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Shinsuke Nakamura was one of the wrestlers drafted to Monday Night RAW during Night One of the 2023 WWE Draft. Since then, he's competed in the World Heavyweight Championship tournament and has sparked a storyline with The Miz.
Since the May 1st episode of RAW, The A-Lister has been pitching an idea to The King of Strong Style. This idea involves Nakamura joining forces with The Miz, collectively becoming Mizsuke Nakamura.
So far, Shinsuke would rather beat up The Miz in the ring instead of forming a tag team with the two-time WWE Grand Slam Champion. However, it's possible that in the coming weeks, Nakamura may find himself on the same team as The A-Lister. However, that won't necessarily mean they'll be on the same page.
Without further ado, let's review three reasons why Shinsuke Nakamura needs to team up with The Miz and three reasons why he shouldn't.
#6 Should: WWE can give RAW a fresh new tag team
The Miz and Shinsuke Nakamura, as a tandem, could help freshen up Monday Night RAW's tag team division. As partners, they could potentially push Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to the limit in a match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship.
Following the 2023 WWE Draft, RAW gained the teams of Imperium, The New Day, KO and Zayn, Indus Sher, and The Viking Raiders. Alpha Academy, The Judgment Day, The Way, and Maximum Male Models similarly joined the red brand. RAW's tag team scene appears to be stacked with top alliances, but it wouldn't hurt to add another interesting duo to the mix.
If their pairing pays off, Nakamura and Miz could help make Monday Night RAW must-see television when it comes to tag team wrestling.
#5 Shouldn't: Shinsuke should stay in the singles division on Monday Night RAW
With the introduction of the new World Heavyweight Championship, there is now a greater opportunity for someone like Shinsuke Nakamura to rise to the occasion and become a main-event star in WWE. There's also the prestigious Intercontinental Championship to contend for on Monday Night RAW.
Clearly, there are plenty of directions a wrestler like Shinsuke Nakamura can take as a singles wrestler on the red brand in 2023. Nakamura returned as a singles star and is already on a roll, picking up wins against The Miz and Karrion Kross. Why risk hurting his momentum as a singles competitor by throwing him into a tag team with The A-Lister?
#4 Should: Odd-couple tag teams have paid off in the past for WWE
RK-Bro and The Rock 'n' Sock Connection are two perfect examples of why odd-couple tag teams can be majorly successful in WWE. In both cases, opposites attracted and resulted in pure entertainment. It's worth noting that following the success of the odd pairing known as Team Hell No, Daniel Bryan was propelled to the main event scene of the company.
The Miz and Shinsuke Nakamura are very different characters. Nakamura is a man of little words, letting his actions do most of the talking. Meanwhile, The A-Lister is a man of so many words that it's hard to get him to shut up. However, one thing they do have in common is winning championships.
The King of Strong Style could join forces with The A-Lister, potentially being featured on RAW as a pair with opposing personalities who can get the job done in the ring. Who knows what entertaining moments will come about if and when opposites attract between Miz and Nakamura?
#3 Shouldn't: The Miz wants someone who's more of a lackey than a tag team partner
When Miz initially extended the olive branch to Nakamura, he talked about wanting "a number two." This would indicate that The Miz would see himself as coming first in their potential pairing, making The A-Lister the de facto leader of this yet-to-be-established tag team.
Nakamura, on the other hand, isn't willing to be The Miz's lackey. The defiant Japanese icon would instead hit The A-Lister with a Kinshasa rather than serve as his number two. Meanwhile, plenty of lower-card wrestlers in WWE could benefit from being associated with The Miz, even if it means being his lackey.
Someone like Riddick Moss could greatly benefit from being The Miz's henchman. In contrast, Nakamura may lose momentum while performing a supporting role to The A-Lister.
#2 Should: Shinsuke's singles run on SmackDown disappointed; maybe he's better suited in a tag team with a highly charismatic WWE Superstar
While Nakamura did find significant championship success as a singles competitor on the blue brand, he failed to break through as a major star and has remained in mid-card molasses for much of his main-roster run. His greatest achievement in WWE has been winning the 2018 Men's Royal Rumble Match.
But after failing to win the WWE Championship from AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34, Nakamura has led quite a disappointing run with the company despite his championship success in the mid-card scene. Many wrestling fans expected so much more from The King of Strong Style in WWE.
While he has won titles like the United States, Intercontinental, and the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, Nakamura's reigns have been far from memorable.
His tag team title success with Cesaro didn't take the former to the next level, but maybe it'll be different when placed in a team with The A-Lister - a workhorse wrestler who's oozing with charisma, truly the complete package of a WWE Superstar. Cesaro and Nakamura are fine in-ring competitors, but they don't stand out on the microphone quite like The Miz.
#1 Shouldn't: Nakamura would much rather fight The Miz
Shinsuke Nakamura has made it clear that he would find greater pleasure in battling The Miz rather than forming a tag team with him. Nakamura sees The A-Lister as worthy of mockery and a person he would enjoy kneeing in the face.
There's a good chance that The Miz will get fed up with Nakamura and no longer want to be his partner. Nakamura recently defeated The Miz on the May 15th episode of RAW, and The A-Lister might want to seek retribution for this loss rather than join forces with the WWE Superstar who defeated him.
If Nakamura would much rather fight The Miz than form a team with him, maybe it's better to continue booking them as adversaries rather than allies. At this point, it seems highly unlikely that The A-Lister will win over The King of Strong Style. Sooner rather than later, the eight-time Intercontinental Champion may get the point and try to bring down the wrestler who rejected him.
