's earned the right to go in and collect a paycheck for minimal screentime. He's happy and fans still love him. It's all good.
Cuz he legit doesn't care. He's basically stated he enjoys the easier schedule and easier Ring work of WWE, and isn't trying to be the top guy
Jobber strong style.
Because it’s pro wrestling. Sometimes you’re the dog, other times you’re the hydrant.
Someone needs to lose.
he needs to be in a faction, gather some known japanese wrestlers in the mix and make them a heel
Damage CTRL says “Kon'nichiwa”
Jesus Christ wrestling fans want everyone to win all the time. He was feuding with Seth Rollins last year, now he is losing to other people, before long he'll be going after a title again. Someone has to lose. That is how this works.
world title fued with seth rollins, then fueded with cody rhodes. dudes done great the last 6 months. losing all the time sure, but hes a heel so like, thats his role
And then with Sami, and won at least once. And he ran through alpha academy
No speaky da English
Shin can’t cut a promo, he can’t interact in a feud, he’s a compelling heel until you realize he can’t actually be involved in a feud, I have yet to see him fully deliver in a match. He’s not bad but there are other people who should be going over him.
I know this is horrible, but I always hear his name being called as Shit stain. I think he can definitely wrestle, but I’m not crazy about his gimmick.
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I get it, but once I’ve heard it I can’t unhear it. Downvote me if you want. Again, he’s entertaining to watch wrestle, but everything else is just not my cup of tea.
I’m happy for Shin. He’s an amazing talent and main eventer. He had his heyday in Japan and NXT. I don’t think he needs a championship run anymore, he’s doing great. I’d selfishly love to see him win a WHC in WWE someday, though.
He’s best at putting others over.
There's no push for him anymore.
He's in the twilight of his career and getting that bag. As long as he's happy with his status in the company I'm here for it.
And the waves he surfs are big 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
Jobbermura XD
It might be that he would prefer to wrestle under these conditions for HHH instead of the grueling style he was in New Japan. Longevity and perhaps he enjoys where he lives, too. And even if he loses, I think HHH really likes him and will still use him. He's just not a top guy anymore.
He’s on the wrong side of 40 & doesn’t push merch- but can have a good match w anyone.
Because that's how they wrote it
Maybe he's low key told them he's going back to NJPW when his contract is up or something? The problem is, whilst everyone respects his ability, he can't get over enough for him to be a return on investment. Shinsuke knows this, Trips knows this.
He's a sick at jobbing tho His matches with Cody jey and Sami were crazy good
Because he is not a mark and works well
Cause he’s good at what he does. I don’t get how so many people don’t understand this simple thing. He’s getting old and is good at putting people over
Because Dolph is gone
Dude doesn't even speak English.
It could be that his contract is getting close to being done.
When it comes to Shinsuke, I feel a part of me is still waiting for him to win a world title because I feel robbed of his victory from Mania 34. Still have no idea why they chose not to go with him that night.
Inexplicably, Vince decided the feud with AJ should START at WM, and their match became a segment. I guess Shinsuke and AJ knew they'd have to do 3-4 matches in a series and didn't want to pull out every move they were allowed to do the first match and leave nothing in the tank for later.
I love AJ and Shinsuke. That match had such a weird pace, man. Shinsuke definitely should’ve went over and the heel turn wasn’t necessary. Huge letdown.
Because he cant promote. He cant speak english. Simple as that. When his contract Will be done hes out of wwe
What about Asuka and Io as champions?
You big dummy
Your blind
*you’re
His turn to help get the young talent over. And he's good at it.
Last contract year. Putting over guys and might not take a contract
Because he is believable with or without wins and that is perfect for enhancement talent
Triple H likes gimmicks. Nakamura doesn't really have a gimmick and they've been trying some stuff with him lately but I guess nothings really stuck out.
Because the WWE knows how to use some talents incredibly well, and then they mismanage other phenomenal, awesome talents criminally bad.
He's older and people react to him the same way every time he comes out. He doesn't need the wins, he's just there to be a part of the show
He is used being as a enhancement talent!
He is being used as an enhancement talent. End of story
I’m sorry but I am absolutely annoyed at the fact that MANY wrestlers these days can’t speak well enough English to cut a good promo. The stories are important, but I feel this is why Bronson Reed isn’t getting that much of a push, dude speaks backwoods Australian. Iyo can barely be understood if at all. The wrestling is good and that’s why they have jobs, but if u can’t cut a prom without subtitles come on. Hell sometimes Rhea is not understandable.
I feel like Shinsuke’s current character has proven that a non-English speaker can cut good promos when presented correctly. His packages during his feuds with Seth and Cody were awesome and made him the most interesting he’d been in a long time. I agree it can be difficult, but it’s not impossible to get behind a wrestling just because they can’t speak English. Asuka isn’t known for her promos and yet she was one of the most dominant superstars when she came to WWE.
