Sandwiched between his debilitating kicks and irrepressible charisma, the King of Strong Style has enraptured Full Sail with his pyrotechnics ever since he arrived from NJPW as one of the world’s most coveted pro-wrestlers.
And blazing a trail straight to the NXT Championship upon arrival has only crystallized that notion.
With the brand split in full effect now, however, rumours of his inevitable promotion to the main roster have threatened to cut his reign over the ‘developmental’ brand short. While the question remains as to which brand would be absorbing him, Raw or SmackDown, what isn’t debatable is that he will likely be thrust into the limelight straight away like Finn Balor was.
Here then, are 5 booking options for ‘Swag’suke Nakamura when he makes the step-up to the main roster.
#5 Pair him with Paul Heyman
Brock Lesnar is a physical specimen who has conquered both the worlds of pro-wrestling and MMA, but Paul Heyman’s oratorical prowess has been pivotal in morphing his legacy into the menacing aura that precedes him today.
And for all of Nakamura’s charm and charisma, the fact that his English isn’t that organic could mean that a confluence between the two would be a match made in heaven.
Nakamura delivers between the ropes each time, just as Paul Heyman unfailingly does with the microphone in hand. If Vince McMahon signs off on promoting Nakamura as a main event player from the get-go, pairing him with Paul Heyman makes irrefutable sense.
Also, Paul Heyman himself has expressed his desire to manage the King of Strong Style once he makes the inevitable jump to the big leagues. Make.It.Happen!
#4 Book him in squash matches
Wherever you stand on Braun Strowman and Nia Jax squashing jobbers, you can’t deny the fact that it is a time-tested and proven method by which a WWE Superstar can get over as a force to reckon with.
Shinsuke Nakamura, by virtue of his slightly compromised microphone skills, could also effectively peruse this option to establish himself initially with the WWE Universe.
Given that the Full Sail crowd are likely well aware of his exploits in NJPW, and hence react so favourably to him even when he cuts his promos even in broken english, hoping for the same outcome with an audience base that isn’t that well-versed with Indie lore could be a risky proposition.
Squashing jobbers could be a viable alternative. And, who’s to say we don’t unearth the next James Ellsworth.
#3 Give him the US or Intercontinental Title
Much like how John Cena elevated the US Title with the Open Challenge series, and how the never-ending Intercontinental Title reign on the Miz is currently making it the most valuable Title on the SmackDown show, utilizing Nakamura’s star quality to suppliment a mid card title could be an astute way to use him in the main roster.
As much as many of his fans, and certainly the NXT faithful, would like to see him hoisted onto the main event scene right away, perhaps settling for a mid card title would be a more pragmatic option given Vince McMahon’s highly questionable record at handling mercurial talents.
Also, who’s to say that Nakamura’s charisma won’t tide a mid card title onto the main event anyway?
#2 WWE Title or Universal Title
Let’s face it, the dynamic of the WWE is being radically altered by the day, what with the new guard breaking long held stereotypes and, in the process, also the concept of the glass ceiling and the proverbial brass ring that Vince McMahon vindictively makes available to Superstars of a certain stature only.
Superstars like Seth Rollins, Finn Balor and Kevin Owens are the faces of this paradigm change that is sweeping the WWE, and there is no reason why Shinsuke Nakamura can’t be the next Superstar to carry the baton forward.
He certainly displays a commendable grasp of in-ring psychology and has an equally dexterious set of moves in the ring to back up his application. And Triple H, who is as astute a judge of talent as they come, saw this as soon as Nakamura signed on with NXT.
With his backing, is a run with the WWE or the Universal Title isn’t completely out of the question, is it?
#1 To feud with Brock Lesnar
This feud could even be engineered through a betrayal-of-sorts from Paul Heyman, where he switches allegiance from being the mouth piece of the Beast, Brock Lesnar, to the minister of the King, Shinsuke Nakamura.
And what a rollicking encounter it would make for. One one hand, you have the immovable object that has dismantled all that dared to stand before him. On the other, you have the irresistable force, enthralling all in his wake.
One is the conqueror and the other is the King, both of whose in-ring styles borrow heavily from the realm of MMA.
It would be a narrative stolen right from a Nolan movie, and incidentally, could also answer the most pertinent question in the WWE right now; one of who – if anyone – can put an end to the legend of Brock Lesnar.
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