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If by chance you didn't know that Shinsuke Nakamura was the United States Champion, then WWE wasn't even planning on telling you on this week's episode of SmackDown, because he wasn't even mentioned on the entire show.
Last week WWE posted a clip on Twitter in which Nakamura said he will only compete for his championship when he finds an opponent worthy for his time. So, it seems like next week he will probably attack someone to start a possible feud. This is something new WWE is trying right now, and it goes well with Nakamura's character as a heel.
Here is a list of opponents Nakamura could face next, or probably attack next. I have chosen wrestlers who are either not doing anything significant at the moment or could benefit from this feud.
#4 Tye Dillinger
Tye Dillinger is a jobber on SmackDown at the moment. He has the talent to become a well-known wrestler, but is a victim of the rising competition.
Dillinger returned to WWE in 2017 as part of the Royal Rumble, and has since been used to fill TV time with meaningless matches. He is a good in-ring wrestler as seen in the independent circuit during the early 2010s.
He is a suitable opponent for Nakamura and could really use some TV time. He deserves this push after all these years with WWE and the independent circuit. It would also provide a surprise package for the WWE Universe, as not many have seen him closely, a result of being a jobber. He could play a great babyface just like Jeff Hardy, and I can promise that wrestling fans will love him.
#3 R-Truth
He is one of the most underrated wrestlers right now. He returned to SmackDown last month after nursing an injury. He is currently used in back-stage segments most of the time where he interrupts other wrestlers' promos.
Even in his 40s, he is a great in-ring talent, as seen in his match against The Miz in the most recent episode of SmackDown.
He is not involved in any of the storylines right now, so he could use a title shot for the US Championship. It will be his first serious feud after returning from an injury. Also, with the kind of goof character R-truth is playing right now, it will be fun to see him cut promos on Nakamura, and I even cannot imagine the responses he would come up with. From the entertainment perspective, R-Truth will be my first pick.
#2 Big-E
This choice would surely come out of the blue. Big-E is currently SmackDown tag team champion as part of The New Day, under the Free-bird rule. Right now, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston are more than capable of carrying the title for a while.
I have always considered Big-E as a great singles wrestler. If not for The New Day, he would surely be in the title picture, and I think it is time he gets a singles push.
He did have a run as Intercontinental Champion which was excellent, and had amazing matches with Curtis Axel, Damien Sandow, and Jack Swagger. But that was before he joined The New Day.
He is a great babyface, and the crowd loves him. He could still continue to be part of The New Day, but he deserves another title run after being in WWE all these years.
#1 Andrade "Cien" Almas
During his call-up to the main roster, WWE advertised him as the top star, the one everybody needs to watch out for, this is actually true. He has literally won dozens of championships with many top promotions prior to joining WWE.
After coming to the main roster in May, he had feuds with Sin Cara and Rusev, which were excellent in terms of in-ring action.
Right now he and Vega are having a feud with Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella which will probably not go a long distance as Daniel is involved in a feud with Miz, and is scheduled to face him in Hell in a Cell, in a mixed tag team match. So basically, Almas will be without any opponent for Hell in a Cell.
Nakamura will be the perfect match for him, as both are great wrestlers, and fans will be genuinely invested in their feud. Imagine the show they would put up. It will be a dream match for me, add the US Title to the picture - it would be icing on the cake.
