Jim Ross says he recommended WWE star to Triple H

AEW announcer and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently disclosed details of a conversation he once had with Triple H about Shinsuke Nakamura.

In 2015, Ross commentated on Nakamura's IWGP Intercontinental Championship defense against Kota Ibushi at NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 9 event. At the time, The King of Strong Style was one of the world's most in-demand wrestlers.

Ross said on his Grilling JR podcast that he contacted WWE's Chief Content Officer and suggested he hire Nakamura:

"I remember talking to Triple H and saying, 'Man, you need to get all over this Nakamura dude. He's got a little Freddie Mercury in him. He's got a little killer wrestler in him. He's got great facials. He's in great shape. He's not too old.' Eventually, down the road, we see that Shinsuke is a member of the team and does a hell of a job." [3:48 – 4:14]

Nakamura joined WWE in 2016 and became part of the NXT brand. The Japanese star spent a year in the developmental system before moving to WWE's main roster in 2017.

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How Triple H booked Shinsuke Nakamura

During his year-long NXT run, Shinsuke Nakamura held the NXT Championship for 147 days across two reigns. He also competed in a memorable debut match against Sami Zayn at NXT TakeOver: Dallas.

In 2022, Triple H replaced Vince McMahon as WWE's main roster creative figurehead. Nakamura did not receive immediate opportunities on television under The Game's new regime. However, he began to feature prominently in 2023.

The 2018 Men's Royal Rumble winner has been involved in storylines with Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, and Seth Rollins in recent months on RAW.

What would you like to see next from Shinsuke Nakamura?

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Please credit Grilling JR and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.