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NJPW has not contacted former WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura about attending Wrestle Kingdom 17.
At Pro Wrestling NOAH's New Year event, Shinsuke Nakamura defeated The Great Muta. The two Japanese legends met in a thrilling match at Budokan Hall. The WWE Superstar kicked off Muta's Shining Wizard move at the end of the bout.
Later, The King of Strong Style followed Muta's lead and misted the veteran wrestler halfway through the match. This resulted in a brutal Kinshasa, with Nakamura securing one of his career's most significant victories.
At a post-match press conference, the 42-year-old was asked if he would attend the NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 while in Japan. In his statement, Nakamura stated that he, unfortunately, has not been approached about it and is not planning to attend.
"No, I don't plan to [attend NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17]; I haven't been approached about it, unfortunately (laughs)," Nakamura said. [H/T - POST Wrestling]
Shinsuke Nakamura noted stepping through the forbidden door was hard under Vince McMahon's leadership
The match marked Nakamura's first appearance outside of WWE since he joined the company in 2017. Formerly, he competed for the New Japan Pro Wrestling and gained a lot of recognition.
In a recent Yahoo Sports interview, Shinsuke Nakamura discussed his career. During the conversation, the Japanese wrestler expressed how surprised he was to learn of the match with The Great Muta.
Nakamura claimed that competing outside of WWE under Vince McMahon would have been difficult. However, he was shocked when Triple H made the decision.
"Noah came to me with the idea, and we discussed it, but my answer was no. Vince [McMahon] stepped down in the summer, and I was advised by people within the company that it might be possible now. I still thought it would be difficult, but I even talked directly to Triple H. When the decision was actually made, I was shaken," Shinsuke Nakamura shared. [H/T - Fightful]
The former Intercontinental Champion is expected to return to WWE in time for the Royal Rumble season. His NOAH New Year's event opponent Muta will appear on the New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 17 show on January 4.
Do you think the 42-year-old WWE Superstar will compete for NJPW down the line? Sound off in the comments section below.