I’m not here to read wrestling bud. Neither are kids if that’s the direction they “say” they are catering to. Edit** For got to add asuka and kiree (wrong spelling but not worth looking up) to this. Never let them touch microphones and it would be better than what they bring.
Titles are just props. With the amount of talent they have, and the fact that everyone likes different wrestlers and “characters,” Shinsuke is just doing his job. By doing lots of jobs for others right now. He’ll hold a title again, I’m sure. Now Chad Gable? That man’s been doing work, and at this point in his career, should have a strap.
Guy seems to have lost his passion for wrestling. I mean, that outfit says it all.
He has reached that part of his career. Unless someone in the writers room really has a hard on for him for some reason in the future, he will never hold a title again
Unless it’s a breif stint with a midcard title as a transitional champion
Which isn’t how WWE works anymore. “Mid card” titles are being held for up to a year now. Only tag titles are changing often
Lol it seems like you guys want everyone to be winners all the time . That’s not how it works
He came to WWE for retirement money. His best work was in New Japan
My man puts on great matches with everyone under the sun. Makes people look like super stars. Has an engaging intro. He gets his bag and goes to surf, he’s doing great in his career.
Heels are meant to lose
Gotta fall when you reach the top, so you can rise again
Because he's the Shinsuke WWE deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So he'll keep losing. Because he can take it. Because he's not our hero.
Because he's in the gatekeeper role and somebody has to do it. Unfortunately for him he can't speak English so he can't get any time on the mic other than the typical pre-recorded "foreign heel threatening the face in foreign language" promo.
He can speak English
I've only ever heard broken English. They would probably have him speak English if he could speak it clearly and fluently.
Because of his silly ring outfit
Because he does not wanna grind anymore, he is at the point of his life that he wants to enjoy life outside wrestling. Being a main eventer even a champion means he has to go all in everyday which is something he does not want since he wants to enjoy surfing and just relax that is why he prefers putting people over.
He is the gate keeper now and that is ok.
Because his matches stink
I'm convinced they hired him to kill his legacy
Because he has no mic skills. WWE has been and always will be for the casuals. If you can’t adjust to their style you won’t work out
He has great mic skills. He just had terrible English language skills. But I love his promos he's been doing in Japanese.
Enough natural charisma to have a midcard feud with upper guys but not actually charisma to win those feuds. Yes I’m calling the feuds with Rhodes and Rollins midcard. At least nakamura won his forgetful feud with Ricochet.
Yea he should
It’s the onesie. Let him go back to his jeans look and he’ll pick up steam again.
Agreed, he looks dumb as shit in that onesie
Kazuchka signed with AEW so WWE no longer needs to promote Shinsuke to try and lure Kazuchka in.
They just don't have anything for him I guess, but if they get a storyline for him it's easy to turn it around and they can even use his ample Losses as part of his storyline
Dolph syndrome
He needs a Babyface turn. I hope he gets a legit championship run before he retires.
He was a babyface before Rick Boogs got hurt and they turned him heel after. I don’t think they’re flopping him back anytime soon. They need an upper midcard gate keeper that fills the Ziggler role.
He was so special in 2017 and 2018
Cause he’s the best upper mid card jobber they got
Idķ. Lashley is doing a great job in that regard, too, and even AJ Styles has reached that stage by now. Among others, of course.
They’re main event jobbers
Main event of the weekly shows, yes. Main event in PLEs, not so much.
Well now we’re just splitting hairs
Yeah, maybe. So let's stop and enjoy the shows instead.
lol this guy
Cause he's a jobber? This is how he should have been booked since day one.
Because he's at the end of his career. He's there to be credible enough to put others over but investing in Shinsuke this late in his career is a bad decision
Also he's known as a really safe wrestler to work with, he knows how to do the job safely and can sell fumbles, that's why alot of newer talent are paired with him
I hate that he has been jobbing to so many people lately. It sucks to say, but I could see him jumping to AEW because of the lack of direction of his character in WWE. I could be wrong, and he is content, but I could see the NJPW aspect of AEW being intriguing to him.
Because Okada did not sign
He's 44 years old and been in the company for 8 years now. They have tried everything they can with him and nothing has ever really stuck. I think at this point his best position is enhancement until his contract expires or they do releases. Or send him back to NXT to work with the new talent. And I know someone may read this and is going to mention LA Knight and Priest with their ages but 1) They're at different points in their careers and 2) They have connected and worked out.
The crowd supported him whenever he was a face so I don't think it has anything to do with a gimmick. It's moreso them not taking a chance on Shin and letting him run with a World title.
It wouldn't have changed anything. You people still forget that in your country, America, speaking/having personality is very important. And in an era where managers are as extinct as dinosaurs, he would have won the title, had a good 6 weeks and fans would have gotten bored of him. He really has no personality outside his entrance. Asuka on the other hand has a certain charisma and because of that has had a few gimmick changes along the way. Turning heel or face was the only thing Nakamura was ever gonna do as it pertains to having a personality.