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What’s the story?
During the inaugural episode of WWE’s newest network series WWE Chronicle, Smackdown Live superstar Shinsuke Nakamura spoke about a host of topics.
This included a brief explanation regarding Strong Style Wrestling and his experience as the IWGP Heavyweight Champion during his tenure with New Japan Pro Wrestling.
In case you didn’t know…
Nakamura is someone who is certainly much more familiar to the wrestling world due to his work with New Japan Pro Wrestling, for whom Nakamura worked for almost a total of 14 years of his Pro Wrestling career.
During his stint with NJPW, The Artist was mostly known for his time as the IWGP Intercontinental Champion, however, “The King of Strong Style” did have three previous reigns with Japan’s most prestigious World Title, that is, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Nakamura also remains as the youngest superstar to have won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, having won the title for the first time at the age of 23 years and 9 months.
The heart of the matter
According to The King of Strong Style, he believes that the majority of the Pro Wrestling industry have misunderstood the term ‘Strong Style’, which certainly doesn’t stand for hard-hitting and stiff in-ring style of wrestling.
Rather, the term ‘Strong Style’ is kind of a philosophy and an emotion which can be expressed by wrestling. (H/T: Wrestling Inc)
"Hard hit, stiff, I don't think so. So, 'Strong Style' came from the Japanese wrestling founder Rikidozan. 'Strong Style' is a kind of philosophy, expression of emotion. I say something by wrestling. I express my emotion, like, what I think, what I feel by wrestling using real technique."- Nakamura noted.
In addition, Nakamura also shared his experience when he won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the very first time in his career, as The Artist claimed that he was too young at that point to be in possession of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
"The first time I got [the] IWGP [championship], I was the youngest IWGP Champion. That time, I hold the belt [and] I felt, 'oh, this belt's too heavy, so heavy' because I didn't have experience. I felt just a responsibility."
What’s next?
Nakamura will get another shot at the WWE Championship against AJ Styles, this Friday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as part of WWE’s Greatest Royal Rumble event.
Author’s Take
I feel Nakamura did a far better job as the IWGP Intercontinental Champion, rather than the IWGP Heavyweight Champion during his tenure with NJPW, but that being said, I do hope that we get to see Nakamura hold the WWE Title in the near future.
