Shinsuke Nakamura finally made his long-awaited debut on the WWE's main roster on the first episode of Smackdown Live after Wrestlemania 33 to a thunderous ovation from the crowd at the Amway Centre in Orlando, Florida.
For anyone who has been following the wider world of wrestling apart from the WWE, the excitement is palpable. One of the greatest wrestlers to compete in New Japan Pro Wrestling and the man who made NXT a must-watch show is finally getting a shot on the grand stage.
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But, this high level of excitement is also tempered by the fact that the WWE has had a bit of a reputation when it comes to using NXT talent to their full potential. We have seen it with the likes of Sami Zayn and Apollo Crews.
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The only way to ensure this doesn't happen is for the Japanese superstar to feud with the right opponents. With the recently concluded Superstar Shakeup, there are a number of different paths WWE creative can take when it comes to The King of Strong Style.
So, without any further do, here are 5 possible opponents for Shinsuke Nakamura after the Superstar Shakeup:
#5 Dolph Ziggler
The King of Strong Style put in a great showing, eventually picking up the victory after a devastating Kinshasa. But, the victory is pretty much guaranteed as babyfaces win dark matches 99% of the time.
The WWE's creative department often uses dark matches and house shows to determine if two competitors have the chemistry for an on-air feud and that seems to be the case here between Ziggler and Nakamura as the two butted heads in an on-air segment on this past episode of Smackdown Live.
The two are extremely gifted and it would be fun to see them go at each other.
#4 Randy Orton
Another interesting option for Shinsuke Nakamura would be to pit him against Smackdown Live's resident Viper, Randy Orton. A feud with Orton is pretty much a sure-fire way of inserting somebody into the upper mid card and possibly even into the main event scene if done right.
If Orton does drop the title to Bray Wyatt, then it would make a lot of sense for these two guys to go at it and allow Nakamura to make an instant impact with a high profile feud. Winning against Orton ensures he doesn't fade like a number of the NXT guys have.
The only concern with this one is whether the differing styles between the two might make for a dull showing. Orton is very similar to Bobby Roode in how he works and The Glorious One had a pretty average feud with The King of Strong Style before Nakamura moved onto the main roster.
#3 Baron Corbin
This is an interesting one because, before the latest episode of Monday Night Raw, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin would never have been an option. Corbin seemed sealed into a feud with Dean Ambrose for the WWE Intercontinental Championship but with The Lunatic Fringe moving away to Raw, the possibilities open up.
Also read: Shinsuke Nakamura was brought to SmackDown LIVE to replace John Cena
Regardless of whether Corbin picks up the title from Ambrose and brings it back to SmackDown or not, this is a feud that would make a lot of sense for both parties. The Lone Wolf gets the rub of competing against one of the most well-respected wrestlers in the world today, while Nakamura has a solid opponent that he can use as a propeller into the main event scene.
Considering how impressive Corbin has looked this past year, this might also be the right feud to help him elevate his game to the elite level. It would also be easier for Nakamura to work with someone like the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner than Randy Orton.
#2 AJ Styles
Oh come on, we all want to see it happen. Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles put on some of the best matches ever seen during their time with New Japan Pro Wrestling where AJ was part of Bullet Club and Nakamura was wrestling for CHAOS.
The WWE offers a bigger stage for two of the most gifted wrestlers in the world today to put on a show for the ages. It might be a little too soon for Nakamura and the possibility might be slim following Styles’ mini face-turn this past week but one can still hope.
In fact, this would have been my Number 1 on this list before the Superstar Shakeup kicked off. This leads me nicely to the final entry on this list...
#1 Kevin Owens
With Dean Ambrose jumping over to Team Red, it only made sense to see Kevin Owens moving in the opposite direction. After all, we can't have both the Intercontinental Champion and the US Champion on the same brand.
With KO mania now hitting the Blue Brand, then there is no better opponent for him on SmackDown Live than Shinsuke Nakamura. It would be the perfect entry point for Nakamura's main roster run and the face-heel dynamic fits to a tee.
They are both phenomenal wrestlers and KO can help bring out the very best in the King of Strong Style.
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